The Environmental Awareness Influence Urban Female's Purchasing Intention of Organic Agricultural Products

Abstract

In 2018, the number of internet users in Taiwan reached 18.66 million. The online rate was 79.2%, which was 0.4% higher than that in 2017. Moreover, the annual growth rate of Taiwan's online shopping market is double digits, suggesting the rapid expansion of online shops and the popular trend in online shopping. Managing a store on the internet platform offers many advantages, such as low operating cost, cheaper fees, greater sources of customers, and keyword marketing. As online shopping becomes prevalent in Taiwan, online shops are considered effective sales channels. Among the online shops, there are many small organic shops operated by farmers, as well as chain organic stores. However, researches on Taiwan's online purchase and sales of organic agricultural products (vegetables and fruits) are very sparse. The subjects were mostly urban women, who are white-collar workers, have middle to upper income levels, a high level of education, and are highly frequent internet shoppers. The findings indicate that in the booming online shopping market, urban women's attitude and perceived behavioral control positively, affect their intention to buy organic agricultural products (vegetables and fruits) online. Chain stores and farmers should consider internet marketing as an important sales channel targeting urban women.