Diminishing role of regional uniqueness in preference to shop online amid COVID-19: a longitudinal analysis

Online shopping has been widely adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic due to its safety and convenience. Despite early studies validating increased online shopping, the impact of regional uniqueness was largely underexplored. This longitudinal study examines the interplay between regional uniqueness and online shopping trends, employing social cognitive theory as the foundation. The analysis of over 112,000 observations from 2018 to 2021 on comScore revealed that the influence of regional uniqueness on online shopping deteriorated during the pandemic. These results not only fortify social cognitive theory but also carry practical implications, signaling the need for additional research.