Perception, Attitude, and Purchase Intention of Organic Products in Ecuadorian Supermarkets

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70171/4eamc383

Keywords:

attitude, organic products, perception, purchase intention

Abstract

Justification: the growing interest in organic products across Latin America stems from concerns related to health, environmental sustainability, and responsible consumption. However, in Ecuador, there remain knowledge gaps regarding the factors that determine the purchase intention of these products in the retail channel. This study is justified by its contribution to understanding ecological consumer behavior, supporting the development of more sustainable marketing strategies. Objective: the aim of this study was to analyze how the perception of organic products and consumer attitude influence purchase intention in Ecuadorian supermarkets. Methodology: a quantitative approach was applied, using a structured questionnaire administered to a sample of 300 consumers. The variables were measured using validated scales, and the structural equation modeling technique (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the relationships between constructs. Results: the findings confirm that the perception of organic products positively influences consumer attitude, which in turn has a significant impact on purchase intention. Both hypotheses were supported with statistically robust results. Conclusion: the study demonstrates that perception and attitude are key determinants of sustainable purchasing behavior, offering practical implications for the marketing of organic products in the Ecuadorian retail sector.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

  • German Jazmany Zambrano-Verdesoto, Universidad Bolivariana del Ecuador

    He holds a Master's Degree in Commercial Management and Marketing, a Master's Degree in Higher Education, and a Bachelor's Degree with a specialization in Marketing and Advertising. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Marketing at the University of Valencia, Spain. He has extensive teaching experience and has served as a project director in higher education institutions, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, having worked at the State University of Milagro and the Guayaquil Higher Technological Institute. He is currently a faculty member at the Bolivarian University of Ecuador and the Bolivarian Higher Technological Institute of Technology. He has published books and scientific articles in national and international journals in the fields of marketing and education. In addition, he serves as an external reviewer for international academic journals and has participated as a speaker at scientific conferences, both nationally and internationally. He is registered as a researcher with SENESCYT under the code REG-INV-20-0453.

References

Aguirre, K. (2023). Perspectiva del consumidor Guayaquileño respecto a las certificaciones de productos orgánicos. [Tesis de pregrado, Universidad Politecnica Salesiana del Ecuador]. https://dspace.ups.edu.ec/bitstream/123456789/19783/1/UPS-GT003125.pdf

Ahmed, S., Ashrafi, D. M., Paraman, P., Dhar, B. K., & Annamalah, S. (2024). Behavioural intention of consumers to use app-based shopping on green tech products in an emerging economy. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 41(6), 1496–1518. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-05-2023-0164

Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational behavior and human decision processes, 50(2), 179-211.https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T

Alonso González, P., Extremo Martín, C., Otero Enríquez, R., de la Cruz Modino, R., Arocha Alonso, F. N., Rodríguez, S. G., & Parga Dans, E. (2025). Insights into Organic Food Consumption in Tenerife (Spain): Examining Consumer Profiles and Preferences. Sustainability, 17(5), 2123. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052123

Bazhan, M., Shafiei Sabet, F., & Borumandnia, N. (2024). Factors affecting purchase intention of organic food products: Evidence from a developing nation context. Food Science & Nutrition, 12(5), 3469–3482. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.4015

Bonisoli, L., Rivas, F. E. C., & Belduma, L. V. B. (2024). Descifrando el enigma del consumo orgánico: un estudio exploratorio en centennials ecuatorianos. Identidad Bolivariana, 8(1), 58-86.https://doi.org/10.37611/IB8ol158-86

Cambra González, A. (2025). Can co-op supermarkets lead the way to sustainability? Potentials and challenges in the shift from food difference to food democracy in Spain. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 28(3), 702-722. https://doi.org/10.1177/13678779241306442

Carrión-Bósquez, N. G., Ortiz-Regalado, O., Naranjo Armijo, F. G., Veas-González, I., Llamo-Burga, M. J., & Guerra-Regalado, W. F. (2024). Factores influyentes en el consumo de productos ecológicos: el caso de los millennials ecuatorianos y peruanos. Multidisciplinary business review, 17(1), 49-63. http://dx.doi.org/10.35692/07183992.17.1.5

Chandra Pant, S., Saxena, R., Gupta, N. K., Yadav, H., Kumar AD, S., & Kumar Pant, D. (2024). The organic odyssey: Navigating the influence of attitude on purchase intent, mediated by perceived value, quality, and price in India. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 79, 103801. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.103801

Daraboina, R., Cooper, O., & Amini, M. (2024). Segmentation of organic food consumers: A revelation of purchase factors in organic food markets. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 78, 103710. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.103710

Dash, G., & Paul, J. (2021). CB-SEM vs PLS-SEM methods for research in social sciences and technology forecasting. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 173, 121092. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121092

Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error: Algebra and Statistics. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(3), 382–388. 10.1177/002224378101800313

Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). Sage. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80519-7

Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Castillo Apraiz, J., Cepeda Carrión, G. & Roldán, J. L. (2019). Manual de partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (2da ed.). OmniaScience.

Halan, D., Aashish, K., & Thaichon, P. (2025). Continuous purchase intention of organic personal care products: evidence from India. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 37(1), 23–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/08961530.2024.2348641

Henseler, J. ö, Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135. 10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8

Jostock, C., Luick, M., Jebb, S. A., & Pechey, R. (2024). Changing the availability and positioning of more vs. less environmentally sustainable products: A randomised controlled trial in an online experimental supermarket. Appetite, 200, 107579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2024.107579

Lopes, J. M., Pinho, M., & Gomes, S. (2024). From green hype to green habits: Understanding the factors that influence young consumers' green purchasing decisions. Business Strategy and the Environment, 33(3), 2432-2444. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3602

Luick, M., Bandy, L., Piernas, C. (2024). Do promotions of healthier or more sustainable foods increase sales? Findings from three natural experiments in UK supermarkets. BMC Public Health 24, 1658 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19080-x

Lupindo, M., Madinga, N. W., & Dlamini, S. (2024). Green beauty: examining factors shaping millennials’ attitudes toward organic personal care products in South Africa. European Journal of Management Studies, 29(3), 271–291. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJMS-01-2024-0001

Malhotra, G., & Srivastava, H. (2024). Green purchase intention in omnichannel retailing: role of environmental knowledge and price sensitivity. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 32(4), 467–490. https://doi.org/10.1080/0965254X.2023.2241464

Niu, J., Jin, S., Chen, G., & Geng, X. (2024). How Can Price Promotions Make Consumers More Interested? An Empirical Study from a Chinese Supermarket. Sustainability, 16(6), 2512. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062512

Observatorio Ceplan (2023). Incremento en consumo de productos orgánicos y con certificaciones ambientales. https://observatorio.ceplan.gob.pe/ficha/tg47

Palomino Rivera, H. J., & Barcellos-Paula, L. (2024). Personal variables in attitude toward green purchase intention of organic products. Foods, 13(2), 213. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13020213

Pontes, S., Naranjo-Zolotov, M., & Painho, M. (2024). From intention to action: How environmental setback perception mediates green purchase behaviour. Journal of Cleaner Production, 470, 143285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.143285

Prakash, G., Sharma, S., Kumar, A., & Luthra, S. (2024). Does the purchase intention of green consumers align with their zero-waste buying behaviour? An empirical study on a proactive approach towards embracing waste-free consumption. Heliyon, 10(3) https://www.cell.com/heliyon/fulltext/S2405-8440(24)01053-3

Rehman, A. U., & Elahi, Y. A. (2024). How semiotic product packaging, brand image, perceived brand quality influence brand loyalty and purchase intention: a stimulus-organism-response perspective. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 36(11), 3043–3060. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-12-2023-1237

Richter, N. F., Hauff, S., Ringle, C. M., & Gudergan, S. P. (2022). The use of partial least squares structural equation modeling and complementary methods in international management research. Management International Review, 62(4), 449-470. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11575-022-00475-0

Sahu, S., & Chokkannan, P. (2025). Role Of Assortment And Sensory Appeal On Purchase Intention Of Organic Produce: A Serial Mediation Model. International Journal of Environmental Sciences, , 22–33. https://theaspd.com/index.php/ijes/article/view/3838

Samaniego Arias, M. A., & Usiña Báscones, G. G. (2024). Dimensiones de la Teoría de Comportamiento Planificado y su influencia en la Intención de compra de productos orgánicos. Ciencia Latina Revista Científica Multidisciplinar, 8(5), 6251-6270. https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v8i5.14043

Shmueli, G., Sarstedt, M., Hair, J. F., Cheah, J. H., Ting, H., Vaithilingam, S., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). Predictive model assessment in PLS-SEM: guidelines for using PLSpredict. European journal of marketing, 53(11), 2322-2347.

Thakkar, J. J. (2020). Structural equation modelling. Application for Research and Practice, 285.https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-981-15-3793-6.pdf

Vega Jaramillo, F. Y. (2025). Comportamiento del consumidor y comercio internacional: el caso de los productos orgánicos ecuatorianos en la Unión Europea. Revista InveCom, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13851670

Xu, M., Xu, Q., Wei, S., Gu, X., & Liu, F. (2024). Modulating variables impacting the intersection of health and environmental concerns in organic food purchasing decisions. British Food Journal, 126(10), 3663-3683. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-09-2023-0849

Published

2025-08-22

Issue

Section

Artículos originales

Categories

How to Cite

Zambrano Verdesoto, G., Fayos Gardó, T., & Calderón García, H. (2025). Perception, Attitude, and Purchase Intention of Organic Products in Ecuadorian Supermarkets. Erevna: Research Reports, 3(2), e2025018. https://doi.org/10.70171/4eamc383