Customers’ Online Purchase Intentions and Customer Segmentation During the Period of COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Researchers have investigated the impact of various factors on customers’ online shopping behaviors. What is not yet clear is the influence of customers’ pandemic concerns on their purchase intentions and purchasing behaviors. This study, based on a survey of 520 online customers in Turkey, aimed to investigate pandemic-related concerns on customers' purchase intentions. We analyzed its role on customer segmentation. We extended the theory of planned behavior by introducing the impact customers’ pandemic concerns. Testing the hypotheses with partial least squares, the results indicated that customers’ pandemic concerns had an impact on their purchase intentions. We also discovered three customer segments by using psychographic variables obtained from hypotheses testing. Pandemic-related concerns were revealed a determinant in customer segmentation. We provided an exciting opportunity to advance our knowledge of customer segmentation and customers’ online shopping manners.

Keywords:

• Coronavirus
• COVID-19
• customer segmentation
• online consumer
• purchase intention