In Print: ‘Consumer Lessons From a Pandemic’

Publication title

Consumer Lessons From a Pandemic

Purdue authors

Nicole Olynk Widmar

Michael Smith

Erin Robinson

Publisher

Purdue University Press

Publication date

Dec. 15, 2025

About the book (from the publisher)

What did we learn about consumer behavior when the world was turned upside down due to COVID-19? “Consumer Lessons From a Pandemic” examines how a global crisis exposed and reshaped the values, priorities and decision-making patterns of everyday people. From disrupted routines to supply-chain shocks, this volume explores consumer behaviors that emerged in response to extreme uncertainty and how those behaviors continue to evolve. Topics include pandemic-induced grocery spending shifts, the importance of consumer trust, lessons from the infant-formula shortage, and the rise of remote work both as a preference and a negotiation point.

By pairing real-world behavior with research and reflection, this book highlights how crisis decision-making reveals deeper truths about consumer needs — and the fragility and resilience of the systems built to meet them. For those working in agriculture, food, retail and policy, “Consumer Lessons From a Pandemic” is both a postcrisis case study and a lasting reminder that understanding the consumer means meeting them where they are, even in the most uncertain times.

About the Purdue author

Nicole Olynk Widmar is a professor and head of the Department of Agricultural Economics. Her research and teaching focuses on farm business management and production economics. Widmar’s interdisciplinary research provides support for on-farm decision-making regarding technology adoption, analysis of producer costs and benefits associated with alternative production processes, support for management of purchased inputs, and insight into the implications of changing consumer demand and preferences for agricultural producers.

Michael Smith is a research scientist specializing in the human dimensions of resource use, applying cross-disciplinary methods in agricultural economics and the social sciences. He works in Purdue’s Department of Agricultural Economics.

Erin Robinson is a communications and marketing professional in the Department of Agricultural Economics.

About the In Print series

To celebrate our faculty’s excellence in scholarship, Purdue Today’s weekly book series highlights faculty expertise across diverse subjects and disciplines. Find out more about the Purdue University Books Initiative and how to suggest a book for the In Print series on the Office of the Provost website.