The influence of country image on purchase intentions: does Covid-19 matter?

A plethora of research has shown how country of origin is regarded as one of the most important extrinsic cues that drives consumers’ product evaluation process. This research provides important insights on the impact of country image on value perception, which is lacking in the current scholarship. This research highlights the cognitive and affective dimension of country image and how that impacts perceived value and purchase intentions. In offering fresh insights on the country image effect literature, this research also highlights the effect of Covid-19 on consumer perception of products from China, specifically in the context of electronic products. The survey was administered once in September 2019 (pre-pandemic) and again in September 2021. The results demonstrate that the influence of country image and economic value was significant for both pre and post covid consumers. However, affective dimension of country image is more influential post covid, whereas prior to the pandemic, the cognitive domain was more influential. These results have important theoretical and managerial implications for how country image is perceived by consumers and how the pandemic has shifted consumers’ perception.