Would you purchase milk from a milk ATM? Consumers’ attitude as a key determinant of preference and purchase intention in uganda

ABSTRACT

Though consumer studies have received significant attention in the field of marketing management, research on consumer attitude towards food supply technologies is needed. This paper investigates the relationship between consumer attitude and preference towards the usage of a ‘milk ATM’ as the point of sale. Based on data obtained from 296 consumers (convenient sampling), PLS-SEM was used to analyse the proposed conceptual framework. Furthermore, multiple group analysis was conducted to test for group differences between male and female consumers. The findings reveal that whereas the consumer utilitarian and hedonic values are significantly related to preference towards milk ATM purchase intentions, the former are more strongly related to preference than hedonic values. Moreover, there are significant differences between male and female consumers regarding the effect of utilitarian consumer attitude on preference. As a response to consumption goals of trading pasteurised milk, the findings demonstrate that milk ATM consumers are motivated by numerous value dimensions. These dimensions additively contribute to preference and intentions to purchase milk from milk ATMs. This research informs the policy makers and practitioners about the potential of milk ATMs as a point of sale for milk. However, to realise this potential, it is necessary for investors to further examine the core values sought by the consumers and improve in that core value delivery.

KEYWORDS:

• consumer attitude
• utilitarian value
• hedonic value
• preference
• intention
• milk ATM

JEL CLASSIFICATION:

• J43
• M30
• M31

Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the two anonymous reviewers for their insightful and valuable comments during the review process. We express our sincere gratitude to Prof. Johann Kirsten, Editor of Agrekon, and Eunique Gregorio for guiding us through the revision and publication process.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

ORCID

Xavier Gellynck http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8908-3310