{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]],"date-time":"2025-11-17T21:41:33Z","timestamp":1763415693231,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":59,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,6]],"date-time":"2023-09-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1693958400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Humanities and Social Studies Program of China Education Ministry: Study on the mechanism and effect of consumer participating in online food safety governance under COVID-19","award":["21YJAZH055","CARS-48"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["21YJAZH055","CARS-48"]}]},{"name":"China Agriculture Research System for Shrimp and Crab Industry","award":["21YJAZH055","CARS-48"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["21YJAZH055","CARS-48"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JTAER"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Online food community purchases contributed to urban residents\u2019 food security during the COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai. The influence of the outbreak on the purchasing behavior of an online food community was examined. An innovative e-commerce model describes how the online community purchases facilitate integration of local food and agri-product resources, and provide consumers, especially residents of densely populated agglomerations, with convenient short-distance distribution. The survey data collected from 1168 residents show that the lockdown severity and food security concerns increased the frequency of residents\u2019 online food purchases. Heterogeneity analysis indicated that the Omicron outbreak effected the online food purchases of those born before the 1990s, males, the less educated, and low-income earners through a community group effect. The internet provides a convenient means of disseminating information, promoting access to local foods, and assuring food access during public health emergencies. Purchasing food online can be further enhanced through standardized management of online communities.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jtaer18030077","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,6]],"date-time":"2023-09-06T10:34:57Z","timestamp":1693996497000},"page":"1529-1547","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Online Food Purchase Behavior: COVID-19 and Community Group Effect"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8492-5112","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Weijun","family":"Liu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Food Economics & Management, College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Ocean University, 999 Huchenghuan Road, Shanghai 201306, China"},{"name":"Shanghai Social Survey Center, Shanghai Ocean University Branch, 999 Huchenghuan Road, Shanghai 201306, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-1731-782X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Haiyun","family":"Du","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Food Economics & Management, College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Ocean University, 999 Huchenghuan Road, Shanghai 201306, China"},{"name":"Shanghai Social Survey Center, Shanghai Ocean University Branch, 999 Huchenghuan Road, Shanghai 201306, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1947-2182","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wojciech J.","family":"Florkowski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment Street, 212 Stuckey, Griffin, GA 30223-1797, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"FAO (2022, December 26). State of Food Security and Nutrition. Available online: https:\/\/www.fao.org\/newsroom\/detail\/un-report-global-hunger-SOFI-2022-FAO\/en\/."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100014","DOI":"10.1016\/j.crsust.2020.100014","article-title":"Deciphering the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on food security, agriculture, and livelihoods: A review of the evidence from developing countries","volume":"2","author":"Workie","year":"2020","journal-title":"Curr. Res. Environ. Sustain."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"575","DOI":"10.1111\/ijcs.12701","article-title":"Consumption practices during the COVID-19 crisis","volume":"46","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Consum. Stud."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"689","DOI":"10.1108\/CAER-04-2020-0056","article-title":"A snapshot of food supply chain in Wuhan under the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"12","author":"Min","year":"2020","journal-title":"China Agric. Econ. Rev."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103102","DOI":"10.1016\/j.agsy.2021.103102","article-title":"Building resilient food system amidst COVID-19: Responses and lessons from China","volume":"190","author":"Zhan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Agric. Syst."},{"key":"ref_6","first-page":"81","article-title":"The impact of the new crown epidemic on the fresh consumption behavior of Chinese residents","volume":"3","author":"Shi","year":"2021","journal-title":"Acad. J. Bus. Manag."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108573","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cie.2022.108573","article-title":"Evaluation and selection model of community group purchase platform based on WEPLPA-CPT-EDAS method","volume":"172","author":"Zhang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Comput. Ind. Eng."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102882","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jretconser.2021.102882","article-title":"Study on the steady state of the propagation model of consumers\u2019 perceived service quality in the community group-buying","volume":"65","author":"Li","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Retail. Consum. Serv."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1763","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2020.305953","article-title":"Food insecurity during COVID-19: An acute crisis with long-term health implications","volume":"110","author":"Wolfson","year":"2022","journal-title":"Am. J. Public Health"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"13","DOI":"10.1038\/s41538-020-00073-0","article-title":"COVID-19 and food security in Sub-Saharan Africa: Implications of lockdown during agricultural planting seasons","volume":"4","author":"Ayanlade","year":"2020","journal-title":"npj Sci. Food."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fernandez, M.A., and Raine, K.D. (2021). Digital Food Retail: Public Health Opportunities. Nutrients, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu13113789"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wen, H., Jiang, Y., Wang, L., Zhou, Y., and Ma, Y. (2021, January 26\u201328). Community Groupon: Interaction Makes Customers More Willing to Re-purchase. Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Technology and Management (ICITM), Cambridge, UK.","DOI":"10.1109\/ICITM52822.2021.00009"},{"key":"ref_13","first-page":"33","article-title":"Perceived benefits and perceived risks effect on online shopping behavior with the mediating role of consumer purchase intention in Pakistan","volume":"26","author":"Bhatti","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Manag. Stud."},{"key":"ref_14","first-page":"25","article-title":"Study on Consumers\u2019 Community Group Purchase Based on the Integration of SOR and Commitment-Trust Theory","volume":"40","author":"Li","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Xi\u2019an Jiaotong Univ. (Soc. Sci.)"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Liang, Y., Zhong, T., and Crush, J. (2022). Boon or Bane? Urban Food Security and Online Food Purchasing during the COVID-19 Epidemic in Nanjing, China. Land, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/land11060945"},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"Statista (2023, January 12). Retail E-Commerce Sales Worldwide from 2014 to 2026. Available online: https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/379046\/worldwide-retail-e-commerce-sales\/."},{"key":"ref_17","unstructured":"Statista (2023, January 26). Retail E-Commerce Revenue in the United States from 2017 to 2027. Available online: https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/272391\/us-retail-e-commerce-sales-forecast\/."},{"key":"ref_18","unstructured":"Economic and Social Network E-Commerce Research Center (2023, February 18). 2021 China Community Group Purchase Market Data Report. Available online: https:\/\/www.100ec.cn\/zt\/2021sqtgscsjbg\/."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijchp.2019.02.001","article-title":"Effectiveness of therapy group in women with localized breast cancer","volume":"19","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Clin. Health Psychol."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1340","DOI":"10.1257\/aer.97.4.1340","article-title":"Individual behavior and group membership","volume":"97","author":"Charness","year":"2007","journal-title":"Am. Econ. Rev."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2247","DOI":"10.1257\/aer.99.5.2247","article-title":"Individual behavior and group membership: Comment","volume":"99","author":"Sutter","year":"2009","journal-title":"Am. Econ. Rev."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"246","DOI":"10.1086\/341574","article-title":"The Impact of Private versus Public Consumption on Variety-Seeking Behavior","volume":"29","author":"Ratner","year":"2002","journal-title":"J. Consum. Res."},{"key":"ref_23","first-page":"135","article-title":"The perils of the imitation age","volume":"82","author":"Bonabeau","year":"2004","journal-title":"Harv. Bus. Rev."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444807072417","article-title":"Beyond the diluted community concept: A symbolic interactionist perspective on online social relations","volume":"9","author":"Fernback","year":"2007","journal-title":"New Media Soc."},{"key":"ref_25","unstructured":"Siemens, G., and Elearnspace (2023, May 01). Learning Ecology, Communities, and Networks. Extending the Classroom 2003. Available online: https:\/\/tihane.wordpress.com\/2006\/12\/22\/learning-ecology\/."},{"key":"ref_26","first-page":"55","article-title":"From Community to Community Economy: Conceptualizing and Realization Path","volume":"8","author":"Liu","year":"2022","journal-title":"Mod. Econ. Res."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"379","DOI":"10.1111\/ijcs.12341","article-title":"Consumption, crisis, and coping strategies of lower class families in Brazil: A sociological account","volume":"41","author":"Castilhos","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int. J. Consum. Stud."},{"key":"ref_28","first-page":"272","article-title":"Impact of COVID-19 epidemic on purchase channel selection of consumers in China","volume":"26","author":"Liu","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. China Agric. Univ."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2926","DOI":"10.1016\/S2095-3119(20)63388-3","article-title":"Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumers\u2019 food safety knowledge and behavior in China","volume":"19","author":"Min","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Integr. Agric."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"578508","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2020.578508","article-title":"The COVID-19 pandemic and global food security","volume":"7","author":"Mardones","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front. Vet. Sci."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110152","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodres.2021.110152","article-title":"Should I stay, or should I go? Consumers\u2019 perceived risk and intention to visit restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil","volume":"141","author":"Hakim","year":"2021","journal-title":"Food Res. Int."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"638","DOI":"10.1126\/science.abb6105","article-title":"An investigation of transmission control measures during the first 50 days of the COVID-19 epidemic in China","volume":"368","author":"Tian","year":"2020","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1087","DOI":"10.3724\/SP.J.1041.2020.01087","article-title":"\u201cPsychological Typhoon Eye Effect\u201d and \u201cRipple Effect\u201d: Double perspective test of risk perception and anxiety characteristics of people in different COVID-19 severity regions","volume":"52","author":"Wen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Acta Psychol. Sin."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.1002\/agr.21673","article-title":"Online food prices during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"37","author":"Hillen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Agribusiness"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"459","DOI":"10.1108\/CAER-04-2020-0064","article-title":"The impact of online grocery shopping on stockpile behavior in COVID-19","volume":"12","author":"Hao","year":"2020","journal-title":"China Agric. Econ. Rev."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"132","DOI":"10.1111\/ijcs.12649","article-title":"Antecedents and consequences of panic buying: The case of COVID-19","volume":"46","author":"Prentice","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Consum. Stud."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"44","DOI":"10.1002\/agr.21679","article-title":"Food consumption behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"37","author":"Chenarides","year":"2021","journal-title":"Agribusiness"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"270","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijhm.2018.07.006","article-title":"Restaurants and wine by-the-glass consumption: Motivational process model of risk perception, involvement and information-related behaviour","volume":"77","author":"Bruwer","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Hosp. Manag."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"543","DOI":"10.1111\/tesg.12453","article-title":"Digital transition by COVID-19 pandemic? The German food online retail","volume":"111","author":"Dannenberg","year":"2020","journal-title":"Tijdschr. Econ. Soc. Geogr."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1300\/J046v20n02_04","article-title":"The role of consumer self-efficacy and website social-presence in customers\u2019 adoption of B2C online shopping: An empirical study in the Indian context","volume":"20","author":"Dash","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Int. Consum. Mark."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"460","DOI":"10.1108\/02651330510608460","article-title":"Antecedents to internet-based purchasing: A multinational study","volume":"22","author":"Kuhlmeier","year":"2005","journal-title":"Int. Mark. Rev."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102600","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jretconser.2021.102600","article-title":"The panic buying behavior of consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic: Examining the influences of uncertainty, perceptions of severity, perceptions of scarcity, and anxiety","volume":"62","author":"Omar","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Retail. Consum. Serv."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"346","DOI":"10.1016\/j.elerap.2009.07.003","article-title":"From virtual community members to C2C e-commerce buyers: Trust in virtual communities and its effect on consumers\u2019 purchase intention","volume":"9","author":"Lu","year":"2010","journal-title":"Electron. Commer. Res. Appl."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1033","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbusres.2008.08.009","article-title":"Understanding consumer-to-consumer interactions in virtual communities: The salience of reciprocity","volume":"63","author":"Chan","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Bus. Res."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1177\/0891242405283106","article-title":"Rethinking community economic development","volume":"20","author":"Shaffer","year":"2006","journal-title":"Econ. Dev. Q."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"903221","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2022.903221","article-title":"Influence of multi-role interactions in community group-buying on consumers\u2019 lock-in purchasing intention from a fixed leader based on role theory and trust transfer theory","volume":"13","author":"Wu","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_47","unstructured":"Yang, L., and Mao, M. (2014, January 24\u201328). Antecendents of online group buying behavior: From price leverage and crowd effect perspectives. Proceedings of the Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS), Chengdu, China."},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Loxton, M., Truskett, R., Scarf, B., Sindone, L., Baldry, G., and Zhao, Y. (2020). Consumer behaviour during crises: Preliminary research on how coronavirus has manifested consumer panic buying, herd mentality, changing discretionary spending and the role of the media in influencing behaviour. J. Risk Financ. Manag., 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/jrfm13080166"},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ben Hassen, T., El Bilali, H., and Allahyari, M.S. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 on Food Behavior and Consumption in Qatar. Sustainability, 12.","DOI":"10.29117\/quarfe.2020.0296"},{"key":"ref_50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"60","DOI":"10.3389\/fnut.2021.635859","article-title":"Changes in Food Consumption During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Analysis of Consumer Survey Data from the First Lockdown Period in Denmark, Germany, and Slovenia","volume":"8","author":"Janssen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hesham, F., Riadh, H., and Sihem, N.K. (2021). What Have We Learned about the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Consumer Behavior?. Sustainability, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/su13084304"},{"key":"ref_52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"359","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1751-9004.2011.00355.x","article-title":"Mediation analysis in social psychology: Current practices and new recommendations","volume":"5","author":"Rucker","year":"2011","journal-title":"Soc. Personal. Psychol. Compass"},{"key":"ref_53","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"286","DOI":"10.1177\/0081175012444861","article-title":"Comparing regression coefficients between same-sample nested models using logit and probit: A new method","volume":"42","author":"Karlson","year":"2012","journal-title":"Sociol. Methodol."},{"key":"ref_54","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"186","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jacceco.2009.11.004","article-title":"On the use of instrumental variables in accounting research","volume":"49","author":"Larcker","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Account. Econ."},{"key":"ref_55","unstructured":"Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Statistics (2023, March 12). Per Capita Disposable Income and Consumption Expenditure of Residents in 2021, Available online: https:\/\/tjj.sh.gov.cn\/ydsj71\/20220117\/505c10d7b6e84d30a05d229c78b0ced3.html\/."},{"key":"ref_56","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Qi, X., Yu, H., and Ploeger, A. (2020). Exploring influential factors including COVID-19 on green food purchase intentions and the intention\u2013behaviour gap: A qualitative study among consumers in a Chinese context. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 17.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17197106"},{"key":"ref_57","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3970","DOI":"10.1108\/BFJ-11-2020-1072","article-title":"Eating habits and consumer food shopping behavior during COVID-19 virus pandemic: Insights from Serbia","volume":"123","year":"2021","journal-title":"Br. Food J."},{"key":"ref_58","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103490","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijdrr.2022.103490","article-title":"Impacts of community-level grassroots organizations on household food security during the COVID-19 epidemic period in China","volume":"85","author":"Liang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int. J. Disaster Risk Reduct."},{"key":"ref_59","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1007\/s11294-021-09817-4","article-title":"Digital consumer behavior and ecommerce trends during the COVID-19 crisis","volume":"27","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. Adv. Econ. Res."}],"container-title":["Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/0718-1876\/18\/3\/77\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T20:46:13Z","timestamp":1760129173000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/0718-1876\/18\/3\/77"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,6]]},"references-count":59,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,9]]}},"alternative-id":["jtaer18030077"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jtaer18030077","relation":{},"ISSN":["0718-1876"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"0718-1876"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,6]]}}}