Exploring the COVID-19 impact on substituting in-store shopping with online shopping: a longitudinal study in Luxembourg

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic intensified all types of online activities, including e-shopping. Despite the expectation that some consumers might permanently shift from in-store to online shopping, there is little empirical evidence on the substitution effects of e-shopping after the lifting of preventive measures. Against this background, this chapter seeks to answer the following research question: Did e-shopping substitute shopping trips after the COVID-19 measures were relaxed? A two-wave questionnaire was disseminated in Luxembourg to collect data for three time periods (February 2020, April 2020 and March 2021). Binary logistic regression techniques were used to estimate the effects of previous e-shopping habits (February 2020 and April 2020) on the likelihood of substituting shopping trips one year later (March 2021) while controlling for socio-economic and built environment characteristics. The results suggest that individuals who substituted their shopping trips with e-shopping during the first peak of COVID-19 (April 2020) tend to maintain this choice one year later. It also revealed a positive association between substitute shopping trips and the socio-demographic variables of gender and parents with children under three years old. The chapter closes with concluding remarks and policy recommendations.