Factors affecting consumers' intention towards purchasing halal food in Delhi

Abstract

The halal food industry is one of the fastest growing economic sectors worldwide. This study emphasises the customer's intention when purchasing halal food items. Buying intention of consumers in North India, specifically Delhi, is studied by using the Principle of Expected Actions. The researcher based the literature review on the identified variables such as perception, subjective criteria, perceived behavioural control, and awareness among the Muslims in Northern India (Delhi), regarding the purchase of halal food products. After, the study will measure and identify the strongest factor affecting the consumers' purchase intention of halal food items. The study sample consists of more than 250 consumers in Delhi, and the data were collected via self-administered questionnaires to answer the research problem. Structural equation modelling (SEM) is used to define the structural relationships between the identified variables and test the research hypotheses. The study's findings indicated that purchase intention (PI) has a positive and significant impact on buying behaviour (BB), with the critical ratio for PI to BB is t 2.799, the p = 0.09. Additionally, awareness (AW) and buying behaviour has a positive and significant impact, with the critical ratio for AW to BB being t 10.250 at p = 0.00. While awareness and purchase intention significantly impact the critical ratio, the AW to the PI value was t 2.255 the p= 24. Interestingly, the results found that subjective norms relationship with purchase intention has a critical SN to PI ratio at t-3.013. Respectively, suggesting that the path was statistically significant at p= 0.003. At the same time, perceived behavioural control and attitude did not show a substantial association with the purchase intention of the consumers.