  By using 530 responses from an online questionnaire, this study aims to
investigate the transition from physical to online shopping alternatives during
the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic period at the individual level. The
focus areas of the study are Sweden and Italy, two European countries that
implemented contrasting prevention measures. This study analyses the impacts of
the pandemic to the shopping behaviour and identifies, among the respondents,
who have changed the behaviour the most, how respondents have adopted different
shopping strategies, what the main differences between Italian and Swedish
responses are and the influence of population density on the behavioural
change. Multivariate statistical analyses, including linear and binary logistic
regressions and multinomial logit models were used to analyse the dataset. The
results confirm the differences between Italy and Sweden in terms of social
distancing measures, social structures and technology readiness. Moreover, the
socio-demographic and household structures of the respondents were found
instrumental in influencing the amount and the direction of change in shopping
behaviour during the first wave of the pandemic period. The output of this
study highlights the impact that contrasting policies have on citizens, and
also the importance of having policies that are adaptable to different
situations.
