The Impacts of COVID-19 Crisis upon the Consumer Behaviours in Mueang Khon Kaen District, Thailand

Abstract : Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is widely spread across the world. The COVID-19 lockdown policy has forced dine-in restaurants and cafes to close. Consequently, there is a plunge in the global economy into severe recession due to less economic activities. On the other hand, the demand for online food delivery services has increased during this period. As a result, the changes in consumer behaviours during the COVID-19 crisis are taken into consideration. Are the COVID-19 crisis and the changes in consumer behaviours related? Due to the new model of consumption, our study aims to observe and discern the relationship between COVID-19 crisis and changes in consumer behaviours. Data were collected by a questionnaire asking about participants’ general information, the impacts of COVID-19 on other relevant aspects, and the changes in consumer behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic. Survey samples, including the population in Mueang Khon Kaen District, Thailand, were randomly selected through a random sampling method with a total of 634 respondents (241 males, 380 females, and 13 others). Our results revealed that the respondents have been highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and their consumer behaviours have been changed significantly compared to the pre-pandemic period. Additionally, statistical analyses showed that there is a significant correlation between the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes in consumer behaviours. This study could serve as a guideline of further studies about the COVID-19 pandemic and consumer behaviours, which can be appropriately adopted in the era for the new normal