The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented shock to the world economy. Consumer purchase of a country’s brand and the products manufactured in their own country plays a vital role in that country’s GDP, and helps revive the country’s economy. This study focuses on understanding the factors that influence consumers’ buying behavior, and on modeling these factors to understand the causal relationship, using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The data analysis is based on the online survey carried out between 30 March 2020 and 18 April 2020. A total of 367 responses were collected during this period. The study’s findings indicate that there are changes in consumer buying behavior, and the factors that are decisive for purchasing decisions in times of social crisis are changing. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumers’ lives and the changes in their behavior during and after the crisis. Consumers’ attitudes towards traditionalism and retail innovation are essential for the sustainable development of consumer behavior. Under the influence of change and shopping constraints, unplanned- and impulse-shopping behavior has changed into a deliberate search for more sustainable options, with women shopping for sustainable food more often than men. Women are more health-conscious, and consider sustainable food healthier than conventional food. On the retail side, trusted certification of origin supports the rate of sustainable-food purchases, and, from the viewpoint of innovation, the use of digital communication with consumers across different communication channels and platforms is essential.

Zero waste (ZW), the concept of reducing waste production, is now becoming a lifestyle trend. Social media is strengthening this by popularizing the movement and connecting related communities. ZW and food are closely related, since food waste is a significant sustainability issue; however, the exact relationship between ZW and food communication on social networks is not clear. This study analyzed user communication on the social networking site Twitter between July 2008 and April 2023 to determine how members communicated and shared topics related to ZW and food; an analysis of hashtag frequency was also conducted. During the study period, a total of 50,650 tweets with both #zerowaste and #food hashtags were recorded, written by 21,271 unique users from all over the world. Topic analysis identified the nine related topics: ZW lifestyle, leftover recipes, ZW events, food rescue, climate change, packaging, ZW stores, composting, and ZW restaurants; visual analysis indicated that these topics were closely connected, suggesting common membership of these communities. Overall, our results provide insight into the ZW and food communities on Twitter, which may be useful for marketers, influencers, and government agencies to create targeted content and facilitate wider adoption of a ZW lifestyle.

Consumers express their ethics through their consumption decisions. The article examines the preferences of Czech respondents in the area of ethical consumption. The aim of the study is to find out the respondents' attitudes towards ethical shopping. We apply a series of ordinal regression analyses to analyse data from a survey (N=1670; aged 15-93 years, M ± SD: 35.51 ± 16.82; 62.00% women; 32.10% with higher education) conducted in 2021. In some cases, the survey results are compared with surveys on the same topic conducted in 2016 and 2018. The research found that customer interest in purchasing is growing, but this trend has not yet manifested itself in the volume of purchases. Beyond the reasons, the decision to buy, ignore ethical products or boycott unethical products is largely linked to the natural interest in and availability of information about "ethical shopping" in general and "ethical" products. The results suggest that personal responsibility is the most important reason for ethical shopping. Poor availability in the sales network, disinterest and higher prices were the most significant reasons for not buying "ethical" products. This research extends existing studies by examining the reasons for purchasing or ignoring so-called ethical products in relation to the intensity of their purchase. We believe that the results of the research can be used as baseline data to support targeted ethical purchasing, for example through education. Implications for Central European audience: To achieve long-term sustainability, current patterns of behaviour and consumption need to change at all levels. Environmental protection and sustainability are now increasingly implemented in most EU policies, programmes and regulations. In the case of Central European economies, the transition towards sustainable and environmentally neutral practices is still delayed. One of the key prerequisites for sustainable development and its further expansion is sustainable consumption at the level of

Open Access Agricultural Journals published by Institute of Agricultural Economics and Information

In contemporary tourism, digital communication and online reservation platforms play an essential role in shaping tourists’ accommodation preferences and influencing decision-making processes. The study examines the determinants of accommodation choice on digital platforms, comparing leisure and business travelers and analyzing differences across age groups in the Czech Republic. Research Question (RQ): How do price, cleanliness, and trust in external reviews shape accommodation choice on digital platforms, and how do these effects differ across age groups and between leisure and business travelers in the Czech Republic? It highlights price, cleanliness, and dependence on third-party reviews as the main drivers of decision-making. Based on a nationally representative online sample (n = 2000; mean age = 49.7), the study used Pearson's χ² tests, Mann–Whitney U, ANOVA, and Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA at α = 0.05 to evaluate associations between sociodemographic characteristics, booking behavior, and the importance placed on selection criteria. The findings reveal that price was the most significant determinant, with value for money highlighted by approximately half of respondents; cleanliness/hygiene is especially prominent for family travelers. Reviews on external platforms were more impactful than reviews on the provider's website. Younger travelers preferred advanced digital tools (e.g., mobile apps for check-in/check-out; online communication), while older travelers preferred conventional channels like phone or email; age effects are statistically significant (p < 0.001). Business travelers prioritized internet connectivity more than vacationers. Providers must improve visibility and reputation on external review sites, ensure transparency of hygiene practices, invest in mobile check-in and user-friendly apps, and adapt communication and UX to older users, while prioritizing connectivity and reliability for business segments. The manuscript adds country-specific evidence for Central Europe based on a large representative sample and incorporates trip purpose and age segmentation into the analysis of digital platform determinants in hospitality.

Frequent price discounts have become one of the features of retail chains in the Czech Republic. Discounts are most often provided for products popular with customers. One of the products that is subject to frequent discounts is milk. Several expert opinions estimate that up to 50% of milk is sold with frequent price discounts. Price pressure on farmers and food producers owing to frequent price promotions is supported by the purchasing power of retailers and, in extreme cases, leads to sub-cost purchasing prices. These facts set up the framework to assess the impact of frequent price discounts on policymaking, including tax administration. One of the effects of selling goods at discounts is lower VAT collection from shops, and thus lower revenue to the state budget. This paper attempts to estimate one of the potential impacts of frequent price discounts, namely the loss of VAT for the state budget due to low retail prices of milk. Theoretical estimation of the effect of frequent price discounts on VAT can help to assess policy that touches on mark-ups in specific markets, such as food. The estimation is based on data obtained from Czech Statistical Office, FADN, and Orbis databases and employs Monte Carlo simulation to capture the stochastic element of retail markups. Sub-cost prices of producers of milk have a more significant negative effect on VAT revenue than prices of other supply chain participants. The theoretical effect on VAT revenue is estimated to be in the range from a negative effect of 14.9 billion CZK to a positive effect of 7.4 billion CZK. Values of zero VAT effect points (mark-ups of producers, dairies, and retailers) are shown, as well as the critical value of price elasticity of demand (−0.1715), at which the effect of frequent price discounts on VAT revenue is zero.