The impact of epidemic outbreaks on the consumer behaviour towards the automobile industry with a special focus on the pre and post COVID-19 era

Abstract

Being one of the most lucrative industries worldwide, the automobile industry majorly impacts the economy of any country because it acts as a foundation of the greater transportation and logistics scenario, and that is directly connected to the magnitude of goods and services imported and exported within and outside the country. Purchasing a car has leveled up to include personality types and value systems. Thus, studying consumer behavior in the automotive industry could give us a holistic view of society and its evolution. But looking at the scenario in 2020, things might look grim due to the onset of COVID-19 and a complete travel halt. Looking at the bright side of it, this pandemic scenario would boost sales of automobiles as people would prefer private or personal transport to the public or shared mobility to maintain better social distance. This research focuses on the impact of epidemic outbreaks on the consumer behavior of the automobile industry, with a special focus on COVID-19. A mixed-methods or a multimethod approach is followed to holistically dig out information to collect and analyze the data. The findings suggest that around 87% of the consumers aged 25-60 years prefer private transport over public transport to be safe from attracting COVID-19. Thus, using this information to communicate value and delight to the consumers would help marketers steer through the situation with ease.