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This study examines the Food for Specified Health Uses (FOSHU) system in Japan, which features a unique certification logo (FOSHU seal) not present in other functional food systems and whose influence on consumer purchase intention remains unclear. Specifically, it aims to (1) examine the FOSHU seal’s influence on consumer purchase intention, (2) compare the effects of the FOSHU seal and health claims and (3) assess the impact of consumers’ perception of FOSHU, their FOSHU purchasing experience, and the perception of their gastrointestinal condition.

Data were collected from Japanese respondents through a questionnaire survey using conjoint measurements. Ordered multinomial logistic regression analysis was employed, with FOSHU seal, health claims, sugar-free and extra quantity labels as independent variables and ordered purchase intention as the dependent variable.

The results indicated that the FOSHU seal on functional food products positively influences consumer purchase intention, with health claims exerting a greater influence than the FOSHU seal. Additionally, purchase intention is positively affected when consumers perceive the FOSHU seal as a mark of authenticity.

This study is novel in two respects. First, it extends brand research, which has traditionally focussed on corporate and product brands, to certification marks, demonstrating their effect on purchase intention. Second, creating similar logos for functional foods beyond those for specified health uses in Japan or in similar systems in other countries could improve purchase intentions.

This study aims to model the purchase intention of virtual reality hardware using the cognition-affect-conation (CAC) model, which integrates psychology and consumer behavior research to explain how individuals' thoughts, emotions and intentions influence their behaviors.

Data were collected from individuals aged 18 and above who had no prior experience with virtual reality hardware. A total of 330 valid responses were obtained from individuals residing in Malaysia and analyzed using the partial least squares (PLS) approach.

The study validates that vividness, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment and utilitarian value have a positive impact on attitude. Vividness, perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment and perceived value have a significant relationship with satisfaction, while perceived usefulness and utilitarian values have a negative impact on satisfaction. Furthermore, the study underscores the positive correlation between attitude and satisfaction. The relationship between satisfaction, attitude and purchase intention is confirmed. Lastly, the moderating effect of individualism on the relationship between satisfaction and attitude towards purchase intention is confirmed.

The findings provide valuable guidance for virtual reality designers and marketers, offering effective strategies to enhance brand promotion, user retention and sales through the skillful integration of virtual reality hardware.

The study enhances the understanding of consumer acceptance behavior regarding virtual reality hardware by incorporating affective aspects into cognitive factors and including individualism as a moderating factor. It addresses an important gap in the research landscape of the immersive industry, particularly concerning virtual reality hardware within the Malaysian context.

This study examined how the repeated information posted by sports teams on their social media pages influences the purchase intention of sports consumers. More specifically, the mere exposure effect was used to describe how relevant, valuable and credible social media posts affect sports consumers’ brand awareness, brand attitude and brand images as well as how these effects ultimately influence their purchase decisions.

A total of 458 respondents who use social media platforms to access sports team-related information were reached via purposive sampling. Confirmatory factor analysis and covariance-based structural equation modeling were conducted to evaluate measurement and path models. This study also attempted to detect whether there is an indirect effect of sponsor brand awareness on the purchase intention of sports consumers.

The relevance, value and credibility of social media information significantly and positively affected sponsor brand awareness among the respondents. Such awareness favorably influenced their attitude and perceptions toward sponsor brands. This awareness also indirectly influenced their purchase intention through brand image as a mediator. As well, brand image strongly and directly affected purchase intention.

By identifying the importance of sports team information posted on social media platforms, this study guide sports teams and sponsors in crafting high-quality social media content that enhances brand awareness, brand image and positively shapes consumer attitudes, ultimately driving purchase intention.

This study aims to examine the impact of electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) on purchase intention, focusing on the mediating roles of brand image and brand trust among Albanian consumers in the fashion industry.

A survey of 302 consumers who had purchased fashion products in Albania in the past year was conducted. Structural equation modeling using Amos v.26 was used to analyze the relationships between e-WOM, brand image, brand trust and purchase intention.

The results show that e-WOM has no significant direct effect on purchase intention. However, e-WOM has a significant influence on brand image and brand trust, which act as important mediators in the relationship between e-WOM and purchase intention.

While this study enriches the understanding of e-WOM in a developing market context, the reliance on structured questionnaires may limit the depth of insights into consumer perceptions. Practically, the findings underscore the importance of leveraging e-WOM to strengthen brand image and trust, providing actionable insights for marketers seeking to optimize online platforms for engagement and sales in the fashion industry.

This study offers a new perspective on the mediating role of brand image and brand trust in the relationship between e-WOM and purchase intention. By focusing on these mediators, the study extends existing knowledge on how consumer perceptions and trust are influenced by digital word of mouth. The results of the study contribute to a deeper understanding of the indirect pathways through which e-WOM influences purchase decisions and provide actionable insights for brand managers and marketers in the dynamic context of the fashion industry.

This study examines the temporal dynamics of consumer attitudes, perceived value and purchase intentions toward green agricultural foods, addressing critical gaps in the literature on sustainable consumption behaviours. It emphasises the mediating role of perceived value and its evolution over time, offering insights into consumer decision-making processes.

A longitudinal design was adopted, collecting data through structured questionnaires from primary household food purchasers in northern Taiwan at baseline, three months and six months. Analytical techniques, including multiple regression, mediation analysis and repeated measures ANOVA, were employed to examine relationships and track changes over time.

The results reveal that consumer attitudes positively influence perceived value, which fully mediates the relationship with purchase intentions. Temporal analysis indicates significant increases in perceived value and purchase intentions over six months, demonstrating that sustained exposure to green agricultural foods reinforces consumer commitment and pro-environmental behaviours. Attitudes alone do not directly predict purchase intentions without the mediation of perceived value, highlighting the critical role of perceived benefits in driving long-term sustainable consumption.

This study provides actionable insights for enhancing the perceived value of green agricultural foods. Businesses should prioritise health and environmental benefits, while policymakers can design campaigns and incentives to promote sustainable dietary habits, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 12.

By exploring the mediating role of perceived value in transforming positive consumer attitudes into purchase intentions, this study highlights how perceived value, shaped by health and environmental benefits, drives consumer behaviour. These findings contribute valuable insights for enhancing market appeal and supporting sustainable food marketing strategies.

This research sought to show that consumers with strong green attitudes modify their consumption criteria, getting them to consider green products as more aligned with their preferences. Utilizing the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and self-regulation theory, this study investigated how consumers’ green attitudes influence their intentions to buy eco-friendly products, both directly and through the mediating role of consumer-green product congruence. Furthermore, to find more specific insights for businesses, drawing on attitude-behavior-context (ABC) theory, this study compared the results between males and females.

To evaluate the proposed conceptual model, this study surveyed 272 consumers and analyzed the data using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with the help of Smart-PLS 4.0 software.

The results indicated that consumers with green attitudes have higher intentions to buy green products, both directly and through the mediating role of consumer-green product congruence. While, in contrast to women, no significant direct relationship between men’s green attitude and their green purchase intentions was observed, we found a stronger mediating role for green-product congruence among males than females.

The findings suggest that fostering consumers’ green attitudes not only enhances consumers’ perceived alignment with green products but also significantly increases their intentions to purchase eco-friendly products. Furthermore, a comparison between males and females shows that men only decide to purchase green products when they see an alignment between their preferences and those products. Green attitudes are not sufficient for men to purchase green products. This is among a few studies addressing the above issues from the perspective of TRA, self-regulation theory and ABC theory.

To elucidate the factors influencing suboptimal food (SF) purchase intention among Taiwanese consumers, this study extended the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) model by incorporating driving factors that encourage purchasing of SFs, that is, incorporating food waste awareness and personal norms. The inhibiting moderator of health consciousness and facilitating moderator of price consciousness were also considered.

A total of 305 online questionnaire responses were analysed. Moderated regression analysis was performed to test the hypotheses proposed in this study.

Consumer attitudes toward purchasing SFs and perceived behavioural control as well as their food waste awareness and personal norms are determinants of their SF purchase intention. Health consciousness inhibits SF purchase intention, and price consciousness promotes SF purchase intention. In addition, the moderating effect of health consciousness reverses the positive relationship between personal norms and SF purchase intention, turning the relationship negative. However, the moderating effect of price consciousness strengthens the positive relationship between personal norms and SF purchase intention.

In addition to extending the TPB model, this study considered the main effects and moderating effects of health consciousness and price consciousness on consumers’ intention to purchase SF. The research findings contribute to the understanding of the relevant factors that influence Taiwanese consumers’ SF purchase intention. The study also outlines the implications of its findings in terms of encouraging consumers to purchase SFs to reduce food waste.

This study explores the influence of gender-specific reactions to social media advertisements on purchase intentions, addressing a gap in existing research. It examines how these reactions affect the perceived value of ads and, consequently, the intention to purchase, with a particular focus on gender as a moderating factor. The primary aim is to analyse how gender moderates the relationship between consumers’ perceptions of the value of social media ads and their subsequent purchase intentions.

A non-probability convenience sampling method was employed to collect data from 423 social media users in Malaysia at shopping malls. Respondents interacted with advertisements on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok and completed a survey. Descriptive analysis was performed using SPSS 25. The study utilized structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the structural and measurement models. Multigroup analysis (MGA) was conducted using SMART-PLS 4.0.9.6 to assess moderation effects based on gender differences.

The findings reveal that advertisements emphasizing entertainment significantly influence female purchase intentions, whereas ads highlighting product or service values resonate more with males, challenging common stereotypes. Informative and creative ads show universal appeal across genders, underscoring the importance of diverse ad elements in shaping consumer behaviour.

This study advances the advertising value model by specifically identifying gender-based differences in how entertainment and perceived value in social media ads influence purchase intention. It uniquely reveals that females are more responsive to entertainment-focused and value-conscious ads. These findings provide targeted strategies for advertisers to design gender-sensitive campaigns, enhancing the model’s relevance in contemporary digital advertising contexts.

This research aims to examine how health consciousness, social identity, self-identity, trust and willingness to pay premium impact individuals’ intention to make green purchases, which in turn influences organic purchasing behavior. Additionally, the study tried to examine the moderating effect of willingness to pay premium.

Utilizing a purposive sampling approach, a questionnaire survey was used to gather information from 452 customers in India. The conceptual model was assessed, and the research hypotheses were examined using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

The results of this study showed that the intention to make green purchases is strongly influenced by consumers health consciousness, social identity and trust. However, self-identity did not influence consumers green purchase intention. Furthermore, the moderating effect of willingness to pay premium was significant, except for self-identity, in the relationship of health consciousness, willingness to pay premium social identity and trust with green purchase intention.

The research will help producers and marketers refine food and marketing tactics to promote a favorable perception of organic food products.

This study is pioneering in (1) investigating the moderating impact of willingness to pay premium (WLPP) in the relationship of health consciousness, social identity, self-identity and trust with green purchase intention and (2) investigating the influence of consumer identities on green purchase intention in the Indian context.

The post-pandemic era has shifted most industries, businesses and consumers online, increasing the demand for electronic devices, mainly laptops. Additionally, most non-Western countries inhabit highly religious but cash-strapped individuals, making them a potential market for second-hand laptops. With this in mind, this study aims to explore the effects of lenient return policy (LRP) and religiosity on consumer confidence in retailer (CCR), consumer well-being and purchase intention.

This paper conducted a between-subjects field experiment comparing two return policy conditions (cash return vs. other return) with a sample of 222 participants. Data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypothesised relationships, and multigroup analysis (MGA) was employed to assess the experimental effects based on the return policy conditions. The moderating effects of religiosity were also examined. All analyses were conducted using SmartPLS software.

The results confirm that an LRP positively predicts consumer confidence in retailer, well-being and purchase intention. Religiosity had a moderating effect on LRP outcomes. Additionally, the experiment confirmed that consumers experienced better well-being and were more likely to purchase if offered full cashback.

Retailers of second-hand shopping products should offer LRP (full cashback) to foster consumer confidence, well-being and purchase intention. Additionally, for highly religious consumers, aligning return policies with religious principles should further enhance consumer well-being and purchase intention.

This study is among the earliest to investigate the impact of LRP on CCR and well-being. Moreover, a novel attempt is made to explore the moderating effects of religiosity on LRP outcomes. Likewise, a field experiment to validate the greater effects of cashback on consumer well-being and purchase intention adds to the novelty of this study.