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Labelling or not: influence of food retailer's approaching the expiration date labelling on consumers' patronage intention

Yifan Tang (Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China)
Yiting Kuang (Wuhan College, Wuhan, China)
Han Li (Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China)
Binbin Cao (Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China)
Ping Qing (Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China)

British Food Journal

ISSN: 0007-070X

Article publication date: 10 November 2021

Issue publication date: 9 August 2022

274

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of food retailer's Approaching the Expiration Date (AED) labelling on consumers' retailer-related response. Specifically, the main effect of food retailer's AED labelling on consumers' patronage intention, the mediation effect of food retailer's concern for consumers and the boundary condition of this effect are explored. The selected context of research is that food retailers are reluctant to stick an AED label on nearly expired food due to negative effect on selling them.

Design/methodology/approach

Two separate pretests and two separate experiments have been conducted to investigate the influence of food retailer's AED labelling on patronage intention. Pretest 1 develops the stimulus material of food retailer's AED labelling. Study 1 investigates the influence of AED labelling on patronage intention and mediation effect of consumers' perception of retailer's concern for consumers. Pretest 2 develops the stimulus material of government regulation on food retailer's AED labelling. Study 2 explores the boundary condition of the positive effect, namely the moderation effect of whether retailer's AED labelling is voluntary or mandatory.

Findings

The main findings of this research highlight the positive influence of food retailer's AED labelling on consumers' patronage intention. In addition, the current research reveals the underlying mechanism food retailer's concern for consumers and the boundary condition whether the AED labelling is voluntary or mandatory.

Originality/value

Although previous researches has explored the effect of food retailer's AED labelling on consumers' response, most of them focus on consumer purchase intention of the nearly expired food and neglect its effect on consumers' food retailer-related response. It is a need for food retailer to explore the potential positive influence of food retailer's AED labelling on consumers' patronage intention.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Funding: This research was funded by a Cooperative Research Key Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers, grant number 71561147001.

Citation

Tang, Y., Kuang, Y., Li, H., Cao, B. and Qing, P. (2022), "Labelling or not: influence of food retailer's approaching the expiration date labelling on consumers' patronage intention", British Food Journal, Vol. 124 No. 9, pp. 2817-2832. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-03-2021-0318

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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