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PurposeThis study aims to investigate the factors that influence young consumers' purchase intention towards dietary supplements (DS) in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachThe supplement industry in Malaysia has been growing rapidly recently due to a paradigm shift in healthcare management, from curative to prevention. Thus, it has sparked interest to conduct a study on the factors that influence young consumers' purchase intentions towards DS. With a response rate of 74.5%, a survey questionnaire was used to elicit data from 149 Gen-Y respondents who consume supplements on a regular basis.FindingsThe results revealed that the influencing factors towards purchase decisions among these Gen-Y respondents aged between 17 and 25 are based on product knowledge and product quality. The implications of these findings and directions for future research are outlined at the end of this paper.Originality/valueThis study offers empirical insights from the perspective of an emerging digital economy on the factors that influence young consumers' purchase intentions towards DS in Malaysia.
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PurposeThe purpose of this paper was to determine the profile of dairy product consumers in the organic market.Design/methodology/approachThe study was based on a survey questionnaire developed by the author and administered to a total of 1,108 respondents. The statistical analysis (including descriptive statistics, the analysis of the discriminative function and the Chi2 test was performed with the use of Statistica 13.1 PL. The respondents' gender was the factor behind the differences in how they behaved.FindingsThe consumers indicated the channels they rely upon to find information on organic dairy products;in addition to trusting the opinions of their family members and experts, they also use web platforms. Further, they specified their preferred locations for buying favorite products during the pandemic: specialized organic food shops, large distribution chains and online stores.Practical implicationsThese outcomes will help in identifying target consumer segments and information channels for specific information and advertising messages. They also form an important resource for developing some potential strategies which the supply chain stakeholders could implement to promote organic consumption of dairy products.Originality/valueThis study identifies consumers' preferred dairy products;motives for purchasing organic dairy products;barriers that consumers believe exist in the market;sources of knowledge about products purchased by consumers;and consumers' preferred channels for purchasing organic dairy products. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study of dairy product consumers in the organic market in Poland.
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PurposeThis study evaluates the impact of online menus and perceived convenience of online food ordering on consumer purchase intention and shows how a desire for food creates a relationship between an online menu and a customer's purchase intention. Suggestions for management are proposed to design an effective menu to improve business performance in the competitive market in Vietnam.Design/methodology/approachThe paper follows a quantitative method. Quantitative research aims to analyze and critically evaluate the research question(s) to discover new factors.FindingsFindings indicate a positive relationship between menu visual appeal (MV), menu informativeness (MI), desire for food (DF), the perceived convenience (PC) of ordering food online and intention to purchase (PI). The attractiveness of images and information is a significant factor affecting diners' desire to eat, while the demand for food and the convenience of ordering food online are also factors affecting purchase intention.Practical implicationsThe study confirms the importance of online menus to purchase intention. Economically, when supply and demand are reasonable, the market is stable and technology develops. In terms of social, hygiene, attractiveness and price factors, it is helpful to have an overview. Research is the premise for further studies with factors from menu to customer trust.Originality/valueThe study provides a solid foundation for further studies on restaurant menu elements as well as a new perspective on how restaurants improve their dishes.
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Electronic word-of-mouth is a new form of informal communication where messages are disseminated to others using social media and other electronic platforms. This research investigates eWOM to determine its impact on the perception of brand equity and the intentions of consumers to purchase hotel services in Thailand. Using a quantitative approach and a non-probability sampling method, 410 Thai respondents aged 18 and above with relevant hotel experiences participated in this study. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used to analyze the model fit and the validity and reliability of the variables. In addition, in order to investigate the relationship between the constructs, first-order and second-order approaches were used, in which eWOM was the second-order construct in the study, while its credibility, valence, and volume, were first-order constructs. The findings indicated that eWOM positively affects all brand equity dimensions and purchase intentions, showing the strongest significant positive effect on brand awareness. Additionally, brand equity dimensions were shown to mediate the effect of eWOM on purchase intentions. Details of the analyses and discussions are included in the latter part of this paper.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many brands to stop using cosmetic testers to avoid the risk of spreading the infection, jeopardising the future of cosmetic testing. Consequently, consumers must find alternative methods to conduct their information searches and, more importantly, the prospects of shopping online without going to the store to test the product. With the enormous prospects of social media cosmetic electronic word of mouth (eWOM), it is imperative to examine the influence of cosmetic eWOM on social media and for cosmetic marketers to understand the antecedents that result in cosmetic consumers making a purchase. The adapted information adoption model was validated through structural equation modelling based on 341 eligible surveys. The results confirmed that information quality, source credibility, information usefulness, and information adoption are the key antecedents in eWOM on Instagram when investigating purchase intentions in the colour cosmetic industry. This study is one of the pioneers in empirically testing the relationship between information quality and source credibility on information usefulness and, subsequently, the relationship between information usefulness, information adoption, and purchase intentions in a western market based on the cosmetic industry. These new insights provide practical implications for a cosmetic marketer, suggesting the key variables leading to purchase intentions in cosmetic eWOM, which can be utilised in marketing techniques.
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PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the impact of scarcity and the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) consumption tendency on the purchase intention of organic foods. The study used the protection motivation theory and the stimulus-organism-response theory to understand the impact of comparatively new variables like "perceived scarcity” and "perceived consumer effectiveness” (PCE) on the consumer's organic food purchase intentions.Design/methodology/approachThe study is using structural equation modeling with 402 organic food consumers. The participants are regular consumers who bought organic food from specialized shops and supermarkets in the previous few months. The data has been collected at organic food specialized shops and supermarkets that sell organic foods.FindingsThe results showed that LOHAS consumption tendency (LCT), scarcity and PCE positively affect attitude. Similarly, LCT and PCE direct affect trust. Scarcity and PCE directly positive impact on purchase intention of organic food products. Interestingly, LCT had no direct impact on the purchase intention of the product. Trust and attitude were found to be significant mediators impacting purchase intention.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the past theoretical literature on LOHAS consumption by analyzing new constructs like scarcity and PCE in the context of organic food consumption. These findings will be crucial for marketers planning to launch organic products in new markets.
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The past events that have shaped our world, such as the COVID-19 Pandemic and the different political outcomes, entailed a scenario of major economic uncertainty in the global market that remains, particularly, in our country. Admittedly, mergers and acquisitions of companies (M&A) in Peru have also been heavily affected. However, it is the market agents' duty to find new strategies to mitigate the economic uncertainty by generating incentives through legal and financial security to the foreign and national investors. Consequently, in this article, the authors have identified the pricing mechanism, employed in Shares Purchase Agreements, as a key element in the recovery and boosting of M&A deals in the Peruvian market driven by uncertainty. Thus, the authors present the pricing mechanisms that have been traditionally used in Shares Purchase Agreements but also introduce the new trends in global pricing mechanisms that have come to stay and fit. © 2022, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru. All rights reserved.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in changes in consumer behavior and has created new opportunities and challenges for the provisioning of green products in emerging economies. The objective of this study was to identify how perceptions on COVID-19 affected the variables of planned behavior and responsible purchase intention during the pandemic in Colombia. A total of 320 consumers participated in an online survey, and the responses were analyzed using a structural equation model (SEM) and AMOS 24 statistical software. The results were positive regarding the development of better environmental awareness, indicating that COVID-19 (COV) influenced the attitude (ATT) of individuals and contributed to subjective norms (SNs) and perceived behavioral control (PBC), and that SNs and ATT influence eco-friendly purchase intention (EFPI). However, PBC does not contribute to EFPI. Colombian consumers have become aware of the importance to society of buying eco-friendly products, and planned behavior is an opportunity for organizations to formulate new portfolios relevant to the needs of the market. This is an important opportunity to sensitize consumers to the purchase of environmentally friendly products and for the identification of commercial strategies by companies that bet on the formulation and commercialization of eco-friendly portfolios that generate value for society.
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The issue of unsold homes in Malaysia has recently caused the housing developers great anxiety. The nationwide issue of unsold homes was caused by the fact that more homes were built than were purchased by customers. As a result, it is important to figure out what factors can influence potential homebuyers to make a purchase. In order to better understand this issue, the study's objective was to determine the factors that influence homebuyers' decisions in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. The study specifically sought to ascertain whether variables including quality, price, location, promotion, and corporate image had an effect on consumers' decisions to purchase homes. Since the nation was dealing with the Covid-19 outbreak, which made face-to-face questionnaire distribution on the ground nearly impossible to carry out, 382 respondents from Kota Bharu, Kelantan, participated in this study through questionnaires disseminated using the Google Form technique. This study used the Principal Axis Factor and Promax Rotation to evaluate the instruments. Before doing a bootstrapped regression analysis, all seven multiple regression assumptions were examined and verified. The findings showed that only location and promotion variables were positive and significantly influencing the house buying decision. These findings led to a number of strategy recommendations that helped the industry develop the best plans for boosting upcoming sales. It is hoped that by identifying the variables influencing homebuyers' purchasing decisions, housing developers can get an understanding of this phenomenon and be better able to plan and build homes that will live up to buyers' expectations. © 2023 by MIP.
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We examine the impact of the Bank of Japan's exchange traded fund (ETF) purchases on two aspects of market efficiency—long-range dependence and price delay—of the TOPIX and Nikkei 225 indices. An increase in ETF purchases results in lower long-range dependence for both indices while the impact on the price delay varies according to index and measure. A sub-period analysis shows that the impact on market efficiency varies over time, with the dominant pattern being a delayed harmful effect, followed by a positive impact and thereafter a negative effect. The implications of these findings are discussed.
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With additional safety protocols required in the manufacturing environment, gatherings of large people generally prohibited, and onsite inspections limited due to restricted travel, ensuring quality throughout the supply chain from raw material to API is more challenging. Employee safety is always a priority for Thermo Fisher Scientific, and since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic the company has focused on protecting their health and safety while continuing to serve the needs of its customers, according to Vice President of Drug Substance Quality, Ben Gerlach. [...]of the support, flexibility, and discipline of our colleagues and supply chain partners, as well as the IT infrastructure available, all Thermo Fisher API manufacturing sites have remained operational since the start of the pandemic with continued GMP compliance," Gerlach remarks. Expanding our footprint and ensuring supply chain redundancy has enabled us to minimize the risk of supply chain interruptions and work with partners efficiently," he explains. Because of the circumstances connected with COVID-19, Ross also stresses that it is extremely important to frequently engage with supply chain partners to ensure that Cambrex understands the impact of the pandemic on their businesses and any potential downstream effects on Cambrex's unit operations that might ensue.
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Automotive industry is significant for Indonesian economy with more than 1.5 million workers directly and indirectly involved in it. COVID-19 pandemic affected the industry and government's economic stimulation is a short-term remedy and companies need a longer-term remedy. One of the possible solutions is by better understanding the customers. In recent years, customers' awareness of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability is increasing. Previous research showed that there is relationship between those variables with purchase intention. This research tested relationship between corporate social responsibility and sustainability with purchase intention. From 561 samples consisted of several provinces of Indonesia were gathered during January - February 2021. Analysis was performed using Partial Least Square technique and the result showed there is a significant relationship between CSR with purchase intention and we also found that the important indicators are legal and morality. This research also found no significant relationship between sustainability and purchase intention. Future research can take insights from this research and perform deeper analysis on these topics. Automotive companies must understand their customers preferences more and increase the impact of their CSR to society. © 2023 Author(s).
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With the expansion of internet penetration and the adoption of mobile apps, usage of food delivery applications has increased significantly during the pandemic. The study's main objective was to examine the antecedents and consequences of food delivery app engagement among urban and semi-urban customers in India during COVID-19. The data were collected from 269 semi-urban respondents and 301 urban respondents. The stimulus organism and response (SOR) model has been used to understand consumers' antecedents and consequences of food delivery app engagement during the pandemic. The study used the structural equation modelling method to test the relationship between the variables. The study's findings showed that the mobile application's perceived ease of use, enjoyment, and time convenience found a significant effect among urban and semi-urban customers. This study is limited to urban and semi-urban customers with cross-sectional survey data. The study has explored a few antecedents and consequences of mobile food delivery app engagement.
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PurposeMeal ordering apps (MOAs) have transformed the customers' dining habits, particularly during mobility restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the theoretical cover of the extended stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model, this paper attempts to explore the critical antecedents and outcomes of customer MOA engagement which predict the continuous purchase intentions using these apps. A multigroup analysis is conducted to investigate the difference between the hypothesized relationships between the Chinese and Indonesian consumers.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-method approach, including a systematic literature review, an open-ended essay (qualitative) with 139 MOA users and an online survey (quantitative) with 1,207 MOA users in total, was used for hypotheses testing.FindingsThe structural equation model results revealed that customer MOA experience factors such as mobile online reviews (MR), food quality (FQ), restaurant reputation (RR), service quality and system quality (SyQ) are the absolute positive factors that influence customer MOA cognitive, affective and behavioral engagement, which in turn affect continuous purchase intentions. The multigroup analysis results reveal that Chinese customers prioritized MR and FQ for customer MOA engagement (cognitive, affective and behavioral). Comparatively, Indonesian customers placed most importance on RR and SyQ.Originality/valueConsidering a market-specific setting and based on the extended SOR framework, this study is one of the first to take a comprehensive look at the critical antecedents and outcome of multidimensional customer MOA engagement in the developing countries' (China and Indonesia) online to offline meal delivery context. Further, this study investigates the customer continuous purchase intentions as an outcome of MOA engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings also reveal the differences in consumer behavior across the two developing but culturally diverse countries samples during the pandemic.
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COVID-19 has caused a serious impact on the global economy. Effectively stimulating consumption has become a momentous mission in responding to the impact of the epidemic. The popularity of mobile shopping makes shopping behavior no longer limited by time and space, so impulse purchase is more commonly seen nowadays; it can effectively promote residents' consumption. However, consensus has not been reached regarding how impulse purchase emerges as a phenomenon, thus making it difficult to promote consumers' purchase behavior. This article aims to explore the generation process of consumers' impulsive purchase intention during the COVID-19 outbreak from the perspective of system users. For this purpose, the research proposes three mobile situation factors: personalized recommendation, visual appeal, and system usability. They have a positive impact on impulse purchase intention by influencing perceived arousal and perceived enjoyment. The experimental method is used for data collection and hypothesis testing. All the hypotheses are supported. And the theoretical value of the model of "mobile environment stimulation-consumer emotion-impulse purchase intention" is confirmed. Based on the conclusion, management suggestions are proposed for mobile shopping merchants from the perspective of improving consumers' shopping experience and expanding marketing.
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E-commerce is creating growth opportunities for e-retailers, especially during the Covid-19 outbreak. It increases the perceptions of both providers and customers toward their shopping convenience. In 2021, Vietnam became one of the fastest-growing countries among Southeast Asia's Internet economies. However, both scholars and management practitioners have argued the inconsistent assessments of the factors affecting customer purchase behavior in online settings. Thus, this study aims to identify the critical factors influencing customer behavioral intention toward e-commerce websites that were adopted from well-established models and relevant literature. The online survey was the data collection method. All items were measured through a 5-point Likert scale. This study proposed and analyzed a conceptual framework using existing survey data from 312 samples in the context of online buying via e-commerce websites. Data were analyzed by using the statistical tool SPSS. The results indicated that factors including perceived usefulness, transaction security, perceived ease of use, trust, and subjective norm positively influence customer shopping intention. The results revealed the most prominent impact of the transaction security on customer purchase intention. Besides, perceived risk is a significant barrier in online shopping through e-commerce websites. The researchers have brought practical insights and made conceptual contributions by extending existing research on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and theory of planned behavior (TPB) regarding online shopping on the e-commerce website. The paper helps to validate and strengthen the importance of customer purchase intention in an e-shopping environment. The findings would help e-commerce providers be able to formulate specific strategies to increase customer usage significantly. Moreover, managers can focus their attention and resources on the greatest significant factors regarding their effects on behavioral intention.
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PurposeThis research aims to analyse the variables related to the purchase intention of COVID-19 rapid tests in Monterrey, Mexico's metropolitan area.Design/methodology/approach The chosen method was probit regression. The results show that purchase intention depends on the consumer's perceived value and the perception of having a potential contagion and/or presenting symptoms related to the virus. Regarding limitations, the sampling method used in this investigation is a nonprobabilistic convenience approach delivered through a digital platform, which may not be the first option in other contexts.FindingsThe findings indicate that the probability of the purchase intention of rapid COVID tests increases when consumers perceive symptoms of the disease and when they have higher education or are female rather than concerning price or income, as suggested by classical demand theory.Research limitations/implicationsProbabilistic sampling was impossible due to the difficulty of collecting surveys during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, a nonprobabilistic sample of a representative random selection of different zip codes from the responses received was considered.Originality/valueThe originality of the paper is its contribution to consumer behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Latin American context.
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Due to the major shift in online purchasing during the COVID-19 lockdown, celebrity endorsement marketing has gained traction. Concurrently, COVID-19 has also transformed consumers' attitudes toward using eco-friendly products, such as green skincare products, to ensure a healthier lifestyle. This study developed a comprehensive framework based on the stimuli-organism-response theory and the parasocial interaction theory to empirically evaluate the impact of celebrities' credibility attributes and consumers' interests in celebrities on their attitudes towards advertisements for endorsed green skincare products, their intentions to make a purchase, and their willingness to pay a premium price for these products. 778 Malaysian consumers participated in the online survey, and their responses were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results showed the positive effects of credibility traits (trustworthiness - ß = 0.100, p-value = 0.026; exquisite personality - ß = 0.075, p-value = 0.028; dignified image - ß = 0.152, p-value = 0.001; expertise - ß = 0.221, p-value <0.001), and customer attention to celebrities (ß = 0.184, p-value <0.001) on their attitudes toward endorsed advertisements. Likewise, credibility features (exquisite personality - ß = 0.116, p-value = 0.002; dignified image - ß = 0.112, p-value = 0.017; expertise - ß = 0.207, p-value <0.001) and customers' companionship with celebrities (ß = 0.142, p-value = 0.001) also have a significant positive impact on attitudes towards brands. Finally, consumers' purchasing intentions and willingness to pay premium prices for green skincare products were strongly influenced by their attitude toward advertising (ß = 0.484, p-value <0.001) and brands (ß = 0.326, p-value <0.001). Evidently, the findings of this study may help players in the cosmetics industry enhance their marketing and promotion tactics for eco-friendly beauty and personal care products.
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Purpose: The main objective of this research is to investigate the factors that influence consumer purchase decisions for halal products before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on the Engel-Kollat-Blackwell (EKB) theory. Design/methodology/approach: The research was conducted as a survey. The influencing factors were determined based on the grey relational analysis (GRA) approach. Findings: The findings indicate before the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers mainly purchased halal products based on four key factors: purchasing experience, certification label, Internet searches and past consumption experience. However, during the pandemic, the ranking and factors have changed to six indicators, which are past consumption experience, purchasing experience, certification labels, standardized specifications, Internet searches and halal certification labels. Research limitations/implications: The study was limited by the sample size and geographical area. Nevertheless, the findings could be further explored by expanding related theories toward understand human decisions based on spiritual beliefs. Practical implications: The findings of this study have important implications for research, practice and society. Understanding the factors influencing halal purchase decisions before and during the pandemic can help businesses, policymakers and halal certification bodies to better cater to consumers' needs and preferences and ensure the continued growth and development of the halal industry. Originality/value: This study evaluates halal purchasing decisions between periods of certainty and uncertainty by using the GRA. Changes in halal consumption and purchase decisions in response to COVID-19 pandemic have become an emerging topic of discovery. The study addresses the gap in the literature regarding changes in consumer decision pattern. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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Product scarcity can influence purchase decisions, but this relationship is multifaceted due to the influence of various cues. This study aims to integrate knowledge of this subject through a meta-analysis. The findings suggest that the likelihood of purchasing a scarce product is greater under (i) scarcity conditions of excessive demand (rather than restricted supply) and variety (rather than a category), but not urgency (limited quantity and limited time) scarcity, and (ii) product conditions of enduring luxuries (as opposed to transitory luxuries) and the presence (rather than absence) of social signaling and seasonality. From a theoretical standpoint, this study offers a typology of product and scarcity cues and employs a meta-analysis to enhance our understanding of the relationships between product scarcity, product and scarcity cues, and purchase decisions, resulting in the establishment of a heterogeneous theory of product scarcity. From a managerial standpoint, the study suggests that product scarcity can affect purchase decisions and can be ethically utilized as a marketing strategy.