The impact of product familiarity on the purchase decisions of fruits and vegetables during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The research was conducted to examine the effect of the consumers' product familiarity on the purchase intention in fruits and vegetables in Malang city during the COVID-19 pandemic. The judgment sampling method was used to select the 176 respondents based on the purchasing criteria from either the online and offline market at least twice or more. The data were analyzed using multivariate data analysis with partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings showed that product knowledge had a great influence on the familiarity with the product. Consumers were aware of the food safety provided by the company while purchasing online. In addition, the familiarity of the products also brought a positive influence on purchase intention. The social influence and preference of other people became a factor considered by the consumers in purchasing the fruits and vegetables. So, the company should improve the marketing and branding strategies of the products by continually prioritizing the safety of the consumers in accordance with the health protocols.