CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN BRAZIL

Abstract

This paper shows the impacts on consumer behavior in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil. The pandemic brought social distance as a restrictive measure to control the mobility of the population through the closing of shops (except those considered essential), public and private institutions and any other activity that causes crowds of people. In this context, companies needed to reinvent themselves to reach the isolated consumer. And virtual commerce was the solution found. The consumer had to adjust his buying habits. Thus, the objective of the research was to verify consumer behavior during the current health crisis in Brazil. The methodology used was descriptive research with a qualitative approach through an online form in the city of Araraquara-SP and region. The sample consisted of 110 consumers. As a result of the survey, we found that 43.6% of consumers prefer to make most of their purchases in physical stores and buy, to a lesser extent in online stores, while 36.4% preferentially use online stores while still using physical stores, however, to a lesser extent. Yet 17.3% of consumers prefer purchases exclusively at physical stores, the main differential of a physical purchase being the material and sensory experience with the product.