Factors affecting the purchase intention of halal cosmetics : a study of Muslim females living in Malaysia

Abstract

The Muslim population is increasing globally and with it the awareness of consuming Halal. Halal now extends to areas other than food, such as cosmetics, personal care products, toiletries, fragrance, and skincare products. In Malaysia, the demand for Halal cosmetics is increasing rapidly due to the high quality of the products. The Halal cosmetics industry is a major growing sector for the Halal industries. As a Muslim country, Malaysia is a pioneer in creating standards as rules and guidelines for Halal cosmetics and personal care products through Malaysian Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM). The main objective of this research is to examine the factors influencing consumers’ intention to purchase Halal cosmetics in Malaysia especially by Muslim females by using the partial theory of planned behaviour. The research investigates four factors that affect the intention to purchase Halal cosmetics in Malaysia which are attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control and religious beliefs. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 300 respondents in Klan Valley, Malaysia. The data collected was analysed using the SPSS software. The internal consistency reliability test of Cronbach’s alpha indicated that all scale items were proven very reliable. Correlation and multiple regression were used to examine the relationship between independent variables and the dependent variable. The results revealed significant relationships between the three factors and intention to purchase Halal cosmetics. Attitude, subjective norm and religious beliefs have a significant impact on Muslim females’ intention to purchase Halal cosmetics, and subjective norms are the most important factor in affecting customers’ intention. The findings of this study have implications for marketers, as they provide a detailed and comprehensive understanding of Muslim consumers by considering religious beliefs as an indicator of consumer behaviour. The research also offers the Malaysian Halal cosmetic industry a better understanding of the consumer behaviour towards Halal cosmetics, especially among Muslim females.