Determinants of halal purchasing intentions: evidences from UK

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to explore the perceptions of Arabian Muslim consumers about halal food products and to investigate their behaviour towards halal-labelled food products in UK mainstream supermarkets using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). The role of Islamic religiosity and consumers’ confidence regarding the halal logo as moderating factors is investigated.Design/methodology/approachCross-sectional data were collected through distributed 400 questionnaires in Scotland, mainly to Muslim consumers who come from different Arabian countries and are currently living in Scotland.FindingsThe results show that the TPB is a valid model for predicting Muslim consumers’ intention to purchase halal-labelled food products. The findings reveal that for consumers with high and low Islamic religiosity, subjective norms are the most influential determinants of their intention to purchase halal-labelled food products.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations include the focus on only Arabian Muslim consumers within an ethnic minority population living in Scotland, and the use of convenience and snowball sampling.Practical implicationsThe findings could be useful for halal industry food makers to better serve their customers through sophisticated marketing strategies.Originality/valueThis study extends understanding of consumers’ halal-labelled food purchasing behaviour using TPB to determining the rationales for purchasing halal foods from mainstream UK supermarkets. Unlike others studies, this study used Islamic religiosity instead of self-identity (being a Muslim) as a moderating factor.