Online grocery shopping before and during the COVID-19 pandemic : A meta-analytical review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to limit their physical interactions, which has led to explosive growth in online grocery shopping. However, there is no clear consensus in the retailing literature on whether consumers prefer to buy groceries online. The objective of this current study is to synthesize research about online grocery shopping published before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and to develop a conceptual framework about online grocery purchase intentions and their determinants, the mediation effects of consumers’ attitudes, the moderating effects of COVID-19, and control variables. The meta-analysis presents data derived from 50 independent samples with a sample size of 20,538 respondents. Selected determinants were identified as triggers for online grocery purchase intentions, and perceived usefulness and consumer attitude were identified as important mediators between determinants and intentions. The findings clarify the mechanisms behind the increase in online grocery shopping during the pandemic by presenting a decrease in the importance of its strongest determinants (i.e., perceived usefulness and attitude). Based on these findings, we present contributions to theory, managerial implications, and future research directions.