Consumer purchase intention for organic

personal care products

Hee Yeon Kim and Jae-Eun Chung
Department of Consumer Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA

Abstract
Purpose – Using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to examine the effects of consumer values and past experiences on consumer purchase
intention of organic personal care products, this study aims to consider further the moderating effect of perceived behavioral control on the attitude-
intention relationship.
Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was conducted with 207 online panel members, and multiple regression analysis was used to
test the relationships among the variables.
Findings – The results indicate that environmental consciousness and appearance consciousness positively influence attitude toward buying organic
personal care products. The addition of past experiences as a predictor of purchase intention and perceived behavioral control as a moderator of the
attitude-purchase intention relationship yielded an improvement on the TPB model.
Practical implications – This study suggests that retailers can develop effective marketing strategies emphasizing ecological beauty, product safety,
and affordable prices to increase consumers’ intentions to buy organic personal care products.
Originality/value – This study provides valuable insight into US consumer behavior regarding organic personal care products by examining the factors
that influence consumers’ attitudes toward buying organic personal care products and consumers’ purchase intentions for the products. Furthermore,
this study extends an application of the TPB by examining the moderating influence of perceived behavioral control on the attitude-intention
relationship.

Keywords Consumer behaviour, Value analysis, Purchasing, Personal hygiene,

Paper type Research paper

An executive summary for managers and executive
readers can be found at the end of this article.
1. Introduction
Awareness of the destruction of natural resources has raised
the issue of environmental protection, which in turn has
created eco-friendly consumption called “green
consumerism” (Moisander, 2007). As the issue of
environmental protection has gained attention,
environmental ethics has had an impact on US consumers’
activities (Kangun et al., 1991; Martin and Simintiras, 1995;
Todd, 2004). Specifically, US consumer demand has led to
the increase in diversity of green product categories, such as
laundry detergents, personal care products, and energy saving
electronics (Martin and Simintiras, 1995; Schlegelmilch et al.,
1996). As green products have gained popularity in the
market, more consumers have looked for greener products
(Nimse et al., 2007). Following the food sector, the personal
care sector accounted for the second largest portion of sales in
the US organic industry (Organic Trade Association, 2006).
D’Souza et al. (2006) claim that consumers’ ecological
concerns may be key factors in the marketing of cosmetic
products.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0736-3761.htm
Journal of Consumer Marketing
28/1 (2011) 40– 47
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited [ISSN 0736-3761]
[DOI 10.1108/07363761111101930]
Although the fast growth in sales of organic and natural care
products has intrigued researchers’ interests, most existing
research on the organic personal care industry has dealt with
marketing strategies rather consumer behavior. Without in-
depth understanding of consumer behavior for this product
category, it is difficult to devise effective marketing strategies.
Furthermore, although there are numerous studies regarding
consumers’ attitudes and purchase behaviors of green
products (Chen, 2007; Magnusson et al., 2001; Padel and
Foster, 2005; Zanoli and Naspetti, 2002), these studies have
focused mainly on organic food products and were conducted
outside of the USA.
Thus, the primary objective of this study is to examine US
consumers’ purchasing behavior of organic personal care
products base on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) by
Ajzen (1985). Specifically, this study considers consumer
values as an antecedent of attitude and consumers’ past
experiences as a predictor of purchase intention. Additionally,
the moderating influence of perceived behavioral control on
the attitude-purchase intention relationship is examined.
2. Theoretical framework
The TPB, which has been applied previously to predict green
consumer behavior, and robustness of the theory has been
confirmed (Bamberg, 2003; Chan and Lau, 2001; Kalafatis
et al., 1999), is used to explain the antecedents of intention to
buy organic skin/hair care products. Specifically, this study
considers consumer values as an antecedent of attitude,
consumers’ past experiences as a predictor of purchase
intention, and perceived behavioral control as a moderator of
the attitude-purchase intention relationship (see Figure 1).

40
 Consumer purchase intention for organic personal care products
Hee Yeon Kim and Jae-Eun Chung
Figure 1 Research framework
2.1 Consumer values and attitude
Several definitions of “value” exist in various contexts. In one
instance, value is considered “the consumer’s overall
assessment of the utility of a product based on perceptions
of what is received and what is given” (Zeithaml, 1988, p. 14),
which focuses on consumer benefits or the worth of using a
product. In another instance, value is defined as a belief about
desirable end states (Feather, 1990; Rokeach, 1973; Schwartz
and Blisky, 1987), which focuses on a psychological aspect.
The term “value” in this study reflects the latter, which is
viewed as the most fundamental element of an individual’s
belief system (Vaske and Donnelly, 1999).
This study expects that consumers with different value
systems will show different behaviors toward organic personal
care products because one’s values, such as important life
goals or standards, are guiding principles in one’s life
(Rokeach, 1973). Accordingly, values may influence
formation of an individual’s attitude by guiding him/her to
look for objects that will satisfy his/her values (Grunert and
Juhl, 1995; Poortinga et al., 2004). Because organic products
are viewed as promoting a healthy lifestyle, explained by the
acronym LOHAS (lifestyles of health and sustainability)
(Essoussi and Zahaf, 2008), there should be some similarities
in consumers’ purchase behaviors between organic foods and
organic personal care products. However, some differences
between these two product categories are also expected, as
eating food and using personal care products are distinct
consumption behaviors. According to the relevant literature
on organic food consumption, it appears that values
concerned with health and environment influence attitudes
toward buying organic food (Chryssohoidis and Krystallis,
2005). In addition, unlike food products, skin/hair care
products affect consumers’ appearances and consumers use
these products to manage their appearances (Marcoux, 2000).
Therefore, the current study proposes three consumer
values that may influence attitudes toward buying organic skin
and hair care products: health consciousness, environmental
consciousness, and appearance consciousness.
First, health consciousness guides people to engage in
healthy behaviors (Becker et al., 1977). Health conscious
consumers care about the desired state of well-being and put
forth an effort to maintain a healthy life (Newsom et al.,
2005). In the context of skin/hair care product purchases,
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Journal of Consumer Marketing
Volume 28 · Number 1 · 2011 · 40 –47
consumers with high health consciousness may consider
whether a product is safe to skin and body; therefore, they
may be more seriously concerned with the types of ingredients
used to make the product than are consumers with low health
consciousness (Johri and Sahasakmontri, 1998).
In addition, environmental consciousness guides people to
make purchasing decisions that are greener (Peattie, 2001;
Schlegelmilch et al., 1996). Environmentally conscious people
are apt to change their purchasing behaviors to improve the
environment (Chase, 1991). Facing issues surrounding
environmental destruction from harmful substances and
animal testing of ingredients and/or finished products, the
personal care industry has developed organic products
produced without the use of pesticides, synthetic chemicals,
and animal testing (Prothero and McDonagh, 1992). Along
with findings that a consumer’s environmental awareness is
viewed as a pre-condition for green consumption
(Dembkowski, 1998; Polonsky and Mintu-Wimsatt, 1995),
environmental concern is an important determinant of
consumer behavior toward organic products (Paladino,
2005).
Finally, appearance consciousness leads people to be
interested in cosmetics and clothing that express or alter
their images (Lee and Lee, 1997). Consumption of personal
care products is a purchasing behavior that satisfies one’s
needs for beauty and care of one’s general appearance (Todd,
2004). Some people who strongly desire to maintain a
youthful look and improve their appearances have been
looking for chemical-free personal care products (Tirone,
2007). Because organic skin/hair care products are made with
a minimum of chemical substances and may provide less
harsh products than conventional counterparts, it is assumed
that a consumer’s appearance consciousness is positively
related to attitude toward buying organic skin/hair care
products. Thus, the following hypotheses are proposed:
H1. Health consciousness will positively influence attitude
toward buying organic skin/hair care products.
H2. Environmental consciousness will positively influence
attitude toward buying organic skin/hair care products.
H3. Appearance consciousness will positively influence
attitude toward buying organic skin/hair care products.
 Consumer purchase intention for organic personal care products
Hee Yeon Kim and Jae-Eun Chung
2.2 Attitude
Attitude toward behavior refers to personal evaluations being
favorable or unfavorable to perform the behavior. According
to Ajzen (1985), an individual is more likely to undertake a
certain behavior if he/she has a positive attitude toward
undertaking the behavior. Numerous studies support the
positive relationship between consumers’ attitudes and
behavioral intentions for green purchasing in different
cultures, such as Asian, US, and European, and in different
product categories, such as organic foods and timber-based
products (Chan and Lau, 2001; Kalafatis et al., 1999;
Tarkiainen and Sundqvist, 2005). Therefore, Hypothesis 4 is
proposed as follows:
H4. Consumers” attitude toward buying organic skin/hair
care products will have a positive influence on their
intentions to buy organic skin/hair care products.
2.3 Subjective norms
Subjective norm reflects one’s perceived social pressure to
perform a certain behavior. If consumers believe that
significant others think organic skin care products are good,
consumers will have more intention to buy these products.
Subjective norm has a significant effect on behavioral
intention in the context of behavior related to skin
management (Hillhouse et al., 2000), and a strong
relationship between subjective norm and intention has been
shown in research on green consumer behavior (Bamberg,
2003; Kalafatis et al., 1999). Therefore, hypothesis 5 is
proposed as follows:
H5. Consumers’ subjective norms will have a positive
influence on their intentions to buy organic skin/hair
care products.
2.4 Perceived behavioral control
Perceived behavioral control refers to the degree of control
that an individual perceives over performing the behavior
(Chen, 2007; Kang et al., 2006). Thus, those who perceive a
higher degree of personal control tend to have stronger
behavioral intention to engage in a certain behavior (Ajzen,
1991). In particular, when people believe they have more
resources such as time, money, and skills their perceptions of
control are high and hence their behavioral intentions
increase. Therefore, it is assumed that intention to buy
organic skin/hair care products is higher when consumers
perceive more control over buying these products:
H6. Consumers’ perceived behavioral control over buying
organic skin/hair care products will have a positive
influence on their intentions to buy organic skin/hair
care products.
2.5 Past experiences with organic products
Many researchers have argued that consideration of
consumers’ past behaviors can provide better predictions of
behavioral intentions (Conner and Armitage, 1998) based on
the assumption that consumers’ behaviors result from
learning (Bentler and Speckart, 1979). With respect to
research on green purchasing behavior, consumers’ past
experiences with green products may be “crucial in forming
the product-specific perception that would lead to future
purchase intention”; in turn, consumers’ past experiences
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Journal of Consumer Marketing
Volume 28 · Number 1 · 2011 · 40 –47
influence their purchases or use of green products (D’Souza
et al., 2006, p. 150). Therefore, hypothesis 7 is proposed as
follows:
H7. Consumers’ past experiences with other organic
products will have a positive influence on their
intentions to buy organic skin/hair care products.
2.6 Perceived behavioral control as a moderator
Although numerous studies have shown that a person may
have a favorable attitude toward a certain behavior, he/she
might not have the intention to accomplish the behavior when
perceiving difficulties to do so (Chen, 2007). Vermeir and
Verbeke (2006) claimed that the relationship between a
consumer’s attitude and intention is inconsistent because
purchase intention for organic foods may be influenced by
factors such as price.
In the current economic recession, because of higher prices
of green products compared with conventional products,
consumers become more price-sensitive when purchasing
green products (Mandese, 1991). If consumers perceive that
they cannot afford organic personal care products at a higher
price, they may choose not to purchase them even though
they have positive attitudes toward buying the products. That
is, positive attitudes toward buying organic skin and hair care
products may not always lead to intention to purchase the
products. Accordingly, it is expected that the positive
relationship between attitude and intention may be
moderated by the degree of perceived behavioral control
and hence, hypothesis 8 is proposed as follows:
H8. The greater perceived behavioral control is, the
stronger the positive relationship between attitude
and intention to buy organic skin/hair care products.
3. Method
A California company specializing in online marketing
research recruited online participants for this study. A quota
sample was used in terms of age (18 years or older) and
residence in the USA. Of the 207 responses collected, 202
valid responses were used for the empirical analysis. 53.5
percent of the respondents were females and the mean age
was 44.3 years.
3.1 Measures
Based on market share reports and store observations, the
most available product from the skin care category and the
hair care category were chosen as targets for the
questionnaire: organic body lotion and organic shampoo.
The survey questionnaire included questions on consumer
values, the TPB constructs, and consumers’ past experiences
and they were measured on a seven-point scale. Questions on
demographic and socioeconomic characteristics were also
included.
Health consciousness (HC)
Five items (e.g. “I reflect on my health a lot”) were assessed;
four items (a ¼ 0:92) were adapted from Gould (1990) and
one items were adapted from Cash and Labarge (1996).
 Consumer purchase intention for organic personal care products
Hee Yeon Kim and Jae-Eun Chung
Environmental consciousness (EC)
Three items (a ¼ 0:80) were chosen from Maloney and Ward
(1973) (e.g. “When I think of the ways industries are
polluting the environment, I get frustrated and angry”).
Appearance consciousness (AC)
Four items (e.g. “What I look like is an important part of
who I am,” “I’m usually aware of my appearance”) were
assessed; three items (a ¼ 0:84) were adapted from Cash and
Labarge (1996) and one item was chosen from Fenigstein et al.
(1975).
Attitude (ATT)
Four items were measured using the scale adapted from
Conner et al. (1999), which reported a reliability of a ¼ 0:75.
Each item (e.g. “For me buying organic body lotion/shampoo
would be”) was measured on a seven-point semantic
differential scale (e.g. bad/good, unpleasant/pleasant).
Subjective norm (SN)
Four items (e.g. “People who influence my decisions would
approve of me buying organic body lotion/shampoo”) were
measured; two items were adapted from Bansal and Taylor
(2002) and another two items were adapted from Lin (2007).
Perceived behavioral control (PBC)
Three items were measured on a seven-point scale adapted
from Ajzen (2002) and Bansal and Taylor (2002).
Respondents were asked about perceived capability (e.g. “I
believe that I have the resources and the ability to buy organic
body lotion/shampoo”).
Past experiences (PE)
One item was measured (e.g. “please report the number of
organic products purchased in the past three month”).
Purchase intention (PI)
Strength of participant intention to buy organic skin/hair care
products was assessed with three items (e.g. “It is likely that I
will purchase organic body lotion/shampoo,” “If organic body
lotion/shampoo is available, I buy it”). Two items (a ¼ 0:96)
were adapted from Michaelidou and Hassan (2008), and one
item was adapted from Lin (2007).
4. Results
4.1 Preliminary analysis
Two product categories, organic shampoo and organic body
lotion were used for this study. Thus, prior to hypothesis
testing, a paired-sample t-test was conducted to examine
whether significant differences in ATT and PI existed between
the two products. The results of the t-test revealed that there
were no differences in ATT (t(201) ¼ 2 1.72, p ¼ 0:09) and
PI (tð201Þ ¼ 21:63, p ¼ 0:10) between the two products.
Therefore, the data for these two products were combined to
test hypotheses.
To assess unidimensionality of each construct in the model,
an exploratory factor analysis was conducted. All items were
factor loaded, ranging from 0.80 to 0.98 and each factors with
an eigenvalue greater than 1.0 accounted for 68.67 percent to
95.65 percent of the variance.
4.2 Test of the hypotheses
First, to test the relationship between consumer values and
attitude toward buying organic shampoo and body lotion
(H1-H3), multiple regression analysis was performed (see
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Journal of Consumer Marketing
Volume 28 · Number 1 · 2011 · 40 –47
Table I). The regression model that predicted ATT from HC,
EC, and AC was statistically significant, F(3, 198Þ ¼ 36:62,
p , :001, R2 ¼ 0:36. HC did not influence ATT when the
effects of the other two predictors were considered (b ¼ 0:15,
p ¼ 0:08) even though the result was significant,
Fð1; 200Þ ¼ 43:98, p , 0:001 when simple regression was
conducted. Thus, H1 was not fully supported. However, EC
(b ¼ 0:46, p , 0:001) and AC (b ¼ 0:16, p ¼ 0:04) positively
influence ATT. Thus, H2 and H3 were supported.
Second, hierarchical multiple regression analysis was
conducted to test the TPB model with inclusion of PE (H4-
H7) and the moderating effect of PBC on the ATT-PI
relationship (H8) (see Table II). The independent variables
were entered in three steps. At step 1, inclusion of ATT, SN,
and PBC explained 64 percent of the variance in PI, F(3,
197Þ ¼ 114:48, p , 0:001. The results showed ATT
(b ¼ 0:39, p , 0:001), SN (b ¼ 0:31, p , 0:001), and PBC
(b ¼ 0:19, p ¼ 0:00) were positively related to PI, which
supported H4-H6. At step 2, the addition of PE was related to
a significant improvement in the variance explained
(R2change ¼ 0:02, F change ¼ 14:08, p , 0:001), and the results
revealed a significant relationship between PE and PI,
b ¼ 0:22, p , 0:001. Thus, H7 was supported. At step 3,
before conducting the regression analysis, two variables (ATT
and PBC) were standardized to produce revised sample
means of zero to reduce the problems of multicollinearity.
The addition of the interaction term accounted for a further 3
percent of the variance in PI (F change ¼ 16:95, p , :001),
indicating that the ATT-PI relationship is moderated by PBC.
Thus, H8 was supported. The final model with all variables
under consideration accounted for 69 percent of the variance
in purchase intention toward organic shampoo and body
lotion, F(5, 195Þ ¼ 85:64, p , 0:001.
5. Discussion
Turning first to the findings of the relationship between
consumer values and attitude, environmental consciousness
and appearance consciousness rather health consciousness
were found to be important in predicting consumers’ attitudes
toward organic personal care products. This result provides a
difference in consumer purchase behavior regarding organic
foods and organic personal care products. Moreover, the
results showed that all TPB predictors are significantly
correlated with purchase intention for organic personal care
products. The findings of this research revealed that an
individual’s past experiences with other organic products have
a significant impact on purchase intention for organic
personal care products, which provides evidence that an
organic lifestyle is reflected in an individual’s consumption
pattern. Furthermore, this study extended an application of
the TPB by examining the moderating influence of perceived
behavioral control on the relationship between attitude
toward buying organic personal care products and purchase
intention for them.
Based on the findings of this study and the study’s
limitations, several suggestions for future research are made.
First, although an online survey provided the sample from
various geographic locations in the USA, only people who had
access to a computer and the internet were able to participate
in this study. Thus, future research could use both methods,
an online and offline survey such as a mall-intercept method,
to compensate for the weakness of each method. Second, the
 Consumer purchase intention for organic personal care products Journal of Consumer Marketing
Hee Yeon Kim and Jae-Eun Chung Volume 28 · Number 1 · 2011 · 40 –47

Table I Multiple regression analysis predicting attitude toward buying organic personal care products
Regression analysis Collinearity
Predictor Min. Max. Mean SD B SE t Sig. TOL VIF
HC 1.00 7.00 4.92 1.23 0.15 0.09 1.75 0.08 0.75 1.33
EC 1.00 7.00 4.72 1.48 0.46 0.07 6.78 0.00 0.63 1.60
AC 1.00 7.00 4.46 1.28 0.16 0.08 2.08 0.04 0.73 1.37
Notes: R2 ¼ 0.36, F (3, 198) ¼ 36.62, p , 0:001

Table II Hierarchical regression analysis predicting purchase intention for organic personal care products
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Collinearity
Predictor Mean SD b t b t b b t TOL VIF
ATT 4.81 1.49 0.46 26.35 * * 0.39 5.46 * * 0.43 0.38 6.15 * * 0.43 2.35
SN 4.24 1.60 0.32 5.12 * * 0.31 5.13 * * 0.33 0.32 5.71 * * 0.53 1.90
PBC 4.78 1.58 0.23 4.08 * * 0.19 3.43 * 0.23 0.22 4.22 * * 0.63 1.58
PE 2.26 1.39 0.22 3.75 * * 0.17 0.14 2.97 * 0.75 1.38
ATTXPBC 0.10 0.18 4.17 * *
DR2 0.64 0.02 0.03
DF 114.48 * * 14.08 * * 16.95 * *
Notes: *p , 0:01; * *p , :001; the mean of PI is 3.90 (SD ¼ 1.68)

findings of this study may not be applicable to other product
categories of organic personal care products or to other
organic products even though the results revealed there were
no product differences in attitude and intention between the
two products. Therefore, further study needs to obtain greater
generalizability with a variety of product categories. Finally, it
would also be valuable to explore the factors that influence
consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions toward stores
offering organic products. Future research might help organic
product retailers understand how consumer values influence
attitude toward the stores. It could suggest that establishing a
positive attitude toward stores might play an important role in
increasing consumers’ store purchases as well as enhancing
store preferences.
6. Managerial implications
This research provides valuable insights for organic personal
care product retailers and manufacturers by indicating
attitude is the most important determinant of purchase
intention among the four predictors.
The findings of this study suggest that creating a positive
attitude toward buying organic personal care products may be
a significant consideration for retailers to increase consumers’
purchase intentions for the products. As a result, this study
suggests that retailers develop effective marketing strategies
emphasizing ecological beauty or product safety to satisfy the
values of potential consumers. In addition, this research
shows the significant moderating role of perceived behavioral
control on the relationship between attitude and purchase
intention and hence, it suggests that retailers might try to
change consumers’ perceptions of higher prices to affordable
prices using marketing strategies (e.g. discount,
advertisement, new product development), which would
make consumers believe that they are capable to buy organic
personal care products. Furthermore, over 70 percent of
respondents who had experiences with organic products have
purchased organic foods. The findings of this study suggest
that organic personal care product retailers might attract
potential consumers by displaying their products near the
organic food sections at a grocery store. Or organic personal
care product retailers might develop combined management
activities called co-marketing with organic food product
retailers.
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Corresponding author
Jae-Eun Chung can be contacted at: chung.362@osu.edu
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Volume 28 · Number 1 · 2011 · 40 –47
Executive summary and implications for
managers and executives
This summary has been provided to allow managers and executives
a rapid appreciation of the content of the article. Those with a
particular interest in the topic covered may then read the article in
toto to take advantage of the more comprehensive description of the
research undertaken and its results to get the full benefit of the
material present.
Rising concern for environmental protection has impacted on
consumer attitudes and behaviors around much of the world.
In the USA, for example, this eco-friendly outlook has spread
to various product categories such as electronics, laundry
detergents and personal care items. The latter accounts for a
significant share of sales in the country’s organic industry and
green consumerism is considered a likely factor in this
development.
Existing US research has to date been mainly concerned
with marketing strategies. When the focus has been on
consumer attitudes and behaviors, studies have largely related
to organic food and were carried out in other nations. One
significant finding to emerge from relevant earlier work is that
consumer values, past experiences and perceived behavior
control function as key antecedents to attitude and purchase
intention.
The potential impact of personal values on consumer
activities is well documented. Values determine goals and
standards and provide a structure to an individual’s life.
People are therefore guided by their values and will often seek
to engage in consumption behaviors that comply with them.
Kim and Chung acknowledge that differences exist between
organic food and organic personal care products. However,
they argue that similar values will shape consumer behaviors
within both of these product categories. In relation to the
present study, it is consequently proposed that the purchase of
organic skin and hair care products will be influenced by:
.
Health consciousness. Consumers high in this value will seek
to engage in activities that promote and maintain a healthy
life. This is likely to inspire a search for products
containing ingredients considered beneficial to the body
and skin.
.
Environmental consciousness. The emphasis here is on
buying products that will not damage the environment. In
response to such consumer concerns, the personal care
industry has developed products containing no pesticides
or synthetic chemicals. Manufacturers have also ended the
practice of animal testing in recognition of the significant
influence environmental consciousness exercises on
consumer purchase decisions for organic products.
.
Appearance consciousness. A predominance of this value
results in strong interest in products that can express or
enhance the image of the consumer, such as helping them
achieve a more youthful appearance. Those who place
significance on how they look are likely to see chemical-
free products as being more likely to help them achieve
their image goals.
Based on current knowledge, other factors may influence
consumer behavior in relation to organic skin and hair care
products. These include:
.
Attitude. Plenty evidence suggests that individuals will be
more inclined to engage in a certain activity when they are
 Consumer purchase intention for organic personal care products
Hee Yeon Kim and Jae-Eun Chung
favorable towards it. This link between attitude and
behavioral intention has been found in a variety of cultures
and product categories, including organic foods.
.
Subjective norms. Consumers often feel pressured to act in
a certain way that is determined by significant others such
as peers. This pressure has been found in studies relating
to skin care activities, thus strengthening the connection
between subjective norms and purchase intention.
.
Perceived behavioral control. This refers to how much
control consumers they have in their purchase decisions.
Behavioral intention can increase, for instance, when
someone has the necessary resources like time and money
to engage in a certain activity.
.
Past experience with organic products. It has been widely
claimed that previous experiences can help predict future
behavioral intentions. Research has indicated that this
factor might be even more significant where green
consumption is concerned. Previous experience can
determine how products are evaluated and purchase
intention in relation to them.
Furthermore, analysts point out the potential influence of a
challenging economic situation. Specifically, it is suggested
that certain consumers could become more price sensitive in
such a climate and might therefore not purchase green
products even when their attitude towards them is positive.
Kim and Chung explored these issues in an online study of
US residents aged 18 years or older. The study yielded 202
usable replies, with just over half of the respondents being
female. Mean age was 44.3 years. The survey concerned
customer values and the various factors previously identified
in relation to organic body lotion and organic shampoo. Data
for the two products was combined for hypotheses testing
because preliminary research showed no difference in attitude
or purchase intention where each was concerned.
Demographic and socioeconomic information was also
sought by the researchers.
In relation to consumer values, findings indicated that:
. Attitude towards buying organic skin and hair care
products was positively influenced by both
environmental consciousness and appearance
consciousness.
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47
Journal of Consumer Marketing
Volume 28 · Number 1 · 2011 · 40 –47
.
The expectation that health consciousness would have a
similar impact was partially supported.
.
Consumer attitude, subjective norms, perceived
behavioral control and past experiences with other
organic products will positively impact on purchase
intention towards organic hair and skin products.
Correlation between the strength of perceived behavioral
control and the strength of the positive relationship between
attitude and purchase intention was also found.
The lower significance of the health consciousness value in
predicting consumer attitude was seen to indicate a difference
between organic food and organic care products. On the
contrary, the importance of past experience with other
organic products suggests that individuals who chose an
organic lifestyle will be consistent in their consumption
behavior.
In this study, attitude proved to be the most significant
factor in shaping purchase intention. Kim and Chung
therefore believe that marketing which incorporates a focus
on ecological beauty or personal safety might prove most
effective. Given the apparent moderating effect of perceived
behavioral control, they also recommend efforts to change
consumer perceptions about price so that organic personal
care products appear more affordable. The study revealed
that a high percentage of respondents with previous
experience of organic products had purchased organic food.
Retailers might therefore position organic care products close
to the organic food section. Another idea is to develop joint
marketing activities with organic food retailers.
Future research might consider incorporating both online
and offline methods and to consider other organic care
products or organic products in general. How consumers
relate to stores offering organic goods is also worthy of
investigation. Identifying key factors could help develop
positive attitudes towards the store and increase the number
of purchases made.
(A précis of the article “Consumer purchase intention for organic
personal care products”. Supplied by Marketing Consultants for
Emerald.)