Key factors influencing consumers' pruchasing intention for safe vegetable in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Abstract
The food hygiene and safeness is a very serious problem in Vietnam currently. Many
cases of food poisoning throughout years, especially from vegetable with high content of
pesticides and prohibited toxics, make consumers really worried. The overusing pesticides
and prohibited toxics in vegetable production is extremely worrying consumers.
Understanding the problem as well as the potential of safe vegetable market, many investors
are trying to bring safe vegetable product to consumers. However, reality shows that
consumers are not really passionate with this product despite of they are really demanding for
safe vegetable sources.
This research is to find out the key factors affecting consumer purchase intention for
safe vegetable product. Quantitative methods as well as qualitative methods are used in this
thesis. Primary data are collected from field survey. It was conducted based on Theory of
Reasoned Action (TRA) model, Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model, and Stephanie
and Alan (2000)’s model of consumers’ purchase decision for fresh potatoes. The
questionnaires were constructed based on adaptation and development of those models as
well as conceptual framework. They are the keys for answering research’s questions (What
are factors influencing consumers’ purchase intention for safe vegetable in Ho Chi Minh
City, Vietnam? How do factors impact on consumers’ purchase intention for safe vegetable?)
The purpose of this survey is to help the investors or farmers to find the factors
influencing consumers’ purchase intention for safe vegetable; this helps balance demand and
supply of safe vegetable in Ho Chi Minh City, as well as increase the awareness of
consumers on purchasing safe vegetable for daily meal. 268 respondents responded to
questionnaires and the results were analyzed using SPSS software. Results of the analyzeddata show that appearance; knowledge and subjective norm are key factors that influence
consumers’ purchase intention on safe vegetable. Consumers can not recognize which one is
safe vegetable via looking at appearance. Some consumers believe that vegetable with good
packaging with clear origin, clear percentage of pesticides or companies’ names in safe
vegetable shops or super markets are truly safe vegetable. In the wet market, it is difficult for
consumers to choose which one is safe vegetable because of a mish-mash vegetable sold in
wet markets. People also do not have enough knowledge about the agriculture process or how
much pesticides inside vegetable to give out good decision on choosing safe vegetable.
Moreover, consumers also have concerned much about the advices from family, relatives,
colleagues and friends on buying safe vegetables.
In conclusion, among seven factors influencing consumers’ purchase intention for
safe vegetable in conceptual framework, appearance is the strongest factor that influences
consumers’ purchase intention in safe vegetable. Next factor is knowledge and
subjective norm is also the important factor but less crucial than appearance.