Covid 19 Pandemic Government Interventions and Their Implications on Shopper Behavior: A Study of Consumers in Kenya

Abstract

Studies on consumer behavior continue to attract attention all over the world, because of the implications they have in the market. Behavior as expressed through attitude changes and perceptions can be brought about by many factors including government interventions. The year 2020 has been characterized by many government interventions in trying to contain the corona virus pandemic, and it is important to assess how the measures have influenced shopper behavior. Using the consumer behavior theories (Bagozzi and Kimmel 1995 , Bagozzi et al. (2002) with specific reference to the Rational choice theory (Adam Smith, 1776) and the and the functional attitude theory (when Smith, Bruner, and White (1956) and Katz (1960), the researchers sought to determine the effect of government intervention measures on influence on shopper behavior, and whether shopper demographic characteristics either moderate or mediate the relationship between government intervention measures and shopper behavior. Descriptive cross sectional design was used, with a stratified sample drawn from former students from the School of Business, University of Nairobi. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found that government intervention measures significantly influenced shopper (F value of 3.962, p = 003 < 0.05), and accounted for 22.6% of the changes in shopper behavior ( R 2 = 0.226). The study found that that contrary to the popular belief that consumers in developing countries put price before quality, in a situation like the corona virus pandemic which has direct effect on the consumers, quality of the products used for prevention comes first and the consumers will buy provided the product is of the right quality. The study found that shopper characteristics have a significant mediating effect on the relationship between government intervention measures and shopper behavior. The researchers recommend that government and other policy makers have relevant information about shopper behavior as a basis for implementing certain measures that may negatively influence their behavior and injure the economy.