Development of a Methodology for Modelling Consumers’ Low Input Food Purchases

Summary

This paper explains the development of a methodology to model consumers’ purchases of low input and organic foods. The focus of the research design is the need to create value and satisfaction that exceeds consumers’ expectations and induces loyalty. The adopted analytical framework adopts a structural equation model (SEM) in the context of consumer loyalty research to explore the determinants of consumer loyalty in terms of constructs of perceived quality, perceived risk, sacrifice, perceived value and satisfaction. A General Model is proposed that permits the specification of nested models and hence, tests for the suitability of preferred models. The primary research instrument is a questionnaire applied to four products in five countries. The questionnaire collects data to inform the SEM and in addition, includes measures of attitudes to foods in general, and attitudes to, and beliefs about organic food.