What Have We Learned about the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Consumer Behavior?

Background: This study aims to examine how behavioral variables interact with and stimulate purchasing decisions and influence the process of purchasing healthy foods during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Principal component analysis was carried out on a sample of 100 consumers of healthy foods in Saudi Arabia, and this made it possible to adapt the items to the context of the study. Exploratory and confirmatory analysis with 360 people was carried out. Confirmatory factor analysis provided reliable and valid scales, and multivariate analysis using structural equations and binary logistic regressions made it possible to validate the hypotheses. Results: The intention to buy increased among consumers of healthy foods. Women were more anxious about the COVID-19 pandemic than men, and they took considerable precautions to avoid contamination. The fear of COVID-19 was also more intense among the elderly population than younger people. The respondents indicated reduced visits to shops, restaurants, and markets. Gender and age moderated the relationship between the fear of COVID-19 and purchasing intention. Consumption risk also negatively affected purchasing intention. However, buying experiences and intention to buy led to increased purchases of healthy foods compared to other goods.