Why did (some) consumers buy toilet papers? A cross-cultural examination of panic buying as a maladaptive coping response to COVID-19

The high uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic elicited an unprecedented level of panic buying during the early months. Using the framework of stress and coping, the current study conceptualized and tested a theoretical model that predicts individuals? panic buying in two countries. A survey of US (n=311) and Korean consumers (n=347) revealed that negative emotions (loneliness, anxiety) contributed to panic buying, yet two important coping resources, resilience and social support, were effective in protecting consumers from engaging in a maladaptive coping strategy. The hypothesis that collectivism (vs. individualism) would make consumers rely on social (vs. personal) coping resources was partially supported. The results highlight the unique circumstance of the global pandemic in which social support works as both a resource for healthy coping and a source to increase negative emotions, and call for future investigation of the complex role of social support in the context of stress and coping theory. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Do liberals want curbside pickup more than conservatives? Contactless shopping as protectionary action against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Consumers showed a dramatically increased interest in contactless shopping in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the protection motivation theory, this study investigated how contactless shopping grew as a protectionary action against COVID-19. Findings from a nationwide online survey (n = 311) confirmed the impact of politicization of the pandemic on consumer responses for contactless shopping intention and the significance of threat and coping appraisals in taking protectionary actions. This study adds knowledge to the existing literature on contactless shopping and protection motivation theory. Results imply that retailers must invest in contactless shopping and provide an in-store shopping environment that prioritizes the health and safety of shoppers and employees to decrease the threat of virus infection during shopping. However, in doing so, retailers are recommended to develop different marketing strategies regarding contactless shopping based on consumers' political orientations.