UTICAJ PANDEMIJE COVID-19 NA E-TRGOVINU I POTROŠAČKE TRENDOVE
THE COVID-19 IMPACT ON E-COMMERCE AND CONSUMER TRENDS

Author(s): Barbara Čater, Vesna Žabkar, Julija Barbič, Tea Bela Kočar, Jana Franziska Fireoved
Subject(s): Economy, Health and medicine and law, Marketing / Advertising, ICT Information and Communications Technologies
Published by: Finrar d.o.o Banja Luka
Keywords: pandemic; recession; e-commerce; consumer trends;
Summary/Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic changed economies and consumption worldwide. Unemployment increased, leaving consumers distressed. Increased demand for medical supplies and the phenomenon of hoarding, i.e. stocking up on essentials reflected the unease among consumers at the beginning of the epidemic.The analysis of the coronavirus impact on e-commerce and consumer trends demonstrated that the importance of the topic exceeds the time of the epidemic. The study revealed a general fear of a recession in Slovenia, as well as a lesser fear of personal consequences, such as job loss. On average, respondents stated their frequency of online shopping increased, which is in accordance with other studies outlined in this chapter. Online consumption in Slovenia during the epidemic was dependent on prior consumption behavior, which is supported by global statistics. Consumers who bought online before COVID-19 increased their consumption over the internet, while few offline shoppers switched to online.The most prominent reason for using the internet is the abundant assortment. During the epidemic, consumers focused on essentials such as food, and increased purchase in pet products, home accessories and hobby items. This is in line with the general international consumption trends and the statistics for Slovenia. COVID-19 triggered the interest of consumers to buy essentials online, especially by novices. In a post-crisis world, the time efficiency and convenience of these services may prove attractive. As the epidemic showed a trend in interne tusage to the detriment of television, future advertising should increasingly focus on social media marketing in combination with search engine optimization rather than TV commercials.Implementing these responses to consumer sentiments will help companies thrive in e-commerce beyond COVID-19.

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