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This research aims to grasp the evolution of consumer demand and improve the resilience of the hotel industry under the public health crisis (COVID-19). Online reviews of 7,679 hotels in 10 cities were collected from Ctrip, China's major online hotel platform. Then, we applied opinion mining and time evolution to mine the change in consumer demand before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings show that some consumer demands (e.g. epidemic safety) will change during the outbreak period. However, during the nonoutbreak period, users were more concerned about their own check-in experience (e.g. hotel facilities, front desk services). This article provides new ideas for identifying the dynamic value of online reviews. We suggest that businesses focus on ensuring hotel safety during the crisis period. The results contribute essential theoretical and practical significance to the hotel industry's crisis management during public health crises.
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The COVID-19 outbreak has significantly impacted supply chains and has caused several supply chain disruptions in almost all industries worldwide. Moreover, increased transportation costs, labor shortages, and insufficient storage facilities have all led to food loss during the pandemic, and this disruption has affected the logistics in the food value chain. As a result, we examine the food supply chain, which is one of the key industries COVID-19 has detrimentally affected, impacting, indeed, on the entire business process from the supplier all the way to the customer. Retail businesses are thus facing supply issues, which affect consumer behavior by creating stress regarding the availability of food. This has a negative impact on the amount of food that is available as well as its quality, freshness, safety, access to markets, and affordability. This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on the United Arab Emirates food distribution systems and how consumer behavior changed in reaction to interruptions in the food supply chain and the food security problem. Hypothesis testing was used in the study's quantitative methodology to assess consumer behavior, and participants who were consumers were given a descriptive questionnaire to ascertain whether the availability and security of food had been impacted. The study used JASP 0.17.2 software to develop a model of food consumption behavior and to reveal pertinent connections between each construct. Results show that consumer food stress and consumption behavior are directly impacted by food access, food quality and safety, and food pricing. Furthermore, food stress has an impact on how consumers behave when it comes to consumption. Food stress, however, is not significantly influenced by food supply.
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While technology factors are the main driver of the booming real estate APP platforms with important implications for user behavior pattern during and post-pandemic contexts, there is a lack of adequate research. In response, this study explores the user behavior pattern of real estate APP platforms to promote user mental health by taking the real estate APP platforms users as the participants based on theory of technology readiness and acceptance model. Data collected from offline surveys are analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results reveal the technology readiness index positively affects individuals' perceived usefulness and satisfaction, ultimately positively affects individuals' continuance intention with real estate APP platforms;satisfaction with real estate APP platforms mediated the relationship between technology readiness index, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and individuals' continuance intention with real estate APP platforms. However, the group comparison finds no significant difference in user behavior patterns by gender. The contribution of this study is to reveal the influence mechanisms of digital technology on users' behavioral patterns toward real estate APP platforms, which can help guide the sustainable development of real estate APP platforms and promote user mental health and wellbeing in the post-COVID era.
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PurposeThe purpose of this paper was to determine the profile of dairy product consumers in the organic market.Design/methodology/approachThe study was based on a survey questionnaire developed by the author and administered to a total of 1,108 respondents. The statistical analysis (including descriptive statistics, the analysis of the discriminative function and the Chi2 test was performed with the use of Statistica 13.1 PL. The respondents' gender was the factor behind the differences in how they behaved.FindingsThe consumers indicated the channels they rely upon to find information on organic dairy products;in addition to trusting the opinions of their family members and experts, they also use web platforms. Further, they specified their preferred locations for buying favorite products during the pandemic: specialized organic food shops, large distribution chains and online stores.Practical implicationsThese outcomes will help in identifying target consumer segments and information channels for specific information and advertising messages. They also form an important resource for developing some potential strategies which the supply chain stakeholders could implement to promote organic consumption of dairy products.Originality/valueThis study identifies consumers' preferred dairy products;motives for purchasing organic dairy products;barriers that consumers believe exist in the market;sources of knowledge about products purchased by consumers;and consumers' preferred channels for purchasing organic dairy products. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study of dairy product consumers in the organic market in Poland.
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The outbreak of COVID-19 has emerged as the biggest threat to human life. It has changed the entire lifestyle of human beings concerning their emotional stability and cognitive development. Enjoyment is one of the emotions and acts as a positive stimulus that a consumer used to feel and seeks for a balanced life. Since the nationwide lockdown was implemented on March 25, 2020, people have turned restless about how to enjoy themselves at home, as all of their options of going out were being shattered. It was the time when continuous innovations in the form of digital content through over-the-top (OTT) platforms flourished and provided an affordable and diversified entertainment source to consumers. These OTT services help consumers to view the contents via the Internet directly. Furthermore, it has drastically changed people's preferences toward diversified content based on their choices. This study aims to explore the various determinants affecting consumer satisfaction toward the OTT platforms amid COVID-19 crisis in India. The study's main findings revealed that among the demographic variables, age group of the consumer largely influences their satisfaction toward OTT platforms. Moreover, work from home, affordability, convenience, and content quality are the significant determinants affecting consumer satisfaction levels toward OTT platforms. The study is relevant to the current marketing scenario, as it provides useful insights for the content developers of the major OTT platforms such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, Voot, and many others to enhance the consumer satisfaction in the terms of digital content consumption.
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The aim of this study is to determine the motivation of high school students to participate in physical activity and their eating attitude levels during the COVID-19 period as well as to examine the relationship between the two variables. In addition, it was also determined whether the motivation for participate in physical activity and eating attitudes differ according to gender, weekly exercise, spending time with technology, family communication times, and participation in exercise during and before the pandemic. A total of 576 high school students, including 406 girls and 170 boys, participated in the study. "Motivation Scale for Participation in Physical Activity (MSPPA)", "Eating Attitude Test (EAT-40)" and "Personal Information Form (KBF)" were used as data collection tools. Data were evaluated using correlation, multiple linear regression, MANOVA and t-test analysis techniques. It was concluded that the motivation of the students to participate in physical activity was moderate, and they did not have eating disorders. It was observed that physical activity motivation did not predict eating attitude, but there were positive and low relationships between sub-factors in relational dimension. According to gender, it was determined that the eating attitudes of female students were more positive than male students. It has been found that the motivation to participate in physical activity is higher for those who exercise before and during the pandemic than those who do not. Consequently, it can be said that during the COVID-19 process, high school students' motivation to participate in physical activity is at a moderate level, and their eating attitudes are generally not at the level of behavioral disorders.
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The various crises are having a significant impact on the entire food sector and are changing the attitudes of Europeans as well as policies on the importance of food security and sustainably produced quality and safe food for consumer health. The paper focuses on the consumer's fear of food security for the time of the first wave of COVID-19 and the associated concern for food security in the future and the changes in consumer behaviour. The online survey in Slovenia was conducted in June 2020 using a "snowball" method. The sample included 490 individuals. The results showed that both measured forms of fear (i) fear over food security during the first wave of COVID-19 crisis, and (ii) fear over food security in the future were statistically significant, moderately strong and positively associated with almost all forms of self-perceived behaviour change caused by the COVID-19 crisis. The respondents focused more on buying locally produced and processed food, food stockpiling and decreasing food waste. Only minor changes were expressed with regards to their food purchasing channels, with the elderly, the highly educated and those who classified themselves in a higher social class buying more often directly from farmers. In the future, the results of this research should be compared with other countries and the impact of an individual's economic situation and the impact of promotional campaigns on agricultural products on changing consumer behaviour should also be analysed in more detail.
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Purpose: This paper aims at examining the impact that COVID-19 pandemic and its related work implications have on the relationship between lean implementation and service performance. Design/methodology/approach: The author surveyed service organizations that have been implementing lean for at least two years and remotely maintained their activities during the COVID-19 outbreak. Multivariate data techniques were applied to analyze the dataset. This study was grounded on sociotechnical systems theory. Findings: The findings indicate that organizations that have been implementing lean services more extensively are also more likely to benefit from the effects that the COVID-19 had on work environments, especially in the case of home office. Nevertheless, social distancing does not appear to mediate the effects of lean services on both quality and delivery performances. Originality/value: Since the pandemic is a recent phenomenon with unprecedented effects, this research is an initial effort to determine the effect the pandemic has on lean implementation and services' performance, providing both theoretical and practical contributions to the field. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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As Covid-19 vaccination in the U.S. begins and hopes of a gradual return to normalcy are raised after much disruption in the shopping behavior of consumers, there is a need to examine consumers' shopping patterns at different stages of the pandemic to adequately understand the potential impacts on shopping behavior. This study explored the shopping behavior of Florida residents during the early transition phase of the pandemic, using data collected from an online survey from February to April 2021. A comprehensive analysis was conducted examining the shopping patterns in terms of purchase frequency, expenditure, and shopping trip distance as well as individuals' shopping attitudes. Further analysis of the shopping behavior was also carried out to investigate whether and how key demographic variables, including age, income, and gender, might be associated with their shopping patterns and attitudes. The analysis reveals that finding and comparing products were big motivators for using online shopping, while concerns about putting personal information online, shipping costs, and the return process may discourage online shopping. Women spent less than men but had significantly higher purchase frequencies than men. People generally liked shopping without interacting with anyone, which suggests that in-store shopping was not necessarily motivated by the need for social interactions. However, price, safety, and parking availability were the top factors in choosing the stores to shop from. Thus, urban and transportation planners should promote compact, mixed-use development and parking management strategies to reduce vehicle shopping trips and the need for separate trips for different purposes. © 2023 ICE Publishing: All rights reserved.
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Despite an increased emphasis on improvement in airline service quality concerning consumer behavior, such as passenger repurchasing as a result of their behavioral intention over the last several decades, there is still much less concern with the nature of airline service quality than should exist in the so-called "logistics service quality” and less concern with examining the specific behavioral intention preceding repurchasing behavior together with the theory of planned behavior. As such, this study aims to explore these issues, along with the psychological factors of the theory of planned behavior, that can lead to repurchasing behavior via word-of-mouth intention (WOMI). With an online survey of 383 respondents experienced with flying, the results reveal that the logistics service quality and each determinant in the theory positively influence a passenger's repurchasing behavior through WOMI. Accordingly, service marketers can implement service design and apply integrated marketing communication by learning from repurchasing behavior that was formed by the given factors to retain their existing customers. Moreover, this study is the first to empirically and explicitly validate dimensions of airline services through the lens of logistics that are deemed fit with the nature of the airlines. It advances the understanding of theory approaching and connects what has hampered its advancement in a body of knowledge, simultaneously in a context of airline context where it should not be relegated to transportation and consumer and service orientation.
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PurposeThis study evaluates the impact of online menus and perceived convenience of online food ordering on consumer purchase intention and shows how a desire for food creates a relationship between an online menu and a customer's purchase intention. Suggestions for management are proposed to design an effective menu to improve business performance in the competitive market in Vietnam.Design/methodology/approachThe paper follows a quantitative method. Quantitative research aims to analyze and critically evaluate the research question(s) to discover new factors.FindingsFindings indicate a positive relationship between menu visual appeal (MV), menu informativeness (MI), desire for food (DF), the perceived convenience (PC) of ordering food online and intention to purchase (PI). The attractiveness of images and information is a significant factor affecting diners' desire to eat, while the demand for food and the convenience of ordering food online are also factors affecting purchase intention.Practical implicationsThe study confirms the importance of online menus to purchase intention. Economically, when supply and demand are reasonable, the market is stable and technology develops. In terms of social, hygiene, attractiveness and price factors, it is helpful to have an overview. Research is the premise for further studies with factors from menu to customer trust.Originality/valueThe study provides a solid foundation for further studies on restaurant menu elements as well as a new perspective on how restaurants improve their dishes.
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PurposeThis study is aimed at developing an understanding of the consequences of the pandemic on families' socioeconomic resilience, and the strategies adopted by the families in overcoming social vulnerabilities amid uncertainty.Design/methodology/approachThe materials for this study consist of semi-structured interviews with 21 families spread across the South Sumatra Province, Indonesia. Families in the study represent four different income levels, namely very high, high, middle and low, and who also work in the informal sector. Each family has at least 1 or more members who fall into the vulnerable category (children, the elderly, people with disabilities unemployed or having potential economic vulnerability).FindingsTwo main findings are outlined. Regardless of their socioeconomic status, many of the families analyzed adopted similar strategies to remain resilient. Among the strategies are classifying the urgency of purchasing consumer goods based on financial capacity rather than needs, leveraging digital economic opportunities as alternative sources of income, utilizing more extensive informal networks and going into debt. Another interesting finding shows that the pandemic, to some extent, has saved poor families from social insecurity. This is supported by evidence showing that social distancing measures during the pandemic have reduced the intensity of sociocultural activities, which require invited community members to contribute financially. The reduction of sociocultural activities in the community has provided more potential savings for the poor.Research limitations/implicationsIn this study, informants who provided information about their family conditions represent a major segment of the workforce and tend to be technologically savvy and younger, due to the use of Zoom as a platform for conducting interviews. Therefore, there may be a bias in the results. Another limitation is that since the interviewees were recommended by our social network in the fields, there is a risk of a distorted selection of participants.Originality/valueThis study offers insights that are critical in helping to analyze family patterns in developing countries in mitigating the risks and uncertainties caused by COVID-19. In addition, the literature on social policy and development could benefit from further research on COVID-19 as an alternative driver to identify mechanisms that could bring about change that would result in "security.” Critical questions and limitations of this study are presented at the end of the paper to be responded to as future research agenda.
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PurposeThis research conceptualises the hallmark event, Melbourne Cup in Australia, as a major sporting brand experience. While numerous studies have explored consumer engagement and experiences in major sporting events, few research studies highlight the negative issues, such as alcoholism, gambling and violence, that may affect consumer engagement and experience. This article addresses the challenges and opportunities of providing immersive and transformative experiences through transformative service research (TSR) approaches when such negative issues are swirling around.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is conceptual. It uses the example of Melbourne Cup to illuminate aspects of the conceptual framework.FindingsThe article unpacks a myriad of positive and negative immersive brand experiences and contributes a conceptual framework to understand the sporting brand experience phenomenon and shows how authentically responsible marketing approaches can improve the sport spectator experience.Research limitations/implicationsInsights from the extended TSR framework presents implications for various organisations that are involved with strategic destination marketing approaches. It guides key stakeholders to engage in dialogue and collaborate in order to improve the attendee transformative experience. Inviting collaborators will facilitate the exchange of ideas that will improve event organisation. Consistent approaches among hospitality service providers would improve alcohol service and create a safe environment for attendees. The TSR framework guides players of the experience to engage in meaningful dialogue with a common goal to improve consumer wellbeing. Education and training therefore are key elements in the consumer sporting brand experience.Practical implicationsThe adapted TSR framework offers insights to destination marketers such as sporting agencies, tour operators and sporting organisations/clubs. Marketers may promote bigger sporting events and organise tours via travel agencies and ignore key elements that may influence attendee decision. Destination marketing organisations (DMOs) can use the framework to promote effective planning and the key initiatives that the iconic event is involved with. The framework can be used as a guide to manage similar international events. Events of major or mega size and international reputation need specific frameworks that address crowd behaviours of similar sizes.Originality/valueAn extended transformative service approach is being conceptualised for major sporting brand experiences. Practical implications are also highlighted for DMOs when raising the profile of city brands.
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Customer shopping behaviour has changed and people are becoming used to accessing, using and adapting to online shopping rather than visiting stores physically due to COVID-19 restrictions. It is not known how long the trend will last but it can be observed that there will be changes in current and future models in almost every business around the world. According to the 'Motivation-need theory' (1943), every individual considers five (5) key elements to fulfil their needs. It includes physiological survival, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. The big question is why consumers act differently during the global pandemic, which does not support Maslow's 'Motivation-need theory'. It might be the panic situation all over the world, frustration of losing jobs, mental stress while isolated and many other factors that are making consumers act differently while shopping from e-commerce or different social media platform. This research study aims to examine the factors affecting consumer behaviour toward online purchasing during COVID-19 in Bangladesh. . © 2023 IEEE.
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The paper reports findings from a two-stage study of consumer–brand relationships conducted between April 2021 and June 2021, at a time the COVID-19 pandemic had forced consumers to live through social distancing mandates and school/office closures. Initial exploration via focus groups began in April 2021 for the purpose of generating grounded theory, hypotheses, and measurement scales relevant to their experiences of brand consumption during this period. The second study tested the grounded hypotheses based on a nationwide sample of consumers in June 2021. The study finds evidence of three distinct brand-related behaviors in response to the COVID-19-induced stresses;i.e., heightened intentionality about brand choices, heightened concern for brand sponsors' ethical behaviors toward their employees, and engagement in brand evangelism behaviors.
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People's way of consuming media changed tremendously with rapid technological improvements and increased internet penetration levels across India due to emergence of over-the-top media services (OTT) platforms. COVID-19 outbreak has tremendously increased the demand for OTT streaming channels like Netflix, Amazon prime, Zee 5, Alt Balaji and Disney Hotstar which transformed the world of entertainment and media by contributing mind blowing services during the lockdown period.This research paper is an attempt to study the shift in media consumption patterns from old ways of entertainment like cinema, television to new ways of entertainment like OTT platforms, study and analyze the consumer preference towards choice of OTT platforms, watching habits of online over the top (OTT) applications among Indian viewers. © 2023 IEEE.
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Cybersecurity is an increasingly important factor in consumer attitudes toward online shopping. Online shopping has become an essential part of our lives in this digital era. As the popularity of online and e-commerce shopping continues to grow, so does the potential for cyber threats and attacks. As more and more consumers turn to online shopping, cyber threats such as hacking, identity theft, and credit card fraud have become more frequent. Therefore, understanding the factors of cybersecurity that affect consumer attitude is essential to build trust and creating a safe and sound shopping environment. This research explores the factors of cybersecurity that affect consumers' attitudes to shopping online and uses a survey to test several hypotheses related to influential cyber factors. Bangladesh is a developing country in Southeast Asia, and like many other countries, has experienced an increase in cyber threats and attacks in recent years. Consumers in Bangladesh face many of the same cyber threats, such as phasing attacks, malware, data breach, and other types of cyber security threats over online shopping. As a result of these cyber threats, online consumers are increasingly concerned about online security risks which may impact their willingness to engage in online shopping. Therefore, it is essential to identify critical factors of cyber security that impact consumers's attitudes toward online shopping to mitigate cyber risk and improve consumer trust in online shopping. This paper provides the result of a research study that will provide a better understanding of factors that influence consumer's trust and engagement with online and E-commerce platforms in Bangladesh) . © 2023 IEEE.
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Recent years have seen a swift embracement of augmented reality (AR) as an interactive marketing tool, which has been accelerated even more rapidly by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the general attitude toward the technology as well as the factors that inhibit or facilitate its adoption from both, the consumers, and practitioners, remain elusive. This prevents marketers from fully exploiting the potential related to AR marketing. This chapter (1) draws on current literature to conceptualize consumer experience in AR marketing and (2) complements these findings with a practitioner perspective by conducting interviews with small retailers. The results of the present chapter indicate that, from the consumer perspective, AR can give rise to diverse cognitive, affective, and social-psychological outcomes, which can translate into behavioral outcomes, including purchase intentions, word-of-mouth intentions, and brand engagement. From the practitioner's perspective, initial interview results reveal that advancements toward an easy integration of AR within existing IT infrastructures, as well as efficient ways to create virtual product replicas are crucial for the adoption of AR by small retailers. Based on the combined observations from literature and the conducted interviews, a comprehensive framework of interactive AR marketing is provided, and a way forward is discussed by addressing the emergent trends of AR as an interactive marketing technology. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.
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Background: The hospitality industry is recovering, evolving, and adapting itself in the post COVID-19 era through innovative and sustainable practices backed by the use of technology in entire hotel operations. The hotel Front Office department is no exception in utilizing these evolved practices to understand and influence the customer behaviour while exploring all possible measures to enhance the overall guest stay experience in the post-COVID times. The Front Office department plays a vital role in the passage of accurate and timely information required for flawless guest management in the hotels. Throughout the COVID-19 period, the Front Office practices have evolved through different stages depending upon the factors such as guest preferences, safety and security measures, hygienic conditions, sustainability and use of technology. Objectives: The major objectives are to study the post COVID-19 Hotel guest preferences of non-star category hotels with respect to changing scenario in the Hospitality Industry, to analyse the gaps between hotel guest expectations and perceptions in service quality with special mention of the front office department and to highlight the future challenges faced by hotel industry and suggest possible measured to overcome these challenges. Methodology: Hybrid research approach has been adopted in this study. Grounded theory in qualitative research approach with interview and semi-structured questionnaires are the data collection tools. Survey method with structured questionnaire are quantitative data collection tools. Collected data were analysed through content and thematic tools for qualitative data and quantitative data were analysed through descriptive statistics (Mean, SD, percentage) and paired t-test as an inferential statistical tool has been applied in this study for conclusion purpose. Results: Result indicates negative as Expected value - perceived value = - (negative). Conclusion: It is concluded that hotel-guests' are not satisfied as provided facilities are not as per guests' expectation. This study gives overview of guests' expectation. It helps hoteliers for modification of hotel's facilities for the guest. The limitation of the study is that the study is conducted in NCR only. Hotels of the same category in the other cities/town may be conducted for getting actual scenario of the phenomena of the hotels. In addition, the study proposes that hotels should adjust their room and service pricing to reflect the reduced demand during the COVID era. Furthermore, the hotel industry will face ongoing challenges, and hotels must be adaptable to remain competitive. By embracing new technologies, providing distinctive experiences, and implementing sustainable practices, hotels can overcome these challenges and flourish in the years ahead.
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The e-commerce industry significantly expanded during a negative economic recession. This is because, during the COVID-19 epidemic, many countries enacted social limitations that caused various economic activities to diminish in many sectors and resulted in layoffs in various businesses because there was no production activity. Through consumer attributes such as impulsive buying tendencies, shopping enjoyment preferences, moods, and personal situations, this study aims to understand the factors contributing to impulsive buying. The SEM statistical method and PLS software were used to test the research model empirically. Sampling with a purpose was chosen. Two hundred legitimate respondents were used as samples to test the assumptions. First, the study found that impulsive buying patterns, moods, and situations all positively influence impulsive purchases. Second, other elements, such spending patterns, are not significant. This demonstrates that customers can enjoy looking up information about the desired goods, but it hasn't yet led customers to make impulsive purchases at online shops.