Not your fault, but your responsibility: worsened consumer sentiment on work-from-home products

This study analyses the evolution of people’s sentiment towards Work from Home (WFH)-related products during the pandemic, using user-generated content from social media platform X on responses for the largest US online furniture stores. We find that people interacted more about WFH products during the Covid-19 lockdowns, but sentiment towards WFH products worsened. For some online furniture stores, Covid-19 restrictions may explain the changes in sentiment, but firms’ idiosyncrasies also play a role. The methodology of this study allows companies to assess the impact of external effects on customers’ sentiments, allowing them to identify specific problems and to connect more naturally with their customers.