Experiência do consumidor no comércio eletrônico em tempos de pandemia: um estudo realizado na região do Triângulo Mineiro

Abstract

The theme of consumer experience has been explored since 1982, when Holbrook and Hirschman brought the concept of experience to the field of consumption. However, what can be observed is that over time this concept has been remodeled. With the advent of the internet and also the emergence of e-commerce, the forms and habits of consumption have changed. Sheth (2020) shows that although consumption is habitual, it is also contextual, among the contexts highlighted by the author is that of the Covid-19 pandemic, which since it emerged, in mid-March 2020, has caused changes in several aspects of life. individuals' lives, including their consumption habits. Considering the above context, and since the studies developed so far point out that the aforementioned pandemic brought changes in consumer behavior, which tend to remain even after this period, this research explored the gap in understanding the consumer experience in electronic commerce in Brazil pandemic context. Thus, the objective of the study was to understand how the Covid-19 pandemic influenced the consumer experience in e-commerce in the Triângulo Mineiro region. To achieve this objective, a qualitative methodology was adopted, which advocates exploring and interpreting phenomena in depth, being ideal for delving into new subjects, such as the pandemic. Thus, the episodic interview was chosen, which allows the interviewees to present narratives that are closer to their experiences. Data collection took place between October and November 2021, online, and involved the participation of 26 consumers, divided into two groups: early adopters and late adopters. In the data analysis, from the existing literature, six categories of analysis were listed, namely: satisfaction, trust, security, privacy, website design and ease of use. The main results of this research suggest that e-commerce has been increasingly consolidated, and consumers have been in favor of joining e-commerce, not only during the pandemic period that imposed restrictions on access to goods and services, but also, after this period. In addition to this result, new aspects not observed before were identified, such as: freedom of choice, discounts and promotions; payment methods, ease of payment, price comparison, and finding and accessing the necessary information that influence the consumer's experience in electronic commerce. In this way, it is understood that this research presents academic contributions by exploring the influence of a new context - the Covid-19 pandemic - on the experience of e-commerce consumers, even making it possible to indicate the trends regarding this new phenomenon in consumer behavior.