“A STUDY ON THE CHANGES IN ONLINE BUYING

BEHAVIOR OF YOUTH IN PATNA(BIHAR) PRE AND

POST COVID”

A Project Report
submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the award of the Degree of

BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

By

Anubhav Raj-BBA/15104/19
Harsh Vardhan Singh-BBA/15105/19
Aditya Raj-BBA/15107/19
(GROUP-14)

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT

BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

PATNA CAMPUS
2021

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 DECLARATION CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the work presented in the project report entitled “A STUDY
ON THE CHANGES IN ONLINE BUYING BEHAVIOR OF YOUTH IN
PATNA(BIHAR) PRE AND POST COVID” in partial fulfillment of the
requirement for the award of Degree of Bachelor of Business Administration of
Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Patna Campus, is an authentic work carried
out under my supervision and guidance.
To the best of my knowledge, the content of this feasibility report does not form a
basis for the award of any previous Degree to anyone else.

Date :

Head , (Guide’s Name & Signature)

Department of Management , Department of Management
Birla Institute of Technology, Birla Institute of Technology,
Patna Campus. Patna Campus.

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 CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL

The foregoing project report entitled “A STUDY ON THE CHANGES IN

ONLINE BUYING BEHAVIOR OF YOUTH IN PATNA(BIHAR)

PRE AND POST COVID” is hereby approved as a creditable study of
research topic and has been presented in satisfactory manner to warrant its
acceptance as prerequisite to the degree for which it has been submitted.

It is understood that by this approval, the undersigned do not necessarily endorse

any conclusion drawn or opinion expressed therein, but approve the feasibility
report for the purpose for which it is submitted.

(Internal Examiner) (External Examiner)

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my project guide Mr. Sultan Khan for
presenting me a golden opportunity to undertake this summer internship project.

Through his valuable guidance I have gained a tremendous insight and knowledge. I
take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude and deep regards to my guide
for her exemplary guidance, monitoring and constant encouragement throughout the
course of this thesis. The successful completion of my report is entirely due to his
encouragement and persuasion.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thanks all those people who has played a
vital role in making this project a success.

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 CONTENT

Chapter no Chapter Name Page No

1 Introduction to the Study 7-10

2 Company Profile 11

3 Literature Review 12-13

4 Research Methodology 14-17

5 Data Analysis and 18-25

Interpretation

6 Findings 26

7 Conclusions 27

8 Bibliography 28

9 Appendix 29-31

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 ABSTRACT

2020 will be reminded in history, because of Corona Virus Disease 2019

(COVID-19) that has influenced our lives in every field. Economy will never be
the same as before COVID - 19. Our country went into complete lockdown from
23rd march. On 23 March, the first day of the lockdown, almost services and
factories were suspended. Now, offline shopping becomes difficult as well as
risky. It will attract the shoppers to take the advantages of internet technology by
shopping online. Therefore, there is a need to understand the influence on online
buying behavior of customers due to this pandemic. The objectives of this study
will be to explore drivers of E-shopping in the situation of COVID-19 pandemic
and to know about preferred products that customers want to purchase more
through online after COVID-19 pandemic. The methodology in this study is
descriptive, use of published reports, use of published research papers in journals
and existing literature about this topic. Findings of the study will help in knowing
the e- shoppers behavior under situation of COVID-19 and this study will help
the online shopping service providers to make better strategies for providing
more satisfaction to customers and to win the competition. This Study suggested
that E-commerce companies should take proper steps to make effective
marketing strategies to exist in the e-commerce sector.

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CHAPTER-1

INTRODUCTION

Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception pricing, promotion and
distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and
organizational objectives.
Marketing is important to understand the basics of market so that they will understand the
logic behind companies and consumers. Even when people share their shopping experiences,
they indirectly market the product or services. For the most part, marketing deals with customers,
which are important element in the system, the customers decide what they want or need.
Through online marketing companies aim to attract new customers by promising superior value
and maintain current ones and further develop one’s client by delivering customer’s satisfaction.

Online shopping is a form of electronic commerce which allows consumers to directly buy goods
or services from a seller over the internet using a web browser. Consumers find a product of
interest by visiting the website of the retailer directly or by searching among best alternative
vendors, which displays the same products availability and pricing at different e-retailers.
As of 2021, customers can shop online using a range of different consumer and industrial
products. An online shop evokes the physical analogy of buying products or services at a regular
"bricks-and-mortar" retailer or shopping center; the process is called business-to-consumer
(B2C) online shopping. When an online store is set up to enable businesses to buy from other
businesses, the process is called business-to-business (B2B) online shopping. A typical online
store enables the customer to browse the firm's range of products and services, view photos or
images of the products, along with information about the product specifications, features and
prices. Online stores typically enable shoppers to use "search" features to find specific models,
brands or items. Online customers must have access to the Internet and a valid method of
payment in order to complete a transaction, such as a credit card, debit card, UPI, or a service
such as PayPal. For physical products (e.g., paperback books or clothes), the e-tailer ships the
products to the customer; for digital products, such as digital audio files of songs or software, the
e-tailer typically sends the file to the customer over the Internet.
India has an internet user’s base of about 749 million as of August 2021, about 50% of the
population. Despite being the second-largest user base in world, only behind China (989
million, 64% of population), the penetration of e-commerce is low compared to markets
like the United States (302 million, 91%), or France (58 million, 89%), but is growing at an
unprecedented rate, adding around 6 million new entrants every month. The industry
consensus is that growth is at an inflection point. In India, cash on delivery is the most
preferred payment method, accumulating 60% of the e-retail activities. Demand for
international consumer products (including long-tail items) is growing much faster than
in-country supply from authorized distributors and e-commerce offerings.
According to study done by Indian Institute of e-Commerce, by 2021 India is expected to
generate $100 billion online retail revenue out of which $35 billion will be through
fashion e-commerce and Indian online grocery market is estimated to reach $18.2 billion in
2024. Online apparel sales are set to grow four times in coming years.

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1.1 COVID-19 a Global Pandemic as a Challenge for the World

In 2020 the world has encountered a crisis no one could have prepared for. The infectious
disease Covid-19 has influenced the way we live, love, and work. First discovered in Wuhan,
China, in December 2019, the virus has spread worldwide and is continuously spreading further
(Chakraborty & Maity, 2020; WHO, 2020). The Covid-19 pandemic has caused one of the
biggest social and healthcare crises in the history of humankind. Countries were facing unique
challenges when fighting against the virus's outbreak, such as ensuring a working healthcare
system and the right allocation of medical supplies (Duek & Fliss, 2020). Furthermore, countries
had to shut down and enforce social distancing to minimize the contagion rate and resulting
deaths. This so-called lockdown means that most international and national flights were
canceled, restaurants and bars were closed, companies had to resort to home office, and public
and private institutions such as universities and schools had to close their doors (Chakraborty &
Maity, 2020). Despite all the efforts, during the process of writing this thesis, the number of
worldwide reported cases as well as the reported deaths are continuing to increase exponentially
(WHO, 2020). Corona harms countries' economic growth rates. The majority of top economies
of the world have noted down an economic decline in 2020. The very first case of Corona Virus
Disease in India noticed in January. Our country went into complete lockdown from 23rd march.
On 23 March, the first day of the lockdown, almost services and factories were suspended.
Shetty et al. (2020) discussed that due to COVID-19, in contrast to the previous years, the
recession is projected to trigger the fall of oil prices, the collapse of the tourism industry, the
hospitality industry, the energy industry and decrease in consumerism. We have known that how
people take this critical time of loneliness results in enormous improvements to their shopping
habits overnight People are changing what they purchase, where, and how, from conventional
buying to online shopping. It increased the shopping through websites and mobile apps. Due to
increasing risk of corona virus, customers are avoiding public places which increasing
customers’ attraction towards online shopping. Now, E-Commerce Companies have to make
better policies to meet changing needs of shoppers. According to market research done prior to
the Corona Virus, Growth of India's market in electronic commerce is increasing at a faster rate
(approximately 200 U.S. dollars by the year 2026). Recent developments since the epidemic
indicate that target can accomplished much faster than initially expected, spurred by an increase
in shoppers attracting online deliveries despite concerns of potential infections, if they go out
from their homes. New Corona Virus that causes the Corona virus disease (COVID-19), a highly
dangerous disease, has infected many people in whole world. Main reason of spreading is
to get in touch with a corona positive person, when an individual contacts an area that has the
virus on it, so staying at home is the safest way to save from it. Therefore, E-buying for the
consumers has increased.

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1.2 Market Before COVID-19
In India, before this COVID-19 crisis, each major exchange in market capitalization was about
$2.16 trillion or even more than that. 8 to 10 stocks was the limited stock market rally within the
large caps in 2019. In the year 2019, 14% was returned by the Sensex excluding dividends.
Blue-chip companies have been prominently featured without whom the Sensex return would be
negative which are TCS, Infosys, HDFC bank, Kotak bank, Reliance, ICICI bank and Hindustan
Unilever. Overall recovery has been also observed in the starting of year 2020 as both Bombay
stock Exchange and NSE traded their highest level by hitting the peaks of 42,273 as well as
12,362 respectively. It was expected that more than 30 countries at the starting of year 2020 who
were expecting to file IPO’s. In mid-January after observing the records high, favorable
marketing conditions were assumed.(Praveen Kumar, 2020) Other market sectors were also
blooming and were showing growth and opportunities. Food market has always been a profit
running business. A food business makes a lot of money despite much effect from its size or
location. Even small food vendors use to make enough money to survive for their living. The
street vendors were always occupied especially during evening time. The bigger restaurants
contributed a lot towards the financial growth of the country through paying taxes. This growth
is evident by looking at the growth of the FMCG companies. Alike food sector, General and
cosmetics stores were also a blooming business. Reports from over the years confirm the growth
of this sector. People preferred to buy their daily-need products from this market. E-commerce
business sector was having a good run and other business sectors were also growing. Every
business has its pros and cons and every business has the ability to earn money. It all depends
over the consumer behavior. Before COVID-19, everything was dependent over the market’s
ups and downs. COVID-19 and lockdown changed a lot in the market especially the purchasing
behavior of the consumers.

1.3 Impact of COVID-19 over the Market

Markets are in fear with the strike of COVID-19 as there is no assurance. From the Global
Financial Crises happened in 2008, the level of markets is not witnessed around the crashing
world. With global market’s indices and trends, the strong correlation is followed as by 38
percent, Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex fell down. From the starting of the year, 27.31% of the
staggering is lost by the total Market Capitalization. The sentiments are reflected by the stock
market happened because of this pandemic which are domestic, foreign and investors. In the last
few months, companies are stepping back because of the negligible growth experienced by them
which have also affected the compensations of employee and multiplied the layoff. More than
40% of the stocks have been plummeted of some companies and adverse impact is also observed
in the sectors like entertainment, tourism and hospitality. (Praveen Kumar, 2020) Apart from
this, all sectors of businesses were also highly affected unlike any other time in history. Though
few gained their business but most have lost their earnings. In ages, this pandemic of COVID-19
which came with the name of public health emergency was not seen. This emergency was
transformed into a supply shock and after some time on an unprecedented scale, this was
transformed into a private consumption contraction. “Brain and Company” and also the “People
Research on India’s Consumer Economy” has provided a data through weekly survey that steady
and deep decline in demand and also in consumers sentiments is observed in about 500

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households which are present at different locations and economic strata. Week-on-week decline
was reported by more than 40% of the households had declined the consumption after the two
weeks of national lockdown. Although low-income families felt the effect of income early on,
more wealthy households highlighted the lack of accessibility as the biggest restriction on
expenditure, since most stores remained closed. In the last week of march, week-on-week decline
was observed in traditional markets and digital market of about 8percent and 64percent as per the
report published by Nielsen in April 2020. Weekly reduction was observed by Indian households
after the lockdown of completely one month. The reason behind it is not that the spread of
pandemic is wider but there were many reasons also. The major reason behind this decline is
reduction in salary and uncertainties in the jobs and 1 out of 4 households expect future financial
stress. It was concerning because spending on these group’s accounts for more than half of the
entire basket, including for families with lower and middle incomes, with their share as big as
about 67 percent for households with higher incomes. Until the improvement in financial
situation, these spends will probably stay subdued.

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CHAPTER-2

COMPANY’S PROFILE

Amazon India: World leader e-commerce company Amazon has emerged as the topmost
e-commerce in India as well, in last few years. With a wide range of products Amazon
has also started focusing on their delivery service by providing delivery within one day to
their customers. To counter its competitors, more than 8500 crores have been invested by
Amazon global in Amazon India.

Ajio: AJIO, a fashion and lifestyle brand, is Reliance Retail’s digital commerce initiative and is
the ultimate fashion destination for styles that are handpicked, on trend and at prices that are the
best you’ll find anywhere.

Big Bazar: Big Bazar is an Indian retail chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores,
and grocery stores. The retail chain was founded by Kishore Biyani under his parent
organisation Future Group, which is known for having a significant prominence in Indian retail
and fashion sectors. Big Bazaar is also the parent chain of Food Bazaar, Fashion at Big
Bazaar (abbreviated as fbb) and eZone where at locations it houses all under one roof, while it is
sister chain of retail outlets like Brand Factory, Home Town, Central, eZone, etc. Founded in
2001, Big Bazaar is one of the oldest and largest hypermarket chains of India, housing about
250+ stores in over 120 cities and towns across the country.
BigBasket: Supermarket Grocery Supplies Pvt. Ltd., trading as BigBasket, is an Indian online
grocery delivery service. The company primarily delivers grocery goods found in convenience
stores, home essentials and food supplies to its customers. BigBasket was founded in December
2011 and has its headquarters in Bangalore, India. BigBasket was founded by V.S Sudhakar,
Hari Menon, Vipul Parekh, Abhinay Choudhari and Ramesh in 2011. In 2011 they launched
bigbasket online grocery delivery service
Flipkart: Founded in 2007 by Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, Flipkart is one of the
best e-commerce companies in India. It has set a perfect example for all start up aspirants
by growing a thousand times over a decade. Flipkart provides all kind of products, from
products of basic-needs to stylish and luxurious products that are feasible. The market
value of Flipkart is US $15 billion presently.

Jabong: Launched in the year 2012, this e-commerce major basically deals in fashion
products. It provides a range of around 300 brands for kids, men and women by keeping
in mind about today‘s trend.
Reliance Digital: Reliance Digital is a consumer durables and information technology concept
from Reliance Retail. It is a subsidiary of Reliance Retail, which is a wholly owned subsidiary
of Reliance Industries. Reliance Digital is a consumer electronics company in India. The first
Reliance Digital Store was opened on 24 April 007 in Delhi.

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CHAPTER-3
LITREATURE REVIEW

In this Research study the attempt has been made by the researcher to identify the previous
literature pertaining to the topic to draw a deeper insight into the concept. The study of previous
related literature pertaining to consumer’s attitude towards online shopping behavior would
immense help the researcher in understanding the contributions made by others and in creating a
link to the chosen topic by the researcher.
This has helped the researcher to identify the contributions and the research gap which facilitated
in designing the framework of the study and in the formulation of the questionnaire for data
collection and conducting the research.

Dr. V Vijayalakshmi & Dr. R. Lakshmi (2018)1 Mostly youngsters and youth generation
(19-30 age group) are very much interested in online buying because they know about
technology and e- shopping.

The primary objectives of this research was to study the perception of the customers towards
online shopping and also discriminate this perception gender wise. For this with help of
convenient sampling method 150 respondent data were collected through structured
questionnaire. On the basis of data analysis, it was found that most of the customers were
perceived that online shopping is better option than manual shopping and most of the customers
were satisfied with their online shopping transactions. Customers were accessing their net at their
home and office college. Largely customers are buying clothe, electronics items and accessories.
(Vaghela, 2014).

The researcher highlighted on factors which online Indian customers keep in mind while
shopping. After completion of study Researchers found that cognition, sensed usefulness,
comfort of use, sensed enjoyment and security are the five components which affect consumer
perceptions about online purchasing. The researcher concluded that occupation of consumers is
independent of Purchase habit of consumers in online shopping. (Kothari, 2016)

The purpose of this research was to study the consumer behavior in online shopping of electronic
goods especially in Bhopal and Jabalpur city of Madhya Pradesh. The main research question in
thesis is how consumers behave while shopping online. In this study Customer-oriented factors
time saving", "product quality', 'product price, *convenience', 'accessibility', 'shop anywhere and
anytime. (Shukla. 2016)

This study investigated the relationship between various characteristics of online. shopping and
customer purchase behavior. Results of this study shows about the behavior of customers
towards online shopping and future of online shopping in India. (Sharma R. K.. 2015)

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The objective of the study was to understand the online buying behavior of consumers in India. It
had also made an attempt to get information about the scope of improvement in online shopping
website. The study was descriptive in nature and it has made an attempt to understand the
behavior of Indian consumers towards online shopping. Although statistical significance of
various parameters had not been examined but the generalized results obtained through data
analysis has given clear indication of increasing significance of online stores in the life of Indian
people. (Sharma D. R., 2014)

This paper studied on factors which online Indian buyers keep in mind while shopping online.
This research found that information; perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment and security or
privacy are the five dominant factors which influence consumer perceptions on Online
purchasing. (Bhatt, 2014)

This paper tries to analyze studies done by various researchers in order to explore what online
channels consumers use when they are in a particular stage of the buying decision process. The
study will create more understanding about why and how on-line consumers go through their
buying decision process. (Dr. Gopal, 2016)

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CHAPTER-4
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: -

1) To understand the online consumer buying behavior of (youth) in Patna.

2) To highlight the changes in the buying behavior in the (youth)Patna.
3) To explore the factors that are deterrent in online buying among youth.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY: -
The main aim is to examine the customers level of satisfaction on online shopping with special
reference to Patna (Bihar). This study helps in understanding the needs and changes happen in
online shopping before and after the pandemic. It will also help in finding out the customers
opinion on the technical and services support rendered by the online shopping. The survey
focuses on the opinion of the respondents regarding the online shopping before and after the
pandemic.

RESEARCH DESIGN: -
Research comprises defining and redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested
solutions, collecting, organizing and evaluating data; making deductions and reaching
conclusions to determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis.

DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH: -
In a descriptive design, a researcher is solely interested in describing the situation or case under
their research study. It is a theory-based design method which is created by gathering, analysing,
and presenting collected data. This allows a researcher to provide insights into the why and how
of research. Descriptive design helps others better understand the need for the research. If the
problem statement is not clear, you can conduct exploratory research.

EXPERIMENTALRESEARCH: -

This design establishes a relationship between the cause and effect of a situation. It is a causal
design where one observes the impact caused by the independent variable on the dependent
variable. For example, one monitors the influence of an independent variable such as a price on a
dependent variable such as customer satisfaction or brand loyalty. It is a highly practical research
design method as it contributes to solving a problem at hand. The independent variables are
manipulated to monitor the change it has on the dependent variable. It is often used in social
sciences to observe human behaviour by analysing two groups. Researchers can have
participants change their actions and study how the people around them react to gain a better
understanding of social psychology.

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CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH: -

It is a non-experimental research design technique that helps researchers establish a relationship

between two closely connected variables. This type of research requires two different groups.
There is no assumption while evaluating a relationship between two different variables, and
statistical analysis techniques calculate the relationship between them.

EXPLANATORY RESEARCH: -

Explanatory design uses a researcher’s ideas and thoughts on a subject to further explore their
theories. The research explains unexplored aspects of a subject and details about what, how, and
why of research questions.

RESEARCH METHODS OF OUR PROJECT: -

DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH: -

Descriptive research includes surveys, fact-findings enquiries of different kinds. The major
purpose of this research is description of the state of affairs, as it exists at present. The main
character of this method is that the researcher has no control over the variables; he can only
report what has happened or what is happening. It also includes attempts by researchers to
discover causes even when they cannot control the variables. The method of research utilized in
descriptive research is survey methods of all kinds including comparative and co-relational
methods.

RESEARCH METHOD: Data collection method.

TYPES OF DATA: -

In our project we have classified the data into two specific types:

PRIMARY DATA: -

As it is known that primary data are collected a fresh and for the first time, and thus happen to be
original in character. So, in order to collect this type of data various methods are being used,
such as:

• OBSERVATION
• QUESTIONNAIRE
• INTERVIEW

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SECONDARY DATA: -

Secondary data is the data that has already been collected through primary sources and made
readily available for researchers to use for their own research. It is a type of data that has already
been collected in the past. So, in order to collect this type of data various forms are being used,
such as:

• JOURNAL
• NEWSPAPERS
• PUBLISHED SOURCES
• WEBSITES
• GOVERNMENT RECORDS

SAMPLE DESIGN: The sample technique adopted is random sampling method. Since sample is
going to be chosen from different areas so it is geographical sampling which is predefined so as
to get maximum information, which rare true and reliable without biasness.

SAMPLING METHOD: Convenience Sampling.

SAMPLE SIZE: -

We have used sampling method for survey purpose. The sample size for questionnaire is 64.

PERIOD OF STUDY: -

This study is carried out for a period of 3 months. It commenced on 1st July 2021 and completed
on 30th September 2021.

FIELD AREA: -

This research study work is carried out in PATNA(Bihar).

RESEARCH INSTRUMENT: -

The research instrument for the purpose was questionnaire and some personnel interviews of
some customers.

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LIMITATIONS:-

These are limitations with respect to the market survey and the instrument used for the market
research: -
• The study is limited to the area of Patna (Bihar).

• Data collected is based on questionnaire and other secondary information.

• The information collected by the method adopted is limited.

• Non availability of adequate data also limited the scope of the study to some extent.

• Respondents were reluctant to go into details because of their busy schedule.

• The result would be varying according to the individuals as well as time.

• Some respondents hesitate to give the actual situation.

• The findings and conclusion are based on knowledge and experience of the respondents

sometime may subject to bias.

• Some respondents level of seriousness while filling the questionnaire is doubted

(although effort was made to make the process more interactive and interesting).

• Since there is no standard scale to measure level of satisfaction, therefore, the findings

cannot be said to be accurate.

• Due to time constant and other imperative work load during the time period it could not

be made possible to explore more area of concern pertaining to study.

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CHAPTER-5
ANALYSIS and INTERPRETATION

Q1. Please indicate, how frequently you shopped online before the outbreak of the pandemic?

Different people get influenced by different attributes extended by the marketer.

Not everyone gets motivated by single common attribute. Through this question we try to
explore the different attribute that influence shopping online.

Frequency of shopping Frequency Percent

Once a week 8 12.9
Twice a week 8 12.9
Once in two weeks 8 12.9
Once a month 14 22.6
Once in two months 7 11.3
Rarely 17 27.4

Out of total of 62 responses generated, a majority 27.4% said that they shop rarely before the
outbreak of pandemic. The remaining 22.6% shop once in a month and 11.3% people shop once
in two months and 12.9% reported that people shop once a week, 12.9% people shop twice a
week and lastly 12.9% reported that people shop once in two weeks.

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Q2. Please indicate, how frequently you shopped online after the outbreak of the pandemic?

Different people get influenced by different attributes extended by the marketer. Not everyone
gets motivated by single common attribute. Through this question we try to explore the different
attribute that influence shopping online.

Frequency of shopping Frequency Percent

Once a week 6 9.7
Twice a week 4 6.5
Once in two weeks 6 9.7
Once a month 22 35.5
Once in two months 7 11.3
Rarely 17 27.4

Out of total of 62 responses generated, a majority 35.5% said that they shop once a month after
the outbreak of pandemic. The remaining 27.4% shop rarely and 11.3% people shop once in two
months and 9.7% reported that people shop once a week, 6.5% people shop twice a week and
lastly 9.7% reported that people shop once in two weeks.

Since it is observed from the data mentioned above that the majority of respondents shop online
rarely before the outbreak of pandemic and after the outbreak of pandemic majority started
shopping online once a month.

Q3. Please indicate which product you shop online more after the outbreak of the pandemic?

Different people get influenced by different attributes extended by the marketer. Not everyone
gets motivated by single common attribute. Through this question we try to explore the different
attribute that influence shopping online.

Products Frequency Percent

Groceries 20 32.8
Electronics 13 19.7
Clothing 16 26.2
Household Products 9 14.8
Skin-Care Products 2 3.3
Fitness/Wellness Products 2 3.3

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Out of total of 62 responses generated, a majority 32.8% said that they shop Groceries after the
outbreak of pandemic. The remaining 26.2% shop clothing and 19.7% people shop Electronics
and 14.8% reported that people shop Household Products, 3.3% people shop Skin-Care Products
and lastly 3.3% reported that people shop Fitness/Wellness Products.

Since it is observed from the data mentioned above that the majority of respondents shop online
rarely before the outbreak of pandemic and after the outbreak of pandemic majority started
shopping online once a month.

Q4. What Influences you the most to buy products online?

Different people get influenced by different attributes extended by the marketer. Not everyone
gets motivated by single common attribute. Through this question we try to explore the different
attribute that influence shopping online.

Influence to buy products Frequency Percent

Offers and Discount 25 41
Large Variety 6 9.8
Convenience of Shopping 23 37.7
Time saving 7 11.5

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Out of total of 62 responses generated, a majority 41% said that Offers and Discounts is what
encourages them to make purchase online. The remaining 37.7% said Convenience of shopping
encourages then to make purchase online and 19.7% people shop Electronics and 14.8% reported
that people shop Household Products, 3.3% people shop Skin-Care Products and lastly 3.3%
reported that people shop Fitness/Wellness Products.

Since it is observed from the data mentioned above that the majority of respondents get
encourage for shopping online because of offers and discounts.

Q5. What are the factors that discourage you shopping online?

Different people get influenced by different attributes extended by the marketer. Not everyone
gets motivated by single common attribute. Through this question we try to explore the different
attribute that influence shopping online.

Discourage you shopping Frequency Percent

Deception and Fraud 6 9.7
Material Quality 21 33.9
Size of Product 5 8.1
Damaged Product during 7 11.3
Delivery
Expired Products 0 0
Delay in Delivery 9 14.5
Unsimilarity in products as 14 22.6
shown online

Out of total of 62 responses generated, a majority 33.9% said bad Material Quality that is what
discourages them to make purchase online. The 22.6% said unsmiliar products as shown online
discourages then to make purchase online and the remaining said that damaged product, delay in
delivery, Size of product or deception and fraud discourage them to make purchase online.

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Q6. Which factor is the most influencing when deciding where to buy?

Different people get influenced by different attributes extended by the marketer. Not everyone
gets motivated by single common attribute. Through this question we try to explore the different
attribute that influence shopping online.

Deciding where to buy Frequency Percent

Time to acquire the product 9 14.5
Product Price 15 24.2
Trust in seller 7 11.3
Product Quality 31 50

Out of total of 62 responses generated, a majority 50% said that Product Quality is what let them
decide from where to buy product. The 24.2% said Product Price that let buyer to decide where
to purchase online and remaining factors are trust in seller and time to acquire the product.

Q7. What You Prefer to buy products online?

Different people get influenced by different attributes extended by the marketer. Not everyone
gets motivated by single common attribute. Through this question we try to explore the different
attribute that influence shopping online.

Preference to buy products Frequency Precent

online
Brand 23 37.1
Price 8 12.9
Quality 26 41.9
Design 1 1.6
Service 4 6.5

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Out of total of 62 responses generated, a majority 41.9% said that they prefer Quality to make
purchase online. The 37.1% said they prefer Brand make purchase online and 12.9% people
prefer Price and Remaining prefer 6.5% prefer Service and 1.6% prefer design to make purchase
online.

Since it is observed from the data mentioned above that the majority of respondents prefer
Quality product to make purchase online.

Q8. Which of the following apps do you use most often to buy a Clothes?

Different people get influenced by different attributes extended by the marketer. Not everyone
gets motivated by single common attribute. Through this question we try to explore the different
attribute that influence shopping online.

Apps Frequency Percent

Amazon 6 9.7
Ajio 5 8.1
Flipkart 14 22.6
Jabong 0 0
Myntra 37 59.7

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Out of total of 62 responses generated, a majority 59.7% said that they prefer Myntra to buy
clothes. The 22.6% said they prefer Flipkart for buying clothes and 9.7% people prefer Amazon
and Remaining prefer 8.1% prefer Ajio.

Q9. Which of the following apps do you use most often to buy a Electronic product?

Different people get influenced by different attributes extended by the marketer. Not everyone
gets motivated by single common attribute. Through this question we try to explore the different
attribute that influence shopping online.

APPS Frequency Percent

Amazon 39 62.9
Flipkart 17 27.4
Reliance Digital 5 8.1
Offline 1 1.6

Out of total of 62 responses generated, a majority 62.9% said that they prefer Amazon to buy
electronics online. The 27.4% said they prefer Flipkart make purchase online and 8.1% people
prefer Reliance Digital and Remaining prefer 1.6% prefer Offline store to buy electronics.

Since it is observed from the data mentioned above that the majority of respondents prefer
Quality product to make purchase online.

Q10. Which of the following apps do you use most often to buy a groceries?

Different people get influenced by different attributes extended by the marketer. Not everyone
gets motivated by single common attribute. Through this question we try to explore the different
attribute that influence shopping online.

App Frequency Percent

Big Bazar 9 14.5
Big Basket 25 40.3
Amazon 11 17.7
Some local online store 1 1.6

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Offline 16 25.8

Out of total of 62 responses generated, a majority 40.3% said that they prefer Big Basket to buy
groceries online. The 25.8% said they prefer offline stores to buy groceries and 17.7% people
prefer Amazon and Remaining prefer 14.5% prefer Big Bazar and 1.6% prefer Local online
stores to buy groceries.

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CHAPTER-6

FINDINGS

The following chapter aims to discuss the findings and elaborate if the hypotheses can
be accepted or rejected.
The analysis of the questionnaire presented several significant differences between the variables.
It also proved that demographic factors, such as gender, have a crucial influence on the
participants' decisions. The first hypothesis which claims that there is a significant difference
between the online shopping frequency before and the online shopping frequency after the
outbreak of the pandemic got accepted. Both, the changes in the mean values as well as the test
results demonstrate that there is a significant difference in the participants' online shopping
frequency after the outbreak of Covid-19. This is most probably due to the substantial
restrictions and lockdown regulations that hinders people from shopping offline as usual.
Products that usually would have been shopped offline are now being shopped online.
The second hypothesis, which claims that there is a significant difference between the
product ranking choices before and the product ranking choices after the outbreak of the
pandemic got accepted. However, in the ranking only one product category (Household
Supplies) showed a significant difference between the product choices before and after the
pandemic. The other product categories roughly remained the same and did not show any
noteworthy differences. The increased likelihood to purchase household supplies online can also
be explained by the shortage of household supplies (e.g., disinfectant) at the beginning of the
pandemic. This shortage might have encouraged the participants to shop this category online.
Moreover, the absence of changes in the other product categories' ranking can be explained by
the government's continuous regulation changes. Besides the hypotheses testing the researcher
also tested for other variables to gain a deeper understanding of the topic. Hence, the analysis
suggests that factors such as product price and time to acquire a product strongly influence the
consumers decision where to buy.

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CHAPTER-7
CONCLUSION
Covid-19 has undoubtedly influenced our everyday lives significantly. The needed
rapid shift from daily live activities from offline to online has not only changed the way
we work, study, or live; it also has had an immersive influence on the consumer's
shopping behavior.
The primary purpose of this research was to identify what affects consumers' decision
to shop online vs. offline as well as the influence of Covid-19 on this process. In the
literature review, essential terms and processes were defined and analyzed to help
the researcher understand the importance of digitalization and the consumers'
motivation to shop online. Afterwards, the researcher conducted a questionnaire and
was able to reach out to 64 participants successfully. The questionnaire consisted of
several questions concerning, for instance, the changes in the shopping frequency
since the outbreak, as well as the changes in the product choices. Moreover, the researcher tried
to identify how Covid-19 has changed the overall shopping experience. The research question
what affects consumers' decision to shop online vs. offline can be answered by analyzing the
result of the questionnaire. The study revealed that consumers strongly value the physical
interaction with the desired products. Statements concerning physical interaction with products,
including the physical evaluation of the product and the possibility of a physical comparison,
have received an extremely high agreement level. Almost 80% of the participants either agreed
or strongly agreed with the statements concerning physical evaluations. On the contrary, the
study highlighted that consumer’s strongly value the high level of convenience, online shopping
contributes to their life. This convenience results from factors such as the easiness to see
discounts and prices and the greater availability of products compared to offline stores. Hence,
the answer to the research question is that convenience factors influence the consumers' decision
to shop online, and physical factors influence the consumers to shop offline. These results
support the findings. The research also tried to evaluate the influence of Covid-19 on the
digitalization of the retail industry. At the beginning of the questionnaire, the participants were
asked to indicate their preferred shopping mode. 80% of all participants indicated online as
their preferred shopping mode. This result displays the tremendous importance of online
shopping channels and the continuously decreasing importance of offline shopping channels
(20% of the participants prefer to shop offline). The study also revealed a significant difference
between the online shopping frequency before and after the pandemic, showing that the
participants' online shopping frequency increased. Furthermore, Covid-19 has changed the
consumers' likelihood to buy specific product categories online. The researcher was able to
identify one significant difference between the participants' choices among the product
categories before and after the outbreak of Covid-19. Several differences were able to be
highlighted when evaluating the differences between the factors motivating to shop
online/offline and the demographic characteristics. The results show that there is one significant
difference between online shopping because of the greater variety.
The analysis showed that participants are more concerned about shopping in stores since the
outbreak of Covid-19.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. https://www.globaldata.com/covid-19-will-change-consumers-online-shopping-
behaviour/

2. https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/the-impact-covid19-pandemic-is-exerting-on-e-
commerce-65128/

3. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1453326&dswid=-5331

4. https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/e-commerce/e-tailing/number-of-
online-shoppers-to-surpass-120-million-in-2018/64729083

5. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19ifwXpdqYbX2VEnZzK4YADfmJonRb64_oKcecrr3T
jM/edit#responses

6. Mehta, S., Saxena, T., & Purohit, N. (2020). The New Consumer Behaviour Paradigm
amid COVID-19: Permanent or Transient? Journal of Health Management, 22(2), 291–
301. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972063420940834

7. Accenture. (2020). COVID-19 Increasing Consumers’ Focus on “Ethical Consumption,”

Accenture Survey Finds. Accenture, 4–6.

8. Praveen Kumar, M. K. (2020). Market capitalization: Pre and post COVID-19 analysis.

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 APPENDIX

QUESTIONNAIRE

OBJECTIVE:
1) To understand the online consumer buying behavior of (youth) in Patna.
2) To highlight the changes in the buying behavior in the (youth)Patna.
3) To explore the factors that are deterrent in online buying among youth.

Personal Information:

NAME:

LOCATION (only in district Patna):

Shopping Habits
In the following section general questions regarding consumer buying behavior are asked. Please
indicate how frequently you shopped online before and after the pandemic as well as what type
of products you prefer to shop online.

Q1. Please indicate, how frequently you shopped online before the outbreak of the pandemic?

a). Once a week

b). Twice a week
c). Once in two weeks
d). Once a month

Q2. Please indicate, how frequently you shopped online after the outbreak of the pandemic?

a). Once a week

b). Twice a week
c). Once in two weeks
d). Once a month

Q3. Please indicate which product you shop online more after the outbreak of the pandemic?
a). Groceries
b). Clothing
c). Electronics
d). Household Products
f). Skin-Care Products
g). Fitness/Wellness Products

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Q4. What Influences you the most to buy products online?

a). Offers and Discounts

b). Large variety
c). Convenience of Shopping
d). Time Saving

Q5. What are the factors that discourage you shopping online?

a). Deception and Fraud

b). Material Quality
c). Size of Product
d). Damaged Product during Delivery
e). Expired Products
f). Delay in Delivery
g). Unsimilarity in products as shown online

Q6. Which factor is the most influencing when deciding where to buy?

a). Time to acquire the product

b). Product Price
c). Trust in seller
d). Product Quality

Q7. What You Prefer to buy products online?

a). Brand
b). Price
c). Quality
d). Design
e). Service

Q8. Which of the following apps do you use most often to buy a Clothes?

a). Amazon
b). Ajio
c). Flipkart
d). Jabong
e). Myntra

Q9. Which of the following apps do you use most often to buy a Electronic product?

a). Amazon
b). Flipkart
c). Reliance Digital
d). None of the Above

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Q10.which of the following apps do you use most often to buy a groceries?

a). BigBazar
b). BigBasket
c). Amazon
d). Some local online stores
e). Offline

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