“Dear diary … the covid-19 is turning us into hybrids”: exploring consumers’ hybridity facets during the pandemic

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to examine different levels of consumer’s hybridity, which is gaining popularity during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was adopted using two main data collection methods: netnography and semistructured interviews. Three main communities and 20 semistructured interviews with hybrid consumers were performed to fully understand new levels of consumers’ bipolarity. Thematic analysis was used to identify groups representing different facets of new hybridity. Similarity index and co-occurrences (Jaccard coefficient) were interpreted through QDA Miner software. Findings Four main facets of consumers’ hybridity were highlighted during the current COVID-19 pandemic: “up vs down,” “utilitarian vs hedonic,” “impulsive vs planned” and “responsible vs irresponsible.” Practical implications These findings have practical implications for marketing managers seeking to design and to improve their branding strategies and their positioning. Businesses usually offer a coherent mix targeted to specific consumers. However, these results show that providing and highlighting some contradictions in their offerings may be interesting for consumers who are trying to cope with this pandemic. Originality/value The study extends the contemporary consumer literature by investigating paradoxical behaviors that are still fertile. The marketing literature examines consumers’ profiles as a homogeneous concept without allowing for contradictions in consumers’ preferences. Additionally, this study recognizes important changes in consumer behavior elicited by COVID-19 pandemic. It fills that research gap by examining not only “up vs down” hybridity but new levels of hybridity as well.

Retailing during the COVID-19 lifecycle: a bibliometric study

“…However, the frequency of government lockdowns has reduced. In 2020, after the initial disruption due to COVID-19, there were attitudinal changes in consumers owing to cognitive and affective experiences of the pandemic (Hakim Masmoudi et al. , 2022).…”

“…Theory of planned behaviour, uses and gratification theory, task-technology fit and expectation confirmation model were deployed to study omnichannel consumer behaviour and factors impacting consumer decision-making (Lehberger et al., 2021). Advanced analytical tools and techniques like netnography, logistic regression, artificial neural networks and machine learning were adopted for analysis (Masmoudi et al., 2022). Overall, Post-COVID-19 consumers are expected to integrate technology into every walk of life, and retail shopping is one area where this integration will be very high.…”

“…However, the frequency of government lockdowns has reduced. In 2020, after the initial disruption due to COVID-19, there were attitudinal changes in consumers owing to cognitive and affective experiences of the pandemic (Hakim Masmoudi et al, 2022). Even after the panic buying phenomenon subsided, the consumers who were initially reluctant also moved to ecommerce and slowly graduated to online purchases using online payment, even for grocery purchases (Chaveesuk et al, 2021).…”