Title: The role of situational factors and purchase intention in actual purchase behaviour for organic food in Vietnam

Authors: Tran Thi Ngoc Mai; Nguyen Thi Phuong Chi

Addresses: Foreign Trade University, Ho Chi Minh City Campus, No. 15 D5 St., Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam ' Industrial University of Hochiminh City, No. 12 Nguyen Van Bao, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine the intention-behaviour relationship and the effects of situational factors on consumers' purchase behaviour toward organic food in Vietnam. Data from 202 respondents was collected using online and paper-based questionnaires. Based on the analysis of SEM-PLS, the results showed that visual merchandising and perceived behavioural control significantly enhance the purchase intention of consumers, which consequently has a positive influence on their actual purchase behaviour. Additionally, premium prices of organic food and limited availability are two situational factors that deter the actual purchase. The study has demonstrated the theoretical validity and the empirical applicability of the TPB model to the context of organic food consumption in a developing country. The findings have several important implications for organic food producers and policymakers to increase the popularity and consumption of organic food in Vietnam.

Keywords: organic food; purchase behaviour; purchase intention; situational factors; Vietnam.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEMR.2025.147484

International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing, 2025 Vol.16 No.4, pp.420 - 441

Received: 12 Nov 2022
Accepted: 12 Feb 2023
Published online: 18 Jul 2025 *

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