Abstract

This exploratory qualitative study investigated consumer perceptions and attitudes in the context of ethical grocery shopping. The core research question posed here, ‘How much do grocery shoppers understand about ethical foods?’ was identified in response to reports in the literature of general consumer confusion over ethical messages.

In addition, the alleged increasing prominence of attitude-behaviour discrepancies within ethical consumer research was found to be a valid research gap worth investigating. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of eight Scottish consumers in this study.

Data analysis was carried out with the application of the ABC model of attitudes (affect, behaviour, cognition). Findings indicated inconsistency in consumer understanding of the term ‘ethical foods’ among the participants.

In terms of awareness of ethical labels, Fairtrade was found to be the most commonly associated with ethical foods, which was reflected in the participants’ unanimous familiarity with the Fairtrade label.

In contrast, there was a lack of awareness of ethical labels such as Soil Association, Freedom Food (which has since been rebranded as RSPCA Assured) and Marine Stewardship Council due to the paucity of prominent marketing campaigns.

Key Findings

1. Organic was perceived by some participants to be more associated with health benefits rather than being ethically produced.

2. Media publicity was found to be a major influence in promoting awareness and influencing consumer behaviour, especially through the recent heavy campaigning of free-range farming by celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Hugh-Fearnley Whittingstall.

3. Price was identified as a key cognitive barrier, alongside complicated labelling of ethical produce.

4. Nevertheless, supermarket own-brand ethical labels were found to simplify the purchase process due to the simplicity and visibility of the labelling designs.

5. In addition, concern for animal welfare came across as a prominent affective component motivating purchase.

6. Free-range eggs were the most regularly consumed ethical produce by the participants.

Conclusions

The results indicated a pattern of high consumer involvement in the purchase of ethically labelled groceries, with affect playing a central role in influencing ethical consumer behaviour.

This led to the identification of the affect-cognition-conation (feel-think-do) hierarchy of effects as a plausible sequence of effects experienced by the participants in their purchase of ethical foods.

However, further research with a bigger sample size is required to test the validity of the proposed hierarchy.

Nevertheless, implications for business based on the findings of this study include more widespread and simplified marketing communications messages alongside increased sales promotions to overcome the cognitive barriers deterring consumer behaviour.

In particular, there appears to be a real need for standardisation and simplification of ethical labels.