Business Administration / Διοίκηση Επιχειρήσεων (Μ.Β.Α)

The purpose of the study was to investigate the changes in online consumer behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives of the study were to describe the level of engagement with online purchases, identify the changes in online consumer behavior in Cyprus during the pandemic, understand the reasons behind that changes, determine the product categories that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and find out whether consumers who engaged with online purchasing behavior are willing to continue to behave in this manner post-pandemic. In order to answer the research questions, a survey in the form of a questionnaire was conducted. As consumer behavior is a social science, alongside the quantitative data obtained from the questionnaire, a couple of in-depth interviews was conducted to get qualitative insights and triangulate the data. In order to access influencing factors of the changed customer behavior, a set of hypotheses was developed. A sample of 202 responders was used for the survey. Results indicated that during the pandemic, there is an increase in online purchasing frequency, the majority of respondents argued that they had a positive online shopping experience and are willing to continue engaging with e-commerce in the future. Nevertheless, the intention to continue with online shopping depends on the overpowering type of stress a person experiences during the pandemic times. The findings of the research questions and tested hypotheses are presented in the conclusion. Limitations and recommendations of the study were identified, for the benefit of future research.