Evolution of the Online Grocery-Shopping Experience during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Empiric Study from Portugal. Comment on Gomes, S.; Lopes, J.M. Evolution of the Online Grocery Shopping Experience during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Empiric Study from Portugal. J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2022, 17, 909–923

Abstract

This comment points out that Lopes and Gomes, in their study on Portugal, erroneously conclude from their results that “being female negatively influences the online grocery shopping experience during the COVID-19 pandemic”. In fact, gender is insignificant.

In a recent article in this journal, Gomes and Lopes [1] sought to determine which factors influence users’ online grocery-shopping experience during the pandemic as well as how their level of satisfaction, in turn, affects their continuance intention. As potential determinants of satisfaction, the authors selected gender, age, education, income, and “consumer behavior in relation to food and beverages” (that is, the extent to which respondents started eating healthier). The model was tested with the authors’ own survey data for Portugal, and estimated using partial least squares.

Unfortunately, Gomes and Lopes misinterpret the results for gender. In their Results section [1] (p. 917), they state that the “results demonstrate that being female negatively influences the online grocery shopping experience during the COVID-19 pandemic (β = −0.009), rejecting H1a” (which assumed a positive effect). In the Abstract, this becomes “the results of this study demonstrate a positive influence of young male consumers, …, regarding the online supermarket shopping experience” [1] (p. 909). In both cases, the authors somehow overlook the fact that the coefficient of gender (which is close to 0) is nowhere near significance (see their Table 5 [1], p. 918).

Oddly enough, in their Discussion, they do point this out: “In terms of gender, …, being male positively influences the online grocery shopping experience. However, …, the gender variable is not statistically significant, and the influence of gender on the online grocery shopping experience is inconclusive” [1] (p. 918). Unfortunately, here, the authors now misinterpret the insignificance. Indeed, they state: “Thus, the results suggest that women are not likely to shop online for food during the pandemic” [1] (p. 918). This is incorrect because the sample consists solely of users: “The main requirements for respondents to participate in this study were: having purchased online groceries during the pandemic and being over the age of 18” [1] (p. 918). Also, women make up 68.2% of Gomes and Lopes’ (convenience) sample. Presumably, the authors wanted to say that since gender has no impact on satisfaction, it ultimately has no impact on the intention to continue buying groceries online after the pandemic.

To conclude, in their suggestions for future research, Gomes and Lopes mention that “it would be interesting to analyze more precisely the differences in online food shopping between men and women” [1] (p. 920). There is indeed still confusion regarding this matter [2,3] (pp. 4–5). This makes it all the more unfortunate that Gomes and Lopes misrepresent their results for gender, and in this way, in fact, add to the confusion.