IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i5p2941-d763029.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Innovative Strategies to Fuel Organic Food Business Growth: A Qualitative Research

Author

Listed:
  • Sonia Chien-I Chen

    (School of Economics, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China)

  • Chenglian Liu

    (Department of Science and Engineering, Shiyuan College of Nanning Normal University, Nanning 530011, China)

  • Zhenyuan Wang

    (Faculty of Economics and Management, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200050, China)

  • Farid Arya

    (School of Engineering, Buckinghamshire New University, High Wycombe HP11 2JZ, UK)

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the factors affecting consumer behavior and customer loyalty toward organic food. Whether consumers seek organic food for a healthy body or more as food for thought continues to be debated. However, since consumers’ purchase habits are based on their honest life experiences, which shape the building of a brand, this study reviewed the extant literature to understand the factors influencing the purchasing behavior for organic food. The follow-up problems highlighted in the research are related to organic business marketing strategy. Based on our methodology, we conducted semi-structured interviews to gain themes for qualitative research. The study found that availability, variety, and taste were the top three factors affecting consumers’ purchase decisions; surprisingly, neither price nor health-consciousness was the first concern. Using market-led innovation as an innovative lens to understand customer loyalty, this research highlights sustainable and advantageous business practices in the organic food market to enrich the literature on organic food purchasing behavior from multiple stakeholders.

Suggested Citation

  • Sonia Chien-I Chen & Chenglian Liu & Zhenyuan Wang & Farid Arya, 2022. "Innovative Strategies to Fuel Organic Food Business Growth: A Qualitative Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-22, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:5:p:2941-:d:763029
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/5/2941/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/5/2941/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Padel, Susanne & Röcklinsberg, Helena & Schmid, Otto, 2009. "The implementation of organic principles and values in the European Regulation for organic food," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 245-251, June.
    2. Rana, Jyoti & Paul, Justin, 2017. "Consumer behavior and purchase intention for organic food: A review and research agenda," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 157-165.
    3. Eline Jongmans & Maud Dampérat & Florence Jeannot & Ping Lei & Alain Jolibert, 2019. "What is the added value of an organic label? Proposition of a model of transfer from the perspective of ingredient branding," Post-Print hal-02128199, HAL.
    4. Xuanming Su & Fuqiang Zhang, 2009. "On the Value of Commitment and Availability Guarantees When Selling to Strategic Consumers," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 55(5), pages 713-726, May.
    5. Filippini, Rosalia & De Noni, Ivan & Corsi, Stefano & Spigarolo, Roberto & Bocchi, Stefano, 2018. "Sustainable school food procurement: What factors do affect the introduction and the increase of organic food?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 109-119.
    6. Haradhan Kumar MOHAJAN, 2018. "Qualitative research methodology in social sciences and related subjects," Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People, Alliance of Central-Eastern European Universities, vol. 7(1), pages 23-48, March.
    7. Eline Jongmans & Maud Dampérat & Florence Féron Jeannot & Ping Lei & Alain Jolibert, 2019. "What is the added value of an organic label? Proposition of a model of transfer from the perspective of ingredient branding," Post-Print hal-02023496, HAL.
    8. Manuela Vega-Zamora & Manuel Parras-Rosa & Francisco José Torres-Ruiz, 2020. "You Are What You Eat: The Relationship between Values and Organic Food Consumption," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-13, May.
    9. Branka Dropulić & Zoran Krupka, 2020. "Are Consumers Always Greener on the Other Side of the Fence? Factors That Influence Green Purchase Intentions – The Context of Croatian and Swedish Consumers," Tržište/Market, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, vol. 32(SI), pages 99-113.
    10. Jianming Wang & Thuy Linh Pham & Van Thac Dang, 2020. "Environmental Consciousness and Organic Food Purchase Intention: A Moderated Mediation Model of Perceived Food Quality and Price Sensitivity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-18, January.
    11. Hwang, Jiyoung & Chung, Jae-Eun, 2019. "What drives consumers to certain retailers for organic food purchase: The role of fit for consumers’ retail store preference," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 293-306.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. András István Kun & Marietta Kiss, 2021. "On the Mechanics of the Organic Label Effect: How Does Organic Labeling Change Consumer Evaluation of Food Products?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-25, January.
    2. Greta Castellini & Mariarosaria Savarese & Cinzia Castiglioni & Guendalina Graffigna, 2020. "Organic Food Consumption in Italy: The Role of Subjective Relevance of Food as Mediator between Organic Food Choice Motivation and Frequency of Organic Food Consumption," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-15, July.
    3. Alice Falchi & Gilles Grolleau & Naoufel Mzoughi, 2022. "Why companies might under‐communicate their efforts for sustainable development and what can be done?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(5), pages 1938-1946, July.
    4. Ladwein, Richard & Sánchez Romero, Andrea Milena, 2021. "The role of trust in the relationship between consumers, producers and retailers of organic food: A sector-based approach," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    5. Daraboina, Rohini & Cooper, Orrin & Amini, Mehdi, 2024. "Segmentation of organic food consumers: A revelation of purchase factors in organic food markets," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    6. Qiuqin Zheng & Xiaoting Wen & Xintian Xiu & Qiuhua Chen, 2023. "Income Quality and Organic Food Purchase Intention: The Chain Mediating Role of Environmental Value, Perceived Consumer Effectiveness," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, December.
    7. Shahnaj Akter & Shahjahan Ali & Mária Fekete-Farkas & Csaba Fogarassy & Zoltán Lakner, 2023. "Why Organic Food? Factors Influence the Organic Food Purchase Intension in an Emerging Country (Study from Northern Part of Bangladesh)," Resources, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-19, January.
    8. László Bendegúz Nagy & Brigitta Unger-Plasek & Zoltán Lakner & Ágoston Temesi, 2023. "Confidence in organic food: a cross-country choice based conjoint analysis of credibility factors," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, December.
    9. Paydas Turan, Ceyda, 2021. "What's inside matters: The impact of ingredient branding on consumers' purchasing behaviours in services," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    10. Chandra Pant, Satish & Saxena, Raka & Gupta, N.K. & Yadav, Hema & Kumar AD, Sathyendra & Kumar Pant, Devesh, 2024. "The organic odyssey: Navigating the influence of attitude on purchase intent, mediated by perceived value, quality, and price in India," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    11. Nayeon Kim & Kyungtag Lee, 2023. "Environmental Consciousness, Purchase Intention, and Actual Purchase Behavior of Eco-Friendly Products: The Moderating Impact of Situational Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(7), pages 1-17, March.
    12. Chakraborty, Debarun & Siddiqui, Aaliyah & Siddiqui, Mujahid & Mohmmad H Alatawi, Fatmah, 2022. "Exploring consumer purchase intentions and behavior of buying ayurveda products using SOBC framework," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    13. Mosadegh Sedghy, B. & Nematollahi, Mohammadreza & Tajbakhsh, Alireza, 2024. "Market dynamics between retail channels and short food supply chains: A case of organic fruits," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    14. Jianming Wang & Thuy Linh Pham & Van Thac Dang, 2020. "Environmental Consciousness and Organic Food Purchase Intention: A Moderated Mediation Model of Perceived Food Quality and Price Sensitivity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-18, January.
    15. Ruomeng Cui & Dennis J. Zhang & Achal Bassamboo, 2019. "Learning from Inventory Availability Information: Evidence from Field Experiments on Amazon," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(3), pages 1216-1235, March.
    16. Anxin Xu & Chenwen Wei & Manhua Zheng & Lili Sun & Decong Tang, 2022. "Influence of Perceived Value on Repurchase Intention of Green Agricultural Products: From the Perspective of Multi-Group Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-17, November.
    17. Seufert, Verena & Ramankutty, Navin & Mayerhofer, Tabea, 2017. "What is this thing called organic? – How organic farming is codified in regulations," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 10-20.
    18. Adam J. Mersereau & Dan Zhang, 2012. "Markdown Pricing with Unknown Fraction of Strategic Customers," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 14(3), pages 355-370, July.
    19. Pang, Qingyun & Hao, Fei & Xiao, Honggen & Bao, Jigang, 2024. "Community empowerment: Pro-poor tourism income distribution," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    20. Mathieu Lambotte & Stephane De Cara & Valentin Bellassen, 2020. "Once a quality-food consumer, always a quality-food consumer? Consumption patterns of organic, label rouge, and geographical indications in French scanner data," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, INRA Department of Economics, vol. 101(1), pages 147-172.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:5:p:2941-:d:763029. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.