COVID-19 Pandemic as a Catalyst for Change - Consumer's Perspective

The COVID-19 pandemic has radically altered the functioning of modern societies and economies, causing a global crisis on an unprecedented scale. This book considers whether the end of the pandemic has marked a new beginning or a return to the pre-pandemic reality. It identifies diverse changes in consumer and organizational behavior during the pandemic, discussing both the negative and positive influences of the pandemic on consumers. Moreover, it explores areas of the economy (industries), that have either suffered the most due to the pandemic or, on the contrary, have experienced the crisis as the driving force for development. The study also determines the relationship between the pandemic and the innovative activities of market entities (organizations, consumers, and their households), identifying specific changes in their behavior. The conclusions are based on the analysis of the authors' original quantitative and qualitative research, which allowed to determine the perspective of market entities' functioning after the pandemic's end. The bibliometric analysis, based on numerous secondary sources, helped in recognizing consumer needs during the pandemic, with particular emphasis on diagnosed deficits and the areas where the practice of meeting these needs has increased.