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COVID-19 and the Demand for Online Grocery Shopping: Empirical Evidence from the Netherlands

Author

Listed:
  • Barbara Baarsma

    (University of Amsterdam)

  • Jesse Groenewegen

    (Utrecht University)

Abstract

There has been a pronounced increase in online shopping since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We study the effect of the pandemic on demand for online grocery shopping specifically, using municipality-level data from a Dutch online supermarket. We find that an additional hospital admission increased app traffic by 7.3 percent and sales per order by 0.31 percent. Local hospital admissions do not correlate with the variety of groceries ordered, but online search behavior does, suggesting that hoarding behavior is driven by the general perception and impact of the virus rather than local conditions. Local COVID-19 conditions also have different effects in urban versus non-urban municipalities, with local hospital admissions increasing app traffic in urban areas but lowering sales per order as compared to non-urban areas. It remains to be seen whether the demand for online grocery shopping will permanently increase as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Barbara Baarsma & Jesse Groenewegen, 2021. "COVID-19 and the Demand for Online Grocery Shopping: Empirical Evidence from the Netherlands," De Economist, Springer, vol. 169(4), pages 407-421, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:decono:v:169:y:2021:i:4:d:10.1007_s10645-021-09389-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s10645-021-09389-y
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    2. Oughton, Edward J. & Amaglobeli, David & Moszoro, Marian, 2023. "What would it cost to connect the unconnected? Estimating global universal broadband infrastructure investment," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(10).
    3. Hertog, Ekaterina & Fukuda, Setsuya & Matsukura, Rikiya & Nagase, Nobuko & Lehdonvirta, Vili, 2023. "The future of unpaid work: Estimating the effects of automation on time spent on housework and care work in Japan and the UK," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    4. Prencipe, Luigi Pio & Colovic, Aleksandra & Binetti, Mario & Ottomanelli, Michele, 2024. "Zero-emission vehicle adoption towards sustainable e-grocery last-mile delivery," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    5. Kvalsvik, Fifi, 2022. "Understanding the role of situational factors on online grocery shopping among older adults," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    6. Svetlana Fedoseeva & Ellen Van Droogenbroeck, 2023. "Pandemic pricing: Evidence from German grocery e‐commerce," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(4), pages 1139-1156, October.
    7. Zuokas, Danas & Gul, Evren & Lim, Alvin, 2022. "How did COVID-19 change what people buy: Evidence from a supermarket chain," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    8. Julita Szlachciuk & Olena Kulykovets & Maciej Dębski & Adriana Krawczyk & Hanna Górska-Warsewicz, 2022. "The Shopping Behavior of International Students in Poland during COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-19, September.
    9. Budziński, Wiktor & Daziano, Ricardo, 2023. "Preferences for online grocery shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic — the role of fear-related attitudes," Journal of choice modelling, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    10. Bart Geurden & Jeroen Cant & Joris Beckers, 2022. "Food Accessibility in the Suburbs of the Metropolitan City of Antwerp (Belgium): A Factor of Concern in Local Public Health and Active and Healthy Aging," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-13, November.
    11. Hannah Younes & Robert B. Noland & Wenwen Zhang, 2022. "Browsing for food: Will COVID‐induced online grocery delivery persist?," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(S1), pages 179-195, November.
    12. Xiaoguang Wang & Tao Lv & Lei Fan, 2022. "New Energy Vehicle Consumer Demand Mining Research Based on Fusion Topic Model: A Case in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-13, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Consumer behavior; COVID-19; Online grocery shopping; Food consumption;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • L81 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Retail and Wholesale Trade; e-Commerce
    • R22 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Other Demand

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