To shop or not to shop?: A study on consumers' motivation for visiting physical retail stores during Covid-19 and how it is justified
2021 (English)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
Covid-19 has affected people’s lives due to the restrictions and recommendations. The Swedish public health authority urged the residents to abstain from being in indoor environments such as stores, therefore is the action seen as a misbehaviour. Meanwhile, city centres are dying, therefore are the consumers facing a difficult dilemma. The purpose of the present thesis was to investigate why consumers chose to shop in PRS during the pandemic and how the behaviour was justified. The thesis was written from a consumer's perspective and focuses on generation Z. The theoretical framework was based on hedonic and utilitarian motivations, which explains the consumers' motivation to shop in PRS while the Neutralization theory explains how the actions were justified. A qualitative study was used, and the empirical data was collected through a time- and event-contingent diary design. 17 participants were chosen through a convenience sample. A combination between three theories map out how consumers reasoning throughout the process. The findings showed that the pandemic had an impact on consumers behaviour and that both hedonic and utilitarian motivations affect consumer intentions to shop in PRS. The findings also showed that consumers frequently justified their action by referring to the fact that the restrictions and recommendations were followed. We also found a pattern on how different motivations are justified similarly.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2021. , p. 67
Keywords [en]
Generation Z, Hedonism, Justification, Neutralization theory, Utilitarianism
National Category
Business Administration
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hkr:diva-22331OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hkr-22331DiVA, id: diva2:1586526
Subject / course
International business and marketing
Educational program
Degree of Bachelor of Science in Business and Economics
Supervisors
Examiners
2021-08-232021-08-202021-08-23Bibliographically approved