Factors Affecting Urban Consumer Intention towards Online Purchasing of Agricultural Commodities in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The development of internet technology has made it possible for customers worldwide to change their daily routines. Both globally and in Sri Lanka, online retail sales have sharply increased in recent years. This study intends to identify the factors affecting urban consumers’ intentions to buy agricultural Products online in Sri Lanka. The multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the most urbanised districts in Sri Lanka: Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, and Kandy. And using the convenience sampling technique, a total of 112 questionnaires were collected via a Google form. The research examined perceived Ease of Use and Food Quality as independent variables and dependent variables such as Perceived Usefulness, Website Trust, Perceived Risk, and Purchase Intention. IBM SPSS version 26 and IBM SPSS AMOS version 26 were used to analyse the data and develop the Structural Equation Model (SEM) to test the hypothesis. The results revealed that the influence of Food Quality on Purchase Intention, the influence of Perceived Ease of Use on Perceived Usefulness, and the influence of Perceived Ease of Use on Website Trust are significantly positive. Perceived Risk on Purchase Intention has a negative relationship and is not significant. The study suggests conducting additional research on novel marketing strategies distinct from conventional media tools and further analysing food quality.