Online Shopping Motives during the COVID-19 Pandemic—Lessons from the Crisis

TLDR

The study highlights the importance of understanding online purchase drivers during COVID‑19, as firms must anticipate consumer behavior to stay competitive. It investigates the shopping motives of Generation Y and Z during the April 2020 shutdown. Using survey data from 451 German consumers, the authors employ structural equation modeling to examine the relationships among normative, utilitarian, and hedonic motives and purchase intentions. Normative factors such as media reports on the economy influence purchase intentions, whereas close social networks do not; hedonic motives predict intentions better than utilitarian ones, with higher hedonic motivation among socially distanced consumers, Gen Z, and women, prompting recommendations for e‑commerce firms to target these motives and normative cues.

Abstract

The investigation of established drivers of online purchase behavior is of great relevance during the COVID-19 pandemic, as companies must anticipate consumer behavior during this global crisis to maintain a competitive edge. This study investigates online shopping motives of generation Y and Z during the COVID-19 shutdown in April 2020. We use survey data from 451 German consumers to examine the relations between normative, utilitarian and hedonic motives, and purchase intentions employing structural equation modeling. The results show that normative determinants such as media reports on the economic situation are related to consumers’ purchase intentions, whereas the normative influence of close social networks is not. Furthermore, we find that hedonic motivation is a better predictor of purchase intentions than utilitarian motives and that individuals practicing social distancing, generation Z, and women show higher levels of hedonic motivation. We provide recommendations for e-commerce companies on ways to address consumers’ purchase motives and strategically harness normative influences.