The Changing Patterns of Consumers’ Behavior in China: A Comparison during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This paper has an opportunity to collect questionnaire-based data regarding respondents’ life choices in China at the peak of COVID-19 outbreak (i.e., around 9–11 March 2020) and in a relatively stable period where the national pandemic was over and the lockdown policy was halted (i.e., around 25–30 March 2020). Comparing respondents’ answers about their most fundamental aspects of life during and after the pandemic, including income level, expenditure structure and level, purchase method, study method, food price and quality, and dining habit, both the descriptive and econometric models reveal that Chinese consumers’ life patterns were not significantly changed. These findings may imply a “new normal” where consumers stick to their new living habits that were forged during the pandemic. Therefore, policy makers have to envisage such an implicative socio-economic change (cost) brought by the implementation of a lock down policy in a long run, in addition to direct and explicit economic losses. However, improving food quality and controlling food price appear to be the strong and stable safety signals to reassure consumers in this complicated environment.

Exploring Chinese Consumers’ Online Purchase Intentions toward Certified Food Products during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Foods 2021, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 19 up 220%, 350%, and 470% year over year, respectively [12]. At the same time, increasing consumers have changed their shopping channels from offline and wet markets to online stores [13]. Thus, there is tremendous potential for the Chinese food industry to apply agile retailing, and scale up to online food shopping during and beyond the pandemic period.…”

“…Agricultural products coming from the specified geographical region, whose quality and Non-processed or initially processed edible agricultural products whose pro-Safe and premium edible agricultural products and related processed prod-Agricultural products and related processed products, which are organi- up 220%, 350%, and 470% year over year, respectively [12]. At the same time, increasing consumers have changed their shopping channels from offline and wet markets to online stores [13]. Thus, there is tremendous potential for the Chinese food industry to apply agile retailing, and scale up to online food shopping during and beyond the pandemic period.…”

“…During the early stage of the outbreak, China's top three online grocery platforms (i.e., Alibaba's online supermarket Hema, Miss Fresh, and JD.com) reported that orders were up 220%, 350%, and 470% year over year, respectively [12]. At the same time, increasing consumers have changed their shopping channels from offline and wet markets to online stores [13]. Thus, there is tremendous potential for the Chinese food industry to apply agile retailing, and scale up to online food shopping during and beyond the pandemic period.…”

The Impact of the SARS-CoV-19 Pandemic on the Global Gross Domestic Product

“…A number of scholars have already studied the impact of the global health crisis on financial markets whose sharp fluctuations during the pandemic have led to confusion and uncertainty among investors [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Results reported by other researchers indicate that the SARS-CoV-19 pandemic has changed consumer behaviors [ 17 ]. The first papers on the impact of the SARS-CoV-19 pandemic on the condition of the healthcare industry have also already appeared.…”

Does the COVID-19 Pandemic Change Consumers’ Food Consumption and Willingness-to-Pay? The Case of China

“…Many families chose to hoard more food products based on the psychology of panic to reduce the risk of being infected [1][2][3]. Some consumers changed their shopping channels from offline supermarkets and wet markets to online stores [4,5]. As COVID-19 quickly became a world pandemic, most countries imposed similar measures to restrict direct human contact and resulted in the same consumer behavior changes [6,7].…”