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
affected economies in different realms and was epidemic was formally declared a pandemic by
the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. Since its emergence on December
12, 2019, in Wuhan, China (Wang et al., 2020), the COVID-19 has spread throughout the world
with the statistics standing at 92,506,811 confirmed cases globally with 2,001,773 deaths as of
5:52 pm CET, January 16, 2021 (WHO 2021). Apart from the loss of life, the pandemic has led
to substantial emotional, physiological, social, and economic costs. The dynamics of the cause,
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
behaviour among households across the globe. For example, COVID-19 motivated healthy
eating habits in some Asian countries (foodingredients1st, 2020). Despite the low cases in
Africa, fears of possible spread have as well-shaped consumers behaviour. According to MSN
(2020), African nations reduced grocery expenditure with an increased purchase of data to
access the Internet. Like in other countries, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
consumption levels of various commodities and services in Italy were affected differently. The
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
, Consumer Behaviour
2
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
November. Overall, the accommodation services (hotels and eating outs), clothing and
footwear, transportation services (majorly air), and leisure services are the key sectors
adversely affected by the pandemic. The worst-case scenario in these sectors was registered
during the initial lockdown in April 2020 with a respective percentage decrease of -92.8%, -
85%, -83%, and -68.3% (see Appendix Table 1). The slacken demand is attributed to the fact
that most people had to stay at home with widespread restrictions on public spaces and eateries.
40.00%
20.00%
0.00%
-20.00%
-40.00%
-60.00%
-80.00%
-100.00%
Leisure Services and Goods Hotels, eating out
Transport goods and services Communication goods and services
Services and goods for personal care Clothing and footwear
House goods and services Food, beverage, tobacco
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
result, people are forced to buy excess products that might sustain them for a more extended
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
affected economies in different realms and was epidemic was formally declared a pandemic by
the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. Since its emergence on December
12, 2019, in Wuhan, China (Wang et al., 2020), the COVID-19 has spread throughout the world
with the statistics standing at 92,506,811 confirmed cases globally with 2,001,773 deaths as of
5:52 pm CET, January 16, 2021 (WHO 2021). Apart from the loss of life, the pandemic has led
to substantial emotional, physiological, social, and economic costs. The dynamics of the cause,
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
behaviour among households across the globe. For example, COVID-19 motivated healthy
eating habits in some Asian countries (foodingredients1st, 2020). Despite the low cases in
Africa, fears of possible spread have as well-shaped consumers behaviour. According to MSN
(2020), African nations reduced grocery expenditure with an increased purchase of data to
access the Internet. Like in other countries, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
consumption levels of various commodities and services in Italy were affected differently. The
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
, Consumer Behaviour
2
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
November. Overall, the accommodation services (hotels and eating outs), clothing and
footwear, transportation services (majorly air), and leisure services are the key sectors
adversely affected by the pandemic. The worst-case scenario in these sectors was registered
during the initial lockdown in April 2020 with a respective percentage decrease of -92.8%, -
85%, -83%, and -68.3% (see Appendix Table 1). The slacken demand is attributed to the fact
that most people had to stay at home with widespread restrictions on public spaces and eateries.
40.00%
20.00%
0.00%
-20.00%
-40.00%
-60.00%
-80.00%
-100.00%
Leisure Services and Goods Hotels, eating out
Transport goods and services Communication goods and services
Services and goods for personal care Clothing and footwear
House goods and services Food, beverage, tobacco
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
result, people are forced to buy excess products that might sustain them for a more extended
