Buying online has lost none of its appeal post-pandemic as consumers have a choice of visiting the malls as well as shopping from home.
Many savvy stores offer both experiences to capitalise on consumer behaviour in Bahrain as latest research shows a high preference for spending on your smartphone.
It’s predominantly amongst younger shoppers, with food and beverage as well as electronics retailers seeing the biggest switch.
This was revealed by a recently published study, titled ‘Consumers’ Online Purchasing Intentions Post Covid-19: Evidence from Lebanon and the Kingdom of Bahrain’.
Researchers surveyed 778 individuals in the two countries to identify common trends and differences between the two economies’ consumer behaviour.
The study was conducted by Royal University for Women’s Business and Financial Sciences College researchers Charbel El Khoury and Mrinalini Choudhary, in collaboration with Holy Spirit University of Kaslik Business School researcher Adel Al Alam in Lebanon.
“The purpose of this study has been to explore the intention of Lebanese and Bahraini consumers toward online shopping post pandemic,” researchers wrote in the paper, which was published in the international peer-reviewed journal Administrative Sciences’ special issue focused on how behavioural trends seen during the pandemic would fare in its aftermath.
“Overall, this study confirms that people who initiated the experience of online shopping during the pandemic will continue in a way to shop for certain products online in the future.”
The study is based on a survey of 778 individuals, equally distributed between Bahrain and Lebanon, as well as between male and female respondents.
Researchers employed the Technology Acceptance Model to determine whether buyers would change their behaviour long-term after the pandemic.
It assesses technological acceptance based on two factors – perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use.
Approximately 47 per cent of respondents were born between 1995 and 2004, while 33pc were born between 1982 and 1994.
Of the respondents, 88pc spend one hour or more on social media every day, and 82pc buy through social media platforms at least once a month.
In Bahrain, these consumers tend to lean towards food and beverage purchases (24pc) as well as electronics (16pc). Meanwhile, 17pc and 12pc of respondents in Lebanon purchased food and beverages, and electronics, respectively.
The perceived usefulness of purchasing online has been driving shifts in consumer attitudes towards online shopping. Effectiveness of online platforms including social media in marketing and selling products played a major role in moving buyers online.
Not requiring customers to create more online accounts was also found to positively impact perceived ease of use amongst consumers.
“During the pandemic, a wide range people in Lebanon and Bahrain who shopped online and through social media have formed over the time positive habits and attitudes,” researchers found.
“In Bahrain, the country’s 2030 economic vision considers digital transformation as one of its main pillars. The steps taken at this level are therefore considered among the main reasons behind the strong impact of changing attitudes on long-term intentions.”
In Bahrain, price consciousness, and social media reliance were the emerging shopping trends uncovered in the study.
Researchers found that buyers paid more attention to social media posts before making a purchase, and tended to be more price-driven, because of how easy it is to compare prices online.
When it came to recommendations, researchers suggested that companies should focus on the usability and effectiveness of the shopping experience, not just the technical aspect.
“Retailers and stores’ web pages should be made easily reachable through major social media platforms in parallel to apps and user-friendly web page interferences, including the ability to easily identify the best deal, are recommended,” according to researchers.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
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