Changing Behavioral Patterns in Grocery Shopping in the Initial Phase of the Covid-19 Crisis—A Qualitative Study of News Articles

Covid-19, as both a health and an economic crisis, has substantially affected consumers, businesses, industries, and nations in all parts of the world. In this study the aim was to identify trends in consumers’ changing behavioral patterns in grocery shopping in the initial phase of the Covid-19 crisis by conducting a qualitative inductive analysis of news articles on the topic in Finland. Six thematic consumer reactions were identified: 1) Panic-buying, 2) Changes in cooking behavior, 3) Increased sensitivity towards the shopping environment, 4) Switch to online grocery shopping, 5) Increased interest for new services and 6) Careless in-store behavior. The study showed that initially consumers expressed some extreme behaviors, which, however, subsided relatively fast. Importantly, the study gave clear indications that consumers started shifting to online grocery shopping, which may induce more fundamental and enduring changes in grocery retail. Furthermore, the study also suggests that consumers’ increased interest in new types of services is probably here to stay, fueling further innovations. Suggestions for further research are also discussed.