Title: Model of consumers' stockpiling behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic

Authors: Md. Monirul Islam; Fathema Farjana Hani

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh ' Department of Business Administration, North East University Bangladesh Sylhet, Bangladesh

Abstract: This study aims to determine and discuss how perceived threat of COVID-19 disease, exposure to social media, and self-efficacy influence perceived risk and fear of product shortage; and how perceived risk and fear influence consumers' stockpiling behaviour. A questionnaire was created in Google forms and used to collect data from 290 household consumers. After testing the scale items' reliability and validity, structural equation modelling (SEM) and hypothesis tests were used to validate the model. The findings indicate that perceived threat COVID-19 disease and self-efficacy positively influence perceived risk, perceived threat of COVID-19 disease, self-efficacy, and perceived risk affect fear insignificantly, and fear and perceived risk significantly affect stockpiling behaviour. Besides contributing to the literature, this research helps to explore customers' stockpiling behaviour, providing knowledge that will pave the way to balancing the demand and supply in the market. With knowledge of the stockpiling behaviour that occurs during the pandemic, marketers and policymakers in every country can take proactive measures.

Keywords: COVID-19; stockpiling behaviour; non-perishable goods; self-efficacy; perceived risk; fear.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2024.142786

International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 2024 Vol.21 No.3/4, pp.270 - 296

Received: 22 May 2022
Accepted: 12 Dec 2022
Published online: 22 Nov 2024 *

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