Experiences of Online Purchase of Food Products in Italy During COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown

Abstract

The lockdown that affected our planet as result of the COVID-19 health emergency caused an important change in consumers’ relationship with digital technologies and e-commerce. The paper introduces a brief overview of ecommerce in recent years and the main changes due to the pandemic. The aim is to analyze the purchasing experiences during the lockdown, in general and in Italy, with specific reference to food products, and the impact of the digital transformation due by the pandemic on consumer habits. The analysis was carried out by administering a specific questionnaire to a sample of 400 Italian consumers during the lockdown (February–May 2020). The results showed that this sad emergency was taken as an opportunity for change in lifestyles and in, the reconfiguration of corporate management.