Impact of COVID-19 on the consumer behaviour in Vietnam

The aim of this study is to investigate the shift of consumer behaviour under the impact of COVID-19 on the Millennials living in Vietnam. To explain their behaviour during the pandemic, the qualitative approach has been used and an in-depth interview have been carried out with Vietnamese customers. Findings of the study revealed that there was a change in shopping channel, from physical stores to e-commerce sites because of fear of virus infection. However, consumers still feel the potential danger when shopping online. Decision-making process of consumers during this period is also forced to adapt because of consumer income is declining. Consumers become more cautious in every decision they made by looking more sources of product information, finding other alternative goods that are suitable for their budgets. Overall, four key factors influencing consumer decision-making process during COVID-19 have been identified in this study, namely price, quality, promotion and shipping fee. The results of the study thus confirm the signinificant effect of COVID-19 on the shopping patterns in Vietnam. As a result, recommendations were provided for the improvements of Vietnamese businesses during this tough time.