Volume 6, Issue 3, March – 2021 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

ISSN No:-2456-2165

A Study on the Effect of Covid-19 on the Buying

Decision of People Especially Food and
Hygiene Products
Veena Mohan
Asst.Proffesor, Post Graduate Department of Commerce
Sas Sndp Yogam College, Konni.Pathanamthitta.Kerala

Abstract:- The uncontrolled spread of Covid-19 People buying behaviour totally different after Covid
pandemic seriously affected the whole world. The 19 period. There is a huge difference between buying
borders of nation closed and declared lockdown. During decision of people pre- covid and pot-covid period. They
this time the economy is going in to recession and whole consume more healthy food at this time .It is not easy to
world is suffering from the emerged pandemic. The cover up from this global diseases. But all men’s are take
consumer buying decision is changed from Pre Covid precautions to avoid Covid 19. They eaten more vitamin
period though the changes in the buying decisions of products, citric fruits, healthier product. People always wash
consumers is not easily predicted. The demand for their hands with hand wash and sanitizers. People always
hygiene product went up and consumers became more take care their body from infections, use face mask and
health conscious than before and they choose more gloves. Unwanted travels are stopped and stay in home.
health quality product. It became interesting to explore There is no preventive medicine to Covid 19.more death are
how covid 19 pandemic affect people buying decision. happened. So all are fear about this pandemic. Before this
The main scope of the present study is to ascertain if situation people are busier with their work schedule, they
there is any change in consumer buying behaviour have no time to spend with their family. They are not
between pre covid and post covid periods. This study is bothered about their health. But when the pandemic is
help to analysis if people are more health conscious reported people life style totally changed. When the
during the covid time. The primary data is used for the lockdown is declared, people stay with their home. Eating
study to collect relevant information. The questionnaire more homely food. More vegetables and fruits, drink plenty
method is used for collecting data. The findings indicated of hot water. Immunity power helps to prevent Corona virus,
the aspects of price, quality, and health and safety so people more ate healthy products. Restaurant food and
consciousness of the consumers in relation to the spread junk food are totally avoided. Demand for Vitamin products
of Covid-19 virus. are increased, people also started farming. The corona
virus reshaping the buying preference of consumers
Keywords:- Consumer Buying Decision, Covid-19 especially for food and hygiene products.
Pandemic, Food And Hygiene Product Demand, Health
Conscious, Price, Quality, Healthy Food And Hygiene So a study on the effect of covid 19 pandemic affect
Products. buying decision of people of food and hygiene products is
more relevant in today situation. This study helps to
I. INTRODUCTION understand how consumer buying behaviour is changed
during covid 19.
Covid -19 global pandemic, affected each and every
aspects of human life. Now the human life is separated in to  Objectives of the Study
a different era, pre covid and post covid period. The impact  To know if there is any change between pre covid period
of Covid 19 on human life is immeasurable. The world is and post covid period in the consumers buying habits.
still fighting to eradicate this pandemic.  To study about how the consumers buying behavior is
changed during Covid-19 period.
The global economy is affected, many business are  To know whether the consumers buying preference are
forced to shut down, demands for shopping goods changed between pre covid and post covid period.
decreased. Unemployment situation raised, and lost millions  To know whether the consumers are more health
of life and still on the go.as it is mentioned before. There is a conscious during covid period.
pre covid period and post covid period era began in the
society. Now the people are more health conscious. To keep  Significance of the Study
safe against corona virus, which causes Covid, people have Consumer buying decision is changed during covid-19
to disinfect themselves as well as things they use. This period. During this period people give more preference to
results in the increased demand for hygiene products. To their health and hygiene. People consume more Vitamin C
safe guard against Covid 19, health and immunity is almost and citric fruits their food pattern. Now buyers give more
improvement. priority to health and exclude junk and fast food. Consumers

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Volume 6, Issue 3, March – 2021 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
are more health conscious and they ate more food which economy taking a downturn. The government has
improve immunity power. So the present study helps to announced a lot of measures to keep the virus in control
understand how the Covid-19 pandemic affect the buying from spreading, and thus only industries that provide
decision of consumer for food and hygiene products. essentials are functional, resulting in the decline of many
sectors.
 Scope of the Study
Corona virus rapidly reshape consumers buying A consumer is a person who identifies a need or
behaviour. Today people are more health conscious. They desire, makes a purchase and then disposes of the product in
eaten healthier and hygiene products. It helps to improve the consumption process. A typical consumer’s utility is
immunity power and prevent from covid 19 diseases. This dependent on the consumption of agricultural and industrial
study helps to make proper analysis of changing consumer goods, services, housing and wealth (Grundey, 2009). No
buying behaviour after covid pandemic. two of them are the same, as everyone is influenced by
different internal and external factors which form the
 Research Methodology consumer behaviour. Consumer behaviour is an important
The study is descriptive and analytical in nature. The and constant decision-making process of searching,
primary data is used for the study to collect relevant purchasing, using, evaluating, and disposing of products and
information. Primary data is purely based on questionnaire services (Valaskova et al., 2015).
method using Google Forms. The data has been collected
from 90 consumers from different age groups. Purposive Consumers seem to be more concerned about prices
sampling method is used for selection of sample. The data is and offers, rather than the quality of the food in a financial
analysed using percentage analysis method. crisis as opposed to a health crisis where consumers were
Secondary data is collected from published reports, more concerned about food quality then the price (Sans et
magazines, newspapers and websites. al., 2008; Theodoridou et al., 2019). Even though, it can be
seen that the buying behavior of the consumers' changes in a
II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE crisis, it is important to stress that the same findings from
previous crises cannot be applied to the current situation of
In early 2020, a novel pandemic (COVID-19) raged in the global pandemic. Riksbanken (2020) for instance
Wuhan, China, and swiftly spread all over the world, rapidly explains that there are major differences in the current
becoming a worldwide public health emergency (Wang, pandemic compared to the global financial crisis of 2008-
Peter, Frederick, & George, 2020a). India announced a 21- 09.
day lockdown period starting 25th March, resulting in the

III. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

Table No:01 Figure No: 01

Source: primary data,
Sample size:90

Interpretation
The above table and figure shows that 49% of the respondents says that Covid-19 pandemic changed their food habits.

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Volume 6, Issue 3, March – 2021 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165

Table No:02 Figure No:02

Source: primary data,
Sample size:90

Interpretation
The table and figure shows that quality is the prime factor influencing their buying decision. They also prefer the hygiene
factor for buying decision.

Table No: 03 Figure No:03

Source: Primary Data
Sample Size: 90

Interpretation
70% of the respondents says that covid situation changed their buying decision regarding household product.

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Volume 6, Issue 3, March – 2021 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165

Table No:04 Figure No: 04

Source: primary data
Sample size:90

Interpretation
The table and figure shows that 87% of the respondents including food contain Vitamin C for their diet.

Table No:05 Figure No: 05

Source: primary data
Sample size: 90

Interpretation
Table and figure shows that 76% of the respondents disinfect all products bought from outside.

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Volume 6, Issue 3, March – 2021 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165

Table No:06 Figure No: 06

Source: primary data
Sample size: 90

Interpretation
Table shows that 60% of the respondents ate more vitamin D supplements, citric fruits and drink hot water.

Table No: 07 Figure No: 07

Source: Primary data
Sample size: 90

Interpretation
56% of the respondents’ says that they ate eggs, milk , meat and pulses more than before.

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Volume 6, Issue 3, March – 2021 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165

Table No:08 Figure No: 08

Source: Primary data
Sample size:90

Interpretation
The table shows that during covid period 70% of the respondents consume more house cleaning product than before.

Table No:09 Figure No: 09

Source: Primary data
Sample size: 90

Interpretation
The table shows that 88% of the respondents gave more priority to their health during Covid period.

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Volume 6, Issue 3, March – 2021 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165

Table No:10 Figure No: 10

Source: Primary data
Sample size:90

Interpretation
The table shows that 82% of the respondent says that their buying preference changed during covid period.

IV. RESULTS AND FINDINGS V. CONCLUSION

 50% of the respondents said that Covid-19 pandemic is The covid-19 global pandemic tremendously affected
affected their daily life and food habit is also changed. the buying decision of consumers, especially in food and
 30 % of the respondents says that, during post Covid hygiene products. Consumers are more health conscious
period they give more importance to product quality than during this period and they prefer to consume more healthy
before. And 23% respondents concerned about hygiene food which improve immunity. Now the people become
of the product during covid period. more conscious to keep themselves hygiene to protect
 70% of the respondents says that during Covid period against the spreading corona virus and the same resulted in
their buying decision regarding household product is the increased demand for disinfectants products.
changed.
 Majority of the respondents says that they include food From this study, it is evident that, the consumers
containing Vitamin C for their diet during covid period buying decisions are changed from pre-covid to covid
that helps to improve immunity. period.
 Majority of the respondents i.e., 76% responds positively
regarding disinfecting all products bought from outside. REFERENCES
 Out of the total respondents, More than 50% of them
says that they include more Vitamin D supplements, [1]. “Contemporary issues in marketing and consumer
eggs, milk, meat, pulses, and citric fruits and drink behaviour” – Elizabeth Parsons and Pauline Maclaran
plenty of hot water in their food habit to improve the [2]. “Consumer behaviour: Building marketing strategy” -
immunity power. David L Mothersbaugh & Delbert I Hawkins
 70% of the respondents says that they bought more [3]. “Marketing Management” – Philip Kotler, 16th Edition
house cleaning product including Dettol, hand wash, [4]. www.demandjump.com
sanitizer, toilet cleaner than before which helps to keep [5]. www.wikipedia.com
hygiene. [6]. www.ripublication.com
 Majority of the respondents are more heath conscious [7]. www.researchersworld.com
during Covid period.
 From the sample data collected, it is evident that the
consumer’s buying preferences are changed over pre-
Covid to post Covid period.

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