Perceived Severity of and Vulnerability to COVID-19 and Consumers’ Intention to Use Online and Mobile Shopping

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, remote retail emerged as a feasible option for safe shopping. A significant increase in online and mobile sales has been reported based on secondary data, but few studies have focused on the psychological and cognitive factors that systematically affect consumers’ behavioral intention of shopping online. This study explores specifically the effects of the perceived severity of and vulnerability to COVID-19 on consumers’ intention to use online or mobile shopping. We also included consumers’ propensity for self-isolation as a mediator and subjective norm as a control factor for their intention to shop remotely. The data were collected through an online consumer survey and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that perceived severity significantly affects propensity for self-isolation but does not directly affect online shopping intention. Additionally, the effect of perceived severity on intention to shop online is mediated by propensity for self-isolation. In contrast, perceived vulnerability negatively affects propensity for self-isolation and remote shopping intention, implying that not all the consumers are willing to shop online even under the threat of COVID-19.