Changes in the behavior of vegetable consumers in Bucharest and the neighboring areas caused by the COVID-19 crisis

ABSTRACT

Romania ranks third in the hierarchy of vegetable growing countries in Europe. This study focuses on the determinants of the decision to buy fresh and canned vegetables and on the satisfaction of buyers on these purchases. The quantitative survey was used as a method of collecting information, and the investigation technique was used as an investigation technique, structured in the form of an opinion poll. The opinion poll applied is a questionnaire-based survey that provided information on the situation of vegetable consumers and the change in consumption behavior caused by the COVID -19 health crisis. Most respondents prefer buying directly from the market, buying between 1-3 kg per purchase. If in previous years taste and provenance were the basic criteria in the purchase of vegetables, the economic crisis caused by the health crisis COVID-19, brought the price in the first place, due to the decrease of buyers' incomes or other financial problems. The need for consumption/family, however, did not suffer, the quantities purchased being comparable to those of previous years, buyers turning to vegetables with a low degree of perishability. The study provides results on consumers' criteria for selecting vegetables and their hierarchical changes during the COVID-19 health crisis.