Consumer Vehicle Purchase Decision-making during COVID-19

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of Covid-19 on consumer's decision-making while purchasing a vehicle. Consumers are faced with several sets of criteria to select the right vehicle during the global pandemic of COVID-19. Health and safety have become a paramount concern and simultaneously consumer purchasing power has changed given economic conditions. We focus on consumer attitudes and preferences while purchasing a vehicle. Vehicle selection is considered to be a multiple criteria decision-making problem. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach is used to determine consumer preferences towards vehicle selection using the following criteria: financial aspects, maintenance aspects, vehicle features, and promotions offered. The objective of this research is to help understand what alternative is best for the consumer during COVID-19 given the preselected criteria. Meanwhile, the paper sheds light to the dealerships in the Kingdom of Bahrain with regards to the offers, vehicle features, and after-sales service that could be an offer to potential buyers during COVID-19.