Consumer Behavior in the Face of the Coronavirus Pandemic: An Analysis of Credit and Debit Card Spending at Brazilian States

Abstract

The paper analyzes credit and debit card consumer spending and correlates it with the social isolation measures enacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. Correlations were estimated between the variation in spending in different economic sectors and the Social Distancing Index (IDS) proposed by IPEA. The results show the importance of the essentiality of goods, the mobility of consumers during the pandemic and quarantine and the way in which social isolation measures affect each consumer sector. Essential sectors without mobility problems had an increase in consumption and oscillatory behavior of consumption spending during the period. Non-essential goods sectors saw a sharp reduction in consumption spending followed by a gradual recovery. Sectors associated with mobility (whether essential or not) had a sharp reduction and did not have a clear recovery in the period. In addition, there is strong evidence that possibly institutional variations between states have relevant effects.