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PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant changes in consumer behaviour, which has had a cascading effect on consumer-centric logistics. As a result, this study conducts a focused literature review of pandemic-related consumer behaviour research to address two research questions: 1) what are the pandemic's direct effects on consumer consumption behaviour, with an emphasis on changes in their basic and psychological needs? and 2) what are the consequences of behavioural changes on consumer-centric logistics?Design/methodology/approachThe scientific procedure and rationales for systematic literature review (SPAR-4-SLR) protocol and the theory, context, characteristics and methodology (TCCM) framework were adopted as a guideline to map, refine, evaluate and synthesise the literature. A total of 53 research articles were identified for further analysis.FindingsUsing Maslow's hierarchy of human needs as a theoretical guide, this review synthesises the COVID-19 pandemic's effects on consumer behaviour into four categories: abnormal buying behaviour, changes in consumer preferences, digitalisation of shopping behaviour and technology-related behaviour. Furthermore, four consumer-centric logistics propositions are proposed based on the four aspects of consumer behavioural changes.Originality/valueThis study outlines the significant behavioural changes in consumers in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and how these changes impact consumer-centric logistics, with implications for managing consumers' involvement in logistics and pointing out future research directions.
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Autonomous Delivery Robots (ADR), an innovative last-mile delivery method, can be seen as a sustainable solution for the distribution of goods in urban cities. This study combines the modified-TAM (encompassing the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and threat elements of the health belief model) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) into the stimulus-organism-response framework to explain consumer intention to use ADRs. The responses of 500 respondents living in Singapore were collected via an online questionnaire, and the collected results were obtained using structural equation modelling. Using the modified-TAM and TPB constructs as the main conceptual framework for analysis, the results show significant results for consumers' ADR usage. Based on total effects analysis, attitude shows the largest effect on consumers' intention to use ADRs, followed by perceived usefulness, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived ease of use, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control. Overall, the findings give an extensive insight into the key determinants influencing consumers' intention to use ADRs and offer strategic policy recommendations to encourage the use of ADRs.
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Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a brand-new phenomenon in customer consumption patterns. This resulted from heightened health awareness brought on by the COVID-19 epidemic. There is a dearth of appropriate health psychology perspectives in the existing study examining the effect of COVID-19 on consumers' use of crowdsourced logistics (CL) platforms. In order to provide unique and thorough insights into how consumer health concerns can affect consumers' subjective views and their decisions to use CL, this study combines the health belief model and the technology acceptance model. Design/methodology/approach: Five hundred valid responses from an online survey that was created and administered in Singapore were analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings: The findings show that all of the suggested constructs have a favourable influence on consumers' intentions to use CL. The suggested model also demonstrates high explanatory power, with perceived usefulness serving as the primary driver, followed by perceived ease of use and self-efficacy. Originality/value: The study advances previous academic research on CL and offers guidance to CL companies and lawmakers for promoting sustainable and secured last-mile delivery. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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Crowdsourced delivery has various advantages over conventional delivery methods, including a decrease in emissions and road congestion. These benefits grow as consumer loyalty is established due to network externalities. This study seeks to identify the factors influencing customer loyalty to crowdsourced delivery through the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, the health belief model, the perceived value theory, and the trust theory. First, a questionnaire was administered to 500 respondents in Singapore, and the data was analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings show that technology and health belief constructs have direct impacts on the perceived value of crowdsourced delivery, while perceived value has direct and indirect effects on consumer loyalty through trust. Overall, this study contributes to the literature theoretically and practically by developing a paradigm for understanding the growth of customer loyalty to crowdsourced delivery from the perspectives of consumers and health beliefs. It also offers operators and policymakers concrete areas for improvement in resource allocation, security, and marketing to increase overall consumer loyalty to crowdsourced delivery. © 2023 The Authors
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Initiatives for marine conservation are funded by revenue from marine sites. However, the emergence of COVID-19 has restricted travelling, thus leading to decreased revenue and weakening conservation efforts. Virtual reality technology to support marine conservation efforts is explored as it allows users to experience marine sites, without having to be there physically. This study examines factors influencing users' desire to adopt virtual reality technology in marine ecotourism. With the integration of Stimulus-Organism-Response framework and three behavioural theories (i.e. health belief model, attitude, and eTrust), a hypothetical model was constructed to investigate consumers' intention to adopt virtual reality technology in marine ecotourism amidst the pandemic. The data were analysed and interpreted using structural equation modelling after 451 survey responses were obtained via an online questionnaire. Outcome expectation, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, self-efficacy, and cues to action exhibit significant positive effects on attitude towards virtual reality technology in marine ecotourism. Consequently, attitude has a direct and indirect influence on use intention via eTrust. Post hoc analysis revealed that self-efficacy has a direct impact on eTrust and use intention. Total effect analysis further concluded that attitude has the greatest influence on use intention of virtual reality technology in marine ecotourism. This research contributes to the existing literature by utilizing health belief factors to explain use intention of technology towards marine conservation efforts. Recommendations including policy formulation and marketing initiatives were generated for marine ecotourism operators and policymakers. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd
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Five hundred survey responses on consumer acceptance of autonomous delivery robots (ADRs) were collected because the pandemic has increased the emphasis on contactless deliveries, spurring some interest in ADRs to perform last-mile deliveries in urban cities. To examine consumers' intention to adopt ADRs, a comprehensive theoretical model grounded on the Health Belief Model and Task-Technology Fit Model was presented and structural equation modeling was applied to examine the survey data. The analysis revealed that the constructs from both theories have significant effects on outcome expectations and task-technology fit. Additionally, outcome expectations and task-technology fit are strong predictors of consumers' intention, as indicated by their direct and indirect effects. Thus, this study enriches existing research by interpreting consumers' intention to adopt ADRs through health and technology perspectives. It also provides practical implications and policy recommendations for urban planning and design. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd
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Cutting-edge technologies are changing the operations of urban last-mile delivery. In particular, innovative technologies, such as delivery drones, have shown promising results in commercial applications. When considered alongside the ongoing pandemic, contactless technologies have become even more important to the daily lives of consumers in highly urbanized areas. This study investigates underlying factors influencing consumers' acceptance of drone delivery in urban cities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, a model was created by fusing the technology acceptance model, task–technology fit, and privacy calculus theory. Four hundred and fifty survey responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings suggested that perceived usefulness, attitude, and perceived privacy risks directly influence consumers' behavioral intentions. In addition, perceived ease of use, task characteristics, technology characteristics, task–technology fit, and privacy concerns indirectly impact consumers' behavioral intention. This study offers an insightful perspective on consumers' perception of urban last-mile delivery drones while providing insights into urban transport planning and regulation of drone delivery services. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd
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Panic buying behaviour is inherently undesirable due to its detrimental impact on community's resources and disruptions to supply chain systems. The prevailing COVID-19 pandemic has seen a resurgence of this phenomenon across the world, leaving supermarkets in stockout situations. While panic buying is largely reasoned as a psychological reaction to an extreme event, it is also a socially relevant behaviour as our perception of a crisis can be shaped by our observations and interactions within the society. The social determinants of panic buying behaviour, particularly on how these factors heighten one's perception of scarcity, and trigger panic buying behaviour, are studied. A theoretical model is developed to explain panic buying behaviour in a social context by synthesizing various social and behavioural theories, and the inter-relationship among the latent constructs is analysed using the structural equation modelling approach. Accordingly, an online survey was administered and analysis of the data confirmed that non-coercive social influence, social norm and observational learning directly influence one's perception of scarcity. Additionally, perceived scarcity can motivate panic buying behaviour directly or indirectly through feelings of anticipated regret. This study has contributed to the limited literature on panic buying. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of panic buying will aid policymakers and businesses in developing intervention or support strategies to cope with such behaviour.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rapid surge of digitalisation in shopping activities. Although the rising phenomenon of technology-dependent shopping is sensational, the subtle motivations that cause such a phenomenon remain to be explored. Thus, extending the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), this study investigates two distinct motivations (i.e. to respond to health concerns and to express self-identity) that lead to technology-dependency among modern shoppers. A survey instrument is adopted for data collection online targeting adult shoppers in Singapore, and the data (n = 519) are analysed using structural equation modelling. Results reveal that the two motivations mediate the relationship between subjective norm/perceived behavioural control and shoppers’ behavioural intention. The response- and identity-mediated paths lead to differentiated behavioural consequences: the former is associated with only shoppers’ engagement intention with shopping technologies, whereas the latter also instigates the habit of technology-dependent shopping. The findings contribute to the TPB framework by confirming the mediator role of two context-specific motivations. The revealed habit formation process of technology-dependent shopping provides practical implications in managing the retailer-shopper relationship in the pandemic era. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.
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Panic buying has been observed across many regions during the COVID-19 pandemic which greatly disrupts supply chains and market economies. The determinants of panic buying, upon being identified, can be applied to control the escalation of panic buying behaviour that is highly detrimental to societies. This research aims to synthesise the dual-system theory and stimulus-organism-response framework to investigate into the causes of panic buying. Structural equation modelling is employed to analyse data collected from 508 residents in Singapore. The results reveal that panic buying can be explained as a response to both environmental stimuli and reflective thinking. Specifically, perceived susceptibility and perceived severity of a pandemic event as well as social influence and social norm can stimulate consumers' perceptions of scarcity and affective response, which in turn leads to the impulsive decision of panic buying;meanwhile, a rational reflection which is operationalised by perceived lack of control also influences panic buying. Furthermore, the perceived lack of control positively moderates the effect of affective response on panic buying. Theoretically, this research provides a unique explanation of panic buying. The findings also provide managerial implications on dealing with panic buying in response to disasters such as a health crisis. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd