Personality traits and grocery hoarding: the Role of Openness, Agreeableness and Neuroticism

During periods of economic and social stability, retailers rarely need to address grocery hoarding. However, in times of crises, understanding the driving mechanisms behind hoarding becomes crucial. This study investigates the relationship between consumers’ personality traits and grocery hoarding in Sweden during the beginning of Covid-19, applying the Five-Factor Model of personality (FFM), which includes the five traits Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. Data were collected from a representative sample (N = 1200) via a web survey conducted between April 22 and 18 June 2020. Respondents were asked whether they bought more food and daily necessities than usual during the pandemic and the personality traits were assessed using the Big Five Inventory. Consumers with higher levels of Openness and Neuroticism, and lower levels of Agreeableness, were more likely to engage in hoarding behavior during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in Sweden. By integrating these insights into strategic planning, the retail sector can better imagine and mitigate the adverse impacts of hoarding, fostering resilience in times of uncertainty.