Assessing the Role of Determinants on Consumer's Purchase Intention and Consumption of Branded Bread in an Academic Environment

The demand for bakery products is rising, due to convenience and nutritional benefits. Bread is considered as a convenience food, which requires minimum time and culinary knowledge to prepare and consume. New low-carb, high-fibre, multigrain and fortified bread that appeal to health-conscious consumers has triggered the market growth. Global bread market is estimated to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.43% during 2019-2024. The European bakery products market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.12% during the forecast period of 2020-2025. Europe holds the largest share in the global bread market, by volume United States retail packaged bread market size was valued at over USD 20 billion in 2018 and is expected to register over 2.5% CAGR from 2019 to 2026. The Asia-Pacific bakery products market is estimated to record a CAGR of 8.46% during the forecast period of 2022-2027. Indian bakery market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% between 2021 and 2026 to reach a value of USD 12.39 billion by 2026. Indian bread market is projected to grow at CAGR of 10% and reach nearly $ 1.4 billion by 2026 on an account of rising awareness about healthy lifestyle and wellness, increasing disposable income, busy lifestyle and changing eating habits of the consumers across the country (Research and Market 2020). The convenience orientation is important determinant, which drives consumer towards shopping and consumption of branded bread. The significant increase of female employment, rise in nuclear families, busywork schedule, desire to maximize social and leisure time, long working hours, career-oriented lifestyle and multiple responsibilities are the most important factors influencing convenience food choice (Hena et al., 2021a; Hena et al., 2021b; Hena et al., 2022a; Hena et al., 2022b; Hena et al., 2023). Time scarcity, induced by various factors results in the modification of food consumption behavior (Contoni et al., 2018; Hena et al., 2023). Cooking skills and motivation is important to provide nutritive and balanced diet for a healthy lifestyle. In both developed and emerging economies, cooking skills and motivation are diminishing fast due to lack of training from parents, and busy lifestyle. Irrespective of gender, cooking is perceived as a difficult and low priority task (Priyadarshini, 2015; Djupegot et al., 2017; Hena et al., 2023).

Sensory characteristics such as taste, appearance, freshness, texture, color, and smell are important motivating factors, driving consumers towards shopping and consumption of branded bread. Due to advances in food processing and packaging technology, the sensory appeal of convenience food products has been considerably improved in recent years. The sensory appeals undoubtedly are believed to influence consumers’ perception, purchase intention and consumption of convenience food products significantly (Dewettinck et al., 2008; Tikkanen and Vääriskoski, 2010; Lakshmi, 2016; Skorepa and Picha, 2016; Jadhav and Chavan, 2019; Khannal, 2020; Hena et al., 2021a, Compaore-Sereme et al., 2023). Nutritional quality is another most important determinant, which motivates and drives consumers towards convenience food choice as well as being directly linked with perception, purchase decision, and consumption. Nutritional quality such as nutritional value, natural ingredients, protein, fiber, vitamin, mineral and quality certification are the important factors, which drive consumers towards purchase intention and consumption of convenience food products like bread (Tikkanen and Vääriskoski, 2010; Moslehpour et al., 2015; Cecilia et al., 2016; Hena et al., 2021a; Lădaru et al., 2021).

Food safety is another important determinant that influences the shopping and consumption of branded bread. The safety attributes such as additives, pesticides, hormones, artificial ingredients, and safety certification are important attributes of food safety. Food safety is one of the most influential factor in context of shopping and consumption of food products (Olusegun et al., 2015; Hena et al., 2021a). Health is the prime concern of consumers while purchasing and consuming convenience food such as branded bread. Health is a multidimensional construct that embodies overall wellbeing of consumers regarding physical, mental, and social aspects. Health-related issues such as calories, fat, salt, sugar, and balanced diet play important roles in influencing consumers for purchase and consumption of processed food products (Musaiger, 2014; Cecilia et al., 2016; Contini et al., 2018; Sajdakowska et al., 2019; Engindeniz et al., 2021; Hena et al., 2021a; Wambugu and Musyoka, 2022). Food price, family income, disposable income, and availability are the major economic drivers influencing shopping and eating of bakery products. Changing lifestyle, employment status, dual income, availability of the product choice and entry of multinational companies in bakery sector are the most important drivers influencing consumer'schoice for branded bread in India (Tikkanen and Vääriskoski, 2010; Skorepa and Picha, 2016; Engindeniz et al., 2021; Lădaru et al., 2021; Al Togar and Al Hakim, 2022). Product information, sensory, nutritional facts, certification, quality, health, cooking instructions, place of origin and price are important attributes of food labeling / product information that attract and motivate consumers towards shopping and consumption of food products (Grujic et al., 2013). Food processing technology plays an important role in improving and maintaining sensory, quality, safety and health attributes as well as the acceptability of food products (Ojha et al., 2015; Misra et al., 2017; Hena et al., 2022a).

Bakery product is one of the fastest growing sectors in the Indian economy. Demand for branded bread is increasing significantly in India, particularly in urban areas, owing to a busy lifestyle, lack of cooking skills and motivation, higher disposable income, career-oriented work commitments, a significant increase in dual working families, desire for more leisure time, and a significant change in food-related lifestyle. Despite the significant market expansion and economic relevance of bakery products in India, no comprehensive research has been conducted to examine the impact of determinants influencing consumer’spurchase and consumption of branded bread. Therefore the main objective of this study was to understand the role of convenience orientation, time scarcity, cooking skills, sensory appeal, nutritional quality, safety consciousness, health consciousness, perceived price, product information, processing technology and packaging quality on purchase intention and consumption of branded bread in an academic environment. 1.1 Theoretical background and development of hypotheses: 1.1.1 Convenience orientation: The convenience orientation induced by multiple factors is a key determinant, influencing consumer purchase intention and consumption of branded bread. The significant increase of female employment, significant rise in expendable income, diminishing trend of cooking skill and motivation, multiple responsibilities, busywork schedule, and competitive environment significantly increased the demand and consumption of convenience food (Olusegun et al., 2015; Contini et al., 2018; Hena et al., 2021b). Considering the aforementioned research findings, the following hypothesis is proposed: H 1: Convenience orientation is positively related to purchase intension of branded bread. 1.1.2 Time scarcity: Time scarcity, induced by various factors results in the modification of food consumption behaviour such as significant increase inconvenience food consumption and reduction in home cooked food. Long and erratic working hours, significant increase in women'semployment, desire for more time on leisure activities, decreasing in joint family system; employment status, significant increase in dual working nuclear families and work pressure are the major factors resulting to time scarcity that drive consumers towards convenience food choice (Cecilia et al., 2016; Hena et al., 2023). In light of the above-mentioned findings, the following hypothesis is formulated: H 2: Time scarcity is positively related to purchase intension of branded bread. 1.1.3 Cooking skills: Cooking skills, knowledge and motivation are eroding in both developed and emerging economies due to significant changes in lifestyle, reluctant to pass cooking skills to daughter due to inclination towards professional career, desire to maximize leisure time, time pressure due to multiple responsibilities and lack of provision for imparting culinary skills in schools/ colleges / universities (Hartmenn et al., 2013; Priyadarshini, 2015; Contini et al., 2018; Sajdakowska et al., 2020; Hena et al., 2023). The lack of cooking skills, knowledge and motivation are important, factors in motivating and driving consumers towards choice of convenience food such as branded bread. Considering the aforementioned research findings, the following hypothesis is postulated: H 3: Lack of cooking skills is positively related to purchase intension of branded bread. 1.1.4 Sensory appeal: The sensory characteristics such as taste (Heenan et al., 2009; Jadhav and Chavan, 2019; Sajdakowska et al., 2020; Hena et al., 2021a); flavour (Braghieri et al., 2016; Hena et al., 2021a); appearance (Heenan et al., 2009; Tikkanen and Vääriskoski, 2010; Skorepa and Picha, 2016; Hena et al., 2021a); freshness (Heenan et al., 2009; Skorepa and Picha, 2016); texture (Braghieri et al., 2016; Hena et al., 2021a); overall liking (Braghieri et al., 2016) and smell (Sajdakowska et al., 2020; Hena et al., 2021a) are the important motivating factors, driving consumers towards shopping and consumption of convenience food such as branded bread. Considering the aforementioned research findings, the following hypothesis is developed: H 4: Sensory appeal is positively related to purchase intension of branded bread. 1.1.5 Nutritional quality: The nutritional quality of convenience food such as bread play important role in motivating and driving consumers towards its purchase and consumption (Dewettinck et al., 2008; Grujic et al., 2013; Moslehpur et al., 2015; Di Vita et al., 2019; Khanal, 2020; Hena et al., 2021a; Lădaru et al., 2021). The food quality certification from authorized agencies and brand provide the details of production process, ingredients, nutritional facts, shelf life, cooking instruction, place of production, safety, environment and ethical issues to consumers are the core aspects of integrated food quality concept (Hena et al., 2021a). Mascarello et al. (2015) reported that the perception regarding the nutritional quality of food products considerably influenced the purchase decision and consumption behavior of consumers. Based on the comprehensive literature review, the following hypothesis is proposed: H 5: Nutritional quality is positively related to purchase intension of branded bread. 1.1.6 Safety consciousness: Food safety is another important determinant influences the shopping and consumption of processed food such as branded bread (Olusegun et al., 2015). The primary concerns of consumers about food safety are additives (Hena et al., 2021a), pesticides (Omari and Frempong, 2015; Hena et al., 2021a), hormones (Hena et al., 2021a), artificial ingredients (Omari and Frempong, 2015; Hena et al., 2021a), color (Omari and Frempong, 2015; Hena et al., 2021a) which in turn significantly influenced consumer’spurchase intention and consumption of processed food such as branded bread. Based on the aforementioned research findings, the following hypothesis is proposed: H 6: Safety consciousness is positively related to purchase intention of branded bread. 1.1.7 Health consciousness: Health benefit is most important determinant, which motivate and drive consumer’sfor purchase and consumption of bread (Dewettinck et al., 2008; Sajdakowska et al., 2020; Engindeniz et al., 2021; Wambugu and Musyoka, 2022). Health-related issues such as calories (Musaiger, 2014; Hena et al., 2021a), fat (Musaiger, 2014; Hena et al., 2021a), salt (Cecilia et al., 2016; Hena et al., 2021a), sugar (Cecilia et al., 2016; Hena et al., 2021a) and balanced diet (Contini et al., 2018; Hena et al., 2021a) play important roles in influencing consumer’sfor purchase and consumption of convenience food such as branded bread. Hoek et al. (2017) stated that the government regulatory authorities, responsible for the formulation of food laws and regulations, should prioritize health-related attributes of convenience food. Based on the aforementioned research findings, the following hypothesis is proposed: H 7: Health consciousness is positively related to purchase intention of branded bread. 1.1.8 Perceived price: Family income, disposable income, food price and availability are the major economic drivers influencing shopping and consumption of bakery products. Changing lifestyle, employment status, dual income, availability of the product choice, competitive price and entry of multinational companies in bakery sector are the most important drivers influencing consumers purchase decision and consumption of branded bread (Tikkanen and Vääriskoski, 2010; Nagyová et al. 2014; Skorepa and Picha, 2016; Lădaru et al., 2021; Engindeniz et al., 2021; Al Togar and Al Hakim, 2022). The convenience orientation, cooking skills, processing technology, sensory appeal, nutritional quality, safety consciousness, health consciousness and food price are important determinants which influenced consumer’sfood choice (Hena et al., 2021a; Hena et al., 2021b; Hena et al., 2022a; Hena et al., 2022b; Hena et al., 2023). Based on the aforementioned research findings, the following hypothesis is proposed: H 8: Perceived price is positively related to purchase intention of branded bread. 1.1.9 Product information: Sensory, nutritional facts, certification, quality, safety, health, cooking instructions, place of origin and price are important attributes of food product information / labeling that attract and motivate consumers towards shopping and consumption of convenience food such as bread (Vlaeminck et al., 2014; Hena et al., 2022a). Grujic et al. (2013) reported that it is necessary to inform and educate consumers regarding food quality, safety and labeling. Mhurchu et al. (2018) stated that the product information had positive impact on the purchase of healthier food. In light of the aforementioned research findings, the following hypothesis is proposed.

H 9: Product information is positively related to purchase intention of branded bread. 1.1.10 Processing technology: The consumers perceived that advanced and novel food processing technologies improve sensory appeal, nutritional quality, safety attributes, healthiness and shelf life of processed food products. Advanced food processing technologies such as HPP and PEF maintained naturalness, improved sensory, quality and shelf life of processed food products (Ojha et al., 2015; Misra et al., 2017; Hena et al., 2022a). In light of the aforementioned research findings, the following hypothesis is proposed: H 10: Novel food processing technology is positively related to purchase intention of branded bread. 1.1.11 Packaging quality: Packaging characteristics is an important determinant which motivates and drives consumers towards convenience food choice, like branded bread (Tikkanen and Vääriskoski, 2010; Wyrwa and Barske, 2017; Majid et al., 2018; Jadhav and Chavan, 2019; Hena et al., 2022a). Packaging attributes includes colour, shape, size, functional attributes, durability, informational attributes, logo, brand name, and product information. Jadhav and Chavan (2019) reported that product and brand recognition, affordability, availability and packaging were the important factors that influence the preference of bakery products like bread. In light of the aforementioned research findings, the following hypothesis is proposed: H 11: Packaging quality is positively related to purchase intention of branded bread. 1.1.12 Purchase intention and consumption: The consumer’spurchase intention and consumption of convenience food such as branded bread is complex process and governed by socio demographics, physical, economic, psychological, marketing, commercial, ethical and religious determinants (Priyadarshini, 2015; Bandara et al., 2016; Hena et al., 2021a; Hena et al., 2021b; Hena et al., 2022a; Hena et al., 2022b; Hena et al., 2023). Based on the aforementioned research findings, the following hypothesis is proposed: H 12: Purchase intention of branded bread is positively related to consumption of branded bread.

The conceptual model for the present study is based on aforementioned research findings to assess the role of convenience orientation, time scarcity, cooking skills, sensory appeal, nutritional quality, safety consciousness, health consciousness, perceived price, product information, processing technology and packaging quality influencing purchase intention and consumption of branded bread (Figure 1).

FIGURE 1: Conceptual Model