INDIVIDUAL ASSESSED WORK: CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

INDIVIDUAL ASSESSED WORK: CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

Consumption of a variety of products is universal. As such, consumer Behaviour has

attracted attention and inquiry across different sectors. “Consumer behaviour is the study of

the processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use or dispose of products,

services, ideas or experiences to satisfy needs and desires.” (Solomon 2010, p 6). With

changing consumer patterns of consumption due to technological advances, global shocks, shift

in consumer patterns, marketers must comprehend the fundamental aspects driving consumer

behaviour. The recent global shock of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has greatly

spread, and possible control measures have changed the way of life, including eating habits,

interaction, consumption patterns, and behaviour. The current paper reviews consumption

changes caused by the Covid19 pandemic in Italy. This country's choice was because Italy

suffered the greatest impact registering 2,352 423 cases, including 81 325 deaths as of 5:52 pm

CET, January 16, 2021 (WHO 2021). The changing consumer behaviour is linked to crucial

aspects influencing consumer behaviour, including Motivation, Attitudes, Reference group,

family and household consumption, and Culture and consumption. Emphasis is laid on the

pandemic's impact on essential consumer products, including food and beverage, clothing, and

footwear.

The Covid19 pandemic has undoubtedly and dramatically changed consumption

variation in the percentage change trend in broad consumer goods categories since March 2020

when the Italian government declared a countrywide lockdown (March 9, 2020) to cap the

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coronavirus's spread, as shown in figure 1. On May 4, Italy eased the lockdown, which saw a

rise in most commodities' consumption levels. As people began to cope with the new normal,

consumption levels began to rise. Yet, the government announced new restrictions in October

2020, owing to the second wave of coronavirus transmissions due to the rising number of cases

to September 2020. The announcement saw a decline in consumption of all commodities in

Data Source: Statista (2020a)

Figure 1: Sectoral percentage change in consumption levels in Italy from March to

November 2020:

Perhaps the decline can be linked to widespread stockpiling of food, hygiene, and

sanitation products as the entire world's order. According to Lufkin (2020), panic buying can

be a high uncertainty level in the future. In this context, it was due to uncertainty of the extent

of lockdown and fear of disruptions in products' supply chains. The supply chains within and

across regional and national borders were restricted except for essential commodities. As a

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period. Nonetheless, most unessential activities had to close down their operations. On the

supply side, this meant a reduction in the supply of commodities in the market. Yet, prices of

food and beverages rose remarkably in April by approximately 0.6 percent in May with a lower-

than-expected level of 0.3 percent rise in March, 2020 (Bassetti, 2020). The relatively low

monthly consumer prices rising by only 0.1% in May, 2020 and an equivalent amount in the

The main trigger of a shift in consumption habits is motivation. “Motivation is the

internal force which encourages people to act in specific ways” (Sethna & Blythe, 2016, p 17).

recommend eating more nutritious food rich in vitamins, such as fruits and vegetables and

reduce sugary food such as chocolate and pizzas which might increase the viral load in the

body. According to Di Renzo et al. (2019), a healthy diet is vital since food influences gene

expressions of cytokines and regulates inflammation and oxidative stress. A well-managed diet

is instrumental against immune-arbitrated inflammatory conditions, for instance, cancer (Cani,

& Van Hul, 2020).

Thus, the need for good health and immunity and hence stay alive saw a surge in

demand for nutritional and medical products, more so vitamins, fever reducers across the globe.

Notably, low cholesterol level food with high levels of antioxidants such as in fruits and

vegetables and unsaturated fatty acids found in fish, groundnuts, and olive oil (Soldati et al.,

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the North and Center of Italy. As expected, food and beverage product maintained their

trajectory throughout the pandemic. That is, the two commodities are essential commodities

that cannot be foregone for future satisfaction. The excess demand following the cross-border

restriction has seen Italian companies raise their production capacities.

& Galati (2020) indicated that 33.9% of the respondents stated to spend an average of less than

1 hour daily on the Internet. Moreover, the study findings indicated that 41.1% of the

participants claimed to use the Internet at least once a week to buy food products. Besides, the

communication sector's resilience was coupled with increased internet usage from streaming

and videoconferencing, as most people were forced to work at home. Corporates as well as

increased the demand for online use. For instance, as the luxury fashion industry struggling to

sector rebounded to its highest growth of 10.7% in May, outmatching all other sectors.

Services and goods for personal care were also less affected by the pandemic.

Commodities included in this broad category include pharmaceuticals, skincare, haircare

products, and cosmetics. With much sensation of consumer awareness on the vitality of

maintaining proper hygiene – more of basic - explains why the sector was not much affected

during the pandemic. Here, proper hygiene, as a basic need that drives people to purchase

personal care products even in times of financial constraints following the COVID-19

pandemic. What is more, Beauty & Personal Care market has been recording rising revenues

from 2016 until the end of 2020 (Mordor Intelligence, 2021). Statista (2021) forecasts indicated

that revenue from the market would hit $10,336 million in 2021, up from $ 9 994,9 million in

According to Statista (2021), the market is flourishing faster due to younger consumers'

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platforms has a long-lasting influence on consumers' purchasing behaviour. As a brand gets

positive word of mouth over the internet platforms, it quickly spreads, reaching out to billions

of potential customers at a click. The trends carry implications for investors. By demonstrating

its resilience, the sector is quite lucrative and should be an attraction to investors.

for parties, weddings, tourism, games, among other activities involving the public. Such

activities usually force people to buy new outfits as a group dress code or just to fit in. In

economics, the phenomenon is so-called “keeping up with the Joneses.” Thus, as people get

“locked out” with the rest of the world, or at most minimal contact, their demand for clothing

and footwear declined. However, it is expected to witness a rise in revenue to a tune of $13,719

million in 2021, with an annual growth rate of 2.4% (Statista 20121). With the widespread

unexpected second wave in September 2020 forced the government to announce new

restrictions in October 202. Since then, consumption levels have declined in nearly all sectors.

Another significant aspect that caused a shift in consumer behaviour is attitude. “An

attitude is a tendency to behave in a consistent manner towards a given stimulus.” (Sethna &

Blythe, 2016 p 19). On the bright side, attitude can be positive when the benefits derived are

pleasurable or satisfactory. For instance, the boosted immune system derived from intake of

nutritious food such including fruits and vegetables have led widespread positive attitude

towards the commodities. According to Solomon (2010), attitude can be changed by sharing

information via the Internet. While the Internet has been instrumental in promoting information

sharing on physical and health guidelines to carp the spread of the virus, the widespread of

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Given that the virus originated from China and spread throughout the world at an

alarming rate, most nationals globally have developed a considerable negative attitude towards

foreign products. Moreover, countries in the Asia-Pacific region such as New Zealand,

Vietnam, Taiwan, South Korea, and China capped the resurgence of COVID-19 compared to

most affected countries, including Italy, the US, and France. For instance, the pandemic

Lastly, consumer behaviour can be linked to culture. “Culture is the set of beliefs and

behaviours that distinguishes one large group of people from another, and it includes such

issues as religious beliefs, customs, class driving distinctions and accepted norms of

as families share common commodities like food and upbringings.

According to Solomon (2010), a consumer's culture "determines the success or failure

of specific products and services." (p 498). Hence products whose benefits are coherent with

the wants of members of a given culture are more likely to be accepted in the marketplace.

Associating the Covid19 virus to have originated from China is a form of consumer

ethnocentrism — "believing that it is not appropriate or moral to buy products from foreign

countries” (Ma et al., 2020). An association of COVID-19 with animal origin can possibly lead

many to shift their consumption of cosmetics products, including leather, jewelry, and fashion

goods made of animal products such as snakes.

by the pandemic registering a more significant decline than other sectors. The family value

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food with extended family (Zimmermann, 2017). Italian cuisine comprising Wine, cheese, and

pasta (e.g., penne, spaghetti, and linguine) from Italian meals. The recent study by Di Renzo et

al. (2020) indicated a rise in homemade recipes (e.g., pizza and bread). The study findings

revealed an increase in demand for cereals, legumes, beverages consumption, a reduction in

fish, packaged sweets, baked products, and alcoholics intake (see Appendix, Figure 2). The

In conclusion, Covid19 pandemic affected most economies across the globe. Following

the government restrictions within and across national borders, the pandemic greatly disrupted

people's movement and the supply chains. In Italy, it is apparent that the pandemic distorted

the consumption patterns of most consumer goods and services. As most people could no longer

spend time in outdoor activities without fear of contracting the virus, most sectors, including

the communication sector, services, and goods for personal care, food sector. From the review,

essentiality is a crucial determinant of consumer behaviour. Amidst financial constraints in a

crisis, people's choices will largely be guided by the desire to meet essential goods and services.

Lastly, COVID-19 pandemic highlights social media's critical role as a better tool for enhancing

consumer relations. Different brands should utilize the new era of technological advances to

market their products to improve brand loyalty and consumer relation. Through positive word

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