“Summer Internship Project Report”

Changing Buying Behavior of consumers in the COVID-19

Pandemic

Under the Supervision of

Prof. Aastha Sawhney

(Assistant Professor – Management Department)

Submitted by

Priyesh Kumar

BBA – VI Semester, Roll No. 180935105250

INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

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 CERTIFICATE

Ref. No.: IMS/BBA/PROJECT

Dated:

TO WHOM-SO-EVER IT MAY CONCERN

This is to certify that Mr. Priyesh Kumar, Roll No. 180935105250 (Batch-2018-
2021) is a Bonafide student of 3rd Year Full Time BBA programme.

He has completed his Project Titled “Changing Buying Behavior of consumers in

the COVID-19 Pandemic” under my guidance.

This project is completed and satisfactory.

NAME OF THE FACULTY GUIDE: Prof. Aastha Sawhney

(Signature Of Faculty Guide)

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 ACKNOWLEDEGEMENT

There are many individuals to thank and appreciate in their efforts and support to
help me complete this thesis. First, I want to give my sincere gratitude and thanks to
my supervisor Prof. Aastha Sawhney, her support, experience, patients and foremost
dedication, helped me to overcome the challenges I faced while preparing my
dissertation.

I also want to give my humble thanks to Dr. Kumar Saurav, who always have been
available and supportive in my research and giving me clear advice from his
expertise in quantitative research and, for going beyond and above in aiding not only
me but all his students, to ensure our development within academic research.

I want to thank all of our teachers throughout this Bachelor’s program, who’s
exceptional teaching skills have prepared me for writing this thesis. I also want to
thank all the respondents in our study, as despite the challenging times of the still
ongoing pandemic took time and effort into participating in my survey. Finally, I
want to extend my thanks to my family, close ones and classmates for all their
support, especially in times of stress, without your unswerving support, none of this
would be possible.

Priyesh Kumar

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 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this Project Report is my own work and that, to the
best of my knowledge and belief, it reproduces no material previously
published or written that has been accepted for the award of any other
degree of diploma, except where due acknowledgement has been made in
the text.

Priyesh Kumar

Enrollment No. 180935105250

Date: 18/07/2021

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Index
1. Introduction 7 - 27
1.1. Introduction to the topic
1.2. Scope and Importance of Study
1.3. Literature Review

2. Research Methodology 28 - 48

2.1. Objective of the study

2.2. Research Design
a. Sample design
b. Sources of data collection
c. Data Collection Techniques
d. Analytical tools used
e. Duration of the study

3. Analysis and Findings 49 - 63

3.1. Analysis of data
3.2. Summary of findings

4. Summary and Conclusion 64 - 72

4.1. Conclusion and recommendation
4.2. Limitations of the study

Bibliography 73 - 84

Annexure 85 - 89
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Abstract

As the global crisis struck the world in the form of COVID-19 pandemic at the
beginning of 2020. It changed the perspective of mankind in every way. Medical and
health care agencies are on their knees and millions of people have already lost their
lives. Preventive and precautionary measures like social distancing, wearing masks,
sanitization, etc. have changed the lives of people completely.

Resulting, supermarkets have observed panic buying behaviors, empty store shelves,
out of stocks, and a large increase in online sales. Producers, supermarkets, marketers,
and businesses have had to adapt to consumers' changed buying behavior in
consumption and purchase.

In previous researches, it has been found that price and quality are two of the most
influential factors in the consumer decision process, in particular, increased price
sensitivity and perceived quality of food products concerns consumers in crisis
situations.

This paper aims to review this shift of the consumers’ purchasing behavior and to
understand its effects on the strategies of the business industries by interpreting the
changes triggered by the COVID-19 before and after the end of the respective crisis.

Keywords

Buying Behavior, COVID-19, Pandemic, Price Sensitivity, Perceived Quality, Buying

Behavior in Crises, Over Purchasing Behavior

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1. Introduction

1.1 Introduction to the topic

It all started with news of a new virus in China in late 2019. The World Health
Organization (WHO) was notified by Chinese officials about multiple cases of a
strange lung disease in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province in central China. Several
of the patients worked on a "wet market". A wet market is similar to a farmer's market
in that it sells perishable commodities as well as animals like rats, crocodiles, snakes,
and larval rollers. The word "wet" comes from the fact that in the market, vendors
wash their fish and vegetables, causing the floor to get wet (Westcott & Wang, 2020).
The WHO has classified this new disease as a coronavirus illness (COVID-19), which
is caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2), (World Health Organization, 2020a). COVID-19 infections grew 13-
fold outside China in two weeks, prompting the World Health Organization to declare
COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020. (World Health Organization, 2020b).
Similar instances have also occurred in the past, where diseases spread from animals
to humans. However, the circumstances are different this time, since humans are
transferring the sickness more easily among themselves, and people are more
intimately connected than ever before, causing the virus to spread much faster over the
world. Diseases follow people and spread fast from city to city via aircraft links,
resulting in a global pandemic (Garthwaite, 2020).

In many nations around the world, schools and universities were closed, events were
cancelled, and stores that did not sell vital supplies were forced to close, while
supermarkets remained open, in order to combat the spread of the Coronavirus. Most
governments implemented changes swiftly and dramatically, but governments all over
the world have implemented a variety of measures, including quarantine restrictions,
curfews, and border closures (Graham-Harrison, 2020).

According to a Nielsen investigation, the pandemic epidemic and its effects have
resulted in changes in consumer behaviour (Nielsen, 2020a). The study proposed a
model of six critical consumer behaviour threshold levels that show early, shifting

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purchasing patterns for emergency items, health, and food supplies. Each threshold
level corresponds to a distinct level of consumption. The first level is proactive health-
minded purchasing, in which consumers are more interested in purchasing products
that help them maintain their overall health and wellness, leading to level two, reactive
health management, in which products that are essential for virus containment, such
as hand sanitizer, are prioritized. Government safety and health campaigns are
launched at this level. The third stage, referred to as pantry preparation, is the
following step. Because of the limited quarantine, consumer behaviour shifts in the
way they begin accumulating shelf-stable commodities. The fourth stage of Nielsen's
model is quarantined living preparedness, which includes greater online shopping
behaviour and occasions where businesses are out of stock. Consumers begin to have
price worries at level five, constrained living, since limited stock availability has an
impact on cost in some circumstances, and shoppers curtail their shopping trips.
According to the Nielsen model, living a new normal is the last threshold. People are
returning to their new daily routines at this point, but they are more aware of health
issues and risks, making e-commerce a popular option. According to the concept, the
final level is attained when COVID-19 quarantines are lifted beyond the country's most
impacted areas and life begins to return to normal (Nielsen, 2020a).

Instead of enforcing law on the population, the Indian government focused on

promoting proper hygiene, self-isolation and social distance, holding online meetings,
and trusting the population to follow guidelines from public health authorities, while
children under the age of 16 remained in school and gatherings of up to 50 people were
permitted. Residents over the age of 70 should avoid taking public transit and shopping
at pharmacies and supermarkets. Nonetheless, increasing sales of domestic supplies
and frozen food indicate that India was preparing for a home stay.

At addition, the way people shop in supermarkets has changed. During the
coronavirus outbreak, supermarkets coped with surging crowds, empty shelves, long
lines at the payment registers, and consumer debates about getting the last supplies.
People began stockpiling water, rice, pasta, frozen foods, and toilet paper in a panic.
Customers were promised that there will be no lack of food by supermarket chains and

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food retail professionals. Despite the fact that the coronavirus has already taken hold
in certain nations, people continued to buy in quantity, panic shop, and there are still
some empty shelves in supermarket aisles as of April 2020. Shopping became a new
experience. A face mask and gloves were required to enter a supermarket. Plexiglass
was placed in front of the cash registers, and personnel were required to clean their
hands on a regular basis while maintaining a one-meter distance. The "Click and
Collect" approach was also implemented in small businesses, allowing customers to
select things online and pick them up in the store, reducing delivery time and allowing
customers to order fresh products (Spar, 2020). In India, supermarkets were instructed
to mark the grounds to assist customers in keeping a 2-yard distance, and plexiglass
was also used in many cases. Other than that, there were no other noticeable limitations
for supermarkets or their customers, such as the requirement to wear face masks and
gloves.

1.2 Scope and Importance of Study

Every pandemic in recorded history had an immediate impact on the social human's
primary reactions, as they directly affected health, financial security, life quality, and
food security. For example, when cholera or the Spanish flu struck, the economic
equilibrium and food supply networks collapsed, resulting in famine. Although there
are some changes, the COVID-19 epidemic has generally followed the same pattern.
This period, the undeveloped and developing countries have experienced significant
negative repercussions on food security. Meanwhile, industrialized economies haven't
had any major issues with global food security. Individual issues arose inherently,
particularly in the case of quarantined people with low and extremely low income.
Nevertheless, as the public's attention has shifted to problems such as healthy eating,
concern for food security has shifted to worry for food safety.

The demographic vector of disease dissemination is common to all pandemics.

During the Middle Ages, people fleeing the outbreak would spread the epidemic from
one location to another. The diseases introduced by European explorers destroyed the

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population because they lacked any inherited tolerance to European infectious
diseases.

The Spanish flu was mostly disseminated by troops returning home from World War
I (when they returned home in 1918, they disseminated the pandemic globally).
Population density, increased human mobility, and mass socialization, as well as
cultural, social, and tourism activities, all played a role in the COVID-19 epidemic.
As a result, most world states have taken measures to address concerns such as
quarantine and isolation, more specifically, the population's forced social isolation as
well as economic isolation across states or regions as well as across different economic
sectors.

Several distinctions between COVID-19 and other pandemics should be highlighted

when considering India's scenario. For instance, the Spanish flu, by its direct and
indirect effects (which are quite difficult to assess), overlapped the lack of
organizational deficiencies of the primary sector, at that time the fundamental branch
for achieving the national income (a statistical indicator of the period which is equal
to GDP).

Excessive consumption of grains, in particular, had a significant role in exacerbating

the consequences of the Spanish flu, which was exacerbated by, among other things,
a weaker immune system. The COVID-19 pandemic, on the other hand, occurred in
India in a very different socioeconomic setting than the Spanish flu.

The comprehensive lockdown was deemed necessary due to an increase in the

number of confirmed cases in India.

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1.3 Literature Review

Buying Behaviour
Consumers and their behaviour have been studied in both science and practice for
many years. Consumer behaviour study extends much beyond field marketing. This
field of study began in the mid-1960s. Understanding consumer behaviour is the
foundation for developing marketing strategies in marketing. A consumer, according
to Solomon (2017), is someone who recognizes a need or want, purchases a product
or service, and then goes through the three stages of the consumption process.
However, an individual's function changes depending on the situation. For example, if
parents buy things for their children, they become purchasers for their children, but
the children remain consumers. The one who consumes a service or product is referred
to as a consumer, while the individual who makes the purchase is referred to as a buyer
(Solomon, 2017). Purchasing decisions are made for a specific reason and are not
necessarily made intentionally. Most customers want to buy things to meet their wants,
while suppressed desires, such as a desire for social status, lead to the purchase of
high-priced goods. During a recession, however, more caution is exercised to avoid
purchasing things with irrelevant price-increasing features. It's worth noting that
consumer behaviour has shifted dramatically in the last 25 years, and that these shifts
are reflected in the generations (Solomon, 2017). After the global economic crisis,
consumers were looking for new landmarks, according to Kar's (2010) study, making
them more economical, responsible, and demanding. As a result, it may be claimed
that economic and social crises have an impact on consumer behaviour (Kar, 2010).

Customer behaviour models have aided in the description and prediction of consumer
behaviour. They go into detail on how people's aspirations and wants influence their
quest for fulfilment, not only on a financial level but also in terms of cultural norms,
values, and emotions (Chisnall, 1995). The Engel, Blackwell, and Miniard (1995)
model and the Theory of Planned Behavior are two of the most well-known models in
the literature.

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Buying behavior models

The EKB model was developed by Engel, Kollat, and Blackwell in 1968 to describe
the five stages of the purchase decision-making process. (1) Identification of the
problem, (2) Information Gathering, (3) Alternative Evaluation, (4) Purchase
Decision, and (5) Post-Purchase Evaluation (Engel, Kollat, & Blackwell, 1968).
Engel, Blackwell, and Miniard (EBM) extended the model further in 1995, extending
the decision process to incorporate information input, information processing, and
other variables impacting the decision process. The EBM model is employed in the
study because it pays more attention to external factors impacting the buying decision
process than the original model (Blackwell, Miniard, & Engel, 2006).

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Figure 1: The EBM model (Blackwell et al., 2006)

Several aspects and determinants influence and shape the consumer decision-making
process, according to the EBM model. Psychological processes, individual
differences, and environmental impacts are the three basic categories in which these
components are classified. The psychological processes in Figure 1 refer to the five
steps from the original EKB model that have been modified into seven steps in the
decision process column: need recognition, search, pre-purchase evaluation of
alternatives, purchase, consumption, post-consumption evaluation, and satisfaction.
Consumer resources, knowledge, attitudes, personality, values, and lifestyle are
among the individual variables listed to the right of Figure 1.

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 Culture, social class, personal influences such as who the consumer associates with,
family, and situational influences, all of which can be found to the right in Figure 1,
include culture, social class, personal influences such as who the consumer associates
with, and situational influences such as how the consumer's behaviour changes
depending on the situation (Blackwell et al., 2006). The two columns on the left in
Figure 1, input and information process, pertain to the decision-making process;
however, they are not focused on the external factors that influence behaviour, and
hence are not included in this study.

However, the EBM model depicted in Figure 1 has been critiqued over time, for
example, the EBM model has been critiqued for providing a mechanistic perspective
of human behaviour. Individual, social, and situational aspects influencing consumer
processing are ignored by the approach. Furthermore, the model is said to be too
complicated because the variables are undefined, making them difficult to interpret
and use in practice (Foxall, 1980; Jacoby, 2002). The TPB model is another model
used to describe buying behaviour that pays more attention to social and situational
elements (Brug, de Vet, de Nooijer & Verplanken, 2006). Both the EBM and the TPB
models are used to illustrate how the influence of factors might manifest itself in terms
of output. Each variable will be a key signal in determining how the COVID-19
situation affected purchase behaviour.

The TPB model was introduced by Ajzen in 1985, and it is based on Ajzen and
Fishbein's 1975 model of Theory of Reasoned Action. The TPB model is used to
describe the assumed influencing variables on buying behaviour under normal
circumstances. The model is designed to anticipate individual actions by taking into
account attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behaviour control, all of which
influence the desire to engage in an activity (Ajzen, 1985).

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Figure 2: The Theory of Planned Behavior model by Ajzen (1985)

Attitudes toward behaviour reflect how people in the individual's immediate

environment feel about a given conduct, and how these are influenced by the strength
of behavioural beliefs and the prospective outcome judgement. Behavioral beliefs help
us comprehend people's motivations and the repercussions of their actions. Subjective
norms refer to how others' opinions of an action can influence how it is performed.
Individual motivation will determine whether the individual will comply with the
social circle's beliefs and opinions. Normative beliefs can be developed by which
behaviour is accepted or not by a social group, and the individual's motivation will
determine whether the individual will comply with the social circle's beliefs and
opinions. Perceived behavioral control indicates an individual's intention to do
something, but the action is disrupted by subjective and objective factors like beliefs
(Ajzen, 1985). The TPB model has been questioned because, due to the control of
behaviour, the relationship between intention and conduct is generally regarded weak.
Furthermore, the model appears to be useful only when there are positive attitudes and
norms about the behaviour (Kothe & Mullan, 2015). Furthermore, experts argue that
models must be updated and developed to new versions in light of society's vast
changes (Xia & Sudharshan,2002).

Despite the criticism, the model presented has previously been used to explain food
consumption, for example, the EKB model has been used to explain food purchasing

15
behaviour from a broader perspective, as a food crisis affects the entire food chain
from suppliers to consumers' brand identification (Breitenbach, Rodrigues, & Brando,
2018). The TPB model has been used to predict food consumption behavior, especially
in MFV, in relation to different age groups (Brug et al., 2006), as well as gender
comparisons (Blanchard, Kupperman, Sparling, Nehl, Rhodes, Courneya, & Baker,
2009). These models will be utilized as inspiration to create an own modified form of
changing buying behaviour in the COVID-19 pandemic by analysing what affects
buying behaviour to change.

Factors influencing consumer behavior

Many factors influence purchasing behaviour at many levels, ranging from broad
cultural and societal impacts to deep-seated motivations, beliefs, and attitudes (Kotler
& Armstrong, 2018). It is possible to distinguish between internal elements that
influence customer behaviour and external influencing elements in general (Hoyer et
al., 2008). Internal influencing elements can be classified into four categories: cultural,
social, personal, and psychological variables. Factors that influence the behaviour of
bigger groups of customers are referred to as cultural factors. Reference groups such
as family, social role, and consumer status are all social influencing elements. Age,
career, income, lifestyle, and the consumer's personality or self-image are all personal
aspects that influence purchasing behaviour. Each consumer's individual motivation,
attitude, perception, and learning behaviour are all psychological elements (Kotler &
Armstrong, 2018).

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Figure 3: Factors influencing Buying Behavior (Kotler & Armstrong, 2018)

The EBM model labels the aforementioned components as environmental influences;

however, Kotler & Armstrong (2018) take a broader perspective, claiming that these
factors influence customer behaviour, whereas the EBM Model states that these
elements influence the purchasing decision process. Individual variances in the EBM
Model (1995) are largely due to psychological factors in Kotler & Armstrong's Model
(2018).

For example, motivation determines why people exhibit a particular action and is
made up of multiple motives, as seen in the TPB, all of which are influenced by various
human needs. As a result, motivation serves to meet needs. Maslow's hierarchy model
is based on the varying urgency of individual wants, and it explains why every upper
need becomes effective in an individual's behaviour only when the subordinate to him
is met to some level. The lower a need is in the hierarchy, the less important it is for
the individual's pure existence, and so may be deferred more readily from principle of
relative priority (Kenrick, Griskevicius, Neuberg & Schaller, 2010).

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 Physiological necessities form the foundation of this pyramid. These requirements
include oxygen, food, drinkable water, cleanliness (to avoid illness), relaxation, pain
relief, and warmth. Only once the most basic requirements have been filled can the
next level of requirements, security, be supplied (Kenrick et al., 2010). Employees, for
example, are faced with employment instability during an economic downturn. Job
insecurity is associated with the loss of status, perks, or contact with coworkers, all of
which are essential human needs (Carrigan, 2010). Furthermore, consumer attitudes
have a considerable impact on purchasing behaviour. Furthermore, consumer attitudes
have a considerable impact on purchasing behaviour. The individual's expectations
and inner attitude toward a product, a person, or other objects are linked by attitude.
Furthermore, depending on the level of involvement, attitude is predicted. Product
purchases with a low level of involvement are less likely to be predicted than those
with a high level of participation. Furthermore, when there is more information
accessible, the attitude confidence tends to be stronger (Hoyer et al., 2008). However,
it is important to determine the affect the degree of involvement has on behaviour
prediction for this study. Because this study examines purchasing behaviour in a low-
involvement purchase, the behaviour is less likely to be predicted.

The physical and social environment, the purpose of the purchase, the time of day or
season of the transaction, the urgency of the purchase, and the current state of the
consumer are all situation-related elements. The distinction between situation-related
influencing elements and the initial stimulus is not always possible. A scenario that
prompts a purchasing choice process, on the other hand, could be viewed as an
attraction. A scenario that solely influences an already started purchase choice process,
on the other hand, can be considered an influencing factor (Hoyer et al., 2008). As a
result, when investigating consumable purchasing behaviour, it must be precisely
measured that the COVID-19 epidemic is the scenario that is influencing purchasing
behaviour.

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The relevance of price and quality

COVID-19 has caused changes in consumer behaviour patterns, as noted in the

beginning to this thesis, but there has also been a shift in what elements influence the
decision-making process. The internal and external elements that influence purchasing
behaviour were discussed in the preceding section. Price and quality, according to
Noel (2009), are general impacts that influence the influencing elements, for example,
price effects attitude, and attitude drives buying behaviour. According to a Nielsen
investigation, the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted customers to seek out products
that are risk-free and of the greatest quality, particularly when it comes to food and
cleaning goods.

As a result, customers are willing to pay even more (Nielsen, 2020b). Although
price is one of the most important elements influencing purchasing decisions (Hoyer
et al., 2008), it appears to be secondary at this moment.

The relevance of price

Price, according to Kotler & Armstrong (2018), is "the amount of money charged for
a product or a service." Price, in a broader sense, is the sum of all the values that buyers
forego in exchange for the advantages of owning or utilising a product or service”. In
the past, price has had a significant impact on purchasing decisions. Non-price
considerations, on the other hand, have been increasingly essential in the buying
decision process in recent decades (Kotler & Armstrong, 2018). Consumers support
businesses where they believe the products are reasonably priced (Daskalopoulou &
Petrou, 2006). Consumers' perceptions of pricing vary, but it has been demonstrated
that Rs.999 is viewed as significantly less expensive than Rs.1000. That is why many
grocery shop pricing concludes with the number 9 at the end (Manoj & Morwitz,
2005). However, a pricing should never be too low for the consumer, as this would
lead them to believe that the product is of poor quality (Monroe, 1976). Furthermore,
price sensitivity varies by consumer, with some consumers being more sensitive to

19
price fluctuations than others. On the other side, there are consumers who are price-
sensitive and will buy a product regardless of its price (Hoyer et al., 2008).

Consumers who are more price sensitive have absolute price thresholds that influence
their purchase decisions. These clients have already set a price range that they are
willing to spend for a considered buy. The purchase behaviour will not alter if the price
of a product falls within this price range. Quality, on the other hand, influences the
likelihood of making a purchase, even if the price is above the price range (Vastani &
Monroe, 2019).

Price information can differ between men and women based on grocery store prices,
with males being more affected by price than women (Vastani & Monroe, 2019). The
frequency of transactions has an impact on the reference price; the more purchases
made, the lower the consumer's price sensitivity. Furthermore, there are signs that
increasing frequency leads to a consumer desire for lower costs (Jensen & Grunert,
2014). The price of a product can sometimes be used to determine its quality. This is
because their previous experience with purchasing a product at this price promised
them a specific level of quality, and vice versa. When price is used as a criterion for
quality, the price-quality link is overestimated (Hoyer et al., 2008). Although these
two influencing elements can be merged because one can serve as an indicator for the
other, they are examined and quantified individually in this study.

The relevance of quality

Consumers have stated that they would pay extra for quality assurance and proven
safety requirements since the COVID-19 epidemic. Consumers purchased hygiene
items, prepackaged durables, and canned foods in order to ensure their safety and
hence quality. Furthermore, consumers are concerned about the origin of products;
with local items, they feel more secure, particularly when it comes to food, because
the product has not travelled a great distance to be exposed to COVID-19 (Nielsen,
2020b).

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 Superiority or excellence can be used to define quality. Perceived quality can also be
described as a consumer's assessment of a product's overall excellence. The two are
not quite the same. Perceived quality differs from objective quality. Technical and
measurable superiority is described by objective quality. However, other academics
argue that objective quality does not exist, hence the literature focuses mostly on
perceived quality (Zeithaml, 1988). The perceived quality of food is mostly
determined by the food product itself. In addition, a summary construct that includes
several features of the product is required to evaluate the quality of food (Steenkamp,
1997). This construct has numerous attributes, with each element describing the total
quality as viewed by the consumers. This multi-dimensional quality perception is then
reduced to a single dimension, with some features being given more weight and the
food decision being made (Grunert, 1997). The physical qualities of food items play a
role in perceived quality, as does product communication (price tag). Randall and
Sanjur (1981) describe physical qualities such as appearance (consistency, size, shape,
and colour) as having an impact on food choice. Furthermore, the relationship between
the food item and the customer, as well as the situation and time period, have an impact
on the perceived quality (Issanchou, 1996). Grunert (2005) divides perceived food
quality into three categories: search, experience, and credibility. According to the
researcher, the first evaluation signal before purchasing meat is the fat content or
colour. Taste and texture are experiential qualities that are part of the post-purchase
eating experience. Surrogate indicators will be used by consumers to determine
quality. Consumers will always be unsure about the final attribute, credibility, because
they cannot evaluate whether the product possesses the features that it promises, such
as naturalness, safety, health, and animal welfare. Because these characteristics are
sometimes difficult to detect, there is also a distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic
traits.

Buying behavior in crises

According to Ang et al. (2000), who studied the financial crisis in Asia, consumers
reduced their consumption and wastefulness in crisis situations as they became more

21
careful in the decision-making process by seeking more information about product
before considering buying them. Consumers also bought necessities rather than
luxuries, as well they switched to cheaper brands, bought local instead of foreign
brands, and also smaller packages. The changed buying behavior can change
depending on the income and financial stability of the consumers before the financial
crisis occurs (Ang et al, 2000). In the global financial crisis of 2008, the retailers had
to respond to the changed buying behaviors, by rethinking the structure of their
marketing mix, price, product, placement, promotion, and people due to the unstable
environment. Fair pricing and non-traditional promotions were implemented, in
addition, the products offered did more than just to fulfill a need and instead also
created an emotional connection to create customer loyalty since the retailers were
desperate for returning customers (Mansoor & Jalal, 2011). Similar behaviors by
companies and consumers are illustrated in the current COVID-19 pandemic, as
Unilever chose to stop and restructure its advertising to save money on outdoor
advertisements. Unilever started to look for cheaper alternatives, and prepared for
expected lasting changes in consumer behavior.

Among the changing consumer behaviors Unilever expected to see is an increase in

consumer spending in-home cooking and cleaning with household items since
consumers were expected to stay home more during and a long time after the pandemic
(Marketing Week, 2020).

The influence of price sensitivity in a crisis

In research, price has been found to have a large influence on changed buying
behavior in a recession due to job uncertainty and an unstable economic environment
(Hampson & McGoldrick, 2013). In the Asian financial crises, price was found to have
a large impact on changed buying behavior since consumers focused on cheaper prices
and were more concerned about receiving value for money (Ang et al., 2000).
Hampson & McGoldrick (2013) argue that in a recession consumers become more
sensitive to prices and sales. The changed buying behavior reflects a greater awareness

22
of prices, in which the consumers solely focus on low prices. In most cases of
recessions, as disposable income decreases, the price becomes more worrying.
Recessions also tend to have social dimensions, so that even those consumers which
were not affected by the recession, became more price-conscious (Hampson &
McGoldrick, 2013). In addition, Hampson & McGoldrick (2013) found that in
recessions consumers made fewer shopping trips. Additionally, less disposable income
minimized the number of impulse purchases and consumers were more likely to shop
with shopping lists and purchases were more planned in advance (Hampson &
McGoldrick, 2013).

In contradiction, McKenzie, Schargrodsky and Cruces (2011) found that the

frequency of shopping increased during crisis situations, and consumers instead
bought products in smaller volumes. Kosicka-Gebska and Gebski (2013) found that
the global financial crisis 2008 increased consumers’ price sensitivity as consumers
bought smaller portions of meat during the crisis because of the decreased capital,
however, the changed buying behavior remained even long after the crisis and the
consumers had more capital. Chamorro, Miranda, Rubio, and Valero (2012) argue that
price could take a larger role in the consumer decision process than perceived quality
in previous financial crisis situations, which is supported by Grunert (2006), however,
little information is provided about fruits and vegetables in financial crisis situation.
Vlontzos, Duquenne, Haas, and Pardalos (2017) argue that fruits and vegetables in
previous financial crisis situations have varied between age and gender groups, e.g.
fruit and vegetables have been prioritized for their health benefits for children and
pregnant women and therefore the price is not regarded. Arechavala et al. (2016) found
that in the financial crisis in Barcelona teenage girls ate more fruits and vegetables
than boys.

The influence of perceived quality in a crisis

Perceived quality can have a various magnitude of impact on the changed buying
behavior depending on the type and scale of the crisis. As previously explained, price

23
can be a dominant deciding factor on changed buying behavior in a financial crisis. In
a health crisis, however, consumers can prioritize quality over price (Sans et al., 2008).
In the BSE crisis consumers avoided buying certain products that were thought to be
risky for their health, such as fresh meat, while the overall meat consumption remained
high (Sans et al, 2008; Arnade et al., 2009). Consumers prioritized perceived quality
above all other attributes including price, and refused to buy fresh meat until more
extensive controls were made (Grunert, 2005). In the BSE crisis, the country of origin
was perceived to be important for quality assurance, as a result, a fresh meat quality
label was created in France during the crisis to promote local French meat. Little has
been found about fruits and vegetables in previous crisis situations, however, Arnade
et al. (2009) found that similar to crises involving meat, consumers also avoid certain
products in fruits and vegetable crises such as the E. coli outbreak in 2006 where
consumers avoided fresh spinach while the overall consumption of green leafs
remained high.

The examples mentioned illustrate how price sensitivity and perceived quality can
change in various crisis situations, however, it is important to stress that those findings
are unique to their settings and conditions while the COVID-19 pandemic is unique
compared to previous crisis situations. Therefore, the findings from previous crises
can be used to reach an understanding of how price sensitivity and perceived quality
can be influential on changed buying behavior, however, these findings are not directly
applicable to the current situation and must, therefore, be adapted. A research model
was therefore built to achieve adaptation where upon four hypotheses were created.

Buying behavior in crises

Consumers lowered their consumption and wastefulness in crisis times, according to

Ang et al. (2000), who researched the Asian financial crisis. They became more
meticulous in their decision-making process by obtaining more information about

24
products before considering buying them. Consumers also purchased needs rather than
indulgences, as well as cheaper brands, local brands rather than foreign ones, and
smaller containers. Before the financial crisis, customers' purchasing behaviour may
fluctuate depending on their income and financial soundness (Ang et al, 2000). Due to
the unpredictable climate during the global financial crisis of 2008, retailers had to
adjust to new buying behaviours by reconsidering the structure of their marketing mix,
price, product, placement, promotion, and people. Since the stores were desperate for
returning consumers, fair pricing and non-traditional promotions were employed.
Furthermore, the products given did more than just meet a need; they also built an
emotional connection to generate consumer loyalty (Mansoor & Jalal, 2011). Similar
corporate and consumer behaviour can be seen in the current COVID-19 outbreak, as
Unilever elected to halt and rearrange its outdoor advertising to save money. Unilever
began looking for less expensive options and preparing for long-term shifts in
consumer behaviour. Because customers were likely to stay at home more during and
after the pandemic, Unilever expected to see an increase in consumer spending on in-
home cooking and cleaning with household supplies (Marketing Week, 2020).

The influence of price sensitivity in a crisis

Price has been found to have a significant impact on modified buying behaviour in a
recession due to employment insecurity and an unstable economic environment,
according to study (Hampson & McGoldrick, 2013). Price was found to have a
substantial impact on changing buying behaviour during the Asian financial crisis, as
customers concentrated on lower prices and were more concerned about receiving
value for money (Ang et al., 2000). Consumers become more attentive to prices and
sales during a recession, according to Hampson and McGoldrick (2013). The shift in
purchasing behaviour implies a stronger price awareness, with buyers focusing only
on reduced pricing. In most recessions, when discretionary income declines, the price
rises, causing concern. Even those consumers who were not harmed by the recession
became more price-conscious as a result of the recession's social elements.
Furthermore, Hampson & McGoldrick discovered that during recessions, people make
less shopping excursions. Furthermore, with less disposable income, customers were

25
less inclined to make impulse purchases, and were more inclined to shop with
shopping lists and plan their purchases ahead of time (Hampson & McGoldrick, 2013).

In contrast, McKenzie, Schargrodsky, and Cruces (2011) discovered that during

times of crisis, people shopped more frequently and bought lesser quantities of things.
According to Kosicka-Gebska and Gebski (2013), the global financial crisis of 2008
increased consumers' price sensitivity because they bought smaller portions of meat
due to a lack of capital during the crisis; however, the changed buying behaviour
persisted even after the crisis ended and the consumers had more money. In previous
financial crisis situations, Chamorro, Miranda, Rubio, and Valero (2012) argue that
price may have played a larger role in the consumer decision process than perceived
quality, which is supported by Grunert (2006); however, little information about fruits
and vegetables is provided in financial crisis situations. Fruits and vegetables have
varied between age and gender groups in previous financial crisis situations, according
to Vlontzos, Duquenne, Haas, and Pardalos (2017). For example, fruit and vegetables
have been prioritised for their health benefits for children and pregnant women, and
thus the price is not taken into account. Arechavala et al. (2016) found that in the
financial crisis in Barcelona teenage girls ate more fruits and vegetables than boys.

The influence of perceived quality in a crisis

Depending on the type and degree of the crisis, perceived quality can have a different
amount of impact on changed purchase behaviour. Price, as previously stated, can be
a major determining factor in changing buying behaviour during a financial crisis.
Consumers can, however, select quality over price in a health emergency (Sans et al.,
2008). Consumers avoided buying particular products that were perceived to be
hazardous to their health during the BSE crisis, such as fresh beef, yet overall meat
consumption remained high (Sans et al, 2008; Arnade et al., 2009). Consumers placed
a premium on perceived quality over all other factors, including price, and refused to
purchase fresh beef until more stringent controls were implemented (Grunert, 2005).
Throughout the BSE crisis, the nation of origin was seen as vital for quality assurance,
hence a fresh meat quality mark was introduced in France to promote local French

26
beef during the crisis. In previous crisis situations, little has been discovered about
fruits and vegetables; however, Arnade et al. (2009) discovered that, similar to meat
crises, consumers avoid certain products in fruits and vegetable crises, such as the E.
coli outbreak in 2006, when consumers avoided fresh spinach while overall
consumption of green leafy vegetables remained high.

The examples given show how price sensitivity and perceived quality can change in
different crisis scenarios; nevertheless, it's vital to note that those conclusions are
specific to their settings and conditions, whereas the COVID-19 epidemic is distinct
from past crises. As a result, previous crises' findings can be used to gain a better
knowledge of how price sensitivity and perceived quality influence changed buying
behaviour; however, these findings are not directly applicable to the current situation
and must be adapted. A research model was therefore built to achieve adaptation where
upon four hypotheses were created to answer the research questions.

27
2. Research Methodology

2.1 Objective of the study

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between price

sensitivity of consumables and changed buying behavior of food items. In addition,
the relationship between perceived quality and changed buying behavior is to be
determined. In order to answers to the research objectives, these relationships should
be researched to determine if there is a positive or negative influence on the two
variables and to what extent buying behavior changes due to the factors of price
sensitivity and perceived quality respectively in the COVID-19 pandemic.

At this point, it is also important to clarify that impacts on changing consumer

behavior goes beyond the time limits of a recession or crisis (Baker, 2009). However,
according to the theory of cyclical asymmetry, it is erroneously assumed that things
will normalize after the crisis and that consumers will reduce their expenditure faster
than back in response to a crisis (Deleersnyder, Dekimpe, Sarvary, & Parker, 2004).

During the coronavirus outbreak, supermarkets coped with surging crowds, empty
shelves, long lines at the payment registers, and consumer debates about getting the
final supplies. People began panicking and stockpiling necessities and consumables.
Customers were promised that there will be no lack of food by supermarket chains and
food retail professionals. Despite the fact that the coronavirus has already taken hold
in certain nations, people continued to buy in bulk and panic shop, and there are still
some empty shelves in supermarket aisles as of January 2021. A face mask and gloves
were required to enter a supermarket. Plexiglas was placed in front of the cash
registers, and personnel were required to clean their hands on a regular basis while
maintaining a one-meter distance. The "Click and Collect" approach was also
implemented in small businesses, allowing customers to select things online and pick
them up in the store, reducing delivery time and allowing customers to order fresh
products. In India, supermarkets were instructed to mark the grounds to assist

28
 customers in keeping a 2-yard distance, and Plexiglas was also used in many
situations. Other than that, there were no other noticeable limitations for supermarkets
or their customers, such as the requirement to wear face masks and gloves. Keeping
these facts in mind the main objectives of the current research are: -

➢ To investigate the relationship between price sensitivity of consumer products and

changed buying behavior of food items, along with other essential products

➢ To investigate the relationship between perceived quality of essential items /

consumable goods and changed buying behavior is to be determined.

➢ To determine if there is a positive or negative influence on the variables.

➢ To what extent buying behavior changes due to the factors of price sensitivity and
perceived quality respectively in the COVID-19 pandemic.

➢ To investigate the Change in consumers’ perspective.

2.2. Research Design

Hypotheses Development

Price has always been an essential element in determining purchase behaviour,

according to the literature (Kotler & Armstrong, 2018). It was found that in crises such
as the global financial crisis 2008, consumers perceived the price differently
(Hampson & McGoldrick, 2013). The fact that the price is viewed differently depends
on a variety of factors, including price sensitivity (Hoyer et al., 2008). Consumers that
are price sensitive are more likely to set a reference price and switch to a different
product if the price rises (Vastani & Monroe, 2019). Consumers were more attentive
to sales and sought more information about the price before making a purchase during
the global financial crisis, according to Hampson & McGoldrick (2013). Even if a

29
person is not directly affected by a crisis, they become more price conscious and
cautious with their expenditures (Hampson & McGoldrick, 2013). When it comes to
meat, the price may be more important than the quality in a crisis with financial
ramifications (Grunert, 2006; Chamorro et al., 2016). Therefore, the following
hypotheses was build:

Hypothesis 1: There is a positive relationship between the price sensitivity of meat on

changed buying behavior of meat.

On the other hand, past research on price sensitivity and fruit and vegetables in times
of crisis is lacking. Nonetheless, price sensitivity is thought to have an impact on
changes in buying behaviour. Furthermore, fruits and vegetables serve as a contrast to
meat in this study, thus it's crucial to look into the impact on this product group. With
this in mind, the following hypothesis was built:

Hypothesis 2: There is a positive relationship between the price sensitivity of fruits

and vegetables on changed buying behavior of fruit and vegetables.

The consumer's assessment of a product's overall quality is referred to as perceived

quality. It can be understood as the consumer believing that the product meets their
expectations in terms of flavour and appearance. The more a product meets a
customer's expectations, the more likely they are to buy it (Zeithaml, 1988). When it
comes to meat products, factors like search, experience, and credibility play a big part
in how the meat is perceived. The total of these characteristics determines the meat's
perceived quality (Grunert, 2005). People have a tendency to emphasise perceived
quality in previous crisis circumstances. The fact that humans prioritise food safety
and their personal health risk explains the shift in meat purchasing behaviour (Sans et
al., 2008; Arnade et al., 2009).

Consumers are willing to pay a higher price for quality assurance and safety
verification in food products, according to studies applied to the current pandemic.
Consumers are also willing to pay a higher price for quality assurance and safety

30
verification in food products, such as hygiene products and canned food (Nielsen,
2020b). Thus, the following hypothesis is proposed:

Hypothesis 3: There is a positive relationship between the perceived quality of meat

on changed buying behavior of meat.

Fruits and vegetables have the same notion of perceived quality, therefore the more
the product fits expectations, the more likely the buyer is to buy it (Zeithaml, 1988).
When it comes to fruits and vegetables, people prefer to focus on the health benefits
in times of crisis, and hence place a priority on quality in the hopes of boosting their
immune systems (Vlontzos et al., 2017). The increase in fresh food sales in
supermarkets could imply that citizens are striving to strengthen their immune systems
and are therefore examining the quality of fruits and vegetables (Dagens Nyheter,
2020). Thus, proposing the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 4: There is a positive relationship between the perceived quality of fruits

and vegetables on changed buying behavior of fruits and vegetables.

Research Model

The literature was chosen to offer a foundation for answering the research question
based on the study purpose. A study model, on the other hand, was established to
indicate exactly which associations should be measured and how. This model includes
variables that have been derived from the literature and are relevant to the study. Each
variable demonstrates how it is linked to the others. The variables where an effect must
be measured, commonly known as the dependent variables, are modified meat
purchasing behaviour and changed fruit and vegetable purchasing behaviour.

31
Figure 4: Research Model

This research model concludes Chapter 1.3, which comprises the literature review.
Models of prior customer behaviour, as well as elements that influence consumer
behaviour, were given. In addition, the importance of price and quality was clarified,
and buying behaviour in earlier crises was described.

Empirical Method

The empirical method chapter describes the study's research strategy, followed by the
data gathering procedure. In the operationalization, the variables of this study are
provided and debated, as well as the measurement of each variable. In addition, the
dissertation's sample selection and data analysis are explained, and the chapter
concludes with the study's reliability and validity, as well as ethical considerations.

Research Strategy

32
Quantitative and qualitative research are the two basic types of research strategies,
according to Bell et al. (2018). The link between theory and evidence, as well as
epistemological and ontological considerations, are the primary differences between
the two. As previously stated, the causal relationship between modified buying
behaviour of consumables linked to price and quality in the COVID-19 epidemic will
be described using a logical and positivist manner. Furthermore, cross-sectional
research will aid study in capturing behaviour during the epidemic to obtain
information at a single point in time.

This is a quantitative study, as stated in the Methodology section. This method was
chosen since it is widely used in the field of consumer behaviour and allows for the
generalisation of results (Chrysochou, 2017). A survey, which is also commonly used
to collect data in cross-sectional research, is a research instrument that is used in
conjunction with quantitative research (Bell et al., 2018). An online questionnaire was
used to conduct this survey. The researcher also chose this research method because it
is impossible to interview people face to face during a global pandemic. In addition,
researcher and respondents are better protected from virus infection when using an
online questionnaire. The online questionnaire is also useful for locating relevant
information for accepting or rejecting hypotheses and, most importantly, for
addressing the research question. Furthermore, adopting a self-completion
questionnaire has the advantages of being quick to administer, easy for the responder,
and allowing for a high sample size. On the other hand, a self-completion
questionnaire has a few drawbacks, including the researcher's inability to assist
respondents in answering a question if necessary, the absence of control, which can
lead to missing data, and the danger of a poor response rate.

33
a. Sample design

Age

The respondents were chosen who between the scale of 18 to 60 years. The
respondents' average age was roughly 32. The study's oldest participant was 60 years
old, while the youngest was only 18 years old

Gender

In the Gender variable, 102 (46.7%) of the respondents were female and 116 (53.3%)
of the respondents were male, resulting in a balanced ratio

Income
The Income variable had a total of six income categories from which to pick from: up
to Rs.5000, Rs.5001 to Rs.10000, Rs.10001 to Rs.15000, Rs.15001 to Rs.20000,
Rs20001 to Rs.25000, and more than Rs.25000. Each category received almost 34
(15%) of the vote, whereas the highest number of votes were given to the range of
Rs.10001 to Rs.15000 with 42 (18.90%) of the respondents.

Education Qualifications

On a nominal scale, this item had six predefined answers: less than a high school
diploma, a high school diploma or equivalent, a bachelor's degree, a master's degree,
a PhD degree, and others. None of the respondents who took part in the survey had a
degree that was less than a high school diploma. A bachelor's degree was held by
roughly 99 (45.6%) of the respondents, followed by a master's degree 62 (28.4%) of
the respondents, and a high school diploma or equivalent by 51 (23.7%) of the
respondents. Only 6 (2.4%) of the participants in the study had a PhD.

b. Sources of data collection

Buying behavior and changes in buying behavior have been studied extensively in the
past (Sans et al, 2008; Solomon, 2017). The current predicament, however, is unusual,
as the globe has never confroned a pandemic on such a worldwide scale in modern

34
times. Despite the fact that the situation is unique, recent studies demonstrate that
consumers are exhibiting comparable shifts in purchasing behaviour in this crisis as
they have in past crises (Sans et al 2008; Arnade et al 2009; Nielsen, 2020b).

Consumers were selected as the population. This was divided down by consumers
between the ages of 18 and 60 who buy groceries. Consumers under the age of 18 are
not considered to be in control of grocery shopping in their houses because they do
not have their own money and still live with their parents.

Consumers above the age of 60 were presumed not to be going grocery shopping
during the pandemic since they fall into a certain risk group (Vally, 2020), therefore
they were excluded. Since data are to be obtained about the changed buying behaviour
of MFV, a control question was inserted whether the respondents eat meat.

Convenience sampling was utilised as a technique. According to Bell et al. (2018),

convenience sampling is defined as the use of data that is already available to the
researchers and is easily accessible. For preliminary investigation of a problem,
convenience sampling can be useful (Bell et al., 2018). Because of the tight timeline,
lack of funding for the study, and scarcity of literature and research on similar
worldwide pandemics in recent history, convenience sampling was deemed an
appropriate method for the thesis.

The questionnaire was distributed to the general public through their personal
networks. For distribution, public profile pages on social media sites including
Facebook, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp were used. The study also utilised a snowball
sampling strategy to boost response rates. This method depends on recommendations
from the original group of respondents to generate more responses. This strategy has
the advantage of reducing search costs and time; nevertheless, it may create bias
because it raises the likelihood that this sample does not represent the entire population
(Bell et al., 2018).

35
c. Data Collection Techniques

To construct a theoretical framework for this thesis, data from peer-reviewed journals,
books, statistics, Online articles, and relevant newspaper items were utilized. The
hypotheses, which illustrate the relationship between the variables, were constructed
based on this refined knowledge from the sources. Data was gathered via a
questionnaire. The questionnaire was first evaluated in a pilot study on the researcher's
friends and relatives, who are also part of the research sample. Items were improved
after the pilot study to ensure validity, that what needed to be tested was measured.
Where instructions were missing from the questionnaire, they were inserted. Pilot
testing, according to Saunders et al. (2016), is used to ensure that the acquired data is
more valid and reliable. The questionnaire was designed in Google Forms for data
collecting because the handling is simple and the questionnaire can be customized for
a variety of devices. Because the questionnaire is available online, it can be completed
using a variety of devices, but this has no bearing on who fills it out. The questionnaire
was sent within the researchers' network, and key persons were chosen to distribute it
to their networks, allowing it to reach age ranges and social classes that were not part
of the researchers' network. The survey was promoted on social media sites such as
LinkedIn and Facebook, and WhatsApp messages were also sent to raise awareness.
In total, 218 participants responded to the survey concerning their shopping habits at
COVID-19.

Operationalization
The operationalization describes how research concepts are translated into
measurements for the variables of interest (Bell et al., 2018). The goal was to use the
questionnaire to record responses from respondents. In order to conduct an analysis,
the surveys included items that should measure the related variables. Following a brief
introduction from the study, demographic characteristics for the control variables were
questioned, followed by dependent variable items, and finally independent variable
items. According to Bell et al. (2018) questionnaires that are short are usually
achieving fewer dropout rates and higher response rates. The questionnaire had a total

36
of 18 items, with 12 of them polling meat and fruits and vegetables separately.
Furthermore, these items were on a 7-point Likert scale, going from 1 = strongly
disagree to 7 = strongly agree. A list of the variables is provided below:

Variable Variable Retrieved Form

Type
Dependent Buying Behavior of Questionnaire
Variable Meat
Buying Behaviour of
Fruits & Vegetables
Independent Price Sensitivity of Meat Questionnaire
Variables Price Sensitivity of
Fruits & Vegetables
Perceived Quality of
Meat
Perceived Quality of
Fruits & Vegetables
Control Age Questionnaire
Variable Gender
Education
Income

Table 1: Overview Variables

Dependent variables

The research model's outcome is measured by the dependent variable. It's referred to
as a dependent variable since it varies depending on the independent variable that the

37
study manipulates (Carlson, 2006). Changed Buying Behavior is the dependent
variable in this study (CBB). However, because the buying behaviour of specific food
categories is to be examined, this variable was split into two parts: changed meat
purchasing behaviour (CBB M) and changed fruits and vegetable buying behaviour
(CBB FV), resulting in two dependent variables in the study. Since no previous items
were found in studies on the buying behaviour of consumables, the inspiration for
operationalizing the dependent variable came from various researchers who examined
buying behaviour in different ways. Edwards presented a study titled "Development
of a New Scale for Measuring Compulsive Buying Behavior" that collected various
items from prior studies on buying behaviour (Edwards, 1993). Items that were
demonstrated to be suitable for evaluating obsessive purchase behaviour were chosen
from her study. The current study, on the other hand, is about how buying behaviour
changes during a crisis, which is why the goods chosen from Edwards' study had to be
adapted.

Some aspects of these factors could be found in the items of the study by Baumgartner
& Steenkamp (1996). These were then chosen and tailored to this study in order to
measure what needed to be measured and assure the study's high validity. If a change
is to be measured, a 7-point scale is preferable (Valáková & Klietik, 2015). For this
reason, a 7-point scale was used in the questionnaire, whereas 1 = strongly disagree; 2
= disagree; 3 = more or less disagree; 4 = undecided; 5 = more or less agree; 6 = agree;
7 = strongly agree. The scale for measuring CBB M and CBB FV consists of ten items
designed to represent the degree of change in consumers' purchasing behaviour for
these food categories. These ten elements cover various facets of the changed buying
behaviour, with some items being in pairs to ensure that the opposite of the changed
buying behaviour is not overlooked.

Nonetheless, they may have a negative correlation but serve the measurement's
purpose. An Alpha test was undertaken to ensure the dependability of the variable of
changing purchase behaviour. Cronbach's alpha is a reliability measure that "properly
represents the dependability of the sum or average of q measurements that satisfy the
parallel assumption or the less restrictive essentially tau-equivalent assumption"

38
(Bonett & Wright, 2015). As a result, the researcher opted to put the objects through a
Cronbach's Alpha test. The reliability test for the dependent variable CBB M revealed
a result of 0.833, which is higher than 0.5 and falls between 0.9 and 0.8, indicating
that this variable has strong internal consistency. The dependent variable CBB FV had
a value of 0,834, indicating good consistency (Tavakol & Dennick, 2011).

Independent variables

For this study, two main independent variables were constructed. A total of four
independent variables were constructed by dividing them into the two matching food
categories.

Because they can't be recorded jointly, price sensitivity was examined separately for
consumables. As a result, price sensitivity for meat (P M) and fruit and vegetable price
sensitivity (PFV) were developed. Price sensitivity has already been discussed in the
literature review and is thus being used to choose appropriate items for assessment.
Vastani and Monroe's (2019) study offered the important key components that must
be examined. Erdem, Swait, and Louviere (2002) investigated price sensitivity with
twenty-one items, twelve of which were derived from Laurent and Kapferer's
Consumer Involvement Profiles Scale (1985). Two items were chosen and adapted
from the twenty-one items for the current investigation. Steenhuis and Waterlander
(2011) also looked into the role of price in food consumption. One item was chosen
from a total of sixteen in their study and adapted for the current study. However, the
Price Sensitivity Meter developed by Van Westendorp (1976) was utilised as the
foundation for analysing price sensitivity. It provided insight into consumer price
sensitivity and the degree of sensitivity, as well as indications of Willingness to Pay
through the use of the Price Sensitivity Meter; however, this was not the focus of this
study but might have been investigated (Desmet, 2016). Van Westendrop (1976)
provided three of his four key questions for measuring consumer price sensitivity,
which were altered for this dissertation. In total, six questions were used to test P M
and six things were used to measure P FV in this study. A Cronbach's alpha test was
also performed for these independent variables to examine their reliabilities

39
consistently. The result for Meat Price Sensitivity was 0.800. The result was 0.799 for
the independent variable Price Sensitivity of Fruits and Vegetables. Both variables
have merits above 0.5 and between 0.8 and 0.7, indicating that they are acceptable
(Tavakol & Dennick, 2011).

Perceived Quality was measured separately for meat (Q M), and fruits and vegetables
(QFV). Each of these independent factors was measured using a total of six items.
Grunert's multi-dimensional concept of perceived food quality was used to choose the
items (1997). Because brands were not the focus of the investigation, the items for
perceived quality were chosen to measure perceived quality in the current study.
Walsh, Hennig-Thurau, Wayne-Mitchell, & Wiedmann (2001) supplied items about
brand consciousness and perceived quality of food items. Despite this, the items have
to be modified for this research. For these variables, the study used the Cronbach's
alpha test. The reliability test for the variable Perceived Quality of Meat revealed a
value of 0.824, indicating that this variable has strong internal consistency and is
trustworthy. The reliability test for the variable Perceived Quality of Fruits and
Vegetables yielded 0.836, indicating that this variable has strong internal consistency
as well (Tavakol & Dennick, 2011).

Control variables

The control variables were chosen after a review of scientific studies in which
demographics were used to track changes in buying behaviour in terms of price
sensitivity and perceived quality. Four control variables were chosen from the pool of
demographics since the literature study stated that these demographic parameters have
an impact on the link between buying behaviour and price and buying behaviour and
quality.

Age
According to prior studies, age can influence changes in buying behaviour, such as life
experiences influencing customer attitudes and intentions (Brug et al., 2006; De

40
Bruijn, 2010; Harvey et al., 2001; Kotler & Armstrong, 2018). The respondents were
asked how old they are and were given a scale of 18 to 60 years old to choose from.

Gender

Gender is a popular demographic characteristic used to evaluate purchasing behaviour,

and it may have an impact on the modified purchasing behaviour associations
(Blanchard et al., 2009; Kotler & Armstrong, 2018). In a crisis, it has previously been
discovered that women consume more fruits and vegetables (Arechavala et al., 2016;
Vlontzos et al., 2017). Men are more affected by price than women, according to
Vastani & Monroe (2019). As a result, gender appeared to be an adequate control
variable, which was coded on a nominal scale, with 1 being female and 2 denoting
male. The questionnaire included a third choice, but there was no response rate for this
option.

Education Qualifications

The socioeconomic status and educational level, according to Rasmussen et al. (2006),
might impact and stimulate purchase behaviour during a crisis. This control variable
is measured by inquiring about the respondent's greatest degree of education. On a
nominal scale, this item had six predefined answers: less than a high school diploma,
a high school diploma or equivalent, a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, a PhD
degree, and others. Because the data from the questionnaire did not include "Others,"
this response was left out of the coding. As a result, this control variable was coded as
a scale, with 1 representing the lowest educational level (in this case, less than a high
school education) and 5 representing the highest educational level (in this case, a PhD).

Income
According to numerous scholars, customers' perceptions of price and quality are
influenced by their income, particularly during times of crisis when job security is
unclear (Rasmussen et al., 2006; Hampson & McGoldrick, 2013; Kotler & Armstrong,
2018). As a result, income was selected as a control variable. There were six
predefined answers to the question "In which of these categories is your monthly

41
income (after taxes)?": up to Rs.5000, Rs.5001 to Rs.10000, Rs.10001 to Rs.15000,
Rs.15001 to Rs.20000, Rs20001 to Rs.25000, and more than Rs.25000.

d. Analytical tools used

The data was collected using Google Forms. All obtained data is automatically
consolidated into a spreadsheet by the programme. The raw data was first exported to
an Excel document, where it was sorted and coded using the variables' codes. Because
raw data provides insufficient information for analysis, it must be processed (Saunders
et al., 2016). The data was then exported from the Excel sheet to IBM's SPSS
programme. The author of this study also opted to omit vegetarians without further
ado. Following these improvements, the entire data analysis could be completed with
the same number of cases.

However, a multiple linear regression was used to lend additional weight to the
answers to the hypotheses. Through this analysis, it was possible to determine the
direct effect on the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.

Reliability and Validity

Bell et al. (2018) define reliability as the ability to duplicate a study's results, which
means the study is trustworthy if someone else can replicate it using the same metrics.
Reliability is a term used to describe the consistency of a study's measurements. When
determining reliability, three factors are usually employed. Stability can be defined as
the capacity to use the same measurement over time. If the scale or index's indicators
are consistent, it has internal reliability. Finally, there may be a lack of consistency
amongst observers, such as when more than one observer is classifying open-ended
questions. The test yields an alpha coefficient ranging from 1 to 0, with 1 indicating
excellent internal reliability and 0 indicating no internal reliability. Internal reliability
is generally thought to be sufficient if alpha values are more than 0.7. Furthermore,
the study took into account the stability of the measurements and designed the

42
questionnaire without open-ended questions to improve inter-observer consistency
(Bell et al., 2018).

Validity, in addition to reliability, is widely regarded as the most significant criterion

for study quality. Validity refers to whether or not indicators used to measure a concept
actually measure and capture that concept. Measurement validity, internal validity,
external validity, and ecological validity are the most prominent methods for
determining validity. The validity of a measure is determined by whether or not it
accurately reflects the concept being measured. Internal validity examines if all
influencing factors have been considered, whether it is clear that variable x influences
variable y, and whether there are any other factors that could influence the relationship.

External validity occurs when a study's findings can be applied to a person's everyday
natural environment and settings, whereas ecological validity happens when social
scientific findings can be applied to a person's everyday natural environment and
settings (Bell et al, 2018). Changed buying behaviour was captured and measured
using established theories dating back to the 1960s, as well as established scales and
items that had previously captured the phenomenon. Price sensitivity and perceived
quality in relation to food items were also measured using established theories, scales,
and items. Furthermore, because these scales had never been used in relation to this
type of unique situation, some items in the questionnaire were adapted based on newly
published newspaper articles in order to include consumer purchasing
behaviourduring COVID-19 and adapt established theories to a more specific context.

Ethical considerations

According to Bell et al (2018), ethical considerations are frequently linked to how

people who participate in research are handled. While conducting the research, four
dimensions of ethical considerations should be considered: harm to participants, lack
of informed consent, violation of privacy, or deception (Bell et al., 2018). Data was
collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was completely
anonymous by only asking for the demographics of age, gender, eating meat,

43
educational level, and income level of the respondent. The replies could not be traced
back to any of the respondents because they were only asked for basic demographics,
ensuring their privacy. Furthermore, the poll was distributed online rather than by
email, ensuring that respondents' identities were protected. The research further
ensured confidentiality by notifying respondents in the introduction that the
information acquired would only be utilized for analysis in our dissertation and would
not be shared with anyone else. According to Bell et al. (2018), ensuring anonymity
can help respondents answer the question more honestly, improving the poll's
reliability and validity.

Theoretical Method

This chapter introduces the study's research paradigm, then defines the research
methodology, and then discusses the method and theory selection. Finally, the sources
are evaluated closely, and a time frame is determined.

Research Paradigm
Every scientific research is founded on a paradigm, which is a worldview or a set of
related assumptions about the world (Kuhn, 1962; in Slevich, 2011). Ontological and
epidemiological concerns are split under the research paradigm (Bell, Bryman &
Harley, 2018). Ontological issues are concerned with the essence of reality, whereas
epistemological issues are concerned with how reality is examined (Bell et al., 2018).
Ontology is primarily concerned with the nature of social entities, describing which
entities exist and whether they are objective entities or merely social creations. There
are two main ontological positions: (1) objectivism, which asserts that social
phenomena and their meanings exist independently of social actors, and (2)
constructivism, which asserts that social phenomena and their meanings are formed
by social interaction and are constantly revised (Bell et al., 2018).

Three types of epistemological viewpoints can be identified: (1) Positivism is an

epistemological position that promotes the use of scientific methods in the
investigation of social reality. Knowledge can only be justified as knowledge if it can
44
be recognized by human senses. To evaluate explanations of laws, hypotheses must be
formed. Furthermore, the research must be conducted objectively, and knowledge is
gained through facts, which serve as the foundation for laws. (2) Realism holds that
the scientific and social sciences should collect data in the same way and that there is
an external reality. (3) Interpretivism is founded on the belief that in natural sciences,
it is vital to distinguish between people and objects, therefore the researcher must also
understand the subjective meaning of action (Bell et al., 2018).

The positivist epistemological viewpoint was chosen for this master's thesis. Because
this work is realistic in nature, the reality should be depicted as it is. Positivism means
that things have an objective existence, in this case the advent of the COVID-19
pandemic, and it is critical to objectively capture purchase behaviour during this time
in order to provide implementations. Furthermore, by using the positivist technique,
the study can look at the purchasing habits of consumers without affecting them.

Research approach
It is decided how empirical research should be conducted based on the research
objectives and the existing status of research in a particular topic area. There are two
approaches that are distinguished: (1) Deductive reasoning is a method of
demonstrating the relationship between study and theory. Study construct one or more
hypotheses that are empirically tested based on past studies, whereas (2) inductive
research makes a general assertion based on an individual case or empirical data. This
form of research aims to draw general-interest inferences from an observed occurrence
(Bell et al.,2018).

This dissertation is based on past research on purchasing behaviour and how it changes
during times of crisis. These studies will be empirically tested using COVID-19's
innovative crises as a case study. As previously said, this work follows a positivist
perspective and attempts to portray the actual situation's actuality. Positivism involves
the principle of deductivism (Bell et al., 2018). Using a deductive approach, the causal
relationship between consumables purchase behaviour and perceived quality and price
sensitivity during COVID-19 can be explained. The data acquired by the study
45
supports the underlying theories. It's also important to note that this research uses an
exploratory approach because little is known about the current situation, and prior
ideas and studies can't be applied with certainty. In marketing, exploratory research is
performed to gather preliminary knowledge on a specific topic (Kotler & Armstong,
2018). This research can be described as one-of-a-kind.

Choice of Method

The deductive technique is being used to explain the causal relationship between price
and quality with consumables purchasing behaviour. A quantitative strategy is advised
since the deductive approach includes hypothesis testing (Bell et al., 2018).
Quantitative approaches are useful when trying to generalise findings and apply them
to a larger population, something a qualitative method would not be able to achieve
(Bell et al., 2018). Furthermore, the positivist viewpoint suggests that explanations of
laws should be provided through the formation of hypotheses, and only then may they
be generalized (Bell et al., 2018). The field of consumer behaviour, in particular, is
linked to quantitative research, as the purpose of consumer behaviour research in the
early years was to collect data on customer traits. Later studies concentrated on the
measuring of attitudes, preferences, perceptions, and lifestyles. As fresh data from the
internet and social media became available at the turn of the century, it became
increasingly vital to understand the meaning behind the data. As a result, the
interaction between customers and influencing variables has become even more
crucial (Chrysochou, 2017). A qualitative method, on the other hand, cannot be used
to generalize findings because the focus is on the interpretation of one's own personal
worldview. Furthermore, it is more likely that researchers will influence their research,
and qualitative research findings might be interpreted in a variety of ways
(Opdenakker, 2006). The purpose of this project is to collect a large amount of data on
changing consumables purchasing behaviour and to obtain objective data in order to
generalise it to the Indian community.

46
Choice and Critique of Theory

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how consumer purchasing behaviour has
altered in terms of price sensitivity and perceived quality during the COVID-19
epidemic. To accomplish this, the researcher decided to first gain a better
understanding of what has been examined in the field of purchasing behaviour thus
far, identify significant ideas, and determine which factors influence purchasing
behaviour in typical situations. The EBM model and the TPB model were found to be
two of the most comprehensive and well-researched models in the field of buying
behaviour. Furthermore, these models were chosen for analysing purchase behaviour
since they have been utilized in research that incorporate food consumption (Brug et
al., 2006; De Bruijn, 2010; Breitenbach, Rodrigues, & Brando, 2018; Lentz, Connelly,
Mirosa, & Jowett, 2018; Li et al., 2018). These models have been criticised in the past
for having a too broad and mechanistic perspective of human behaviour and not paying
enough attention to the details, such as the situational elements impacting customers'
processing in the purchase decision process (Foxall, 1980; Jacoby, 2002; Kothe &
Mullan, 2015). Furthermore, academics recommend that the models be updated and
adapted to a more modern environment in order to better comprehend the effects of
recent external forces that did not have the same impact on society as they do now,
such as digitalization (Xia & Sudharshan, 2002; Breitenbach et al., 2018).

The dependent variable for this study could be constructed by studying these models
and what factors influence purchase behaviour. Consumer decision-making models,
according to Walters (1978), can be used to better understand processes and strategies,
which may then be utilised to build theories. The models can also help you
comprehend the implications of modifying one variable on the other dependent
variables, as well as pinpoint the specific cause and effect that relates to consumer
behaviour (Walters, 1978). The multiple layers of buying behaviour, including as
attitudes, reasons, and beliefs, will be used to explain the COVID-19 pandemic's
changing purchase behaviour (Kotler & Armstrong, 2018). However, because the
present pandemic is so distinct from past studies, these models and ideas have been
altered to fit the current pandemic circumstances.

47
Evaluation of Sources

Academic books and related press stories are included in the literature review, but
scientific publications make up the majority of the literature for this study. Google
Scholar were used to find these articles. The sources used in this study were evaluated
according to the Association of Business Schools (ABS) ranking in order to ensure a
high degree of quality. Only articles from reputable, trustworthy newspapers were
chosen to ensure article quality. Because this project is about crises and food,
publications from different fields were also incorporated, and the quality of the articles
was determined by the amount of citations in Google Scholar.

e. Duration of the study

According to Bell et al. (2018), development can be researched using a cross-sectional
or longitudinal research approach. Cross-sectional time refers to data collected at a
single moment in time, whereas longitudinal time refers to data collected over a longer
period of time. A cross-sectional study design has several advantages, including being
rapid, cost-effective, and allowing for a large sample group. Given the thesis's time
period of 14-02-2021 to 18-06-2021, a cross-sectional research strategy was deemed
most appropriate, as is typically the case when a project is time-constrained.

48
3. Analysis and Findings
The study's findings are presented in this chapter. The collected data from the
questionnaire made it possible to run different analyses in MS-Excel. To accept or
reject the hypotheses, the descriptive statistic is presented, followed by the Spearman's
rank correlation test, and lastly a multiple linear regression. A summary of the analysis
can be found at the end of the chapter.

3.1. Analysis of data

Descriptive Statistics

The descriptive statistics show a summary of the empirical data that was used in the
analysis. In studies where humans are the object of research, it is of great importance
to control if the included statistical values are in line with the study (Pallant, 2016).
The dependent variables, independent factors and control variables are all included in
the descriptive statistics in Table 2.

The survey had a total of 218 participants. Six respondents stated that they did not
eat meat, while four respondents stated that they lived outside of the NCR. On a 7-
point scale, the dependent variable Changed Buying Behavior of Meat (CBB M)
showed an average of 2.77, with 7 signifying an absolute change in meat buying
behaviour. However, this result indicates that there has been little change in the
purchasing habits of the study's respondents when it comes to meat. The same applies
to the second dependent variable Changed Buying Behavior of Fruits and Vegetables
(CBB FV), with an average of 2.91. Therefore, it can be said, that the overall buying
behavior of MFV did not change much according to our study under the conditions of
the COVID-19 pandemic.

49
Dependent N Min. Max. Mean Std. Cronbach’s Distribution
Variables Deviation Alpha
Changed 218 1 6.45 2.77 1.15 0.833 Not normal
Buying
Behavior of
Meat

Changed
Buying
Behavior of 218 1 6.45 2.91 1.20 0.844 Not normal
Fruits &
Vegetables
Independent
Variables
Price 218 1 7 3.90 1.36 0.800 Normal
Sensitivity of
Meat

Price
Sensitivity of
Fruits & 218 1 7 4.15 1.35 0.799 Not normal
Vegetables

Perceived
Quality of Meat 218 1.83 7 5.60 1.14 0.824 Not normal

Perceived
Quality of
Fruits & 218 1.83 7 5.44 1.18 0.836 Not normal
Vegetables
Control
Variables
Age 218 18 60 32.49 13.61

Gender 218 1 2 1.53 0.50

Education 218 2 5 3.09 0.78

Income 218 1 6 3.54 1.66

Table 2: Descriptive statistics

50
 The independent variables are the ones that will be measured in relation to the
dependent variable. Price sensitivity of meat, fruits, and vegetables (P MFV) and
perceived quality of meat, fruits, and vegetables (Q MFV) were used as independent
variables in this research. The average price sensitivity for meat (P M) on a 7-point
Likert scale was 3.90, indicating that the respondents are somewhat above medium
price sensitive when it comes to purchasing meat. Price sensitivity for fruits and
vegetables (P FV) is slightly higher, at 4.15, indicating that respondents are slightly
more sensitive to price and price changes when buying fruits and vegetables than when
purchasing meat. On a 7-point Likert scale, the average perceived quality value for
both food categories is above 5.0; 5.60 for meat (Q M) and 5.44 for fruits and
vegetables (Q FV), indicating that respondents appreciate high quality when
purchasing these product categories in COVID-19 times. The independent variables'
standard deviations ranged from 1.14 to 1.36.

In addition, the Cronbach's Alpha test revealed a high level of reliability for all
dependent and independent variables. Q FV has the most internal consistency of the
variables produced, with a value of 0.836, while P FV has the lowest internal
consistency, with a value of 0.799. There were 218 people that took part in the survey.
In the Gender variable, 46.7 percent of the respondents were female and 53.3 percent
of the respondents were male, resulting in a balanced ratio. None of the people who
took part in the survey had a degree that was less than a high school diploma. A
bachelor's degree (45.6%) was held by more than a third of the respondents, followed
by a master's degree (28.4%), and a high school diploma or equivalent by the
remaining third of the respondents (23.7%). Only a small percentage of the participants
in the study had a PhD. (2.4%). The respondents' average age was roughly 32, but the
age standard deviation was 13.61. The study's oldest participant was 60 years old,
while the youngest was only 18 years old. The Income control variable had a total of
six income categories from which to pick. Each category received almost 15% of the
vote, with the highest percentage of respondents (18.9%) in the income range of
Rs.10001 to Rs.15000. The mean for income was 3.54, and the standard deviation was
1.66.

51
Spearman Correlation Matrix

Since descriptive statistics have been introduced, the next stage is to concentrate on
data analysis, which will help to comprehend the data better. As a result, “statistical
reasoning” is utilised to produce an interpretation of the data, which provides insight
into the data's acceptability through the examination of different variables and factors
(Ben-Zvi & Garfield, 2004).

The Spearman correlation is a method of data analysis that generates a non-

parametric correlation coefficient for non-parametric variables, similar to the Pearson
distribution test of normal distributions on the nature of the data investigated (Pallant,
2016).

The test is used to look at a correlation between two variables and provide an r-value
for the correlation between 1 and -1. If the value falls between 0 and 1, the relationship
between the variables is positive, implying that the more of the independent variable
we have, the more of the dependent variable we can expect. Because a number between
-1 and 0 is negative and in the opposite direction, the more of the independent variable
we have, the less of the dependent variable we can predict (Xiao, Ye, Esteves & Rong,
2015). What constitutes a weak or strong correlation is determined by the study's
sample size, significance levels, and what constitutes a small, medium, or big
correlation. Correlation levels between r= 0.1-0.3, whether positive or negative, are
considered minor correlations, r= 0.3-0.5 as medium correlations, and r= 0.5-1 as high
correlations, according to a rule of thumb (Hemphill, 2003).

There is a debate in the literature over what should be the minimal accepted
significance level (p) of a correlation and multiple regression analysis in the
Spearman's correlation test and multiple regression analysis that will be done in the
next part (Westfall & Young, 1993). Zar (2009) argues that although the significance
levels of p < 0.001, p < 0.01 and p < 0.05 are the most accepted significance levels,
the 0.05 level is not a sacred or untouchable number, but can be modified depending
on the sample size and the circumstances of the study. The researchers believe that p
< 0.10 is an acceptable significance level for this study because it is an exploratory

52
study and because the subject of research is a pandemic in modern times that has never
been examined before. Furthermore, a very strong significance of p < 0.001 (***), a
strong significance of p < 0.01 (**), a weak significance of p < 0.05 (*), and a very
weak significance of p < 0.10 () will be considered. Table 3 shows the significance
level of each correlation.

Since the value is below 0.3, the correlation is positive, and the significance threshold
is below 0.05 but more than 0.01, the Spearman's correlation test demonstrates that
there is a minor positive and weak significant correlation between CBB M and P M
(.179*), (Hemphill, 2003). The CBB M and Q M correlation was equally small and
positive, although the significance level was very low (.146). It's important to
remember that the significance threshold for this study was 0.053, which is close to
the 0.05 level. As a result, it can be concluded that the dependent variable of meat in
the study has a strong link with price sensitivity and perceived meat quality.

This suggests that the more price sensitive respondents claim to be, the more likely
their meat purchasing behaviour will alter during COVID-19. In line with this, Ang et
al. (2000) found that during the financial crisis, customers were more concerned with
lower prices and good value for money. Consumers are more price sensitive during a
crisis, according to Hampson & McGoldrick (2013), since they are more conscious of
prices and price spikes. As a result, hypothesis H1: There is a positive association
between perceived meat price sensitivity and changing meat buying behavior can be
accepted.

53
 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Changed
buying
behavior of
Meat

Changed
buying .942**
behavior of
Fruits &
Vegetables

Price
Sensitivity .179* .197*
Meat

Perceived
Quality .146 .133† .003
Meat

Price
Sensitivity .199** .213** .825*** .011
Fruits &
Vegetables

Perceived
Quality .237** .214** -.017 .860*** .012
Fruits &
Vegetables
Age .179* .113 .038 .134† .004 .201** -.064
-
Gender .221** .212** -.063 .239** .023 .201** .422*** .032

Education -.045 -.067 -.155* -.078 - -.066 .094 .200** .006

.061
Income -.059 -.077 -.168* .113 .097 .138† .450*** -.086 .293***
-
.184*

Note: p < 0.001***; p < 0.01**; 0.05*: p < 0.10†

Table 3: Spearman rank coefficient correlation

54
 Furthermore, based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that the more
concerned respondents are about meat quality, the more likely their meat purchasing
behaviour will change during the pandemic. This outcome was also seen during the
BSE crisis, when customers were more concerned about food quality and hence
purchased less meat than usual (Arnade et al., 2009). This means that the hypothesis
H3: There is a positive relationship between perceived meat quality and changed meat
buying behaviour can be accepted, despite the small correlation and very weak
significance (.146), despite the significance level being 0.053, which was almost weak,
and the hypothesis was accepted. It should be noted that this is not a particularly strong
association, but it is significant enough to affect changes in meat purchasing behaviour
during a crisis.

The study's findings reveal a substantial significant association between the

dependent variable CBB FV and the independent variable P FV (.213**) as well as
the dependent variable CBB FV and the independent variable Q FV (.214**). As a
result, the hypotheses H2: There is a positive relationship between perceived price
sensitivity of fruits and vegetables and changed buying behaviour of fruits and
vegetables, as well as H4: There is a positive relationship between the quality of fruits
and vegetables and changed buying behaviour of fruits and vegetables, should be
accepted. Furthermore, the more price-sensitive customers are, the more likely their
purchasing habits for fruits and vegetables will change in the event of a pandemic. The
findings also show that the more concerned customers are about quality, the more
likely they are to change their purchasing habits while purchasing fruits and vegetables
in COVID-19. Fruit and vegetable independent variables had a slightly higher
correlation with their dependent variable than meat relationships, as well as higher
significance levels.

The dependent variables CBB M and the control variable Age (.179*) have a positive
and weak significant association, while CBB M and the control variable Gender
(.221**) have a positive and strong significant correlation, according to the Spearman
correlation test. This is similar to the CBB FV and Gender results, which show a strong

55
significant connection (.212**). This implies that the control factors have an effect on
the dependent variables, which will be investigated further in the multiple regression
analysis.

A substantial and positive significant association exists between Age and Q FV

(.201**), according to the Spearman correlation. The independent variable Q M
(.239**) and the independent variable Q FV (.201**) have a strong positive
connection with gender. Furthermore, it was discovered that there is a weak negative
relationship between respondents' education and P M (-.155*), as well as a weak
negative relationship between income and P M (-.168 *). This could be owing to the
fact that the more educated the respondents are, the more money they earn, and as a
result, they are less price sensitive than those with lesser income. Results that appeared
in the study that were not surprising that they were positively correlated, are the
correlation between Age and Education (.200**), as well as Age and Income (.450*)
and finally Education and Income (.293***). In this study, these correlations are at a
different significance level, however there are studies emphasizing the same
significance within these variables. It was shown that income increases with age and
that a higher educational level leads to a higher income (Gerdtham & Johannesson,
2000). It can thus be said that these three control variables are closely linked.
Furthermore, the very strong correlations between the independent variables of price
sensitivity and perceived quality shown in Table 3 should be ignored because both
variables have the exact same items on a 7-point Likert scale in the study
(.825***;.860***). The next multiple linear regression examines these links in greater
depth.

Multiple Linear Regression

The strength of the relationship between the independent variables, P M (Price

Sensitivity of Meat), P Q (Perceived Quality of Meat), P FV (Price Sensitivity of Fruit
and Vegetables), and Q FV (Perceived Quality of Fruit and Vegetables), and the
dependent variables, CBB M (Changed Buying Behavior of Meat) and CBB FV
(Changed Buying Behavior of Fruit and Vegetables), was determined using (Changed

56
buying behaviour of Fruits and Vegetables). The analysis is carried out in stages. The
independent variables were evaluated for multi-collinearity in the first step of the
regression analysis. Pallant (2016) defines multi-collinearity as a condition in which
two or more explanatory variables in a multiple regression are too highly linearly
connected, or too comparable. The Tolerance and Variance inflation factors can be
used to assess this. The tolerance is expressed as a number between 0 and 1, and a
value of 0.10 implies a high linear relationship between explanatory variables.
Because none of the tolerance values were less than 0.10, and the smallest value was
0.754, there was no evidence of multi-collinearity in any of the models. The VIF value
was further examined to eliminate any uncertainties. The VIF values above 10 indicate
multi-collinearity, however, the highest value shown in any of the two models was
1.327. The VIF values above 10 indicate multi-collinearity, however, the highest value
shown in any of the two models was 1.327.

Changed buying behavior of Meat

The outliers were checked in Model 1, which explains the predictions of the
relationship between CBB M and P M, as well as Q M and the control variables.

The Normal Probability plot (P-P) of the regression Standardised Residual,

Scatterplot of the Standardised Residuals, can be used to identify outliers. The points
in the Normal PP plot should lay pretty straight in a line from the bottom left to the
top right, as they did for Model 1, indicating that no large deviations from normality
exist. Only a few occurrences should be allowed to surpass a value above 3.3 or below
- 3.3 in the Scatterplots, and Model 1 shows only one case that deviates from this
number field. Finally, the Durbin-Watson test assesses residual autocorrelation, and
values between 1.5 and 2.5 are considered standard, whereas the Durbin-Watson value
for Model 1 was 1.785. (Pallant, 2016).

The Adjusted R Square was employed to evaluate the model in the next phase,
because to the decreased sample size of n = 218. The Adjusted R Square score
indicates how much variation in the dependent variable CBB M is explained by the

57
model, which includes the independent variables P M and Q M, as well as the control
variables Age, Gender, Education, and Income (Pallant. 2016). The Adjusted R Square
value was 0.083, indicating that the independent and control variables explained
8,33% of the variance in CBB M.

In order to discover which of the independent and control variables makes a unique
contribution to explaining the dependent variable CBB M, the standardised coefficient
Beta values and their significance were also examined. To determine the contributions,
the significance levels (Sig.(p) in Table 4) were first observed. If the level of
significance (p) is less than 0.05, According to Pallant (2016), it is thought to make a
one-of-a-kind contribution to the connection in explaining the variance of the
dependent variable. In Table 4 it can be seen that the control variables Age and Gender
both make a unique contribution to explaining changed buying behaviour of meat,
since p < 0.05 (.024 and .029). However, as previously stated, the independent variable
P M has a significance threshold of p = 0.058 and hence is barely close to a unique
contribution. Due to the circumstances of a global pandemic, a significance level of p
0.10 is acceptable in this study, and P M is deemed to contribute to explaining the
variance in modified meat buying behaviour. Q M also offers a contribution to the
variance explanation (.078). In Model 1, neither education nor income help to
explaining the variance in the dependent variable CBB M. (.859 and .304).

It's crucial to analyse the strength of the impact on the dependent variable, as well as
the positive or negative impact of the variables on the dependent variable, after
establishing which variables contribute to the explanation of changed meat buying
behaviour.

The values of the Standardized Coefficients Beta column (Std. B. in Table 4) are
taken into account in order to establish the strength and direction of the relationship
(Pallant, 2016).

The four contributing variables were discovered to have positive Beta values,
indicating that they display a positive value between 0 and 1, implying that the more
variables, the more changed meat purchasing behaviour. CBB M is most affected by
the control variable Age (.181*). In other words, it can be said with a weak certainty

58
that the older the consumer is, the more change in buying behaviour of meat we can
expect in Model 1. It also means that increasing the Age standard deviation unit by
one (+1.00) will increase the CBB M by 0.181* units. This means that while age helps
to explain some of the variation in CBB M, there is still a lot to be explained. Given
the circumstances of the pandemic, which indicate that the virus is more deadly to
older generations, particularly those over 50 who are restricted from shopping in the
NCR, these findings appear to be reliable. Age has been a decisive factor in modified
meat purchase behaviour in prior health crises, as Harvey et al. (2001) explained in the
BSE crisis, when safety concerns about beef products were positively associated to
age.

Gender has a weak significant positive relationship with CBB M (.168*), while the
independent variables P M and Q M have a very weak significant positive relationship
to the dependent variable (.145†; .136†). Harvey et al. (2001) emphasise the fact that
female customers are more likely to change their meat purchasing behaviour since
women are often more careful, whereas men are more socialised to take chances in
health crises. P M has a very small, but significant, impact on CBB M, which suggests
that customers who are price sensitive are more likely to change their meat-buying
habits.

Similarly, Q M has a positive but minor effect on CBB M, implying that the more
worried consumers are about perceived meat quality, the more likely they are to
change their meat purchasing habits. According to Grunert (2005), during a health
crisis such as the BSE crisis, perceived meat quality, particularly food safety, can
temporarily increase in importance, resulting in changes in meat purchasing behaviour.

59
 Model 1 Changed Buying Behavior of Meat (CBBM)

Variables Std. E Std. B Sig. (p)

Independent Price Sensitivity .064 .145+ .058

variables of Meat (P M)

Perceived .077 .136+ .078

Quality of Meat
(Q M)

Control Age .007 .181* .024

variables
Gender .175 .168* .029

Education .116 .014 .859

Income .059 -.088 .304

Constant .688

Adjusted R .083
Square

F-Value 3.535*

N = 218

Note: p < 0.001***; p < 0.01**; p < 0.05*: p < 0.10+

Table 4: Multiple Linear Regression on Changed Buying Behavior of Meat

60
Changed buying behavior of Fruit and Vegetables
Model 2 was created using the same procedures as Model 1. The model passed the
outliers test because there was only one outlier, which can be seen in the scatterplot.
Model 2 had a higher Adjusted R Square than Model 1, since the independent and
control variables explained 10.6% of the variance in the dependent variable CBB FV.
Table 5 shows that the independent variables P FV and Q FV each make a unique
contribution to explaining the variance in CBB FV, whereas Gender also makes a
unique contribution and Age just makes a contribution. In the dependent variable CBB
FV, neither education nor income contribute to the variance explanation. The
independent and control variables all demonstrate a positive connection with CBB FV,
indicating that, similar to meat, customers who are price sensitive and worried about
quality are more likely to adjust their purchasing behaviour for fruits and vegetables
during the COVID-19 epidemic. Among the four factors, the independent variable Q
FV had the highest positive influence (.195*). This is consistent with Vlontzos et al.
(2017)'s suggestion that in a crisis, fruits and vegetables should be prioritised due to
their health benefits. P FV likewise had a low level of significance and had a minor
impact on CBB FV (.169*). As previously stated, price sensitivity can result in a shift
in purchasing behaviour during a crisis, with financial ramifications for society
(Hampson & Goldrick, 2013).
Gender has a weak significant association with CBB FV (.152*), while Age has a
very weak (0.148*) but significant relationship with CBB FV. Vlontzos et al. (2017)
discovered that during economic downturns, women's eating habits are more affected
than men's, and they begin to favour vegetables, which is consistent with Arechavala
et al. (2016)'s finding that girls ate more fruits and vegetables than boys during the
financial crisis. Harvey et al. (2001) discussed the impact of age on changing purchase
behaviour in a crisis, which is consistent with the limitations that older individuals
face in the present pandemic.

61
 Model 2 Changed Buying Behavior of Fruit and Vegetables (CBB FV)

Variables Std. E Std. B Sig. (p)

Independent Price Sensitivity .066 .169* .025

variables of Meat (P M)

Perceived .077 .195* .011

Quality of Meat
(Q M)

Control Age .007 .148+ .061

variables
Gender .179 .152* .043

Education .119 -.015 .851

Income .061 -.087 .301

Constant .666

Adjusted R .106
Square

F-Value 4.134***

Dublin-Watson 1.829

VIF Value, 1.326

highest

N = 218

Note: p < 0.001***; p < 0.01**; p < 0.05*: p < 0.10+

Table 5: Multiple Linear Regression on Changed Buying Behavior of Fruits and

Vegetables

62
 3.2. Summary of findings

The descriptive statistics of the variables utilized in the analysis, as well as

dependent, independent, moderating, and control factors, were all covered in this
chapter. The Spearman's correlation test was used as a second step to investigate the
correlations between these variables. When Age, Gender, Income, and Education were
confounded, a multiple regression analysis was used to see how the independent
variables, price sensitivity of meat, perceived quality of meat, price sensitivity of fruit
and vegetables, and perceived quality of fruit and vegetables, affect the dependent
variables, changed buying behaviour of meat and changed buying behaviour of fruit
and vegetables. The significance levels for the relationships varied in both the
Spearman's correlation test and the multiple linear regression, indicating support for
hypotheses H1-H4. However, the strength for accepting the hypotheses varies between
the four, as the significance levels for the relationships varied in both the Spearman's
correlation test and the multiple linear regression. Nonetheless, the planned
moderating variables' direct effect on the dependent variable yielded an unexpected
result. Table 6 summarizes the hypotheses and brings this chapter to a close.

Hypotheses Impact Result

H1 Price Sensitivity of Meat → Changed Buying Behavior of Meat Positive Supported

H2 Price Sensitivity of Fruits and Vegetables → Changed Buying Behavior of Positive Supported
Fruits and Vegetables

H3 Perceived Quality of Meat → Changed Buying Behavior of Meat Positive Supported

H4 Perceived Quality of Fruits and Vegetables → Changed Buying Behavior of Positive Supported
Fruits and Vegetables

Table 6: Multiple Linear Regression on Residence Moderating and Direct Effect

63
4. Summary and Conclusion

The study findings are critically discussed towards the conclusion of the dissertation.
In addition, an overall conclusion is provided that addresses the study topic, followed
by practical implications, theoretical contributions, and lastly limitations and
suggestions for future work.

4.1 Conclusion and Recommendations

Summary
The focus of this research was to see how buying behaviour altered during the
COVID-19 pandemic as a result of consumers' price sensitivity and concern for
perceived quality in their meat and fruits and vegetables. This research can be
compared to the models discussed in the Literature Review, with a focus on price
sensitivity and perceived quality as the stimuli that influence purchasing decisions.
According to previous research, during crises such as the financial and health crises,
consumers became more price sensitive when purchasing food products due to job
insecurity, and became more quality conscious for food products due to increased
perceived health risks, resulting in a shift in purchasing behaviour (Sans et al., 2008;
Chamorro et al., 2012; Kosicka-Gebska & Gebski, 2013). Consumer buying behaviour
has altered since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Nielsen
investigations (Nielsen, 2020a; Nielsen, 2020b), and this study indicated that
consumables buying behaviour has changed in particular due to price sensitivity and
concern for perceived quality. One could claim that the purpose of the study, which
was to evaluate the relationship between customers' price sensitivity and perceived
quality, as well as changed consumables purchase behaviour during the COVID-19
epidemic, was met by the empirical investigation.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic is unlike any other crises in terms of the
precautions taken by each country, the global spread of the virus, and perceived risk,

64
there are similarities to previous crises in terms of changes in buying behaviour. The
findings show that earlier crisis research can be used to anticipate changes in purchase
behaviour in the current and most likely next crises. Furthermore, existing buying
behaviour models can be utilised to try to understand the nature of buying behaviour
as well as to construct new and improved models. Regardless of the differences
between the global financial crisis of 2008 and the present pandemic, consumer buying
behaviour is still based on attitudes, motivations, culture, and intents as stated in the
EBM and TPD models (Ajzen, 1985; Blackwell et al., 2006). But among other things,
the current COVID-19 crisis differs from previous crises as it does not primarily fall
into the financial category and it goes beyond a health crisis (Rolandberger, 2020).

As a result, the findings encourage a dialogue between earlier research and current
data on changing purchasing patterns. The findings, which back up H3 and H4, reveal
that there is a link between perceived quality and consumables purchasing behaviour.
This means that the more consumers are concerned about the quality, the more their
buying behaviour of consumables has changed. In the EBM model, this means that
price and quality are influencing variables on purchasing behaviour, with the result
being a shift in buying behaviors (Blackwell et al., 2006). Humans prioritise food
safety (Arnade et al., 2009) and their personal health above all other traits, as seen by
previous crises (Sans et al., 2008). Fruit and vegetables, on the other hand, are critical
in a crisis because of their alleged health benefits (Vlontzos et al., 2017). In the case
of fruits and vegetables, perceived quality was found to have a stronger impact on
changing purchase behaviour than price sensitivity. This could be due to the fact that
the nutritional value of this food category outweighs the price aspects. It's also worth
noting that the price range for fruits and vegetables is rather wide, which could explain
why price sensitivity is a lesser attribute than perceived quality (Vlontzos et al., 2017).
It's also worth noting that, in recent years, fruits and vegetables have become
increasingly significant. Along with the growing importance of fruits and vegetables,
there is a concern about their quality and safety.

Furthermore, the two other hypotheses, H1 and H2, concluded that since the
emergence of COVID-19, there is a positive link between price sensitivity and changes

65
in purchasing behaviour of meat as well as fruit and vegetable. This suggests that the
more price sensitive customers are, the more likely they are to change their
consumable purchasing habits. Price has played a major role in previous crises; for
example, in financial crises, the price has been found to be dominant, with consumers
prioritising the price over the appearance and texture of a product (Grunert, 2006;
Chamorro et al., 2012; Hampson & McGoldrick, 2013). However, there was minimal
evidence of a link between price sensitivity and fruit and vegetable purchasing
behaviour in past crises in the literature. The first movements in this area were
identified with the help of this study. The fact that there was a price increase for fruits
and vegetables during the pandemic in India may have contributed to the positive link
between these two variables in COVID-19 periods. When the price of particular things
rises, people become more price sensitive (Vastani & Monroe, 2019). The positive
association between meat price sensitivity and crises was unsurprising, given that meat
is a food product in the higher price category at the supermarket, and customers often
become more price sensitive to meat during times of crisis, according to many studies
(Grunert, 2006; Chamorro et al., 2012; Kosicka-Gebska & Gebski, 2013). In India,
demand for meat has declined since restaurants have closed and barbecues have been
forbidden.

The four hypotheses offered in the study could be confirmed with reasonable
certainty; nevertheless, it should be noted that the strength of the associations shown
in the empirical research is rather weak. The descriptive statistics of this study also
revealed that the respondents have a high degree of education, implying that they have
a relatively high income. Price sensitivity, according to Wakefield and Inman (2003),
is dependent on the consumer's condition and income. In light of this, this study
discovered that those with a higher income are less price sensitive, even in extreme
conditions.

According to the findings, when it comes to meat, price sensitivity has a greater
impact on modified buying behaviour than perceived quality, however when it comes
to fruits and vegetables, perceived quality has a greater impact. Because neither
component outweighs the other in this study, it validates the COVID-19 pandemic's

66
uniqueness and adds to the conclusions that price and quality most likely only explain
a tiny portion of the changed purchasing behaviour. Furthermore, it offers future
research directions for further investigating the role of price and quality, as well as
other relevant aspects.

Age and gender were found to have a considerable impact on changes in consumable
purchasing behaviour, with age having the greatest impact on meat of all variables.
These elements, according to Kotler & Armstrong (2018), are personal factors that are
known to influence purchase behaviour even under normal circumstances. In addition,
the EBM model considers these variables to be customer attributes that impact buying
behaviour (Blackwell et al., 2006). Harvey et al. (2001) have previously discussed how
age influences changing buying behaviour, e.g., the older the consumer, the less meat
is consumed, the consumer becomes more concerned about his own health and also
increases his ethical standards with age, whereas younger people have a stronger
attitude toward eating healthier.

Women tend to act more carefully in a crisis than males, according to Harvey et al.
(2001), and women had a more negative attitude about meat during the crisis than men.
Vlontzos et al. (2017) stress that fruits and vegetables can be prioritised differently
between genders due to its health benefits, while Arechavala et al. (2016) found that
girls ate more fruits and vegetables during the financial crisis as compared to boys.
The findings of this study show that gender has a significant impact on changed buying
behaviour for both meats and fruits and vegetables, which is consistent with recent
reports suggesting that men and women react to the virus differently in their grocery
shopping behaviour, with men buying more groceries and avoiding the in-store
environment (Petro, 2020). Women utilise shopping as a compensating consumption,
according to Woodruffe (1997), especially when they are sick or bored. As a result, it
may be said that since the COVID-19 epidemic, women have been shopping more
online or at the supermarket, as boredom can build quickly in a quarantine situation.

The findings reported above could, of course, be influenced by the fact that the
epidemic is still ongoing at the time the survey is done, most likely implying that the
full impact of price sensitivity, perceived quality, and changed buying behaviour has

67
yet to be fully realised. Because the circumstances in prior consumer research studies
were different, the items in the questionnaire had to be substantially changed.
However, the fact that the results show a significant relationship between price
sensitivity, perceived quality, and changed consumables purchasing behaviour can be
used as a starting point for future research that can further explore and measure the
effects after the pandemic has passed and compare them to this study.

The panic buying behaviour of food products shortly after the pandemic's outbreak,
as explained by Nielsen (2020a), such as cream milk powder and pasta, were not tested
in this study because they were thought to be the result of panic buyer behaviour, and
thus price sensitivity and perceived quality would be mostly ignored by consumers.
This research attempted to go beyond what market research organisations have already
documented on panic customer behaviour. New findings about modified buying
behaviour can be provided by examining food products outside of the panic buying
behaviour arena. For example, according to BBC (2020b), orange juice was formerly
in decline but is now on the rise due to its immune-boosting effects, whereas other
products such as milk are declining due to the closure of coffee shops. The topic of
how long and to what extent changed consumer buying behaviour will continue after
the COVID-19 epidemic remains unanswered.

On the one hand, researchers Harvey et al. (2001) and Rieger et al. (2017) claim that
changes in buying behaviour during emergency situations are only momentary shifts,
and that consumers would revert to pre-crisis behaviour due to habit persistence.
Consumers become more economical, responsible, and demanding during the global
economic crisis, according to a study by Kar (2010). Nielsen (2020d), on the other
side, argues that the pandemic will have long-term consequences, resulting in altered
purchasing behaviour that will persist even after the pandemic has passed. Many shops
were closed in India, amid the radical lockdown, and restaurants were only allowed to
reopen for takeout in the last stages of the shutdown. As a result, many Indians have
begun to cook at home and purchase fresh local foods. This is predicted to continue
after the pandemic, with an increase in "home cooking," which is why customers are
expected to modify their shopping habits permanently.

68
Conclusion

During COVID-19, the topic of purchasing behaviour was investigated. To be more

specific, the author of this study aimed to see what effect consumers' price sensitivity
and perceived quality have on their meat, fruit, and vegetable purchasing habits. First,
the literature was studied to determine what buying behaviour is, why price and quality
are important when purchasing food, and, most importantly, to assess the current level
of research on buying behaviour in times of crisis. Hypotheses were generated and a
research model was established based on various theoretical methods and knowledge
offered in the literature. The author was able to ascertain support for most of the
hypotheses through empirical study and subsequent analysis. The results were
provided in further depth during the discussion of this paper. H1 and H2 support the
conclusion that customer price sensitivity for consumables has a positive association
with changed buying behaviour for consumables.

So, what effect does consumers' price sensitivity for meat, fruits, and vegetables have
on changes in meat, fruits, and vegetable buying behaviour during COVID-19? which
can be answered with the result that price sensitivity has a positive influence on
changed buying behaviour, which means that the more price sensitive customers are,
the more their buying behaviour for consumables changes in the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, the result that perceived quality of meat, fruits and vegetables has a
positive relationship with changing meat, fruit, and vegetable buying behaviour
that supported H3 and H4. Therefore, the question: What effect does consumers'
perception of meat, fruits, and vegetables have on changes in meat, fruits, and
vegetable buying behavior during COVID-19? can also be addressed in the
affirmative, implying that the more concerned customers are about the quality of meat,
fruits, and vegetables, the more their purchasing behaviour changes during the
pandemic.

69
Recommendations

The study's findings indicate a number of indicators for future research. The fact that
purchasing behaviour has evolved beyond the first established panic buying of food
products indicates that future study should be pursued in changing buying behavior in
diverse food categories. A more extensive study concentrating on specific
product within the food categories, in addition to new food categories, might be
explored. The study discovered that consumers' buying behavior has changed in terms
of price sensitivity and perceived quality when it comes to meat, fruits, and vegetables.

These two components were determined to only explain a small portion of the
influence on changed buying behaviour, indicating that there is a significant possibility
to uncover additional influencing dimensions, such as cultural influence, that could
explain the changed buying behaviour. This research can be utilized to stimulate more
investigation on why more influencing elements should be used. Furthermore, the two
influencing factors identified in this study should be explored on other product
categories because the selected food categories only account for a small portion of
total food consumption in a supermarket. A bigger sample size can also reveal
variations across age groups, discrepancies between meat eaters and non-meat eaters,
and whether there are variances between urban residents and country households.

Practical Implications

It is possible to gain significant insights about shifting buying behaviour in respect

to consumables by examining the purchase behaviour of certain food categories during
the COVID-19 outbreak. These insights can be very useful for marketing departments
in businesses, retailers, and agricultural producers. These findings show that
perceptions of product quality play an important role in this crisis; for example, one
quality criterion is the product's origin, which, as previously mentioned in the
discussion, is important because, during the pandemic, preferences appear to shift
toward buying local products. This allows marketers to concentrate more on indicating
the country from which a product originates and whether it is local. Supermarkets can

70
sort their merchandise by country of origin. In the agricultural industry, more emphasis
should be placed on acquiring certificates for the products' quality. The fact that
consumers become more price sensitive during times of crisis and that this sensitivity
affects their purchasing behaviour is more difficult to deal with, but the findings of
this study can be used for marketing purposes; for example, marketers can emphasize
the benefits of meat, fruits, and vegetables more to make consumers less price sensitive
to these product categories.

Theoretical contribution

There is literature on buying behaviour in crises, as mentioned in previous chapters,

but the COVID-19 crisis is a unique type of crisis, as it is not similar to a financial or
health crisis. As a result, it appears that this study aids in the analysis of COVID-19's
impacts on altered buying behavior. This study benefits business studies by
understanding buying behavior and the elements that influence it, while nutritional
sciences can gain from the findings since they may make implications regarding food
product manufacturing and quality. Because further research on the effects of the
COVID-19 pandemic will be done in the future, especially after the pandemic has
passed, the findings in this study can be used as a stepping stone for future food
consumption research due to its exploratory nature. The data show that, beyond panic
buying, there has been a shift in buying behaviour as a result of the pandemic, as price
sensitivity has increased and perceptions of meat, fruits and vegetables quality have
shifted.

4.2. Limitations of the study

There are a few drawbacks to the current study that should be mentioned. The
COVID-19 is unparalleled in the twenty-first century; nevertheless, the study was
undertaken at a specific, limited time during the pandemic, which means that outcomes
from a study conducted later in the pandemic could have been different. Due to the
study's time constraints, it was not possible to record the evolution over a longer period

71
of time. Furthermore, this research is limited to the research object, which in this case
was changing meat, fruit, and vegetable buying behavior. These specific dietary
categories were chosen because meat intake during a crisis was well-known, whereas
fruits and vegetables had little previous knowledge with crisis situations. Buying
behaviour research and the impact of price and quality on other product categories
could be very different. More influencing elements beyond price and quality, as well
as new food products, would aid in explaining more of the changed buying behaviour,
as the study was only able to explain a small part of it. The chosen food categories are
also not indicative of changes in supermarket shopping behaviour, despite the fact that
this was not the goal of the study, and thus only represent a small part of food
consumption, limiting the study to only providing recommendations for further
research. Furthermore, there is a limitation in the data collection for the study. Because
of the social distancing that exists in the country, the author of this paper was only able
to conduct an online poll. If the prohibition had not been in place, the author may have
questioned customers using different approaches, such as random sample testing
conducted outside supermarkets in various locations.

Furthermore, the study was found to be unrepresentative of particular age groups due
to a limited sample size. The respondents' ages were mostly clustered around the age
of 25. Random sample tests outside stores, as suggested, could have been avoided this
in different circumstances. Furthermore, because the study's goal was to capture meat
consumption behaviour, vegetarians and vegans were omitted from the study. The
vegetarian/vegan responders group may have been employed and compared to meat
eaters if the sample size had been greater; however, because to the small sample
number, the group was eliminated from the study.

72
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84
Annexure

1. How old are you?

Ans. ----------------

2. What is your gender?

(A) Male
(B) Female
(C) Others

3. Do you eat meat?

(A) Yes
(B) No

4. Where do you live?

(A) NCR
(B) Other States

5. What is your highest educational level?

(A) Less than high school degree
(B) High school degree or equivalent
(C) Bachelor degree
(D) Master degree
(E) PhD degree
(F) Others

85
6. In which of these categories is your monthly income?
(A) Upto Rs.5000
(B) Rs.5001 – Rs.10000
(C) Rs.10001 – Rs.15000
(D) Rs.15001 – Rs.20000
(E) Rs.20001 – Rs.25000
(F) Above Rs.25000

7. I make an effort to buy the best quality in this food category: -

Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 6 Strongly Agree

Meat
Fruits & Vegetables

8. I am concerned about the country of origin of food products in this food category: -
Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 6 Strongly Agree

Meat
Fruits & Vegetables

9. I find the health aspect of the food product of this food category to be important:-
Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 6 Strongly Agree

Meat
Fruits & Vegetables

86
10. Compared to before the outbreak... now I am more likely to plan my grocery
shopping for this food category: -
Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 6 Strongly Agree

Meat
Fruits & Vegetables

11. Compared to before the outbreak... now I feel like shopping this food category feels
more like a necessity: -
Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 6 Strongly Agree

Meat
Fruits & Vegetables

12. Compared to before the outbreak... now I am less open to try new or different food
products in this food category: -
Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 6 Strongly Agree

Meat
Fruits & Vegetables

13. Compared to before the outbreak... now I spend more time in the super market
buying this food category: -

Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 6 Strongly Agree

Meat
Fruits & Vegetables

87
14. Compared to before the outbreak... now I go more often to the supermarket to
buy this food category: -
Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 6 Strongly Agree

Meat
Fruits & Vegetables

15. Compared to before the outbreak... now I go less often to the supermarket to buy
this food category: -

Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 6 Strongly Agree

Meat
Fruits & Vegetables

16. Compared to before the outbreak... now I shop this food category online more often:
-

Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 6 Strongly Agree

Meat
Fruits & Vegetables

17. Compared to before the outbreak... now I buy this food category rather in stores that
are closer from where I live: -

Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 6 Strongly Agree

Meat
Fruits & Vegetables

88
18. Compared to before the outbreak... now I buy greater overall volume in this food
category per week (e.g. two apples instead of one for the whole week): -

Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 6 Strongly Agree

Meat
Fruits & Vegetables

89