MARKETING

RESEARCH AND ANALYTICS

(MBA 3402M)
CIA – 5
FOMO Marketing: Understanding how FOMO marketing changed shape to
ROMO marketing during the COVID-19 pandemic and its influence in the retail industry.
By
MAINAK BHATTACHARJEE – 2027102
YADU KRISHNA – 2027114
PAIDI RAVIKIRAN – 2027135
LAVANNIYA C - 2027148
SHILPA S SUNDAR - 2027151
Under the Guidance of
Dr Prabha Kiran

MBA PROGRAMME
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
CHRIST (DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY), BANGALORE

APRIL 2021
 FOMO Marketing: Understanding how FOMO marketing changed shape to
ROMO marketing during the COVID-19 pandemic and its influence in the retail industry.
Mainak Bhattacharjee, Yadu Krishna N. S., Paidi Ravikiran, Lavvaniya C., Shilpa S Sundar
School of Business – Marketing, Christ University, Kengeri Campus, Bangalore, India
Shilpa.sundar@mba.christuniversity.in

Abstract

Purpose: During the time of the COVID-19 in 2020, during and after lockdown, Governments imposed
lockdown and shutdown all activities/services to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Major factories and
manufacturers had stopped manufacturing their products for months during the pandemic, which led to
having thousands of people with no salaries. This research focuses on the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
transition to the Reality of Missing Out (ROMO) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research explores
the impact of various factors like new norms imposed, reference groups, brand name, brand loyalty,
lockdown, income variation, and purchase intention in reference to FOMO and ROMO.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The conceptual model includes new norms, brand name, brand
loyalty, reference groups, lockdown, income variation, FOMO, ROMO, and purchase intention. Two
hundred and fifty-six responses were collected using an online survey, and the data were analyzed with
regression modelling.

Findings: We found how FOMO transitioned to ROMO during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research
was also helpful in finding the consumer buying pattern during the pandemic.

Research Implications/Limitations: Our study only focusses on the retail industry. There is a risk of
generalization because the study focussed only on a few retailers from India. This study can be used as
a basis for conducting studies on the different impact of COVID-19 on the different segments within the
retail industry. Also, factors like technology could be taken into consideration.

Originality/Value: The research is interesting because it focuses on the change in purchase intention of
people during the pandemic and identifies factors that contribute to the change in FOMO to ROMO
during the COVID-19. The study makes significant contributions and practical implications for the
studies in the future.

Keywords: Purchase Intention, FOMO, ROMO,

Paper Type: Research Paper
1. Introduction
Imagine that on a weekend night, you are having your standard pizza at your regular Pizza House. As
you were having, you see your social media handles be spammed with messages of a new Domino's
Pizza opened in your city, offering pizzas at a 25% discount. Upon checking these messages, you became
aware of the other activities happening around you. Now the question is how you would feel? Would
the awareness of Domino's Pizza affect your weekend experience?

Since you are at the Pizza House, you can only be present at that place, you are absent from other
activities happening around. So, consequently you are likely to experience a feeling of missing out due
to the awareness about the unattended experiences and its quite a normal human behavior.

FOMO is "the uneasy and sometimes all-consuming feeling that you're missing out—that your peers are
doing, or are in possession of more or something better than you" (Megan C. Good, 2020). This factor
can also affect the self-esteem of the people and is often influenced by the reference groups, social media
handles like Instagram and Facebook. This phenomenon is found to be increasingly common among the
people and is also said to be one such factor which induces stress for some people and also adds to be
the risk factor sometimes.

From an evolutionary perspective, having knowledge about one's environment and quickly exchanging
information within social groups were critical for survival (Ceren Hayran, 2016). With the digital era,
computer mediated tools have amplified the instant communication. In the 21st century, accessing and
exchanging information is much easier than ever, but receiving information about what's happening in
one's surroundings is almost easily available, especially due to the increasing media channels.

Researchers revealed that FOMO has different effects on people like anxiety, stress, risk and so on. Our
study is focussed on the behavior of FOMO during the time of COVID-19 pandemic on the businesses
of the Retail Industry. The COVID-19 was a situation that aroused the feeling of fear and stress among
people mentally due to their emotions and needs. During the pandemic the demand for the essential goods
were very high, this factor caused the FOMO among the people. Due to the increased demand and the
lack of normal facilities during the pandemic, the Fear of Missing Out developed into the Reality of
Missing Out.

Our work on FOMO extends previous works to two other factors: (1) the COVID-19 scenario in the
Retail Industry, where FOMO was studied on the constructs of New Norms, Brand Name, Brand Loyalty,
Reference Groups; the study was mainly focused on the situational determinants. (2) The study also
extended to new ROMO factors (Reality of Missing Out) due to the high demand for products due to
various factors like lockdown, income variation, availability. The previous works associates FOMO with
social media engagement, so we felt the other relevant antecedents corresponding to the present scenario.
1.1 The Retail Industry

The retail industry is the most dynamic and has emerged as the fastest-paced industry due to the
emergence of new players. The time has shown that there were many additions to the retail businesses
in the e-commerce, digital technologies as AI, etc. The reports also proved that the Retail Industry to be
holding the largest market share in the world. The retail industry has changed its shape from traditional
methods due to the factors such as innovation, emergent technologies, and competition. The sectors of
the Retail Industry include fashion, fast-moving consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, etc.

1.2 FOMO and Retail Industry

The Retail industry uses FOMO as a sales promotion strategy to bring in more customers. Sales
promotion consists of activities, which bring consumer attention to a brand and its products and services.
Its essential purpose is to appeal to consumers and distributors to increase sales, provide information
about a brand and related products, reduce seasonal decline and remind the consumers of its excellence
and existence (Lundström, 2020). The companies to enhance the businesses puts in tremendous efforts
and creates a big buzz. When something creates a big buzz, it can also create a FOMO (Fear of Missing
Out) among people (Lundström, 2020). Creating a FOMO feeling is common in all ads, using customers'
fears of losing out on the marketed or sponsored product. The FOMO strategy aims at strengthening the
customer's desire always to stay updated with new trends. The retail industry's sales figure was 93%
before the emergence of COVID-19 and had declined to 16.4% due to the restrictions and other factors.

1.3 COVID-19, ROMO and Retail Industry

The emergence of COVID-19 during the first months of 2020 has caused the government to bring in
regulations to limit and control the spread of disease. The government brought in regulations such as
restrictions to traveling, lockdown, curfews, the shutdown of offices and industries, and even half the
rate of employees working. Apart from these factors, the people faced unemployment, variations in
income, as major factories and manufacturers had stopped for months during the pandemic, which led to
having thousands of people with no salaries (Elsafty1, 2020). The different factors during the COVID-
19 Pandemic affected the buying behavior of people. A consumer is a person who identifies a need or
desire, makes a purchase, and then disposes of the product in the consumption process. No two of them
are the same, as everyone is influenced by different internal and external factors which form consumer
behavior (Seema Mehta, 2020). People's behaviors were different based on their emotional states, people
exhibited fear, stress, anxiety, and some even remained calm during the pandemic. Based on these, most
people exhibited impulsive buying behavior as the demand for products was high, and some people
retained their calmness and went for their preferred brand and products. However, from our study, it was
clear that the demand has aroused a feeling in reality that they are missing out on the essential needed
products and services.
2. Theoretical Background and Framework
2.1. Brand Name and Brand Loyalty

In today's competitive and changing business environment, retailers' power and customer demand level
continuously grow. Expanding long-term relationships with customers is vital and necessary for success
(Dr. Vahidreza Mirab, 2015) and its survival and the product. The long-term commitments include the
quality and services offered, and these factors lead to commitments. Generally, a brand is a name and
symbol. It is an essential tool to create a positive image with
the customers. The brand has a vital role in creating loyal customers and retaining companies’ market
share. Loyal customers are loyal to the brand; they repurchase and recommend the brand to others. Brand
loyalty means customers pay more money to a particular brand against similar products (Dr. Vahidreza
Mirab, 2015). Previous studies show that repeated purchases of customers due to long-term loyalty led
to profitability and growth of companies (Dr. Vahidreza Mirab, 2015).
H1: The brand name has a positive influence on FOMO.
H2: The customer’s loyalty to a brand has an influence on FOMO.

2.2 New Norms

The COVID-19 pandemic led to millions of infections and deaths worldwide, changing dramatically
what we perceived as norms and impacting society, health systems, governmental policies, and
businesses (CharisM.GalanakisMyrtoRizouTurkiM.S., 2021). The new norms introduced by the
government have created a scenario whereby people started using the shops that had taken proper
procedures, and most people had shifted to the online shopping method, creating a new difference in the
buying behavior.
H3: The new norms introduced led to the feeling of FOMO in customers.

2.3 Reference groups

The reference groups such as friends, family, influencers, etc., affect people's buying behavior
significantly, contributing to social stigma and stress among the population.
H4: The reference groups had an influence in causing FOMO among customers.

2.4. Offers and Discounts

The companies create a big buzz through offers and discounts to attract customers to buy their products.
This study shows the significance of offers and discounts during the pandemic and how they impacted
people's buying behavior during the pandemic.
H5: The offers and discounts introduced by brands instigates FOMO in customers.
2.5. Fomo and Purchase Intention

Consumers make purchase decisions for various reasons, such as enhanced status, peers' attitudes, brand
familiarity, and personal hedonistic motivations (Megan C. Good, ‘Fear of Missing Out’: Antecedents
and Influence on Purchase Likelihood, 2020). To explore FOMO within a marketing context, the factors
with emotional appeals were considered, such as the social stigma, anticipated envy from other people,
etc. FOMO emerges when people choose among uncertain current and potential options. Believing that
an experience will be favorable and relevant is a necessary condition for FOMO to occur. For instance,
a person who dislikes camping will not believe he is ‘missing out’ when he or she sees a neighbor leaving
for a weeklong camping trip (Megan C. Good, ‘Fear of Missing Out’: Antecedents and Influence on
Purchase Likelihood, 2020). Typically, FOMO will trigger emotional responses (Zeelenberg & Pieters,
2006) that should subsequently influence purchase behavior (Megan C. Good, ‘Fear of Missing Out’:
Antecedents and Influence on Purchase Likelihood, 2020).
H6: The factors such as Income variation has a positive influence on FOMO.

2.6. Purchase Intention During the time of Crisis

Consumer behavior is an essential and constant decision-making process of searching, purchasing, using,
evaluating, and disposing of products and services (Megan C. Good, ‘Fear of Missing Out’: Antecedents
and Influence on Purchase Likelihood, 2020). COVID-19's most crucial aspect is how consumers in
several nations are engaged in panicked purchases to prepare for government policies such as curfews,
shutdowns, and homestay orders due to the pandemic ( (Meng Tao1, 2020). These policies increased the
demand for the products, including essential ones; the increased demand was due to the products' non-
availability, which induced a feeling of missing out among the people. At instances, there were no goods
available for people due to the factors mentioned above, which led to the Reality of Missing Out, which
caused fear, anxiety, and stress among people. The purchase intention during the covid situation was
examined using the variables mentioned below.
H7: The lockdown imposed by government caused FOMO among customers.
H8: The feeling of FOMO among customers transitioned to ROMO during the COVID-19 pandemic.
H9: The feeling of FOMO had a positive influence on the purchase intentions of the customers.
2.7. Theoretical framework

3. Research Objectives
1. To analyze the transition of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) marketing to ROMO (Reality of
Missing Out) marketing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. To understand consumer behavior, especially during the time of a pandemic, for the Retail
Industry.
3. To identify the various factors affecting FOMO marketing in the retail sector during a pandemic.
4. Research Method
4.1. Research Design

The study is a combination of exploratory research, i.e., the research is used to investigate a research
problem that has not been studied previously, and conclusive research study, i.e., this study is meant to
provide information that helps reach a conclusion for the research problem. This research helps
understand the transition of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) to Reality of Missing Out (ROMO) during
the COVID-19 pandemic and how that affected the retail industry and consumer's purchase intention.

4.2. Data Collection Tool

The tool used to collect data for the research was a questionnaire that included closed-ended questions.
The questionnaire consisted of three parts – Part A included questions about the respondent's
demographics, Part B included questions related to the present study, and Part C included questions that
helped identify the various factors that influenced the customer's purchase intention Fear of Missing Out.
The questions that were included in the questionnaire were validated using the Reliability test and
Descriptive Analysis.

4.3. Data Collection Method

This study was conducted using an online survey through Google forms, with a sample database of over
250 individuals. The population included male and female respondents above the age of 18. The
geography targeted for the research is the Metropolitan cities of India and other countries such as the
USA and Canada. The sample was selected using the convenience sampling method, where the research
data was collected from a conveniently available pool of respondents. This method was chosen because
it is prompt, uncomplicated, and economical.

4.4. Data Analysis Tools

After the collection of the responses, data were further analyzed by applying different statistical tools.
Firstly, to generate Cronbach's Alpha value, a reliability analysis was done, and frequency analysis was
used to calculate the Mean value. This was done by using the option of Descriptive Analysis in IBM
SPSS STATISTICS 25.0. After this analysis, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett's test has been
run. Factor Analysis was then conducted to identify the various factors that influenced the dependent
variable. Also, Annova was performed to determine whether there was any significant difference
between the means of two categorical independent variables. With the help of Regression, we then
performed the hypotheses testing. Regression was performed to predict a dependent variable's value
based on the value of an independent variable. A Chi-square test was also performed to determine if there
is a significant relationship between two categorical variables.
5. Data Analysis and Results
5.1. Secondary Data Analysis

To understand the antecedents from the literature review and come to a conclusion as to understand the
various factors effecting FOMO marketing in the retail industry sector and it’s conversion into ROMO
during COVID-19, with the help of Qualitative data such as published journals and article were used to
understand various influencing factors and some of the factors noticed were brand, income, discount
and offers, reference groups and barriers for the same.

5.2. Exploratory Data Analysis

a. Gender:

55% of the total respondents are Male and the remaining 45% of the respondents are female.

b. Age:

Majority of the respondents, that is 62% of the respondents belong to the age between 18 and 25 years.
Among the remaining 12.5% of the respondents fall under the age group of 26-34 and the rest
contribute to the other divisions.

c. Income:

Among the 224 respondents, 52% of them have a monthly income less than INR 25,000 and 12.5% of
the respondents fall under the income category of INR 26,000-50,000. Among the remaining
respondents about 12% of the respondents have a monthly income in the range INR 51,000-70,000 and
the rest contribute to the other divisions.

d. Money spent in lockdown:

54% of the respondents spent between 500 to 2000 Rs on products due to the fear of missing out on
various trends and 20% of the respondents spent between 2100 to 4500 Rs and the rest contribute to the
other divisions.

e. Preferred online shopping site:

Majority of the respondents, that is 60% of the respondents preferred Amazon during pandemic.
Among the remaining 13.8% of the respondents preferred Big Basket and the rest contribute to the
Other divisions.
5.3. Data Analysis

5.3.1. Reliability Test analyse -> scale -> reliability analysis -> select evrything and click ok

Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient normally ranges between 0 and 1. The closer the coefficient is to
1.0, the greater is that the internal consistency of the things (variables) within the scale. Cronbach's alpha
coefficient increases either because the number of things (variables) increases, or because the average
inter-item correlations increase (i.e., when the number of things is held constant).

We can see that Cronbach's alpha is 0.943, which indicates a high level of internal consistency for our
scale with this specific sample. These results demonstrated a good level of reliability with coefficient
alphas exceeding minimum recommended level of .70 (Nunnally, 1978).

5.3.2. Sampling Adequacy Test analyse -> dimemnsion reduction -> factor

This table shows two tests that indicate the suitability of your data for structure detection. The Kaiser-
Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy may be a statistic that indicates the proportion of variance
in your variables which may be caused by underlying factors. High values (close to 1.0) generally
indicate that an element analysis could also be useful together with your data.

KMO values between 0.8 and indicates the sampling is adequate and here our KMO value is 0.873 which
indicates adequate.
 Total Variance Explained
Initial Eigenvalues Extraction Sums of Squared Loadings
Component Total % of Variance Cumulative % Total % of Variance Cumulative %
1 13.246 29.435 29.435 13.246 29.435 29.435
2 3.241 7.203 36.638 3.241 7.203 36.638
3 2.453 5.452 42.090 2.453 5.452 42.090
4 1.907 4.238 46.328 1.907 4.238 46.328
5 1.726 3.836 50.164 1.726 3.836 50.164
6 1.495 3.323 53.487 1.495 3.323 53.487
7 1.312 2.915 56.402 1.312 2.915 56.402
8 1.264 2.809 59.211 1.264 2.809 59.211
9 1.224 2.719 61.930 1.224 2.719 61.930
10 1.089 2.420 64.350 1.089 2.420 64.350
11 1.056 2.346 66.696 1.056 2.346 66.696
12 .942 2.093 68.789 .942 2.093 68.789
13 .878 1.952 70.741
Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.

Rotated Component Matrixa

Component
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .
questions. [I often prefer reputed brands even if they offer premium 7
pricing.] 6
1
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .
questions. [I often consider the brand name before knowing the 6
contents of the actual product.] 8
6
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .
questions. [The brand name has impacted my buying behaviour 6
especially during COVID-19] 7
7
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .
questions. [I prefer purchasing products of my preferred brand 6
irrespective of prices.] 3
1
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .
questions. [I have purchased products irrespective of needing them 5
to keep up with social media trends during the lockdown.] 7
5
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following . .416
questions. [I prefer the retail outlets that has my preferred brand] 5
4
7
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .
questions. [I was anxious about the availability of my preferred brand 5
during COVID-19] 4
4
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following . .442
questions. [My willingness to buy a product depends on the 4
availability of the brand in the retail stores.] 8
5
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .
questions. [I prefer sticking to one particular brand rather than 4
switching between brands] 7
7
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .697
questions. [My priority has changed while shopping during the
COVID-19.]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .697
questions. [COVID-19 has impacted my buying behaviour in terms of
shifting from offline stores to online shopping]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .643
questions. [My brand preferences have changed during the
pandemic.]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .593
questions. [I was frightened to visit the retail stores during Covid-19]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .587
question. [During the COVID-19 time, I was afraid of losing out on
availability of products]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .438
questions. [Negative reviews on a product on the internet has
influenced my buying behaviour.]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .434
questions. [I have bought a product of a different brand for the first
time during this COVID time to keep up with social media trends]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .766
questions. [My income has varied since the start of the pandemic.]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .759
questions. [The variation in my income has influenced my purchase
intentions.]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .588
questions. [I have purchased products of a brand because it was on
offer even though I don’t usually don’t prefer it.]

Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following . .541
questions. [I preferred going to supermarkets and bigger retail stores 4
over small grocery stores and mom-and-pop stores.] 0
8
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .536 .502
questions. [I have been experiencing the fear of missing out since I
could not afford certain products during the lockdown.]

Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .496 .500
questions. [The type of retail stores I shop at has changed due to the
variation in my income.]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following . .490
questions. [“Buy now or you will miss out” described me during the 4
lockdown.] 5
8
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .713
questions. [Offers and discounts still have an impact on my buying
patterns even during COVID-19.]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following questions. .643
[I have purchased a product recommended by my friends or family during
COVID-19.]
Factors impacting my decision to purchase a product [Discounts] .569

Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .529
questions. [I have purchased products from an online website rather
than a retail outlet since my friends and family had recommended.]

Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following . .437
questions. [I have purchased products of a particular brand because 4
it was gaining popularity in the market.] 1
8
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following
questions. [I have made an impulsive purchase of a product during
the lockdown because I saw celebrities and influencers promoting the
product on the internet.]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .598
questions. [I preferred different methods of shopping to not miss out
an offer]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .562
questions. [I have made impulsive purchases because I did not want
to miss out on an offer more than what I need during the pandemic.]

Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .520
questions. [I was keeping up with various trends on the Social media]

Factors impacting my decision to purchase a product [Reviews and .750

Ratings]
Factors impacting my decision to purchase a product [Needs and .603
Requirements]
Factors impacting my decision to purchase a product [Brand Name] . .569
5
0
1
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .696
questions. [I tried to visit the nearby retail stores to buy the needed
goods]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .667
questions. [I tried to be optimistic during Covid-19]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .506
questions. [I tried to remain calm though the demand for products
were high.]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .691
questions. [I got frightened when the goods were out of stock]

Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following -

questions. [I prefer healthy and hygienic products even for day-to-day .631
usage (soaps, paste etc)]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .439
questions. [I feel the need to buy a product because my friend or
family have it.]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following
questions. [I got nervous when the delivery of the products was
delayed,]
Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .756
questions. [I preferred retail stores that followed social distancing and
other government regulations during COVID-19.]

Select the degree to which you 4 or 2 with each of the following .446
questions. [I stocked up pharma, hygiene and other products with a
prior estimation of government restrictions during COVID-19.]

Factors impacting my decision to purchase a product [Opinion of .746

friends and family]
Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.
Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization.a
a. Rotation converged in 21 iterations.
5.3.3 Anova

ANOVA is a statistical tool used for separating observed variance data into various components such
that additional tests can be performed on them. For three or more data groups, a one-way ANOVA is
used to learn more about the relationship between the dependent and independent variables.
In Anova, the significant value must be greater than the value 0.05 to accept the null hypothesis. If the
significant value is less than or equal to 0.05, then the null hypothesis must be rejected.

New Norms ANALYSIS -> COMPARE MEANS -> ONE WAY ANOVA

ANOVA

Sum of
Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

Monthly Income (in Rs) Between Groups 32.675 14 2.334 1.820 .038
Within Groups 244.976 191 1.283
Total 277.650 205

• In the test, we see that the significant value of new norms and monthly income is 0.038,
which is less than 0.05. Hence, in this case, we reject the null hypothesis. Therefore, there is a
significant difference between new norms and monthly income.
H0- There is no significant difference between New Norms and Monthly Income.
H1- There is a significant difference between New Norms and Monthly Income.

Brand
ANOVA

Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

Profession Between Groups 23.658 10 2.366 4.195 .000
Within Groups 120.123 213 .564
Total 143.781 223

• In the test, we see that the significant value of brands and professions is 0.000, which is less
than 0.05. Hence, in this case, we reject the null hypothesis. Therefore, there is a significant
difference between new brands and professions.
H0- There is no significant difference between Brands and Professions.
H1- There is a significant difference between Brands and Professions.

Brand
ANOVA

Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

Age Between Groups 50.860 10 5.086 2.968 .002
Within Groups 364.979 213 1.714
Total 415.839 223
 • In the test, we see that the significant value of brands and age is 0.002, which is less than 0.05.
Hence, in this case, we reject the null hypothesis. Therefore, there is a significant difference
between new brands and age.
H0- There is no significant difference between Brands and Age.
H1- There is a significant difference between Brands and Age.

Brand

ANOVA

Total 277.650 205

During the Between Groups 25.463 10 2.546 2.241 .017
lockdown,I spent (in Rs) on Within Groups 241.966 213 1.136
products due to the fear of Total 267.429 223
missing out on various
trends

• In the test, we see that the significant value of brands and money spent is 0.017, which
is less than 0.05. Hence, in this case, we reject the null hypothesis. Therefore, there is a
significant difference between new brands and money spent.
H0- There is no significant difference between Brands and money spent.
H1- There is a significant difference between Brands and money spent.

Discount and Offers

ANOVA

Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

Monthly Income (in Rs) Between Groups 48.541 19 2.555 2.074 .007
Within Groups 229.109 186 1.232
Total 277.650 205

• In the test, we see that the significant value of discounts & offers and monthly income is
0.007, which is less than 0.05. Hence, in this case, we reject the null hypothesis. Therefore,
there is a significant difference between discounts & offers and monthly income.
H0- There is no significant difference between discounts & offers and monthly income.
H1- There is a significant difference between discounts & offers and monthly income.
Discount and Offers

ANOVA
Age Between Groups 66.912 19 3.522 2.059 .007
Within Groups 348.927 204 1.710
Total 415.839 223

• In the test, we see that the significant value of discounts & offers and age is 0.007, which is
less than 0.05. Hence, in this case, we reject the null hypothesis. Therefore, there is a significant
difference between discounts & offers and age.
H0- There is no significant difference between discounts & offers and age.
H1- There is a significant difference between discounts & offers and age

Brand Loyalty

ANOVA
Sum of Squares df Mean F Sig.
Square
During the lockdown,I spent (in Rs) on Between 26.014 12 2.168 1.895 .036
Groups
products due to the fear of
Within Groups 241.415 211 1.144
missing out on various trends
Total 267.429 223

• In the test, we see that the significant value of brand loyalty and money spent is 0.036, which is
less than 0.05. Hence, in this case, we reject the null hypothesis. Therefore, there is a significant
difference between brand loyalty and money spent.
H0- There is no significant difference between brand loyalty and money spent.
H1- There is a significant difference between brand loyalty and money spent.

Brand loyalty

I preferred shopping Between Groups 32.546 12 2.712 2.165 .014

on online siteduring the pandemic Within Groups 264.343 211 1.253
Total 296.888 223

• In the test, we see that the significant value of brand loyalty and preferred shopping is 0.14,
which is greater than 0.05. Hence, in this case, we accept the null hypothesis. Therefore, there is
no significant difference between brand loyalty and preferred shopping.
H0- There is no significant difference between brand loyalty and preferred shopping.
H1- There is a significant difference between brand loyalty and preferred shopping.
Lockdown

ANOVA
Sum of Squares df Mean F Sig.
Square
During the lockdown,I spent (in Between 41.769 11 3.797 3.567 .000
Groups
Rs) on products due to the fear of
Within 225.659 212 1.064
missing out on various trends Groups
Total 267.429 223

• In the test, we see that the significant value of lockdown and money spent is 0.000, which is
less than 0.05. Hence, in this case, we reject the null hypothesis. Therefore, there is a significant
difference between lockdown and money spent.
H0- There is no significant difference between lockdown and money spent.
H1- There is a significant difference between lockdown and money spent.

Purchase Intention

ANOVA
Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

Monthly Income (in Rs) Between Groups 37.968 16 2.373 1.871 .025
Within Groups 239.683 189 1.268
Total 277.650 205

• In the test, we see that the significant value of purchase intention and monthly income is 0.025,
which is less than 0.05. Hence, in this case, we reject the null hypothesis. Therefore, there is a
significant difference between purchase intention and monthly income.
H0- There is no significant difference between purchase intention and monthly income.
H1- There is a significant difference between purchase intention and monthly income.

Purchase Intention

ANOVA

During the lockdown,I spent (in Rs) on products Between 32.824 16 2.051 1.810 .032
Groups
due to the fear of
Within Groups 234.605 207 1.133
missing out on various trends
Total 267.429 223

• In the test, we see that the significant value of purchase intention and money spent is 0.032,
which is less than 0.05. Hence, in this case, we reject the null hypothesis. Therefore, there is a
significant difference between purchase intention and money spent.
H0- There is no significant difference between purchase intention and money spent
H1- There is a significant difference between purchase intention and money spent.
Fomo

ANOVA
Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
Gender Between Groups 5.970 12 .498 2.121 .017
Within Groups 49.490 211 .235
Total 55.460 223

• In the test, we see that the significant value of FOMO and Gender is 0.017, which is less than
0.05. Hence, in this case, we reject the null hypothesis. Therefore, there is a significant
difference between purchase intention and money spent.
H0- There is no significant difference between FOMO and Gender.
H1- There is a significant difference between FOMO and Gender.

Fomo

ANOVA

Monthly Income (in Rs) Between Groups 21.240 12 1.770 1.332 .203
Within Groups 256.410 193 1.329
Total 277.650 205
5.3.4 Chi-Square
Used to discover if there is a relationship between two categorical variables.
• Sig value <= 0.05 - there is a statistically significant association
• Sig Value > 0.05 - there is no statistically significant association

Asymptotic
Significance (2-
Value df sided)
Pearson Chi-Square 18.568a 9 .029
Likelihood Ratio 24.867 9 .003
Linear-by-Linear Association 1.096 1 .295
N of Valid Cases 206

• In this test, we see that the significant value of 0.000, which is less than 0.05. Hence, in
this case, we reject the null hypothesis. Therefore, there is a statistically significant
association between monthly income and spent.

Asymptotic
Significance (2-
Value df sided)
Pearson Chi-Square 34.282a 9 .000
Likelihood Ratio 32.071 9 .000
Linear-by-Linear Association 13.844 1 .000
N of Valid Cases 206

In this test, we see that the significant value of 0.029, which is less than 0.05. Hence, in this
case, we reject the null hypothesis. Therefore, there is a statistically significant association
between monthly income and shopping.

5.3.5 Regression

5.3.5.1 FOMO

Model Summary
Adjusted R Std. Error of the
Model R R Square Square Estimate
1 .665a .443 .425 .53813
a. Predictors: (Constant), income, newnorms, brandloyalty,
referencegroups, discountandoffers, brand, lockdown
Model - SPSS allows you to specify multiple models during a single regression command.
This tells you the amount of the model being reported.

R-Square - R-Square is that the proportion of variance within the variable which may be
predicted from the independent variables. This value indicates that 42.5% of the variance in
FOMO can be predicted from the variables.

Coefficientsa
Standardized
Unstandardized Coefficients Coefficients
Model B Std. Error Beta t Sig.
1 (Constant) .519 .274 1.896 .059
newnorms .244 .061 .217 3.992 .000
brand .134 .071 .137 1.885 .061
referencegroups .160 .067 .175 2.381 .018
discountandoffers .127 .063 .147 2.018 .045
brandloyalty .118 .065 .129 1.807 .072
lockdown -.043 .062 -.051 -.695 .488
income .133 .062 .162 2.156 .032
a. Dependent Variable: fomo

Beta – These are the standardized coefficients. These are the coefficients that you would obtain
if you standardized all of the variables in the regression, including the dependent and all of the
independent variables, and ran the regression. The higher the absolute value of the beta
coefficient is 0.217 for the newnorms which shows the stronger effect on FOMO.

5.3.5.2 Purchase intention

Model Summary
Adjusted R Std. Error of the
Model R R Square Square Estimate
1 .494a .244 .241 .61819
a. Predictors: (Constant), purchaseintention
R-Square - The value indicates that 24.1% of the variance in FOMO can be predicted from
the variables.

Coefficientsa
Standardized
Unstandardized Coefficients Coefficients
Model B Std. Error Beta t Sig.
1 (Constant) 2.520 .144 17.492 .000
purchaseintention .368 .043 .494 8.464 .000
a. Dependent Variable: fomo

Beta – The absolute value of the beta coefficient is 0.494 for the FOMO which shows the
stronger effect on Purchase intention.

5.3.5.3 ROMO

Model Summary
Adjusted R Std. Error of the
Model R R Square Square Estimate
1 .614a .377 .374 .56129
a. Predictors: (Constant), romo

R-Square - The value indicates that 37.4% of the variance in FOMO can be predicted from
the variables.

Coefficientsa
Standardized
Unstandardized Coefficients Coefficients
Model B Std. Error Beta t Sig.
1 (Constant) 1.318 .208 6.334 .000
romo .658 .057 .614 11.585 .000
a. Dependent Variable: fomo

Beta – The absolute value of the beta coefficient is 0.614 for the FOMO which shows the
stronger effect on ROMO.
6.Conclusion

The research concentrated mainly on two aspects FOMO and ROMO.Using the framework we
can see that how FOMO changed shape into ROMO marketing during the COVID-19
pandemic due to influence of various factors and how ROMO had an influence on the consumer
buying behaviour in the retail industry. We saw that there were many factors that that
influenced this change out of which the most important factor was the lockdown. The pandemic
affected our lives in many ways. After the first week of the lock down, people everywhere had
different sentiments but the one thing that became very prominent was that everyone started
feeling that they were missing out on certain things which had a huge impact on their buying
behaviour. The other factors that influenced the buying behaviour were New norms, Income,
brand name, brand loyalty etc.

This study reports several important findings. To summarize the main findings of our study,
the main results of the research show how FOMO transitioned into ROMO during the COVID-
19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, people only had the fear that they were missing out on
certain things. But, after the pandemic the fear became reality as people were locked in their
houses with very less social interaction. Social Media was the only connect between people
and when they saw other people posting interesting things on the internet, they felt like they
were not doing enough. In the times of the pandemic especially, this feeling of missing out led
to lot of change in the buying behaviour of the people. People started panic buying and ended
up buying the stuff that they would not even require. For example, if we take the example of
retail industry, from the result of our survey, we saw how people felt they were missing out on
certain discount and offers and due to that they ended up purchasing the products that they
generally would not prefer.

Another main finding of the study is that this research helped in understanding the buying
pattern of the consumers during the pandemic. Because the people had the fear instilled in their
minds that they would miss out on purchasing certain products, they started panic buying. The
manufacturers didn’t anticipate the situation due to which, there was a shortage of essential
goods in the market. Understanding the consumer buying patterns in advance would have
helped the manufacturers and the retailers to use the situation in their favour and this could
have also helped them to develop marketing strategies revolving around the fear aspect that
was instilled in the mind of people.
The study also examined how factors like brand loyalty, brand name, reference groups, income,
price, offers and discounts had a major influence on the buying behaviour of the people
especially during the time of a pandemic. The study showed how during the challenging times,
when people are experiencing the fear of missing out on buying certain products, these factors
can have a huge impact on the buying pattern of the consumers.

6.1. Practical Implications

The implications of this study, based on the results of the study, can be summarized as follows.
By having an improved understanding of FOMO and ROMO, managers can use these to
develop strategies to trigger purchases especially during these challenging times. Further, these
strategies could also be used to stimulate demand. This study can also be helpful in the
managers to understand how they can be more prepared to react in a similar situation. For
example, during the pandemic the people experienced the fear that they will miss out on certain
products so they started panic buying which led to a scarcity of products. Since the situation
was unforeseen, companies didn’t know how to react. But now, they can be more prepared and
use FOMO and ROMO to develop marketing strategies to push the products in the market.

6.2. Limitations and Scope for future study

Even though the current research has carefully examined how FOMO changed to ROMO
because of certain factors and how it impacted the consumer buying behaviour , there are some
limitations of the study which provides a huge scope to extend research in the future studies.

First, the study focused on only the retail industry. COVID-19 had an impact on every industry
but the current research is limited to its impact on the retail industry. This study can be useful
for the researchers to conduct a study on the impact of COVID-19 on different sectors and
analyse the consumer buying behaviour on those particular sectors. Another limitation of this
research is the risk of generalisation as the study focused on only a few retailers from India.
Future studies can be conducted on a more wider scale. Also, in this study, the factors like
technology, the role of social media etc. are not taken into consideration. Technology and social
media have an huge impact on the buying behaviour of the people and especially during the
time of the pandemic. The influence of these factors on the consumer buying pattern can also
be studied in the future. The study can also serve as a basis to conduct a study on the impact of
COVID-19 on the different segments within the retail industry. Future researches could also
be conducted on FOMO and ROMO and a better understanding of these phenomenon would
be valuable. Various elements of these phenomenon could be studied to check their
effectiveness and then develop marketing strategies to push certain products into the market.

Even though there are certain limitations to this study, the study can be useful for the future
studies and can serve as an useful study for practitioners as well.

References
Ceren Hayran, L. A. (2016). Feeling of Missing Out (FOMO) and Its Marketing Implications. MSI.

CharisM.GalanakisMyrtoRizouTurkiM.S. (2021). Innovations and technology disruptions in the food

sector within the COVID-19 pandemic and post-lockdown era. Elseveir.

Dr. Vahidreza Mirab, H. A. (2015). A Study of Factors Affecting on Customers.

Elsafty1, A. (2020). The Changes in Online Buying Intention as a Determinant of Behavior.

International Journal of Business and Management.

Lundström, A. (2020). Sales promotion in retail in the 2020s. Arcada.

Megan C. Good, A. P. (2020). ‘Fear of Missing Out’: Antecedents and Influence on Purchase
Likelihood.

Megan C. Good, A. P. (2020). ‘Fear of Missing Out’: Antecedents and Influence on Purchase
Likelihood. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice.

Meng Tao1, S. K. (2020). Social Currencies of Social Media Influencers (SMIS) Matter Purchase
Intention on Social E-Commerce Platform During COVID-19. RMC Journal of Social Science and
Humanities.

Seema Mehta, T. S. (2020). The New Consumer Behaviour Paradigm amid COVID-19: Permanent or
Transient? Journal of Health Management.

Abel, J. P., Buff, C. L., & Burr, S. A. (2016, January 14). Social Media and the Fear of Missing Out: Scale
Development and Assessment. Retrieved from Journal of Business& Economic Research:
https://clutejournals.com/index.php/JBER/article/view/9554

Adewole, A. (2020). occupational safety and well being of social workers in the era of covid-19
pandemic.

Al-Menayes, J. J. (2016, April). The Fear of Missing out Scale: Validation of the Arabic Version and
Correlation with Social Media Addiction. Retrieved from Research Gate:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301620986_The_Fear_of_Missing_out_Scale_Validation
_of_the_Arabic_Version_and_Correlation_with_Social_Media_Addiction

Cheung, M. L. (2020, September 2). Exploring consumer–brand engagement: a holistic framework.

Retrieved from Emerald Insight : https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/EBR-10-
2019-0256/full/html

Işıl Karapinar Çelik, O. E. (n.d.). The Effects of Consumers’ FoMo Tendencies On Impulse Buying and
The Effects of Impulse Buying on Post- Purchase Regret: An Investigation on Retail Stores.
Islam, T., Pitafic, A. H., Arya, V., Wang, Y., Akhtar, N., Mubarik, S., & Xiaobie, L. (2021, March). Panic
buying in the COVID-19 pandemic: A multi-country examination. Retrieved from Science Direct:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969698920313655

Yikai Yang, †. O. ( 2020 Oct 19). Consumption Trends During the COVID-19 Crisis: How Awe, Coping,
and Social Norms Drive Utilitarian Purchases.

Zhang, Z., Cicala, J. E., & Jiménez, F. R. (2020, September 13). Fear Of Missing Out Scale: A self‐
concept perspective. Retrieved from Wiley Online Library:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/mar.21406

APPENDIX
Questionnaire designed for the study

PART A

Gender Male Female Other

Age 18 - 25 26 – 34 35 - 42 42-49 50+

Private Home Government Entrepreneur

Profession Student employee employee
maker

Monthly Income <25000 26000- 51000- 71000-

100000+
(in Rs) 50000 700000 100000

PART B
1)

During the COVID-19 time, I Strongly Strongly

was afraid of losing out on agree Agree Neutral Disagree disagree
availability of products

2) Factors impacting my decision to purchase a product:

Strongly Strongly
Agree Neutral Disagree
agree disagree

Opinion of friends and family

Discounts

Brand name

Needs and requirements

Reviews and ratings

3)

I was keeping up with various Strongly Strongly

agree Agree Neutral Disagree disagree
trends on the Social media

4)

I have bought a product of a

different brand for the first
Strongly Strongly
time during this COVID time Agree Neutral Disagree
agree disagree
to keep up with various social
media trends

5) During the lockdown, I spent ______ (in Rs) on products due to the fear of missing
out on various trends
• 500-2000
• 2100-4500
• 4600-6000
• 6000+
6) There are _______ retail outlets near my house.
• 1-2
• 3-4
• 4-5
• Above 5
7) The nearest retail store is _____ (kms) from my house.
• 0-1
• 1-2
 • 2-3
• >3
8) I travelled by ______ to retail store during lockdown
• Walk
• Cycle
• Bike
• Car
9) I preferred shopping on ________ online site during the pandemic
• Amazon
• Flipkart
• Big Basket
• Others (Specify)___________

PART-C

Strongly Strongly
Agree Neutral Disagree
agree disagree

New Norms:

I preferred retail stores that followed social

distancing and other government regulations
during COVID-19.

I stocked up pharma, hygiene and other products

with a prior estimation of government restrictions
during COVID-19.

I prefer healthy and hygienic products even for

day-to-day usage (soaps, paste etc)

COVID-19 has impacted my buying behaviour in

terms of shifting from offline stores to online
shopping

Brand Name:
I often consider the brand name before knowing
the contents of the actual product.

I often prefer reputed brands even if they offer

premium pricing.

The brand name has impacted my buying

behaviour especially during COVID-19

My brand preferences have changed during the

pandemic.

I have purchased products of a particular brand

because it was gaining popularity in the market.

Reference groups:

I feel the need to buy a product because my friend

or family have it.

I have made an impulsive purchase of a product

during the lockdown because I saw celebrities and
influencers promoting the product on the internet.

I have purchased a product recommended by my

friends or family during COVID-19.

Negative reviews on a product on the internet has

influenced my buying behaviour.

I have purchased products from an online website

rather than a retail outlet since my friends and
family had recommended.

Offers and Discounts:

Offers and discounts still have an impact on my

buying patterns even during COVID-19.

I have made impulsive purchases because I did

not want to miss out on an offer more than what I
need during the pandemic.

I have purchased products of a brand because it

was on offer even though I don’t usually don’t
prefer it.
I have purchased products on offer even though I
did not need it during COVID-19.

I preferred going to retail stores that offered me

discounts.

I prefer shopping online rather than going to the

retail stores as online shopping sites provide
greater offers.

Brand Loyalty:

I prefer sticking to one particular brand rather

than switching between brands

I prefer the retail outlets that has my preferred

brand

I was anxious about the availability of my

preferred brand during COVID-19

Lockdown:

My priority has changed while shopping during

the COVID-19.

My willingness to buy a product depends on the

availability of the brand in the retail stores.

I preferred going to supermarkets and bigger retail

stores over small grocery stores and mom-and-
pop stores.

Income variation:

My income has varied since the start of the

pandemic.

The variation in my income has influenced my

purchase intentions.

I preferred products that were of lower prices.

I have been experiencing the fear of missing out
since I could not afford certain products during
the lockdown.
The type of retail stores I shop at has changed due
to the variation in my income.

Purchase Intentions:

I prefer purchasing products of my preferred

brand irrespective of prices.

I have purchased products irrespective of needing

them to keep up with social media trends during
the lockdown.
I avoid making offline purchases due to the fear
of infection.

“Buy now or you will miss out” described me

during the lockdown.

FOMO:

I tried to be optimistic during Covid-19

It bothered me when I missed out an offer

I was frightened to visit the retail stores during

Covid-19

I got into panic during a sale for fear of missing

out

I preferred different methods of shopping to not

miss out an offer

ROMO

I tried to remain calm though the demand for

products were high.

I tried to visit the nearby retail stores to buy the

needed goods

Even I switched to Online mode of shopping to

get my needed goods
I got nervous when the delivery of the products
was delayed,

I got frightened when the goods were out of stock.

Constructs and References

Constructs Original Item Revised Items Source

New Norms:

I preferred retail stores

I am taking steps to that followed social
(Yikai Yang, 2020
eliminate the problem distancing and other
Oct 19)
induced by COVID-19 government regulations
during COVID-19.

There is provision of
I stocked up pharma,
non-hazardous cleaning hygiene, and other
products products with a prior
(Adewole, 2020)
such as soap, hand estimation of
sanitizer, government restrictions
during COVID-19.
disinfectants
I prefer healthy and
I am taking steps to
hygienic products even (Yikai Yang, 2020
eliminate the problem
for day-to-day usage Oct 19)
induced by COVID-19
(soaps, paste etc)

I like to go to places COVID-19 has impacted

where I will be exposed my buying behaviour in
(Abel, Buff, & Burr,
to information about terms of shifting from
2016)
new products and offline stores to online
brands shopping

Brand Name:

I often consider the

I associate positive
brand name before
characteristics with (Cheung, 2020)
knowing the contents of
Brand X.
the actual product.
 The brand name has
Whenever I Am using
impacted my buying
smartphones, I usually (Cheung, 2020)
behaviour especially
use Brand X.
during COVID-19
I take advantage of the
first available My brand preferences
(Zhang, Cicala, &
opportunity to find out have changed during the
Jiménez, 2020)
about new and different pandemic.
products.

I have purchased
products of a particular
Brand X has a good
brand because it was (Cheung, 2020)
reputation.
gaining popularity in the
market.

Reference groups:

I fear my friends have I feel the need to buy a

more rewarding product because my (Al-Menayes, 2016)
experiences than me. friend or family have it.
I have made an
impulsive purchase of a
product during the
I often find myself
lockdown because I saw (Zhang, Cicala, &
using social media
celebrities and Jiménez, 2020)
longer than intended.
influencers promoting
the product on the
internet.
When buying
I have purchased a
products, I generally
product recommended by (Zhang, Cicala, &
purchase those brands
my friends or family Jiménez, 2020)
that I think others will
during COVID-19.
approve of
I frequently use media Negative reviews on a
sources to search for product on the internet (Zhang, Cicala, &
information about has influenced my Jiménez, 2020)
smartphones. buying behaviour.
 If other people can see I have purchased
me using a product, I products from an online
often purchase the website rather than a (Zhang, Cicala, &
brand they expect me retail outlet since my Jiménez, 2020)
friends and family had
to buy recommended.

Offers and
Discounts:
I have made impulsive
Consumers' tendency purchases because I did
of FOMO influences not want to miss out on
(Işıl Karapinar Çelik)
impulse purchasing an offer more than what I
behaviour need during the
pandemic.
I have the urge to buy I have purchased
during a sale even products of a brand
though there is because it was on offer (Işıl Karapinar Çelik)
nothing that I really even though I do not
want. usually prefer it.

I have purchased
I frequently visit stores
products on offer even
without specific (Cheung, 2020)
though I did not need it
purchasing needs.
during COVID-19.
have the habit of
visiting stores even I preferred going to retail
though my stores that offered me (Işıl Karapinar Çelik)
schedule is full for fear discounts.
of missing out.

I become anxious I prefer shopping online

during a sale and tend rather than going to the
to buy more retail stores as online (Işıl Karapinar Çelik)
shopping sites provide
than I actually need. greater offers.

Brand Loyalty:

I spent a lot of time I prefer sticking to one

using Brand X particular brand rather
(Cheung, 2020)
compared with other than switching between
brands. brands
 I prefer the retail outlets
I feel good when I use
that has my preferred (Cheung, 2020)
brand X
brand
I was anxious about the
I use Brand X the availability of my
(Cheung, 2020)
most preferred brand during
COVID-19

Lockdown:

I am continually My priority has changed

(Zhang, Cicala, &
seeking new product while shopping during
Jiménez, 2020)
experiences. the COVID-19.
My willingness to buy a
product depends on the
Scarcity of quantity (Islam, et al., 2021)
availability of the brand
in the retail stores.

I preferred going to
supermarkets and bigger
Scarcity of quantity retail stores over small (Islam, et al., 2021)
grocery stores and mom-
and-pop stores.

Income variation:

My income has varied

since the start of the (Islam, et al., 2021)
pandemic.
The variation in my
income has influenced (Islam, et al., 2021)
my purchase intentions.
I preferred products that
(Islam, et al., 2021)
were of lower prices.

I have been experiencing

the fear of missing out
Scarcity of quantity since I could not afford (Islam, et al., 2021)
certain products during
the lockdown.

The type of retail stores I

shop at has changed due
Scarcity of quantity (Islam, et al., 2021)
to the variation in my
income.
Purchase
Intentions:
I prefer purchasing
products of my preferred
Scarcity of quantity (Islam, et al., 2021)
brand irrespective of
prices.

If other people can see I have purchased

me using a product, I products irrespective of
(Zhang, Cicala, &
often purchase the needing them to keep up
Jiménez, 2020)
brand they expect me with social media trends
to buy. during the lockdown.

“Buy now or you will

"Buy now, think about
miss out” described me (Işıl Karapinar Çelik)
it later" describes me.
during the lockdown.

FOMO:

I take a positive I tried to be optimistic (Abel, Buff, & Burr,

attitude toward myself during Covid-19 2016)
(Al-Menayes, The
Fear of Missing out
When I miss out on a Scale: Validation of
It bothered me when I
planned get-together it the Arabic Version
missed out an offer
bothers me. and Correlation with
Social Media
Addiction, 2016)
Assume you are
unable to check social
I was frightened to visit
media when you want (Abel, Buff, & Burr,
the retail stores during
to. Generally, how 2016)
Covid-19
frequently do you feel
frightened?
Assume you are
unable to check social I got into panic during a
(Abel, Buff, & Burr,
media when you want sale for fear of missing
2016)
to...how frequently do out
you feel frightened?
I like to go to places
where I will be exposed I preferred different
(Zhang, Cicala, &
to information about methods of shopping to
Jiménez, 2020)
new products and not miss out an offer
brands
ROMO

I tried to remain calm

I take a positive (Abel, Buff, & Burr,
though the demand for
attitude toward myself 2016)
products were high.
I like to go to places
where I will be exposed I tried to visit the nearby
(Abel, Buff, & Burr,
to information about retail stores to buy the
2016)
new products and needed goods
brands
I like to go to places
where I will be exposed Even I switched to
(Abel, Buff, & Burr,
to information about Online mode of shopping
2016)
new products and to get my needed goods
brands
Assume you are
unable to check social
I got nervous when the
media when you want (Abel, Buff, & Burr,
delivery of the products
to. Generally, how 2016)
were delayed,
frequently do you feel
nervous?
Assume you are
unable to check social
media when you want I got frightened when the (Abel, Buff, & Burr,
to. Generally, how goods were out of stock. 2016)
frequently do you feel
frightened?