COVID-19 PANDEMIC: WHY DOES IT MATTER FOR CONSUMER RESEARCH?

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this paper is to systematically review the literature on consumption and consumer behavior in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. To accomplish this objective, this paper seeks to answer the following research questions: What is the current state of the art of the literature on the COVID-19 pandemic and consumption/consumer behavior? What are the disruptions in consumer's lives that the literature has been discussing? What are the gaps in the research on Consumption/Consumer Behavior and the COVID-19 Pandemic? Methodology: We conducted a scoping review of the literature using data from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. We performed a bibliometric analysis, thematic analysis, and content analysis. Main Results: Brifely, we found seven main topics in the literature: Changes in Consumer Behavior; Coping with the Lockdowns; Information Seeking and Sharing; Psychological Effects; Addictive Behavior; Changes in Food Consumption; Panic Buying and Hoarding Behavior. Also, emerging themes from consumption, as the antecedents of consumption and the crisis effect on human behavior have been explored. The survey method using SEM is the principal methology and samples were mainly from the USA and China. Theoretical and Methodological Contributions: We provide evidence-based information to the marketing literature, consumer research, and practitioners on how the pandemic has affected the consumer domain. Relevance/Originality: We highlight consumer behavior in a pandemic context from a research and managerial perspectives. We provide a literature review that identify the topocs, methods, and overall discussions regarding the pandemic effects on consumption and consumer behavior that can support companies in undestanding the behavior and also trigger more research and development of public and organizational policies.