Person #1

“How has your shopping behavior changed since COVID-19?”

- “Well, due to the pandemic, I have begun shopping online more.”
- “Are you shopping at the same stores that you usually do?”
- “Somewhat. I have resorted to Amazon actually, since it is an all in one area to shop for
essentials. But, for fashion and clothes, I stayed loyal to my brands and my stores,
knowing that they will need the extra business during these times.”
- “Did you switch brands at all when shopping for necessities?”
- “Yes I did.”
- “Did you have an issue with that?”
- “Not really. I was looking mainly for deals and availability, rather than the name brands
when it came to essentials.”
- “What is positive or negative about all of that?”
- “Well, it is positive for me. But, it negatively affects the businesses. The positives are the
convenience, more control, getting the best price and not waiting in lines. The negatives
would be shipping/return issues, no sales assistance, and not being able to shop/help
local small businesses.”
- “Do you think that this online shopping trend will continue post-pandemic?”
- I honestly don’t know yet. But I do know that brands that have provided the proper online
experience have and will continue to be successful during and after.”

“Have you witnessed any appropriate/inappropriate behavior by customers or

employees in the last several weeks?”
- “I actually have not been in store shopping for months now.”
- “Oh, okay, well I won’t be able to ask you my last question, which is if you see a
difference across stores in terms of what they are doing to protect consumers
at the store?”

Person #2

“How has your shopping behavior changed since COVID-19?”

- “Honestly, living in Florida, it hasn’t changed much at all.”
- “Please, explain.”
- “When the pandemic started, I had some restrictions on where I could go, obviously. But,
over the course of the pandemic, a majority of stores in Florida did not require masks or
vaccinations to be able to shop. I am a person who needs to shop in person, I need to be
able to visualize and be hands on with products.”
- “Did you wear a mask in stores?”
 - “Only in stores that required it.”
- “Okay, so your customer behavior habits haven’t really changed except for the
fact that you might have to wear a mask in some stores?”
- “Yes. Exactly. Just in the beginning though. I haven’t worn a mask since they stopped
requiring it.”
- “Would you rather shop online or shop in-store while wearing a mask?”
- “If I need to wear a mask in order to shop in-store, I have no problem doing that.”

“Have you witnessed any appropriate/inappropriate behavior by customers or

employees in the last several weeks?”
- “What do you mean by ‘appropriate’?”
- “In terms of businesses keeping up with health and safety for the consumer
while in in-store shopping. What have you seen businesses do in order to avoid
the spread of COVID-19 within their establishment?”
- “I’ll touch more on what I witnessed in the beginning of the pandemic, since it almost
seems like it is back to normal where I have been shopping lately. In the beginning of the
pandemic, a lot of stores were requiring masks, providing hand sanitizer at the front of
the store, only allowing a certain number of people in the store at a time, and constant
sanitization of the store.”
- “Okay, so it seems that the businesses were acting appropriately? Anything
inappropriate?”
- “Most customers were acting appropriately as well, in regards to wearing their mask and
utilizing the hand sanitizer and providing their patience while in line, even acknowledging
that there is a line and hurrying their shopping up for others. There are obviously going to
be a handful of people who do not want to be told what to do by establishments and try
to disregard the rules, but I didn’t see too much of that.”
- “Do you see a difference across stores in terms of what they are doing to
protect consumers at the store?”
- “Pretty much what I just said in my previous answer.”
- “Any examples of a store handling the situation differently than another?”
- “Just the fact that certain stores don’t require all of these regulations because they might
need the business more than other stores who care more about customer safety. I haven’t
paid too much attention, but it has got to be tough for businesses trying to balance their
sales and safety.”
Person #3

“How has your shopping behavior changed since COVID-19?”

- “I shop more in bulk now. I do less trips and get more. I still shop online for products just
as much as I did pre-pandemic. I enjoy shopping but I understand the health and safety
concerns, so I try my best to do my part.”
- “I respect that. Can you give an example(s) of how your behavior as a customer
has changed while in the store?”
- “Of course. I still wear a mask while in stores, I always carry hand sanitizer with me or in
my car to apply before and after shopping, and I maintain a proper distance from other
shoppers, especially ones who aren’t wearing a mask.”
- “Will you continue to do so post-pandemic?”
- “I will continue to do so until I feel that it is necessary to stop.”
- What is behavior that you would consider appropriate while shopping in
stores?”
- “I would say that similar behavior to how I act within stores, as I previously stated, would
be appropriate behavior in order for the pandemic to come to an end as soon as
possible.”
- “What is an example of inappropriate behavior by another customer or
establishment?”
- “Oh, let me tell you. I probably have the best point of view for this question because I am
a frequent shopper, but I happen to work retail in the mall. So I experience both ends on
a day to day basis.”
- “Do share!”
- “Well, my store still requires masks. Not my policy, it is a corporate policy. But, mainly and
daily, I will have people try to come into the store without a mask on and proceed to get
furious when advised to please put a mask on before entering. I have anti-maskers refuse
to put on masks while insisting on coming into the store. Our fitting rooms are closed, so
customers will attempt to try clothes on in the corner of the store. People will leave their
food or drink in the store, so we had to prohibit food and drink from coming in. The list
goes on and on for inappropriate customer behavior.”
- “Wow, okay. How is the behavior of other colleagues of yours?
- “No complaints about my coworkers! We all follow policy. We could all say that wearing a
mask during an 8 hour shift isn't the most comfortable but we understand the industry
that we are in and what comes with it.”
- “Are there any notable differences from your store to others within the mall?”
- “At first, the mall required all the stores to follow the same policy. Then, Collier County
required all the stores to follow their set mandates. Now, it is a store by store basis. I
would definitely say our store is on the more strict end of it. Customers will make their
way down to our store and hit us with the “Well the other stores didn’t make us!”.
Corporate tells us what to do regarding COVID-19 and we just enforce it.”