Relation Between Consumption and Fear of Covid-19: a Brazilian Post-Vaccine Perspective

ABSTRACT

Seventeen months after the decree of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a different panorama about the influence of the new Coronavirus and its influence on social and consumption behavior. Thus, this study aims to verify changes in the feeling of fear of COVID-19 and in consumer relations, comparing the results of this research with those of others carried out at the beginning of the pandemic. For this research, a self-administered electronic questionnaire was answered by 246 online shoppers. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and a correlation matrix. The results showed an increase in purchases in virtual stores and local markets, but they have not proven to stock food and products for daily use, contrary to the literature. The survey also found behavioral differences between respondents up to 38 years old (among whom there was a strong perception of fear and intense nervousness with news related to COVID-19) and participants over this age (among whom there was annoyance with the pandemic, but a low sense of fear. Since we conducted this study 17 months after the declaration of the pandemic, our results reflect not only how the fear of COVID-19 changed consumer behavior but also how it varied amidst a more optimistic scenario resembling pre-pandemic scenarios. As suggestions for future studies, we highlight the analysis of the role of moderators such as gender and age. © 2023 Universia. All rights reserved.