Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Online Shopping and Travel Behaviour: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The topic presented in the paper is on time and still important. In the reviewed paper, the Authors presented the problem of understanding the impact of a covid-19 pandemic on online shopping and travel behavior using a structural equation modeling approach. The Authors eight variables were identified that describe socio-demographic status, COVID-related behavior, online shopping variables, and travel behavior. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach was adopted to analyze the relationships between these variables. A conceptual model was formed by devising hypothetical relationships, and then the validity and reliability of the model were evaluated using SEM tools. Among the theoretical relationships, 17 were verified. It was found that socio-demographic status directly affects the COVID-related variables, influencing online shopping variables. As a result, it was inferred that during the pandemic, people’s daily travel habits had been affected by their inclinations toward online shopping, and the more people are aware of COVID-19 and feel responsible about the pandemic, the more they are persuaded to shop online instead of in-person shopping. In my opinion, the paper can be published, after taking into account the following remarks:

- in the "Keywords" section, the keyword "economic aspects of sustainability" should be added,

- at the end of the Introduction section, the Authors should shortly write what was the main aim of the paper as well as, what was contained in each paper section,

- in the Introduction section, the Authors described issues connected with changes caused in various aspects of life in connection with the covid-19 pandemic, including among others, temporary restrictions on social and economic activities during this pandemic, trade changes, and traffic restrictions. It is all true, but the Authors should also mention the fact that changes in shopping patterns (from stationary to online) and travel behavior have strongly influenced the distribution of road traffic on the transport network. Authors should mention about it, thus referring to the latest research works in this area, e.g. "Extracting road traffic volume in the city before and during covid-19 through video remote sensing", doi 10.3390 / rs13122329; "The Impacts of COVID-19 and Policies on Spatial and Temporal Distribution Characteristics of Traffic: Two Examples in Beijing", doi.org/10.3390/su14031733. One short paragraph in the Introduction section will be enough,

- at the end of the subsection called "2.1 Theoretical background" a few sentences should be added with conclusions from the presented literature review,

- on the figure called "Figure 1. The conceptual model of the study" the captions located in the blue balls are too small and because of it difficult for reading,

- lines from 221-224: do the Authors check if the gathered number of questionnaires fulfills the required number of sample data for conducting the statistical analysis?

- table called "Table 4. The Forner-Larker Matrix" is not formatted according to the Sustainability journal requirements. It should be improved,

- is like follows "5. Conclusion", should be like follows "5. Conclusions",

- some more detailed conclusions dedicated to the obtained final model should be provided in the conclusions section.

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

we have replied to your valuable comments in the attached PDF. We truly appreciate your time.

Best.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

This paper uses SEM to study impact of COVID-19  pandemic on online shopping and travel behavior, which is a topic of research significance. Dividing the relevant factors of COVID-19 into awareness, attitude and practice seems to be the biggest innovation of this article. It is necessary to add an explanation of the difference between the indexes of the three.

The questionnaire was distributed among 330 respondents, of which 274 were valid. It is necessary to explain the time and place (online or offline) of issuing the questionnaire and how to screen the recipients.

 

The paper only calculates the R2 of each variable on the predicted behavior. It is suggested to put all the variables together and then do a regression to see the total R2.

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

we have replied to your valuable comments in the attached PDF. We truly appreciate your time.

Best.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

The article entitled Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Online Shopping and Travel Behavior: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach presents a topical issue in the present context.

However several improvements that I resume below might be necessary in order to qualify this paper for publication in Sustainability journal.

Despite its pregnant theoretical approach the study has undoubtedly a geographical dimension as the conceptual model was applied and verified in a very real context which is not known to the reader.

1.                   Therefore I first recommend that an entire CONSISTENT chapter/subchapter describing the study area to be included in the paper, which should describe the role of travelling  and of shopping for the region/city (?). References to the socio-demographic consumers / travelers to the region, to COVID-19 context in the region are of great help so as to understand the context of the study as the authors express themselves in the conclusions that “the results of this study are limited by the geographical and cultural attributes of the sample population and the regulations applied to the studied geographical zone.”

The authors also express other concluding remarks which are not well supported in the absence of such a study area chapter (e.g. “The findings of this study revealed that people’s inner-city travel behaviour is affected by their position on online shopping”)

The detailed description and also the mapping of the main elements/ characteristics of the study area with impact for the study is so essential.

2.                   The geographical dimension of the study already described in a separate chapter according to the above suggestion would also make possible the adding of extra comments / more in depth debates and discussions of the study’ s findings. I therefore recommend also addressing the influence of the study case particularities on certain results when formulating the discussions (Chapter 4).

3.                   Methods should be better described…where, how, by whom, to whom and when questionnaires were distributed. All these questions should be carefully considered when describing methodology….

4.                   The respondent’s sample structure and characteristics are also entirely missing. According to their balancing …respondents may be also an essential influencer on the results…and may offer lower or higher credibility to the results

5.                   Further quotations should be added …maybe from other authors not only autocitations for methodology and its variables. It is also important to cite studies which comment on different variables influence on shopping and travel behaviour within or not in the covid-19 context as sometimes certain topics were not necessarily covered within this period.

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

we have replied to your valuable comments in the attached PDF. We truly appreciate your time.

Best.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

This paper has correct all my comments already, the content has better than I read first time.

After my double-checked, I think this paper is suitable to be published on the journal. 

But, I would like to encourage author, should be more effort to check again. 

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

We are glad about your feedback. We do appreciate your time and consideration.

Reviewer 3 Report

The second version of the article entitled Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Online Shopping and Travel Behavior: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach was improved and answered to a large extent previous comments.

The points 1 and 2 of my first report were however skipped by the corrections of the new version of the article and I would try to reformulate them below considering that this adding would bring a plus value to the paper.

 

FIRST RECOMMENDATION

I recommended the authors an introductory chapter/subchapter that should explain the phenomenon of travel / traffic and of on-line shopping before Covid-19 in the context of Teheran (now we know the study was performed there).

The two lines of general data about total population and administrative function of Teheran placed in the methodological chapter are too broad and not enough. As already expressed in the first report this chapter or introductory paragraphs would offer the reader an idea about the characteristics of the two elements analysed by the study: transport and shopping and about its regional social and cultural patterns existing before COVID-19 pandemic.

This part should refer to aspects of shopping or traffic issues in Iran particularly for Teheran or, if not existing, from similar urban agglomerations in South-West and/or South Asia and could be enriched by citations of reference studies, project reports etc. which sustain different ideas/elements and if possible could also contain a map (illustrating some of the mentioned aspects).

 

SECOND RECOMMENDATION

This recommendation is connected to the previous one. The authors are invited to enlarge their discussions and motivate part of their affirmations generated by the results of the study in concrete terms related to the specific context which should be also explained in the introductory part.

 

This contextualization would also very much help understand the necessity of the study, its limits and further propose research issues influenced by the specific regional patterns of the analyzed phenomenon.

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

Thanks for the feedbacks. We have tried to modify the paper based on your comment. The detailed answer to each of your comment is attached.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 3

Reviewer 3 Report

The latest version was much improved and qualifies to be published in Sustainability journal.

For the new chapter entitled study area I highly recommend to introduce few quotations (could be also repports or media press articles - from where figures and percentages already stated were taken).

VERY IMPORTANT Please don't forget to indicate also graphic and/or data source for Figure 1.

Author Response

Thanks for time.

The document that is attached contains our responses to the comments.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf