How has COVID-19 changed individuals’ e-commerce and shopping mobility habits? Evidence from Madrid Region

Abstract

The use of e-commerce has grown exponentially in recent years, driven by the increase in Internet connectivity and the spread of electronic payment mechanisms. Lockdowns and social distancing measures imposed during the COVID-19 health crisis led to an extra growth in the use of e-shopping among the population, some of which has continued after the end of the pandemic. E-commerce practices have been found to influence mobility patterns of individuals, with many contributions having analyzed their effects on shopping trips before the pandemic and during COVID waves. However, there is a need to understand the lasting changes in individuals’ patterns of e-commerce as well as their subsequent impact on mobility in the aftermath of the pandemic. To that end, this research takes advantage of a macro survey campaign in the Region of Madrid, Spain between October and November 2022, collecting 15,666 valid responses in a fully post-COVID timeframe. This information was exploited to build a Generalized Structural Equation Model (GSEM) that explores individuals’ patterns of e-commerce use in two different time periods, pre- and post-COVID, with the aim of studying to what extent changes in e-commerce and shopping habits have modified individuals’ mobility patterns. The research concludes a positive, albeit modest, effect of the pandemic on e-commerce usage among the population, as well as an increased preference for shopping physically close to home. Reductions in shopping mobility are greater among intensive users of e-commerce and people who before COVID mainly used the private car or public transport for shopping trips, thus suggesting a positive impact on sustainability from the demand side. The paper provides additional insights on the relationships between shopping habits, e-commerce use, and reductions in the mobility of individuals due to the availability of e-commerce, of interest to researchers and policymakers.