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1 – 10 of over 48000Karen Brown, Heather McIlveen and Christopher Strugnell
The need for effective nutritional education for young consumers has become increasingly apparent given their general food habits and behaviour, particularly during adolescence…
Abstract
The need for effective nutritional education for young consumers has become increasingly apparent given their general food habits and behaviour, particularly during adolescence. Aims to analyse the interaction between young consumers’ food preferences and their nutritional awareness behaviour, within three environments (home, school and social). Preliminary findings in this study would indicate that the perceived dominance of this home, school and social interaction appears to be somewhat overshadowed by the young consumers, developing “independence” trait, particularly during adolescent years. This appears to be reflected in their food preferences within the associated three environments. Suggests that such food preferences are often of a “fast food”‐style and consequently the food habits of many young consumers may fuel the consumption of poor nutritionally balanced meals. While young consumers were aware of healthy eating, their food preference behaviour did not always appear to reflect such knowledge, particularly within the school and social environments.
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Christine Ye and Yuna Kim
Advances in digital technologies coupled with the shift toward sustainable consumption present promising opportunities for luxury fashion brands to engage younger consumers. To…
Abstract
Purpose
Advances in digital technologies coupled with the shift toward sustainable consumption present promising opportunities for luxury fashion brands to engage younger consumers. To this end, this paper aims to provide a forward-looking approach to creating luxury experiences targeted toward young consumers by proposing a new experience consumption framework.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents a viewpoint on creating luxury experiences that address the changing dynamics of the luxury industry by responding to the disruptive surge of young consumers and their growing preference for digital connections.
Findings
The authors develop a new experience consumption framework which demonstrates how luxury brands can successfully engage young consumers and fulfill their desire to share experiences with others by leveraging sustainable participation and digital technologies. The framework identifies different sustainable and digitally immersive experiences that luxury brands can incorporate for their young consumers.
Originality/value
This paper offers important managerial insights for luxury fashion brand marketers and identifies future research opportunities to advance knowledge in this field.
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Fei Fan, Lin Fu and Qinghua Jiang
This study aims to examine how young consumers perceive the advertising effectiveness of endorsements by virtual idols and how endorsements by virtual idols differ from…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine how young consumers perceive the advertising effectiveness of endorsements by virtual idols and how endorsements by virtual idols differ from endorsements by real human celebrities such as traditional celebrities and online influencers.
Design/methodology/approach
An experimental study was conducted with 400 randomly selected young respondents in China in December 2022. A 3 × 2 factorial design was used to test how the type of celebrity endorser and level of product involvement influence the persuasiveness of advertising aimed at young adults. Among 400 respondents, the average age was 21.5 years. A total of 193 male and 207 female respondents participated in the experiment.
Findings
Young consumers find virtual idols, online influencers and traditional celebrities attractive. Although virtual idols are the least credible among the three types of celebrity endorsers, young consumers tend to be more convinced by their endorsements of products with low levels of consumer involvement than those with high levels of involvement. Among the three types of celebrity endorsements, young consumers find traditional celebrities the most effective. In addition, young consumers’ attitudes toward celebrity endorsers mediate the impact of celebrity endorsers’ attractiveness and credibility on their attitudes toward the advertisements. The perceived level of product involvement moderates the transfer of meaning from the attitude toward the celebrity endorsers to the attitude toward the advertisement.
Practical implications
First, when choosing celebrity endorsers to advertise products targeting young consumers, marketing communication practitioners should give priority to the endorsers’ perceived credibility, as young consumers have a variety of views about them that can significantly affect their attitudes toward the advertisement. Second, real human celebrity endorsers are more effective than virtual idols in celebrity endorsements. However, virtual idols may be suited for use in advertisements to promote products with low involvement levels, such as soft drinks.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first experimental study to attempt to analyze the effectiveness of virtual idols in advertising aimed at young consumers. This is also the first comparative study to introduce virtual idols as celebrity endorsers in product advertising and to compare their effectiveness with that of the two other types of commonly discussed celebrity endorsers, traditional celebrities and online influencers.
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Jin Su, Md Arif Iqbal, Farhan Haque and Maeen Md Khairul Akter
This study aims to understand Bangladeshi young consumers’ perceptions of sustainable apparel. Specifically, through the lens of the theory of reasoned action (TRA), this study…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to understand Bangladeshi young consumers’ perceptions of sustainable apparel. Specifically, through the lens of the theory of reasoned action (TRA), this study investigates the impacts of man–nature orientation (MNO) and social influences on Bangladeshi young consumers’ intention to purchase sustainable apparel.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical survey-based research was conducted, and data were collected from 387 Bangladeshi college students.
Findings
The findings of the study show that MNO significantly influences Bangladeshi young consumers’ attitudes toward purchasing sustainable apparel, which, together with social influences, impacts young Bangladeshi consumers’ intention of making efforts to purchase sustainable apparel.
Originality/value
This study incorporates the specific cultural value – MNO with the traditional TRA model to understand young Bangladeshi consumers’ sustainable apparel purchase intention. The results of this study demonstrate the applicability of the TRA framework in understanding young consumers’ sustainable apparel consumer behavior in the context of Bangladesh, which is a developing country with a collectivistic culture. This study provides insights into how apparel brands and retailers should design their sustainability strategies in developing countries such as Bangladesh.
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Jighyasu Gaur, Ankur Srivastava and Ritu Gupta
The literature provides evidence of consumers’ willingness to purchase (WTP) refurbished products. However, the studies focusing on young consumers’ (18–24 years) purchasing…
Abstract
Purpose
The literature provides evidence of consumers’ willingness to purchase (WTP) refurbished products. However, the studies focusing on young consumers’ (18–24 years) purchasing behaviour of refurbished products from online platforms/stores are limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to conduct a qualitative study to identify the key attributes/factors that influence young consumers’ WTP refurbished products.
Design/methodology/approach
Two qualitative techniques, focus group discussion (FGD) and depth interviews (DI), are used for data collection. Criterion sampling is used for sample selection. Consequently, 37 participants (20 for FGD and 17 for DI) from India were recruited.
Findings
The study’s findings indicate six broad attributes/factors (purchase attributes, product attributes, credibility, reviews/support, refurbishment process and ecological factors) that influence young consumers’ WTP refurbished products. In each attribute, some characteristics are unique (for example, greater trust in online platforms/stores, preference for video reviews and historical information of the product) to young consumers.
Originality/value
The current study integrates three literature streams: consumer behaviour in the online/offline context, young consumers’ inclination towards an online purchase and WTP refurbished products. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to do it.
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Scot Squires and Henry Wai Leong Ho
While there is a large body of research looking at consumers’ perception of debt, much of this previous research focuses on older generations. Less is known about the perceptions…
Abstract
Purpose
While there is a large body of research looking at consumers’ perception of debt, much of this previous research focuses on older generations. Less is known about the perceptions and attitudes toward debt of younger consumers, specifically those from Generation Z who are from rural areas in the USA. The purpose of this paper is to identify young rural consumers’ perceptions and attitudes toward debt.
Design/methodology/approach
This quantitative research used surveys. A well-established scale for measuring consumer attitudes toward debt has been adopted and applied. Because of the sensitive and personal nature of debt, anonymous, self-reporting questionnaires were used to allow respondents to respond freely and minimize potential bias that could be caused by socially desirable responses. The young respondents who participated in the research were invited verbally or via email by the investigators to complete the survey online via QuestionPro.
Findings
This study found the majority of consumers from Generation Z reported that using credit is basically wrong. Also, these young consumers claimed that being in debt is never a good thing. Additionally, the authors found gender differences. Young male consumers were more likely to claim that they had their debt under control, and young female consumers were more likely to claim that financial debt had influenced their life.
Originality/value
These Generation Z perceptions provide constructive data for use in evaluating and amending marketers’ strategies to better connect with the young customers. Companies may want to stress how their products are risk adverse, provide a sort of financial security and will not leave the customer in debt. This is especially important following the COVID-19 pandemic as local businesses in a college community are trying to attract students back to their establishments.
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S M Fatah Uddin and Mohammed Naved Khan
– The purpose of this study is to explore factors that affect green purchasing behaviour (GPB) of young Indian consumers.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore factors that affect green purchasing behaviour (GPB) of young Indian consumers.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 161 young Indian consumers between age group of 15 and 18 years residing in northern region of the country were surveyed employing researcher controlled sampling. Data was collected thorough structured refined research instrument that comprised scales to measure various facets of green purchasing behaviour using five point Likert scale. The research instrument also included questions for generating demographic profile of respondents. For the purpose of meeting the study objectives, research hypotheses, well-grounded in relevant theory were empirically tested using appropriate statistical tools.
Findings
Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed existence of five underlying factors namely green purchasing behaviour, environmental involvement, environmental attitude, environmental consciousness and perceived effectiveness of environmental behaviour that affect green purchasing behaviour of young urban consumers in India. Green purchasing behaviour and its variation across demographic variables has been ascertained by testing the considered hypotheses.
Research limitations/implications
The results may not be providing generalizability.
Practical/implications
This paper is expected to provide valuable insights in the area of green purchasing behaviour of young Indian urban consumers which can be of immense help to domestic and international marketers in dovetailing their marketing strategies and developing appropriate promotional messages.
Originality/value
The paper attempts to provide a glimpse into the nature of green purchasing behaviour of young urban Indian consumers which has been scantily researched. Also the gender differences among young Indian consumers regarding green attitudes contributes to the worth of literature.
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Justyna Franc-Dąbrowska, Irena Ozimek, Iwona Pomianek and Joanna Rakowska
The purpose of the research was to investigate how young consumers perceive food safety and if they trust that official food control agencies or other actors of food supply chains…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the research was to investigate how young consumers perceive food safety and if they trust that official food control agencies or other actors of food supply chains ensure a proper level of safety of food in Poland. The purpose of the paper was also to find out if young consumers are currently concerned that a proper level of food safety is not ensured.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis was based on a data set from 650 questionnaires collected in an online survey carried out in October 2020 and addressed to the group of young consumers, students of Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland. The analysis was carried out using standard methods of qualitative data analysis (QDA), descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlation coefficient and Pearson’s chi-square test.
Findings
Less than a half of Polish young consumers consider food to be safe and many other do not have an opinion about this matter. Young consumers do not perceive official agencies in charge of food control as the most responsible for food safety, and they either do not trust these institutions or have no opinion about it. Young consumers declare that food producers and food processing businesses are the most responsible for food safety while retailers and consumers are the least responsible ones. The majority of young consumers are not concerned about ensuring proper food safety.
Originality/value
Up-to-date young consumers' perception of the role and trust in official food control agencies and food safety in Poland have not been investigated, which makes this study a novelty. The findings can be valuable to official agencies in charge of food control and consumer education, to improve their functioning. They can also be important as a basis for further studies, as young consumers’ attitudes and trust in official food control agencies can change.
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Jieqi Guan, Yui-yip Lau, Huijun Yang and Lianping Ren
This paper aims to explore factors affecting young consumers’ purchasing of new smart products under the influence of social media.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore factors affecting young consumers’ purchasing of new smart products under the influence of social media.
Design/methodology/approach
Twenty semi-structured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted with young consumers who used new media, and five extended interviews were conducted with popular smartwatch retailers in Macau.
Findings
The findings reveal that they tend to garner product information from multiple channels of communication. Social media exert the greatest influence. Reliable information, strong branding and interactions with vendors are also influential, although new product pre-announcements may be boring and difficult to understand.
Originality/value
This study presents new insights into diffusion of innovation theory and provides retailers launching smart products with a better understanding of their target young customers’ purchasing behavior.
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The purpose of this paper is to consider the question of young consumer’s discretionary consumption in Japan where the ready access to convenience stores, or “konbini”, presents a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to consider the question of young consumer’s discretionary consumption in Japan where the ready access to convenience stores, or “konbini”, presents a unique retail landscape and to look at how young Japanese consumers use this store format as part of their discretionary food consumption.
Design/methodology/approach
This is an exploratory study that draws on primary qualitative data based on in store observations, accompanied shopping and a survey with young Japanese consumers. This approach provides an insight into the convenience store food offering and young consumer’s everyday food practices and experience of using these retail stores.
Findings
The data reveals a relatively limited range of purchases on each store visit with some variation across time of the day and between individuals and groups of young consumers. Visits before and after school remain the most popular and young consumers make around two to four visits per week to a convenience store. It finds young consumers actively engaged in independent purchasing decisions in this retail format.
Research limitations/implications
This is an exploratory study with a geographically constrained sample conducted in several areas in and around Tokyo, Japan. It is a convenience sample recruited using student contacts and snowballing techniques.
Practical implications
Convenience stores represent an important “shopping habitat” for young consumers to engage in discretionary food shopping. While these convenience store purchases are not always unhealthy the promotion and pricing strategies used by retailers can have an influence on the final selection of products and convenience stores provide a unique opportunity to cultivate more healthful behaviour among young consumers.
Originality/value
This offers a unique insight into the relationship between young consumer’s discretionary food choice and local retail provision in the convenience sector. It adds to the debate on the role of food environment on food choice and the extent to which young Japanese consumers are socialised into particular food practices through their engagement with the convenience retail sector.
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