Understanding Consumer Panic Buying Behaviors during the Strict Lockdown on Omicron Variant: A Risk Perception View

Panic buying has been globally observed, leading to substantial stock-outs and supply chain disruptions, thus inducing additional panic buying. Regarding behavior as an intuitive over-protective measure during the strict lockdown seal-off management in China, this study presented a synthetic conceptual model by integrating protective action decision (PADM). We examined inductively relationships among media exposure, cognitive-affective risk perception, stakeholder using survey of 517 participants who experienced Omicron epidemic China. Results suggest that traditional exposure could attenuate people’s affective whereas social increases degree cognitive aspects perception. Furthermore, we detect perceptions positively affect panic-buying behaviors. The effects on were also examined.