The Impact of the Covid 19 on the Retail Industry of Ireland

Olofu, Victoria Victoria (2022) The Impact of the Covid 19 on the Retail Industry of Ireland. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on the global economy. The retail industry has been observed as one of the worst-hit sectors, causing unprecedented levels of disruptions to different aspects of the supply chain. Similarly, the pandemic considerably impacted consumer behaviour and caused challenges in shopping activities as observed by studies carried out in different parts of the world. In line with this, this study set out to understand the impacts of the pandemic on the retail sector and consumers in Ireland. The study adopted a combination of a descriptive and inferential research design approach and employed a convenience sampling approach to engaging consumers in the Irish retail industry. The survey findings revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic considerably impacted consumer behaviour in Ireland. Increased transition to digital/online purchasing, increased demand for essential items, increased size and frequency of purchases and change in consumption habits are some of the behavioural changes observed by this study. Also, the study confirmed that the pandemic caused supply chain disruptions, supply shortages, demand fluctuations, and challenges of customer retention, and in turn, influenced increased investment in technology adoption and e-commerce for retailers. Finally, after conducting a Chi-square test of association, and an independent-sample t test, the study found the effect of gender on both consumer behaviour and perception of impacts of the pandemic on the Irish retail sector. The study concluded with valuable theoretical and managerial implications, and also provided valuable insights into future research directions.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Supervisors:	Name Email Cooper, Anne UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords:	COVID-19 pandemic; Consumer Behaviour; Consumer perspective; Retail; Retail industry
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > Marketing > Consumer Behaviour H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > Electronic Commerce H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > Specific Industries > Retail Industry H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > Business Logistics > Supply Chain Management
Divisions:	School of Business > Master of Science in International Business
Depositing User:	Tamara Malone
Date Deposited:	22 Mar 2023 12:31
Last Modified:	22 Mar 2023 12:31
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/6383

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