The influence of external and internal factors on sugar-free product purchase intention, a case study of college students in Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract

Purpose - This study aims to explore not only external factors (such as availability and price consciousness) and their impact on consumers’ perceived behavioral control but also internal factors (such as health consciousness, lifestyle, and belief) and their influence on attitude. Furthermore, the study examines the effects of perceived behavioral control and attitude on the intention to purchase sugar-free products. Design/methodology/approach - This study uses a quantitative research method to collect data from college students in Ho Chi Minh City (n = 324). The data analysis used SmartPLS 4 to test the proposed model and The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 to discover the differences in demographic characteristics. Findings - The empirical results revealed that consumers' attitudes directly influenced sugar-free product intention while perceived behavioral control did not. In addition, the results show that the external and internal factors positively strengthen their buying intention. Research implications - The findings provide valuable guidance for marketers to produce and build appropriate product advertising campaigns to stimulate sugar-free consumption among young people and customers in general. Besides, directors and company owners will find the research article helpful in managing plans for growing their markets and satisfying the needs of potential consumers. Research discussion and limitations - Discussions and limitations are also presented in the research