Author: Mihaela Cornelia Sandu

Introduction. The objective considered in the research undertaken by the authors is the investigation of students from the Faculty of Public Administration and Business at the University of Bucharest on how to use e-commerce platforms during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic crisis in 2020 from Romania. The analytical approaches focused on the frequency of use of e-commerce platforms during this period, but also compared to previous periods, the ways of accessing these platforms, the categories of products and services purchased, the typology of problems encountered in accessing and using, as well as methods of payment and delivery most frequently used.

Aim of the study. The analysis was based on a research methodology, both quantitative and qualitative, on the conditions and factors that determined the developments regarding the use of e-commerce platforms by students. The quantitative research was based on the analysis of a questionnaire containing 19 questions on the characteristics and determinants of the use of e-commerce platforms in 2020 by students. Qualitative research explores how the determinants of e-commerce use are placed in the context of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic crisis in Romania. The results of the present study highlight the leading factors that influence students’ purchases based on accessing e-commerce platforms, as well as the elements that could determine the increase in traffic within them.
Keywords: E-commerce, SARS-COV-2 pandemic, Social Media, security of payments, delivery methods
JEL Classification: C15, C51, D91, F14, M2