The effect of Coronavirus on consumer behavior

The subject of online consumer behavior has been studied in various fields over the years. But now, with the spread of the Coronavirus, there are signs of changing consumer behavior. The situation is changing rapidly. The number of people who can be in a safe place in terms of community has dropped from thousands to hundreds and tens. Restaurants, cafes, cinemas and gyms are closing in many major cities. Meanwhile, many office workers face new challenges of full-time telecommuting. Saying that we live in unprecedented days makes us feel insecure. We have seen that people who go through this period of isolation and insecurity change their buying behaviors overnight. From major buyers to online shoppers, when and how people buy what they buy will change. Consumers have opted for digital options to avoid staying in physical locations, thus providing opportunities for the advancement of e-commerce. And because this effect on the consumer can be long-lasting, the consumer may even return to his or her past behavior. And online shopping is becoming more common, perhaps the digital side of retail trade will grow faster than expected[3]. In fact, people are gradually moving from offline shopping to online commerce, and with the end of the epidemic, this habit will not go away. This will have a very positive effect on the entire e-commerce industry. In the meantime, the point to keep in mind is that online retailers should not lose customers and adapt to changes in consumer behavior so that they can have a positive impact on the consumer. Especially in critical situations, customer interaction with a company can have an immediate and lasting impact on consumer confidence and loyalty. In this study, an attempt has been made to first examine changes in consumer behavior during the spread of Coronavirus and then to provide appropriate solutions for retailers to adapt to these changes.

Keywords:

Coronavirus , E-Commerce , Digital marketing , Consumer behavior , Online shopping