Volume 29 Number 4, 2024

Understanding the Effectiveness of Food Product Labeling – A Model Considering Consumer Purchase Styles

Pingjun Jiang  
^{Department of Marketing, La Salle University, Philadelphia, USA
jiang@lasalle.edu}
 

ABSTRACT

Food product labels provide information on nutrition, expiration dates, regulatory compliance, and positioning. This study examines how consumers’ attention to and use of nutritional labels impact their purchase decisions. An online survey collects data on purchase styles, label usage, and the likelihood of brand-switching due to missing information on labels. This research considers an integrated variable of “purchase styles” in its model to understand the effectiveness of product labeling on consumers’ decision-making. The study identifies four consumer segments based on purchase styles: impulse shoppers, cautious shoppers, brand loyal shoppers, and analytical shoppers. Using Structural Equation Modeling (EQS), the study finds a significant link between purchase styles and brand switching based on label information. Analytical shoppers are the most influenced by product labels, while impulse shoppers are the least. These findings have important managerial implications for targeting specific consumer segments and enhancing consumer confidence in the quality of food products.

JEL Classifications: M

Keywords: food marketing, food product labeling, nutritional information, consumer behavior, consumer decision-making, purchase styles, segmentation

Cite this article: 

Jiang, P., 2024, Understanding the Effectiveness of Food Product Labeling – A Model Considering Consumer Purchase Styles, International Journal of Business, 29(4), 005. https://doi.org/10.55802/IJB.029(4).005