EFFECT OF COVID-19 ON THE SHIFT IN CONSUMER PREFERENCES WITH RESPECT TO SHOPPING MODES (OFFLINE/ONLINE) FOR GROCERIES: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

Consumers have their own preferences when it comes to shopping modes, be it offline or online. Factors such as touch and feel of the product, instant gratification, delivery times are few which effect the consumer to either shop offline or online. Due to the recent outbreak of the corona pandemic, the entire supply chain had been disrupted and the transmission modes of the virus and norms of social distancing may shift the preferences of the consumer with respect to the way groceries are being shopped. This paper accounts to the study the probable shift in the consumer preferences caused due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Factors that influence the consumer to shop offline and online during the pandemic are ranked according to the responses received by using mean scoring techniques. Chi-square statistical analysis has been used to find out the statistical significance in relationship between the change in consumer preferences caused by the Covid-19 pandemic