BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION IN INDIA

A Study on Corona Virus (Covid-19) Impact on Consumer Buying Behaviour
With Special Reference To Chennai City

Dr. S. Deva Prasanna

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns have caused significant disruption for people, communities, brands, and businesses. The lockdown and social distancing mandates have disrupted the consumer habits of buying as well as shopping. This study attempted to understand the effect of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on consumers' buying behavior. After the declaration of lockdown, consumers experienced fear and felt unsecured. The news from television channels and multimedia drastically affected the changed behavior of people. The primary data were collected through a questionnaire from 200 respondents using Google form. Data were processed and analyzed by the SPSS. The study's finding revealed that consumer buying behavior fundamentally changed, and consumers are buying more products on health and hygiene. The current crisis is affecting the product preference, shopping behavior, and purchasing decisions of consumers.

Kwywords: COVID-19, Chennai City, Consumer buying behaviour, Awareness, marketing strategy.

Introduction

The World Health Organisation officially declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic on 11th March 2020. When the Government declared the first lockdown, it suddenly increased the rush in the market. The essential goods in shops were at the lowest level. Face masks and sanitizers were out of stock in various medical shops during the early stage of lockdown. It resulted in black marketing of essential and medical goods. Daily life for people around the world has changed in ways that would have been unthinkable. Ongoing pandemic had impacted people's earnings levels and led to an increase in unemployment across the country and thus affected consumer behaviour. Consumers started stocking up things hoping that they would have a routine life when they would be fine. This situation has occurred first time in history that many countries had executed lockdown to decrease the spread of this virus, leading to an extreme change in buying behaviour in the Indian market.

Consumer behaviour plays a vital role in profit-making and the market reputation of any product. It has been impacted severely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The factors that are significant in influencing consumer behaviour are affected consumers' financial condition, change in spending pattern, reduced visits to public areas due to lockdowns, cancellation in travel plans due to travel restrictions imposed by Governments, etc. This research (data collection period April 2021- May 2021) is focused on identifying the factors which have triggered such changes during the covid-19 pandemic condition.

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Dr. S. Deva Prasanna
Assistant Professor in Commerce
Chevalier T. Thomas Elizabeth College for Women
University of Madras, Chennai, Tamilnadu
prasannadev2011@gmail.com

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