Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/308619 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2023
Citation: 
[Journal:] Journal of Geographical Systems [ISSN:] 1435-5949 [Volume:] 25 [Issue:] 2 [Publisher:] Springer [Place:] Berlin, Heidelberg [Year:] 2023 [Pages:] 291-326
Publisher: 
Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Abstract: 
During the COVID-19 pandemic, e-commerce's market share has increased dramatically, a phenomenon attributable to not only lockdowns but to voluntary changes in shopping behavior as well. The current study examines the main determinants driving shopping behavior in the context of both physical and online store availability, and investigates whether specific drivers have changed during the pandemic. The study aims to test whether fear of infection and mandatory wearing of face masks in shops have influenced consumer channel choice. The empirical analysis focuses on two product types (consumer electronics, furniture), with empirical data collected via a representative consumer survey in three German regions. The statistical analysis was performed using a hurdle model approach and the findings are compared to those of a study related to pre-pandemic shopping. The results show that the determinants of shopping behavior have largely not changed. Channel choice can be explained by shopping attitudes, age, and partially, by place of residence of consumers. Store choice is determined primarily by shopping transaction costs and store features. Fear of infection and the mandatory wearing of face masks exhibit minimal influence on channel choice, if any. The importance of cross-channel integration of stores/chains has decreased significantly, while average travel times for in-store purchases have declined.
Subjects: 
Spatial shopping behavior
Multi-channel retailing
Online shopping
Store choice model
Retail location theory
Corona pandemic
JEL: 
C35
C51
C81
R32
L81
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Article
Document Version: 
Published Version

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