Stockpiling intentions and customer well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated factors influence customers' stockpiling intentions. This study examines the impact of various factors on customers' stockpiling intentions. It develops a model combining threat severity and fear of COVID-19, customer well-being dimensions, and constructs relating to the theories of planned behavior and competitive arousal to explain the effect of these on stockpiling intentions. Adopting a quantitative design, we analyzed data from 476 respondents using covariance-based structural equation modeling. The empirical results confirm that threat severity (with the fear of COVID-19 as a mediator) and fear of COVID-19 positively influenced individuals' attitudes toward stockpiling. Additionally, a positive attitude toward stockpiling, subjective norms that support stockpiling, the degree of perceived behavioral control, perceived scarcity, and time pressure positively influence stockpiling intentions. This study's findings thus contribute to a better understanding of customers' stockpiling intentions during a crisis and assist policymakers in developing effective COVID-19 response and recovery strategies.