Understanding consumers’ intentions to purchase near-expiry food products: insights from an integrated TPB-NAT framework using PLS-SEM and NCA

Abstract

To tackle food waste issues, encouraging the purchase of near-expiry food products can be a potential solution. Accordingly, this research seeks to examine the factors influencing consumers’ intentions to buy near-expiry food products by integrating the frameworks of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and norm activation theory (NAT). Data were gathered via an online survey involving 220 consumers and subsequently examined using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), enabling a robust assessment of the relationships among the studied variables. Necessary condition analysis (NCA) was employed to uncover which factors are truly indispensable. The results show that all three main TPB variables, including attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control, are positively related to purchase intentions. However, health consciousness is not related to attitudes. Additionally, personal norms are positively related to purchase intentions. Ascription of responsibility is positively related to personal norms, and awareness of consequences is positively related to ascription of responsibility. Furthermore, except for health consciousness, all other variables are identified as necessary conditions for their proposed dependent variables. This study makes an important academic contribution to the literature by developing one of the first integrated frameworks that combines the TPB and the NAT to explain consumers' purchase intentions for near-expiry food products. In addition, by employing both PLS-SEM and NCA, the study moves beyond conventional sufficiency-based hypothesis testing to identify not only the factors that enhance purchase intentions but also the conditions that are indispensable for their formation. This dual analytical approach provides a more comprehensive understanding of consumer decision-making and advances theory on sustainable food consumption.