Is seeing always good? The influence of organic food packaging transparency on consumers' purchase intentions

Abstract

Organic food enjoys widespread popularity; however, there are numerous factors influencing our purchasing decisions in this regard. Among these factors, packaging stands as a significantly salient determinant. While numerous studies have examined various aspects of organic food packaging, such as design, materials, and size, the impact of packaging transparency has received relatively less attention. Consequently, this research explores the Influence of transparency in organic food packaging on consumers' purchase intentions. The findings from two experiments illustrate that transparency in organic food packaging significantly impacts consumers' purchase intentions. Specifically, organic food with transparent packaging (vs. opaque) increases consumers' purchase intentions, with green perceived value (GPV) playing an intermediary role (Experiment 1). Additionally, consumers' self-construal, which relates to their sense of individuality or interconnectedness with others, moderates the Influence of packaging transparency on their purchase intentions; for individuals with an independent self-construal, organic food with transparent packaging increases their purchasing intentions. On the other hand, individuals with an interdependent self-construal show higher purchase intentions for organic food with opaque packaging than transparent packaging (Experiment 2). These findings shed light on the psychological mechanisms and contextual factors determining how organic food packaging transparency affects consumers' purchasing intentions. They also offer practical implications for companies in terms of designing packaging transparency and other aspects of organic food packaging.