Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Snapshot In Time: Consumer Behavior At The Start Of Covid-19, Michelle L. Childs, Christopher Sneed, Ann A. Berry, Sejin Ha

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

During the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, consumers faced challenges related to obtaining household items due to shortages and limitations in shopping. Researchers from the University of Tennessee conducted a national, web-based consumer survey of 300 consumers in late April 2020 to better understand consumer behavior, shopping patterns, and demand shifts for goods and services. Major findings demonstrate that consumers have increased shopping for essential products from brick-and-mortar national chains, avoided brick-and-mortar small businesses, and have chosen to shop more by themselves, often choosing to forgo spending from across all product categories, compared to prior to the pandemic. Additionally, …