Provoking Buying Behaviors Amid Crises:Unfolding the Underlying Mechanisms of Psychological Impairments

Crises in the past have caused devastating,long-lasting impacts on the global economy.The after-effects always bring some dynamic and rigorous challenges for businesses and governments.Such challenges have always been a point of discussion for scholars.The recent COVID-19 pandemic emaciated the global economy,leaving everyone mired in uncertainty,fear,and psychological impairments.One of the headwind features utilized by consumers during pandemic was panic buying(PB),which must be explored in various contexts for policymakers and practitioners.To address this gap,this study deployed a moderated mediation mechanism,integrating the health belief model(HBM)and competitive arousal theory(CAT)to excavate the notions underlying PB with the intrusion of evolved real-time psychological disorders:intolerance of uncertainty(IU)and cyberchondria(CYC).The study was conducted as a natural experiment in a South Asian developing economy using online surveys.It found that health beliefs—perceived severity(PSV)and perceived susceptibility(PSC)—positively impact perceived arousal(PA),which causes PB,and that PA has a sturdy mediator role.Moreover,in the relationship between health beliefs and arousal,the different psychological disorders were found to have significant moderating roles The study findings can help mitigate risk uncertainties and panic situations and thus contribute to consumers’wellbeing.

How Group Leaders Build Stable Community Buying Groups:A Perspective Based on the Differential Mode of Association

Since 2016,community group buying has grown significantly in China,largely driven by its efficient logistics,supply chains,low prices,and convenience.This model has been further popularized during the COVID-19 pandemic due to its effectiveness in meeting daily needs while minimizing human-to-human contact.A key component of this business model is the“group leaders”-influential individuals within a community responsible for managing group buying activities,which include order collection,supplier liaison,and goods distribution.Their primary task is to form and sustain a reliable community group buying consortium,a task that demands excellent organizational and interpersonal skills.This paper examines this phenomenon using the lens of the differential mode of association,a theoretical model explaining interpersonal relationships in traditional Chinese society.The research indicates that group leaders,through regular interaction with consumers,are able to alter their social network position,increase their influence,understand consumer needs,provide satisfying services,and enhance trust,thereby transforming consumers into loyal group buying participants.This transformation not only brings stability to group buying activities but also reinforces the community influence of group leaders,thus fostering the growth of community group buying.

Determinants of Online Buying Behaviour of Social Media Users in Cameroon

Online shopping in Cameroon is growing rapidly and gaining considerable ground.The phenomenon is relatively new as compared to the traditional brick-and-mortar store(serving customers face-to-face in a building rather than online).As the world faces digital transformations,businesses in Cameroon are seeking new ways to reach their customers and create favourable environments to effectively carryout online purchase.This study examines the factors that affect consumer online buying behaviour in Cameroon.Three theories guided this investigation:the Technology Acceptance Model(Davis,1989),Diffusion of Innovations Theory(Rogers,1995),and Uses and Gratifications Theory(Katz&Blumler,1974).The study focuses on students of the University of Buea who carry out online shopping.Purposive sampling is used,and data are collected from 365 respondents through a questionnaire with open and closed ended questions.Analysis of data is done with the use of the Statistical Package for Social Scientists(SPSS)Version 21 to determine the types of products consumers buy online;the degree to which consumer trust and satisfaction affect consumer loyalty;and the specific social,economic,and market factors that affect online buying behaviour.Findings indicate that:Consumers mostly buy fashion items(74.3%),electronics(44.7%),cosmetics(37.3%),and house equipment(34%)online.Consumers will repeat purchase from a marketer if they trust and are satisfied with the product and service quality(81.1%);hence,they will also encourage others to buy.If they are dissatisfied,they will not repeat purchase from the online store.Advertisement(76.1%),attractive pricing/discount(71.7%),product quality(71%),service quality(64.1%),convenience(72.3%),available income/money(49.6%),word of mouth recommendation(41.9%),and personal motivation(62.7%)constitute the major factors that affect consumer online buying behaviour.Results of the hypotheses testing show that:H1=Consumers buy more of fashion items online(X^(2)=9.950;df=16;p=0.869);H2=There is a significant relationship between trust and satisfaction and consumers online buying behaviour(X^(2)=270.765;df=16;p=0.000);and H3=Social,economic,and market factors significantly affect consumer online buying behaviour(X^(2)=106.328;df=16;p=0.000).The study recommends online marketers to develop their marketing strategies towards customer orientation and focus on the ease of use of their online shopping services.

Evaluating the Impacts of Food Safety Policies on Japan's Rice Imports Based on the Simultaneous Buy and Sell System

This study evaluated the impacts of food safety policies on Japan's Simultaneous Buy and Sell rice imports through measuring tariff equivalents of food safety policies.In order to construct an estimated model,a Japanese consumer's utility function is introduced and developed with consumer's preference parameters and elasticity of substitution.In the empirical study part,Japan's positive list system and rice traceability were analyzed and assessed as critical food safety policies.Results showed that after the implementation of the positive list system,consumers'preference for foreign rice and the substitution elasticity diminished.This decreasing tendency was quite similar to the results after the enforcement of rice traceability.The tariff equivalents of food safety policies on imported rice fluctuated around ¥50 yen/kg from fiscal year 2000 to 2005 and decreased because of the global grain price hike after 2006.The tariff equivalents soared in 2010,which was induced by the traceability regulation,and then dulled during Japan's earthquake and tsunami in 2011.Subsequently,after the recovery from natural disasters,the tariff equivalents of food safety policies became higher.Therefore,food safety policies had made imported rice less attractive,weakened the competitive power of rice exporting countries,and had statistically significant impacts on Japan's rice importation.

Panic buying? Food hoarding during the pandemic period with city lockdown

Food hoarding is prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic.To investigate the mechanism of urban consumers’food hoarding behaviors,we categorize hoarding motives into rational and irrational ones.Using random online survey samples from three cities in China,we employ the multivariate probit model to investigate the rational and irrational motives on food hoarding behavior.Our results confirmed the existence of both rational and irrational food hoarding,and also found factors attributing to the different buying behaviors.The amount of food at hand and the expectation on the infection possibility of COVID-19 are two major factors affecting rational hoarding.Bad mood and herd psychology are factors contributing to panic buying.This study provides an empirical evidence to support intervention policies aiming at mitigating panic buying behavior.

Evaluation of the mood repair hypothesis of compulsive buying

Compulsive buying (CB) is a proposed disorder of dysregulated buying behaviour that is associated with high rates of Axis I comorbidity, particularly depression and anxiety. It has been proposed that purchasing behaviours may serve as a maladaptive means of alleviating negative affect in vulnerable individuals. The aim of the current study was to experimentally manipulate affect to test this mood repair hypothesis. Compulsive buyers (n = 26) and pathological gamblers (n = 23) diagnosed using structured clinical interviews (SCID) and healthy controls (n = 24) were randomly assigned to either a negative or positive mood-induction procedure (MIP) and participated in an experimental buying task. Results revealed that, irrespective of mood induction condition, compulsive buyers reported a greater urge to acquire items, purchased more items, and spent a greater total amount of money during the buying task when compared to the healthy control group. Compulsive buyers were also faster than pathological gamblers in making decisions to purchase, even after controlling for motor impulsivity (BIS). There was, however, no main effect of mood-induction condition or group by condition interaction. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Assessment of the Willingness to Buy and the Use of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN) among Caregivers of Under-Five Children Attending Immunization Clinics in a Private Tertiary Hospital in Plateau State, Nigeria

Introduction: Malaria control becomes effective if countries adopt the World Health Organization & Global Malaria Programme (WHO/GMP) recommendation with includes diagnosis of malaria cases and treatment with effective medicines, distribution of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS). Ownership and utilization of mosquito nets for malaria prevention is still sub-optimal with only 62% ownership of at least one mosquito net and only 37% of children using the nets. This seeks to investigate the willingness to buy and the use ITN use among caregivers of under five children attending immunization clinic in Bingham University Teaching Hospital. Methodology: A descriptive cross sectional study design carried out among 242 caregivers of all ages and sex of under-five children attending immunization clinic at Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BHUTH) in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. A Simple Random Sampling technique was used to select respondents. Findings: Two hundred and sixteen 216 (89.3%) of the children use ITNs, majority of the children 190 (78.5%) slept under ITN the night before the interview, 226 (93.4%) owned ITNs, 156 (64.5%) got the ITNs for free while 60 (24.8%) paid for it and majority 172 (71.1%) of the children use ITN every night. Tertiary education, having much younger children (less than 3 years) and perception as a means of malaria prevention were associated with higher use of ITNs. Majority 220 (90.9%) the caregivers were willing to buy ITN and also recommend ITN to others. Caregivers who were traders and civil servants were willing to buy ITN than farmers, tertiary education, having children 1 - 3 months old, and owning 3 or more ITNs was associated with willingness to buy ITNs. Conclusion: About 90% of the children of caregivers use ITNs and over three quarters slept under ITN the night before the interview and majority use it every night. Majority the caregivers were willing to buy ITN and also recommend ITN to others. The government and health care workers should continue to encourage and enlighten caregivers to keep using ITNs for their children and sustain mass free distribution of ITNs to improve ownership and utilization of ITNs.

Whether “Buy American” Could Become “Bye America”——Trade Protection in the Stimulus Package

Congress is working toward swift passage of economic stimulus legislation to jolt the U.S.economy out of a downward spiral.

Research on the Development Status of Community Group Buying in Sinking Market

Community group buying is a brand-new retail model,and this retail model is not limited to the first-and second-tier cities in China,and has gradually penetrated into the sinking market.The sinking consumer market is changing with each passing day,and community group buying will surely usher in more help in the promotion and application of sinking market areas.The network platform of community group buying also gives full play to the resource advantages of"internet plus",expands the sales of fresh agricultural products,and constantly improves logistics problems to meet the consumer demand of sinking market.This paper introduces the development status of community group buying in China's sinking market,analyzes the existing problems and puts forward corresponding suggestions,and then looks forward to the future development of the industry.Finally,the future development of community group buying platform in the sinking market is prospected.

The War of Currency vs. Buy American

It's just one month after the Chinese Spring Festival. "Gong Xi Fa Cai!" is heard in every corner of life prior to and during Spring Festival in China when the Year of Ox sets in,heralding an auspicious arrival of Spring. Besides commonly-used greeting words of wising you a happy,healthy and prosperous new year,the "Gong Xi Fa Cai",literally meaning "congratulations on making money and wealth",is the best-echoed expression for new year greetings,and pleasingly evidenced by mascots of toy ox dressed in beautiful clothes with the Yuan(Chinese money) imprints and decorations that can be found in street stalls,department stores and shop malls. Yes,money is conspicuous in the traditional reveling rituals,and will the most likely be more conspicuous for the country and its textile economy as its value issue is reiterated in a tune of different expression.

On the Criminal Responsibility of Buying Abducted Women or Children: The Human Dignity Perspective

Buying and selling abducted women or children are symmetrical crimes, but the “the same punishment for the same crime” is not applied. The focus of the criminal punishment for buying abducted women or children is not about increasing the statutory sentence, but strengthening judicial and law enforcement, to increase the prosecution rate and impose combined punishment for several crimes including the buying of abducted women or children and other subsequent crimes, so as to demonstrate the inevitability of criminal punishment. Human dignity is the core legal interest violated by the crime of buying abducted women or children. The specific legal interest is that humans are not for sale, which should be valued and protected independently in criminal law. This crime is a type of behavioral offense rather than a crime of circumstances. Under normal circumstances,neither the consent of the victim nor the goodwill of the purchaser excludes conviction of the crime. Compared with the crime of abducting and trafficking women or children, buying abducted women or children is not necessarily a serious crime, and the basic statutory punishment of less than three years is reasonable. However, it is possible to appropriately raise the sentence to less than five years in legislation.Where subsequent behaviors do not constitute a crime, they can be used as aggravating circumstances for the crime, and an aggravated statutory sentence can be configured to connect with the statutory punishments for the crime of abducting and trafficking women or children.

The Psychology of Shopping Addiction in Consumer Behaviour

This comprehensive article examines the phenomenon of consumer addiction,primarily focusing on shopping addiction and its dimensions,including brand addiction.It delves into the underlying causes,manifestations,and consequences of consumer addiction from both consumer and marketer perspectives,shedding light on the ethical and cultural considerations within today's society.Consumer addiction is characterized by recurrent,irresistible purchasing behaviors driven by negative emotions such as anxiety and impulsivity.It is recognized as a behavioral addiction closely intertwined with consumerism.The article emphasizes the imperative for ethical marketing practices to mitigate the exacerbation of addictive behaviors while acknowledging the impact of culture on consumer choices.The article also discusses the crucial role of research in understanding the implications of consumer addiction on the economy,and it suggests that marketers should focus on fostering positive brand addiction rather than exploiting consumerism.It underscores the influence of cultural factors on addictive consumption and calls for responsible marketing practices and governmental regulations.In conclusion,this article highlights the critical significance of consumer addiction in the field of marketing and its multifaceted implications for both consumers and businesses.It underscores the need for ethical marketing strategies,cultural awareness,and responsible brand management to address this complex phenomenon in contemporary society.

从“Best Buy”到“Nucleus”医院模式——英国经济型医院建筑设计演进与启示

为降低医院建设及运营资金投入,英国政府主导了"Best Buy""Harness"和"Nucleus"等医院模式的系列设计研究和实验项目建设,并将项目成功经验在实践中大力推广。本文从中国医院建设现状需求出发,详细评价英国该类医院模式的演进及可资借鉴之处。

360buy：争做B2C老大

360buy希望在2008年成为中国B2C行业第一个突破10亿销售额的电子商务企业

浅谈VR技术对服装网络营销的影响——以阿里巴巴Buy+项目为例

针对我国服装网络营销的现状,结合阿里巴巴运用VR技术最新推出的Buy+项目,分析VR技术在服装网络营销中应用的可行性及影响,为相关研究提供一些参考建议。

从“Buy+”透视“教育+”

"Buy+"是一种全新的购物方式,它利用虚拟现实技术、计算机图形系统和辅助传感器,生成可交互的三维购物环境。文章将"Buy+"的内涵透视到教育中,认为"教育+"是当前教育模式与新观念、新技术、新领域的深度融合,是实现教育各要素重塑和教育质量提升的过程,是教育变革发展的新趋势和新形态,是教育创新发展的新思路。并提出以创新理念引领"教育+"、以信息技术助力"教育+"、以智慧学习方式推动"教育+"、以智慧学习环境促进"教育+"等观点,从多个角度分析"Buy+"对教育变革的启示以及对未来教育发展的展望。

Buying Behavior Under Coronavirus Disease(COVID-19)Pandemic Situation:A Online Perspective Case in Bangladeshi Shoppers

Coronavirus disease(COVID-19)is an highly infectious respiratory disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.Most people infected by the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment;a portion of infected people may die.Under coronavirous disease pandemic situation,human normal life,movement and business has been disturbed due to lockdown and closing of shopping malls and business centers in the city.Nowadays,e-commerce is a vigorous tool for diminishing streaming business processes,cycle time,organizational costs,stay at home,maintain social distancing,protect from virus,and enlightening associations with both shoppers and business partners.The research investigated the buying behavior of Bangladeshi shoppers under coronavirus disease(COVID-19)pandemic situation in case of online perspective.The research reconnoitered the impact of five aspects:health aspect,price aspect,product aspect,trust aspect,and place aspect on online buying behavior under coronavirus disease(COVID-19)pandemic situation in Bangladesh.Data were collected through a structured questionnaire by online survey method from 155 samples which encompass online shoppers in country.Simple random sampling technique were used.Data were analyzed using factor analysis,reliability analysis,and multiple regression analysis.Findings revealed that four out of five aspects:health aspect,price aspect,product aspect,and place aspect had a positive and significant influence on online buying behavior under coronavirus disease(COVID-19)pandemic situation in the perspective of Bangladesh.The assessment generates responsiveness among online practicing companies,researchers,managers,shoppers,and prospects online buyers.Online functioning businesses could be a successful leading aspects for explaining online buying behavior under coronavirus disease(COVID-19)pandemic situation in the context of Bangladesh.

How far has panic buying been studied?

BACKGROUND Although panic buying(PB)is a ubiquitous behavior,it became prominent during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.However,studies are inadequate to explore the different aspects of it,even though it covers several perspectives of life and academic domains.AIM To assess the research that have been conducted on PB.METHODS A search was conducted to identify the articles in PubMed,PubMed Central,Scopus,and Google Scholar using the search term“panic buying”on November 15,2020.A total of 104 articles was extracted from the initial search.After removing duplicates and initial and full-text screening,42 articles were included in the study.We only considered peer-reviewed published articles that can be downloaded in a full portable document format.Articles published in other languages and preprints were excluded.RESULTS Among the 42 articles,27 were original contributions,6 were correspondences,3 were commentaries,3 were review articles,and there was one each for editorial,opinion,and discussion type of articles.Several domains have been researched such as psychology,responsible factors,supply chain,management,disaster preparedness,e-commerce,consumer behavior,marketing,prevention strategies,media,social network,economics,personality,and engineering.Authors from several disciplines,such as psychiatry,management,economics,business,sales and marketing,consumer behavior,public health,communication,information management,sociology,engineering,business administration,psychology,nursing,health economics,food policy,epidemiology,and community health,have been studied it.Definition,causative model,econometric model,controlling strategy,and measuring instrument have been reported.A total of 18 papers had cross-country collaboration,and ten were funded projects.Most of the authors were affiliated with the institutions of Australia,Bangladesh,China,India,Singapore,and the United States.CONCLUSION PB is a relatively newer concept to get the attention of the research community.Further robust studies with replication of the findings are warranted to explore,predict,and control during crises.

Mindfulness: Helps Curb Impulsive Buying Through Improving Self Control

“People spend 46.9%of their waking hours thinking about something else other than what they are doing and this mind-wandering typically makes them unhappy”(Killingsworth&Gilbert,2010).An antidote to this mind-wandering is“Mindfulness”;derived from ancient Buddhist tradition it refers to an open and non-judgmental form of awareness that is centered on present moment experiences considering both internal and external environment(Kabat-Zinn,2003).Existing research suggests mindfulness increases self-regulation of attention and self-control(Razza et al.,2015;Panek,Bayer,Cin,&Campbell,2015).Past research has also suggested mindfulness as a long-term solution to obesity and over-eating(Herpel et al.,2015;Bahl,Milne,Ross,&Chan,2013).This research suggests mindfulness as a way of improving self-control among consumers and contributes to making a more discerning customer.In my research,I suggest mindfulness as a way to improve self-control and reduce the susceptibility of a consumer to advertising effects,promotion price effects,and impulse buying behavior.We also suggest mindfulness as an intervention to reduce the over-spending problem in consumers.Elaboration likelihood model of persuasion(ELM)forms the theoretical basis of our research.ELM suggests two ways of information processing,central route,and peripheral route.In central route processing,customer evaluates communication by the logic of the argument presented.In peripheral processing,customer relies on peripherals like the attractiveness of source of information and other such peripherals to process information(Petty&Cacioppo,1984).The mindful customer is more likely to use central route than the peripheral route of information processing(Schramm&Hu,2014;Dong&Brunel,2006;Panek et al.,2015).Due to the difference in information processing,the mindful customer may not be influenced by peripheral cues of marketing like advertising and price promotions.We examine the differential effects of mindfulness vs.non-mindful consumers’response to marketing messages,through a series of experiments.This research also suggests mindfulness as a way to protect consumers against marketing enticements and improve their self-control against the harmful behavior of impulsive buying and overspending.The research also has implications for improving general happiness in the consumer.Since past research suggests,mind wandering leads to unhappiness in people(Mathew et al.,2010).