Duration of COVID-19’s Impact on Shopping Behavior

Determine whether and for how long the changes in shopping attitudes and experiences induced by the COVID-19 pandemic persist into the post-pandemic period.

Background

The paper investigates how to support blind people in recreational window shopping using AI-infused technologies, situating the work within broader shifts in shopping behaviors catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors note that pandemic-related changes altered shopping attitudes and experiences, but it remains uncertain how long these changes will endure.

Clarifying the longevity of these behavioral shifts is relevant to the need and design priorities for accessible in-person shopping experiences (e.g., window shopping and serendipitous discovery). Establishing the persistence of post-pandemic behavior would inform how and where assistive technologies, such as navigation apps and guide robots, should prioritize features for in-person retail environments.