Does Social Media Exposure Shape Consumer Response in the Form of Panic Buying?

This study took an effort to analyse the impact of social media exposure on the panic buying behaviour of people towards health and personal care products during COVID-19 times. The study also analyses the mediating role of anxiety between social media exposure and panic buying. This study attempts to explain the connection between social media exposure, anxiety, and panic buying using the social proof theory, the S–O–R model, and the behavioural inhibition system theory. The study includes a sample of 433 people. The data was collected from 24 items structured questionnaire distributed online. A total of 433 responses were collected online. The relationship between variables was analysed through structural equation modelling using Smart PLS-3. The results revealed that there is a direct effect of social media exposure on panic buying but when anxiety mediates the relationship between media and panic buying then a condition of partial mediation was observed. The result suggests that social media exposure directly affects panic buying among customers but it also affects generating anxiety among the customer. The study contributes by exploring the relationship between social media exposure, anxiety and panic buying. This study has a practical implication towards policymaking and the functioning of appropriate social media communication during an unstructured and disastrous situation.