Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Research in Psychology
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Exploring the Psyche of Food Purchases: Findings from SEAOFE Consumer Intercept Survey
Bee Koon Poh, Mohd Jamil Sameeha, Anis Munirah Mohd Sakri, Che Aniza Che Wel, Huay Woon You, Adila Fahmida Saptari, Elaine Q. Borazon, Teeranong Sakulsri, Sirinya Phulkerd, Anne-Marie Thow on behalf of the SEAOFE Study Group
ABSTRACT:
Food purchase goes beyond transactions; it is a psychological interplay between consumers and their choices. Phase 2 of South East Asia Obesogenic Food Environment (SEAOFE) study aimed to examine factors guiding food purchase across various food retail formats in Southeast Asia. Consumer intercept surveys involving 600 to 1000 participants were conducted at hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores, and traditional outlets near urban poor communities in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. The questionnaire covers consumer characteristics and psychological factors, as well as the 6Ps of marketing mix. The top four Product characteristics influencing food purchase behaviour were food safety, healthy options, product quality, and variety. Place characteristics influencing purchase choices include easy access, proximity, and familiarity. As for Price and Promotion, affordability and lower prices are the main factors; while for People and Physical evidence, friendly staff and good service were considered important. Other factors reported as very important in influencing food purchase decisions in three SEA countries were personal and social influence, cultural and psychological influence, except for Thailand where these factors were deemed moderately important. In conclusion, consumer food purchase behaviours are influenced by multiple factors, including personal and psychological characteristics as well as marketing strategies. These findings highlight opportunities for policy interventions that could reshape the psychological dimensions of the food retail environment, which could steer consumers towards making healthier choices.
keywords: consumer behaviour; food choices; food retail environment; intercept surveys; marketing mix