Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Permanently Modified DigitalE-Commerce? Evidence from Internet vs. Mobile Transactions

Purpose – The COVID-19 pandemic represents a grand challenge that accelerated digital transformation across organizations and consumers, with lasting societal and market consequences. This study advances grand challenge management scholarship by examining the long-term durability of pandemic-induced changes in consumer behavior and retail strategies. Specifically, it investigates whether a systemic health crisis such as COVID-19 has permanently reshaped e-commerce, assessing how digital consumption patterns evolved and consolidated over time. Methodology – The study focuses on South Korea, one of the world’s largest and most digitally mature e-commerce markets. Treating COVID-19 as an external shock, productlevel fixed-effects regression models capture the pandemic’s dynamic and cumulative effects on online and mobile commerce transactions.Findings – The results show that the impact of COVID-19 on e-commerce was cumulative and path-dependent rather than immediate. The pandemic consolidated rather than merely catalyzed digital consumption, with mobile commerce emerging as the main engine of sustained growth. Consumers balanced the convenience of online shopping with the experiential value of physical stores, while mobile platforms proved to be resilient infrastructures that sustained market access during disruption. Originality – This is among the first studies to disentangle internet- and mobile-based e-commerce, revealing the centrality of mobile transactions in post-pandemic growth. Practical Implications – First, firms prioritizing mobile-friendly interfaces, appbased engagement, and seamless payment systems are better positioned to capture and retain consumer demand in the face of grand challenges such as a pandemic. Second, for traditional brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce—particularly mobile commerce— should no longer be viewed as a peripheral or short-term sales channel but as a strategic necessity. Third, retailers need to undertake phygital integration and must complement physical stores with digital touchpoints. Last, policymakers need to strengthen the digital infrastructure and regulatory frameworks that support inclusive and resilient commerce.