The use of mobile technologies in online shopping during the Covid-19 pandemic - an empirical study

The contemporary mobile phone has absolute capabilities to go beyond its core role as an ordinary voice communication device. With the smart concept and mobile application technology, the contemporary mobile phone makes users’ lives easier than ever before. WHO declared the Covid-19 situation as a pandemic on 11 March 2020 and it has been an ongoing global pandemic since December 2019. People all around the world are experiencing direct and indirect consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, mobile phone technology can provide sophisticated solutions to cope with a pandemic environment. Thus, as a pilot study in this research, the author focused on Polish consumers’ mobile phone usage behaviour towards their online shopping buying behaviour before and during the Covid-19 pandemic time. An online field survey was conducted to collect primary data from the respondents during the month of April 2021, and the total number of participants was recorded as 102. In order to reach conclusions, mainly two types of statistical hypothesis tests were carried out. Hypothesis test 1 was conducted to determine whether the respondents were demonstrating a significant usage increase in the average number of online shopping transactions per month and during the Covid-19 pandemic time. Hypothesis test 2 was conducted to determine whether there was a difference in the average number of online shopping transactions per month during the pandemic time of the respondents based on their age group. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including the matched-pairs test and one-way ANOVA, were applied to the analysis. The researcher is in a position confirm that there is a significant difference in the average number of online shopping transactions per month before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, there is no significant difference in the average number of online shopping transactions per month during the pandemic time made by representants of two generations, generation X and Millennials. The results of the study were significant since the primary data collection was done during April 2021. The pilot study will help to understand how the respondents online buying behaviour through mobile phone usage changed during the pandemic. The added value of the conducted pilot study involves filling in a gap regarding the differences and similarities between generational groups on mobile shopping during the Covid-19 pandemic time.