The Antecedents of Online Purchase Intention of Generation Z and Millennials toward Organic Cosmetics in an Emerging Economy

Abstract

Purpose - Based on the extended theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study aims to investigate the antecedents of online purchase behavior toward organic cosmetics for Generation Z (Gen Z) and Millennials by focusing on the impact of subjective norms, health consciousness, trust, attitude, and intention.
 Design/Methodology/Approach - A survey method using an online questionnaire was adopted to collect data from 341 Gen Z and Millennial consumers in Vietnam. The collected data were then analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).
 Findings - The results of the study showed that, among antecedents, that attitude has the strongest impact on the purchase intention of online customers toward organic cosmetics, followed by trust and subjective norms. Interestingly, health consciousness has also been found to significantly impact Gen Z and Millennial online purchase intention toward organic cosmetics.
 Research Implications - This paper extends the academic literature on purchase intention toward green products. More importantly, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to examine the antecedents of online purchase intention toward the organic cosmetics of Gen Z and Millennials in an emerging economy, Vietnam. The findings offer important implications for cosmetics companies, retailers, and other stakeholders to have deeper insights into factors influencing young Vietnamese consumer intentions toward purchasing organic beauty products online.