COVID-19 impact on consumer buying behavior

Covid-19 is an unprecedented scenario and it has changed many things in our lives. It has also affected the consumer buying behaviour to some extent. In the beginning phase of the Covid-19, there was a fear and threat to the very existence of the human beings and the result was that people started to store the basic provisions in their houses and soon there were shortages of some items temporarily though the situation was restored quickly when people started to understand that Covid-19 is going to stay but we have to learn ways to live with it. So the inevitable lockdown was removed soon and essential services and other important things started to function. This brought some relief and confidence in the people and they started to go out for necessary things and work by taking the prescribed precautions.
During the initial phase of the Covid-19, many consumers shifted from the local provision stores to delivery online stores and many of them even learned the online way of doing it using a mobile device and the application of that online stores. In the beginning, the online stores could not cope up with such a big traffic of consumers to their site and miserably failed in delivering and then some of them restricted the delivery to the old and loyal customers only. Meanwhile another thing quickly followed in this matter that the local provision stores also started the door delivery in a big way. In business one cannot survive if one does not accommodate with the changing scenario.
During this time there was an increase of consumers in the online arena and online stores revamped themselves for increased deliveries by hiring more delivery boys. The customer of course had both the options open depending on the cost and quality of the product and accordingly decided to buy various items using these modes. Another interesting thing which happened that there were many consumers especially in middle and lower classes who have a habit of purchasing household consumable items almost on a daily or alternate day basis. They changed their ways and most of them started to buy items for a week or ten days. This actually made the sale of bulk packets more than the lose and small pack items. Many manufacturers quickly adopted to the new ways and supplied the material in the required packaging.
One thing that also emerged out of this crisis time and we all realised it was that our country has a large production of most of the consumable items and we also have a robust transport system in operation and there was practically no shortage of the essential items throughout the country. This had inculcated a good confidence in the consumers and those who were earlier keeping provision for a long time stopped this practice and that further eased up the availability of essential items in the market.
So, there is appreciable change in the buying behaviour of the customers now though for most of them the earlier situation is slowly coming back but as a large number of them have shifted to the online and find it convenient, the local provision and other shops have lost a part of their business. Another thing to be noted is that while earlier the customers were going out even for a few items at a time or in emergency a single item at times, now they are going out with a planned shopping by making a list of all the items and associated jobs so that they complete it in one single trip once a week or like that instead of going out daily. So this is one of the main conspicuous change that we have observed in the customers.

At the beginning of the year 2020, the coronavirus hit the markets, along with the humans of the country and the world, due to which the market has not been freed till now. Markets also appear to be infected. At the festival of Deepawali, where the merchant is expected to get a good subscription, the common citizens also have the desire to buy new jewelry, clothes, utensils as well as any electronic equipment especially mobile. But this time both of these expectations are not fulfilled. In today's digital age, more and more businesses are now moving online. These days, if you work entirely online, you can still make your business successful. You do not have to worry about renting or buying the premises from where to run your operation. You do not have to worry about traveling to and from the office or getting stuck in traffic. You can set it pretty much wherever you want. A vast range of businesses can be operated purely online. It covers everything from creative services to design and writing to retail. In recent years the popularity of running an online business has increased immensely. There are many reasons for this. Of course, there is a huge demand for online services and products from consumers. Secondly, we now have a range of advanced technology to make online operations faster, simpler, and convenient. Even if you have other people working for you, it is easy to work online. This is because employees can now work remotely thanks to mobile technology.

In the midst of outbreak of COVID 19 in India, we could observe a change in the attitudes of the customers and the following observations in their behaviours could be seen. Some behavioural changes in the existing regime are indicated below -
1) Awareness level in respect of the disease increased among customers and this was also reflected in their changing style of purchase.
2) Changes in their consumer life style, shopping spree for the select items and their alterations in the behaviours for hoarding some essential items for the kitchens.
3) There was a boost of sales of sanitizer, soaps and disinfectants to an alarming level.
4) Essential items such as grains, pulse, sugar, tea etc grew phenomenally in the wake of their changing habits. Effects of the economy due to the impact of COVID - 19, has been observed with the lay offs of the employees. Hence the purchasing pattern of the consumers were mostly concentrated on the essential items.
5) It was observed that 40 percent of the consumers were found stocking up kitchen items resulting in sudden spikes of their visits in the departmental stores or grocery shops.
6) On line marketing has escalated due to the preference to preference of customers of their confinement to their homes but orders should reach to them through the delivery boys.This has created sudden jump of sales of Amazon, Reliance Stores, Bigbasket etc in the current pandemic phase.Local grocery shops having no provision of delivery boys have felt a decline in their sales.

Coronavirus has completely changed our lifestyle. Indeed, It has changed consumer buying behaviour. At the initial stage, when coronavirus outbroke then more and more people started to store provision so that they would not face grain scarcity in future. Gradually, people left to go market for necessary item due to virus. Door delivery started at many place. After that, many people didn't like door delivery item. So, they preferred to buy the online item as it is fresh and cheap. Nowadays, most of the people has completely depend on online services as it is time-saving, easier and convenient.

A consumer will go for buying when it is essential. Some consumers will go for purchasing if they have a good amount with them and go for unnecessary buying. There is a heavy impact on the purchasing habits of the people.
1. People thought that it is better to purchase essential commodities and store during the pandemic. So initial some scarcity was created in the market. This has given some difficult moments to the consumers.
2. Because of lockdowns many people started working from home. As they are not going out they stopped purchasing dresses and other items as frequently as they were purchasing earlier day.
3. People stopped going out, eating out and roaming out. This has a very severe effect on the business and many outlets were closed.
4. The travelling has come down. The sales of petroleum products also came down.
5. More discipline in the lives of the people has come.
6. Online marketing has improved. Many people started purchasing the items online.
7. Health care products sales improved a lot.
8. New avenues for marketing of new products like masks. sanitizers and disinfectants came into light.
9. Essential items purchasing only not affected. All other items sales have drastically come down.
10. Because of COVID 19, purchasing ways of people slowed down and money circulation has reduced.