Not your Fault, but your Responsibility: Worsened Consumer Sentiment on Work-from-Home Products during COVID-19

Abstract

[EN] This study analyses the evolution of people’s sentiment towards Work from Home (WFH)-related products during the pandemic, using user-generated content from Twitter on responses for the largest US online furniture stores. The goal of this study is threefold. First, we test if Covid-19 disrupted the volume of Electronic Word of Mouth for WFH-related products and if Covid-19 changed people's sentiment toward WFH-related products. Finally, we assess which online furniture stores had a more positive or negative impact on sentiment during the covid-19 outbreak. We find that people interacted more about WFH products during the Covid-19 lockdowns, but sentiment towards WFH products worsened. For some online furniture stores, Covid-19 restrictions may explain the changes in sentiment, but firms’ idiosyncrasies also play a role. The methodology of this study allows companies to assess the impact of external effects on customers’ sentiments, allowing them to identify specific problems and to connect more naturally with their customers.