Consumer Behavior Changes in New Zealand During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This report examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer behavior in New Zealand, focusing on how the crisis led to changes in purchasing patterns and demand. It applies Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to explain consumer motivations, highlighting the increased demand for essential goods like food and hygiene products driven by psychological and safety needs. The report also explores the emotional and personality factors influencing consumer choices, such as the impact of social media images depicting empty shelves and the preference for non-perishable goods. The study references the impact of uncertain situations on consumer behavior and how people respond to the pandemic. Ultimately, the report emphasizes the interplay of motivation, personality, and emotion in shaping consumer decisions during times of crisis, providing insights into the shifts in consumer preferences and the need for businesses to adapt to these changes.

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TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Maslow Hierarchy of needs motivational theory.........................................................................3
Emotional and personality...........................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Covid-19 is pandemic situation that have affect economy, social- culture, preference of
people regarding specific product and services that are living across world. Customer’s
behaviour is ever changing so companies in order to grow and sustain its market have to meet
their existing unsatisfied wants. This report is based on one such case study of covid-19 that has
impacted consumer behaviour in New Zealand thus lead to clean out shelves of supermarket.
Maslow Hierarchy of needs motivational theory
It is motivational theory which stated that there are five main factors that influenced
individual to make purchased of specific products and services for satisfaction of their respective
requirements. Therefore, various stages that motivate customers to make purchase in situation of
Covid-19 are illustrated below:
Psychological needs: It includes most basic and essential needs for which each human exist that
is clothe, food and home to live better lifestyles. Therefore in situation of Covid-19 it have
increased demand of all important or necessary products such as food like flour, milk power that
are required in day to day life (Baldwin and di Mauro, 2020).
Safety needs: Due to increase virus and health problem customers of New Zealand have become
more concerned about their health and well- being thus preferring more organic, healthy and
hygiene products range for satisfaction of their requirements.
Belongingness: It stated that most of the people like to buy products from stores or supermarket
that are well know or offered qualitative services.
Esteem needs: In pandemic situation most of the people are not likely to think about their
esteemed needs or products that have more prices or are expensive. Such as branded watch or
mobiles, furniture etc instead they are more likely to have products such as clothe and food so
that they can eat and live.
Self actualisation need: It is stage at which individual wants something that is totally different
that is people that belong to rich class by seeing worst situation of Covid-19 have made small
amount of donation so that other have food and basic products for their living.

Emotional and personality
Emotional and personality are two other factors that influence customer’s behaviour to
prefer specific products and services as compared to another. Due to Covid-19 uncertain
situation, clean shelves images post on social media have impacted on emotion of most of the
people as they thinks that there be less availability of product in future circumstances so they
have buy product in large quantities. Thus, it has left shelves cleaned out or bare as most of the
non perishable and necessary products are purchased by customers in bulk quantity. Most of the
people by analysis external situation thinks and feels that Covid-19 is long problem so they
select non perishable products as compared to perishable that is meat and vegetables to stay
healthy and fit (Pansari and Kumar, 2017). Personality is another factor that impact on decision
making of consumers related to purchase of products as some people thinks to have products
from reputable and high brand company for better health and well- being. On the other hand
other individuals in situation may think to save money which may be need in future due to loss
of employment thus they will prefer qualitative products at lower rates. Therefore, it can be
stated that motivation, personality and emotion impact on consumers behaviours.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Baldwin, R.E. and di Mauro, W., 2020. Mitigating the COVID economic crisis (No. BOOK).
Centre for Economic Policy Research.
Pansari, A. and Kumar, V., 2017. Customer engagement: the construct, antecedents, and
consequences. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45(3). pp.294-311.