Online Shopping During COVID-19: A Comparison of USA and Canada

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many governments restricted economic activity by imposing lockdowns or requiring capacity constraints, thereby impacting brick-and-mortar businesses. Consumers responded by staying at home and turning to online shopping. Some consumers were already familiar with online shopping, whereas for others it was a new experience. As restrictions are removed or reduced, consumers may permanently change their shopping habits and continue to buy online with greater frequency than prior to the pandemic. With empirical data from a cross section of Canadian and American consumers, this study investigates the factors that influence the continuation of online shopping. The results show that there is little difference between Canadians and Americans, with perceptions of convenience significantly influencing perceived usefulness, and efficiency being a significant factor as well but only for Americans. Perceived usefulness is important for continuance intentions, with hedonic motivation having a moderating effect. Our results provide guidance to practitioners who are interested in consumers' online shopping intentions after the pandemic and factors that can foster such activities.