Journal of Consumer Behaviour最新文献

The number of mobile phone apps downloads, especially those in the food and drink category, is growing worldwide. Such growth in digitalisation has brought the food industry and retailers to try and understand consumers new shopping needs and preferences to offer the best virtual experience to purchase food online. Past research rarely explore the features of the currently available apps for purchasing and consumption of agro-food products compared with consumers' perception, barriers and drivers of online purchasing. The present research aims to fill this gap, in three steps. First, investigating consumers' perceptions of apps currently available for food purchasing and consumption, as well as drivers and barriers towards of online food purchasing and towards online food shopping from (peri)urban initiatives using the theory of consumer values as a theoretical framework (Study 1). Second, analysing the features of existent apps used at (peri)urban level and/or supporting (peri)urban food purchasing and consumption adopting the technology acceptance model as a theoretical framework (Study 2). Third, cross-analysing consumer needs emerging from the survey with apps features. Quantitative data elaboration included a cluster analysis to group apps based on their features, and principal component analysis to identify consumers' key barriers and drivers. Results support how the desire to eat fresh and seasonal food is the main driver for buying from (peri)urban agriculture initiatives, whereas a more rational and aware food consumption are the drivers for choosing online over in person shopping. The most common type of apps are those aimed at food delivery, and those selling and buying food and providing food information. Restaurants and cafes are the main market channels for consumers' food online purchasing. When consumer needs (Study 1) and apps features (Study 2) are compared, a mismatch of the two emerges. Sustainability food profile and information on seasonal food are consumers' favourite features, but they are present in a limited number of apps. Results provide insights for marketing strategies and future research.

The metaverse is emerging as a focal point for technological advancement, social interaction, and commerce. Despite brands' enthusiasm for establishing a presence in the metaverse, consumer adoption remains modest, with the initial hurdle being avatar creation. To better understand why consumers are hesitant to engage in the metaverse, this study focuses on avatars as virtual representations of self, particularly during the stage of avatar creation. Drawing on theories of self-presentation and identity formation, this research investigates how users conceptualise and express their virtual avatars. Through a series of in-depth semi-structured interviews, we propose an integrated framework that illustrates how consumers engage in a complex avatar creation process consisting of consolidation, exploration, affirmation, and aspiration. Further, our insights show that avatars serve as extensions of real-world identities, as well as how this impacts consumption behaviour. These insights are valuable for marketers aiming to develop actionable consumer-centric metaverse strategies, and researchers investigating consumer behaviour within immersive consumption environments.

Consumers find it increasingly compelling to immerse themselves in the metaverse, a trend that will likely continue. Although the metaverse has retailing potential, understanding empirically its effects on consumer behavior is still underexplored. Our study investigating consumer interactions in this hyper-connected shopping environment uses scenario-based data from 262 consumers and a multimethod quantitative approach to examine the integrative behavioral model, revealing consumer perceptions of metaverse affordances, their impact on self-efficacy, and the role of trust, immersion, and flow experiences in participation in metaverse shopping platforms. Perceived enjoyment emerges as a critical driver of consumer participation. This study provides convincing empirical evidence of the drivers specific to consumer metaverse experiences, going beyond the current understanding of consumer behavior in the metaverse shopping context, mainly at the conceptual level. The findings provide actionable insights for metaverse practitioners to enhance consumer engagement.

Green, organic, ecological or sustainable are common adjectives used to characterise food that is produced and processed in harmony with natural systems and cycles. The research analysed the inherent drivers behind consumers' preference for organic food and investigated how these drivers influence the prominence of organic products within consumers' shopping baskets. The investigation also dealt with the difference between intended and effective purchase of organic products, as well as the moderating effect of intrinsic motivation on the weight of organic products in consumers' basket of goods. To achieve this, there was examined a sample of 627 respondents gathered through an online panel survey. Cross-tabulation and one-way analysis of variance for data analysis were used. The findings revealed that consumers are intrinsically motivated to opt for organic food, which leads to a substantial increase in the proportion of organic items within their shopping baskets and a heightened willingness to allocate more of their budget to such products. This study furnishes empirical evidence underscoring the inherent factors propelling organic food consumption and the significance of comprehending the driving forces that shape consumer behaviour. The outcomes of this study augment the existing body of knowledge pertaining to organic food consumption and provide implications for retailers, policymakers and marketing strategists vested in advancing the cause of organic food.

With the rising popularity of immersive virtual reality (iVR) technologies, retailers are increasingly seeking innovative ways to create unique digital shopping experiences for their consumers. However, existing literature lacks a unified and comprehensive review that examines the interplay between virtual stimuli and consumer behavior in iVR shopping environments. To fill this gap, we conducted a systematic literature review, employing the Stimulus-Organisms-Responses (S-O-R) model as the underlying theoretical framework. This review analyzed empirical research on consumer behavior in iVR retail environments by focusing on experimental studies. Following the thematic analysis, we categorized the outcomes into descriptive themes to better comprehend consumer behavior within each theme. Our findings provide valuable insights for retailers and marketers aiming to enhance the consumer shopping experience using iVR technologies and suggest directions for future research.

The onset of COVID-19 resulted in unprecedented shopping behavior, leading to product scarcity and empty store shelves, making consumers shift towards purchasing private-label store brands. In this research, we aim to understand the role of the pandemic in influencing the preference for private-label products. Using secondary data, we offer longitudinal evidence that although national and private-label brand sales increased equally during the peak pandemic period, the growth rate for national brands subsided in the post-pandemic years, but that of private-label brands sustained its upward trend. Further, using experimental design, we test this phenomenon and find that greater availability of private-label brands during the pandemic resulted in higher perceived brand-helpfulness, which evoked brand attachment and persuaded the customers to continue repurchasing. Our research thus contributes by providing unique insights that can help brands strategize effectively and ensure continued brand attachment in the post-pandemic period, and additionally, help brands retain customers and foster loyalty during crises.

Existing literature on gift-giving mainly views gifts and blessings as intertwined into a single entity. Our research, however, has found that visual blessing frames—visual boundaries that encircle the blessing text—can separate blessings from gifts and emphasize the blessings, thereby satisfying givers who choose gifts for interpersonally distant recipients. Across three experiments (involving a total of 1228 participants) via the Credamo platform, we explored the interplay between visual blessing frames and giver-recipient interpersonal distance on gift evaluation. Specifically, when choosing gifts for interpersonally distant recipients, givers favor gifts adorned with visual blessing frames over those without such designs; however, this effect is attenuated when choosing gifts for close recipients. Moreover, we demonstrate that this effect is driven by givers' perception that visual blessing frames strengthen blessings. These findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge on visual frames and gift-giving, while also offering practical implications for gift packaging designers.

For the past 10 years, a new genre of media content called ASMR has been growing rapidly in popularity. ASMR is described as a pleasurable tingling sensation usually triggered by different audio-visual signals, performed by so-called ASMRtists. These triggers have been shown to lead to increased parasocial identification with ASMRtists as well as a stronger commitment to their marketing messages. Yet so far, the effectiveness of ASMR marketing has not been directly compared to the effectiveness of typical influencer marketing. Using two consecutive 2 × 2 experiments among 408 consumers, this study compares the effect of a sponsorship message of two ASMRtists with two YouTube influencers. The results show that ASMR can be induced even by short, sponsored messages and that it positively influences the perception of both the advertised brand and the ASMRtist presenting it. Hence, ASMRtists are suitable brand ambassadors for marketers looking to reach an underserved online community.

The growing trend towards organic food consumption (OFC) due to health, environmental, and other concerns necessitates the need for systematic research in this area. Analyzing 783 articles listed in the Scopus database from 1991 to 2022, this systematic study was conducted with the most updated guidelines laid by avid and prominent researchers in the field of bibliometrics to review the evolution of trends and themes in OFC globally. The study synthesized the existing research on OFC and identified gaps in knowledge using performance analysis, science mapping, and content analysis. Purchase intentions, health consciousness, attitudes to OFC, the theory of planned behavior (TPB), green marketing, and environmental concerns emerged as the growing concepts across the themes and clusters in the recent period. Importantly, based on the analyzed literature, the study also maps out possible research topics for future research that could help improve the research trajectory in the OFC field. Overall, the study provides helpful resources for researchers, particularly new scholars, in the field of OFC.

The rise of the metaverse brings about a host of changes for consumers, impacting various aspects of their online experiences, personal and professional relationships, and overall welfare. Consumers are increasingly mindful of sustainability in their online and offline activities. Thus, users will become aware of sustainable solutions for their virtual engagement. Additionally, there is growing pressure on consumers, corporations, and governments to adopt sustainable practices due to mounting concerns about climate change. The United Nations has responded to these concerns by setting Sustainable Development Goals. In this context, our research combines these goals with the dimensions of the metaverse, leading to the identification of the Sustainable Dimensions of the Metaverse. In the context of research and practice implications, we illustrate how the proposed framework can be harnessed to promote a more sustainable future for society. Ultimately, we urge all stakeholders involved in the metaverse to integrate sustainability considerations from the outset of its development. Addressing sustainability concerns retroactively may present challenges and prove to be substantially more complex and resource-intensive.