Predicting consumers' intention to purchase local foods with GI certification: the interplay of consumer ethnocentrism, place identity, attitude and perceived credibility of origin-labelling

Abstract

Purpose Nudging consumers to choose local products is gaining importance for relocalisation of agri-food system. Origin labelling, such as Geographical Indication (GI) certification, is being widely promoted as a tool of place branding and for signalling the localness of products. Design/methodology/approach Anchored in the Social Identity Theory and the Place Attachment Theory, a mediation model was estimated with Spanish consumers to conceptualise and measure constructs related to identity-based dimensions to predict their preference for local agri-foods. Findings Results indicate that consumers' ethnocentrism, place identity, attitude and perceived credibility of quality label have a significant positive effect on purchase intention. Ethnocentrism and attitude were the strongest predictors and also mediated the effects of place identity and perceived credibility on purchase intention. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to a better understanding of the role of place in food preferences and proposes a conceptual pathway to depict consumers' intention to purchase local products with GI labelling. It also validated the potential of GI certification as an information nudge and place-branding marketing tool to prompt informed choice of local agri-food products. Originality/value By bringing four identity-based constructs into one single model, this work offers novel insights on how consumer food choices are rooted in their self-identity-related goals, symbolic boundaries and contextual realities in which they make choices that have often been overlooked.