NBR Volume-3  Issue-2 2021 (July-December)

EVALUATING PANDEMIC LED PANIC BUYING
IN RETAIL SECTOR OF PAKISTAN

 

Asma Basit
Department of Management Studies, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan
Lubna Maroof
Department of Management Studies, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan
Amna Aslam
Department of Management Studies, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan

ABSTRACT

Purpose – The study sought to evaluate the unique panic buying behavior of consumers to gain an understanding of the factors leading to this type of consumer behavior and its implications for retail marketers and policymakers.

Design/Methodology: This research study utilized Stimuli Organism Response (S-OR) model to investigate the impact of e-WOM, fear appeal, and perceived scarcity (stimulus) on panic buying (response) with the mediating effect of social media information (SMI) acting as an organism. Data was collected from 300 consumers and analyzed through SEM technique using SmartPLS 3.0.

Findings– The findings of the study show that e-WOM and the fear appeal have a positive impact on panic buying. However, perceived scarcity proved to be insignificant in relation to panic buying. The mediator, social media information, had a strong positive impact on the relationship between e-WOM, fear appeal, perceived scarcity, and panic buying.

Theoretical/Practical/Social Implications: There is a great opportunity for instilling a positive consumer engagement using social media information which can play a stronger role if used properly by the policymakers and marketers. As the world is still faced with a pandemic and consumers are relying on social media information for the availability/shortage of grocery items, therefore, positive practices will help in the regulation of panic buying behavior.

Originality/Value: The findings of the study reveal deeper insights on consumer behavior during turbulent times in the retail sector marketing of Pakistan.

Keywords: COVID-19, Panic Buying, Retail Sector, PLS-SEM.

Article History:

Received: 24 Feb 2022
Revised: 09 Mar 2022
Accepted: 31 Mar 2022

 

Paper type: Research Paper

Full-Length Paper: PDF

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37435/NBR22022401

This is an open-access article under the CC BY 4.0 license   Creative Commons License