New shopping behaviors in a changing environment

Purpose of the paper: The research has enriched the knowledge on shopping behaviors in the actual market scenario by identifying the determinants of multichannel behavior, the nature of choice drivers (rationale versus hedonistic) and the benefits soughs. Methodology: Four focus groups with family purchasing managers, divided into two age segments (young people and adults) were conducted. The T-Lab software was used for the content analysis. Findings: Multichannel shopping is a common feature of the two sample groups, what changes is the nature of its determinants: mainly utilitarian for young people, mainly hedonistic for adults. The rediscovery of the value of human relationships has also emerged during the pandemic. Finally, a growing demand for commercial services, aimed at satisfying the time-saving and convenience dimension of shopping, has emerged. Research limits: Purchasing behaviors for other product categories should be investigated in order to understand any sectoral differences. Moreover, a quantitative analysis could be carried out to dimension the nature of the emerged phenomena. Practical implications: Results emerged must be caught as an opportunity to identify what should be the future directions of commercial innovation. Human capital and technology represent the main assets to be taken on as a driver for the development of commercial innovation paths. Originality of the paper: The analysis will make it possible to identify the commercial services considered as a priority by the consumer to understand which changes retail companies need to adopt to remain competitive in the evolving market context.