Impact of the crisis caused by the coronavirus on Hungarian consumer behavior related to food purchases

Abstract

Introduction. Due to the worldwide coronavirus epidemic, models of consumer behaviour related to the purchase of food need to be revised. Materials and methods. An empirical study was conducted with a questionnaire survey. The research took place in Hungary in the summer of 2020, involving 724 consumers. Results and discussion. A high percentage of consumers in Hungary reacted to the coronavirus crisis by panic buying. The consumption of healthier foods has spread in connection with the coronavirus crisis, and that the demand of Hungarian consumers for dairy products has also increased. Furthermore, there are differences between the products consumed by panic buyers and normal shoppers. The results showed those who were not afraid of the coronavirus paid less attention to their eating habits (Pearson's correlation: -0.119, sign.:0.01). Some 59.9% of respondents said that it was worth storing large quantities of food because of the coronavirus epidemic. Females and males did not differ on this issue (Chi-square 0.160, df: 2, sign.:0.923, p > 0.05). Correlation tests showed that for dairy purchases, butter, cheese, fruit yoghurt and sour cream were significantly correlated with each other. By age, respondents aged 40-60 bought the most dairy products, while consumers aged 30 bought the least. Conclusion. The coronavirus pandemic has seriously affected not only the global economy, but also the daily life of the world's population. Negative consequences were also reflected in the attitude to the purchase of food and there were significant changes in the composition of consumed products.