Analysis of food consumption pattern in response to COVID-19

Abstract

Consumer buying behavior in the food segment is influenced by a number of factors, one of which is supposedly the “health” factor branding. Decodifying the health factor and understanding its evolution of it is under consideration of this project. During COVID-19 physical activity of individuals was limited because of continuous quarantine and lockdowns. During which the rise of “healthy” eating to compensate for the limited activity was seen all over social media, especially in the form of Instagram reels. Since the government has lifted all the restrictions now (as of Aug 2022) and life is “almost” back to normal in terms of physical activity, it would be interesting to know whether there has been any permanent shift in consumer buying behavior in terms of food segment. I relied on secondary research and expert interviews to identify factors/attributes that influence consumer buying behavior and then performed a survey to understand the relative importance of each factor. I then decodified the factors that are most associated with a “healthy” product by the consumers. Further a comparison before and after COVID-19 was made to draw conclusions on permanent shift on the stressed parameter. From a business standpoint, I also wanted to understand the increase in consumer willingness to pay (WTP) if a product is marked as “healthy” in its branding.