Factors Influencing Purchase Intention of Food Surplus through a Food-Sharing Platform

Abstract

Food waste is a serious issue around the world. One way to address this issue is distributing food surpluses through food-sharing platforms. There are a limited number of empirical studies investigating the drivers of using food surplus-sharing platforms, particularly in developing countries. This paper investigates the impacts and connections between environmental concern, perceived playfulness, social norms, food waste awareness, price consciousness, food neophobia, and purchase intention of food surplus through a food-sharing platform in Thailand. A sample of 284 Yindii users was analyzed by using exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression. Empirical results revealed environmental concern and perceived playfulness to be the primary constructs influencing consumers’ purchase intention toward food surplus. The results suggest that perceived playfulness is the most crucial determinant affecting purchase intention. Our results also indicated people who have obtained a higher education level and the low-income group show a higher purchase intention toward food surplus products. This research is the first attempt to study food surplus redistribution in Thailand. This study contributes to the literature and provides insights for practitioners with several implications.