The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the behavioral consumption of ice-cream

The outbreak caused by Covid-19 changed the Italian behavioral consumption of all types of food with no exclusion. The focus of this analysis is to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on the gelato industry. To this purpose, the thesis presents the results of the research project Consumption of Gelato and the Effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic carried out within the AgriFood Management and Innovation Lab at Ca’Foscari University. The project started with the administration of a questionnaire during the summer of 2020, immediately after the Italian national lockdown. Based on the answers of a sample of 2511 Italian respondents, the study identifies the factors that influenced the consumer behavior of gelato lovers the most, allowing a comparison between past and current trends. The data collected allowed the development of both a bivariate analysis, that combined the factors with the demographic variables, and a cluster analysis, that grouped respondents’ characteristics according to their personal preferences. The sample was questioned on another related issue – the delivery services. Due to the enforced restrictions, businesses in the sector were forced to find new ways to sell their products directly to consumers’ homes. The research explains the reaction of consumers to the raise in availability of the home delivery services.