ABSTRACT
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.