UK consumers' attitudes towards grocery shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors
Mortensen, Rebecca Marie ; Jensen, Maria Rosenbak
Term
4. term
Publication year
2021
Submitted on
2021-05-31
Pages
70
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan COVID‑19‑pandemien påvirker britiske forbrugeres holdninger til dagligvareindkøb. Med afsæt i observerede ændringer i indkøbsvaner og et relativt uudforsket emnefelt positionerer studiet sig gennem en litteraturgennemgang og anvender Teorien om begrundet handling, Teorien om planlagt adfærd og Elaboration Likelihood Model til at belyse sammenhængen mellem holdning og adfærd samt forbrugernes kognitive bearbejdning af budskaber (fx social afstand og maskekrav). Empirisk benytter specialet en blandet metode‑tilgang baseret på et selvudfyldt spørgeskema med 55 respondenter i Storbritannien og en tematisk analyse af både statistiske resultater og uddybende fritekstsvar for at identificere gennemgående mønstre. Analysen indikerer, at pandemien i høj grad har formet holdningerne, idet flertallet udtrykker angst og usikkerhed omkring dagligvareindkøb; disse holdninger hænger sammen med markante adfærdsændringer. Et mindre tema om ro eller indifferens fremkom også. Specialet reflekterer desuden over dataindsamling, pålidelighed og implikationer for online dagligvarehandel. Samlet peger resultaterne på, at COVID‑19 forstærkede bekymringer og ændrede indkøbspraksis for mange britiske forbrugere.
This thesis examines how the COVID‑19 pandemic affects UK consumers’ attitudes toward grocery shopping. Motivated by observed shifts in shopping habits and a relatively underexplored topic, the study is positioned through a literature review and applies the Theory of Reasoned Action, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and the Elaboration Likelihood Model to explain attitude–behavior links and how consumers cognitively process messages (e.g., social distancing and mask requirements). Empirically, it uses a mixed‑methods approach based on a self‑completion questionnaire with 55 respondents in the United Kingdom and a thematic analysis of both statistical results and elaborated open‑ended responses to identify patterns. The analysis indicates that the pandemic substantially shaped attitudes, with a majority reporting anxiety and uncertainty around grocery shopping; these attitudes were associated with significant behavioral changes. A minority theme of calm or indifference also emerged. The thesis reflects on data collection, reliability, and implications for online grocery shopping. Overall, the findings suggest that COVID‑19 heightened concerns and shifted grocery practices among many UK consumers.
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