Changing in-Store Customer Behaviour in Hungary During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The spread of the coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed all aspects of our lives, but the new situation has certainly had the greatest impact on mobility and the way we use space. The health crisis and the strict restrictive measures have had a major impact on the retail sector as well, and have changed our shopping habits. Although the epidemic threat is still not over, the accessibility to coronavirus vaccines has led to more relaxed measures in Hungary than in the past. The high vaccination rate of the population was also an important milestone for shops, as this measure allowed customers to freely visit their favourite stores. The main objective of the study is to show how store visiting habits of Hungarian shoppers have changed until the end of third pandemic wave in Hungary. Results are based on primary researches conducted independently and in collaboration with our colleagues. On the basis of these researches, we have attempted to track the main changes in shopping habits during the different waves of the coronavirus pandemic in Hungary.