Abstract

This study seeks to unravel factors that mitigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and respective lockdowns on consumers’ purchasing behaviors through the lens of digital technologies. Through in-depth interviews during the COVID-19 lockdown in China, the study delineates a systematic mapping of the retail ecosystem’s adjustment factors to the COVID-19 shock. This research is among the first ones to delve into the influence of digital technologies on individuals’ online purchasing behaviors during a pandemic. The study findings advance the extant literature on consumer behavior and online retailing in times of crisis and offer important practical implications.

About the Speaker

Dr. Yangyang Jiang, is an Associate Professor in Marketing and PhD supervisor at Nottingham University Business School China, University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Dr. Jiang obtained a Master’s Degree and a Bachelor’s Degree of Management Sciences from Renmin University of China and earned her PhD at Monash Business School, Monash University, Australia. Her research work appears in Journal of Travel Research, Annals of Tourism Research, International Journal of Hospitality Management, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Rural Studies, and others. Apart from working for several multinational companies in marketing and management-related functions, she has worked for four Olympic Games as a Global Hospitality Program staff member of the Coca-Cola Company.