Consumers’ Attitudes and Purchase Behavior of HMR (Home Meal Replacement) Using Locally Sourced Food

ABSTRACT

The home meal replacement(HMR) market is growing rapidly, but consumers have been dissatisfied with safety and nutrition of HMR. On demand side, HMR has been positioned as a convenient meal replacement but its nutrition and safety has been questioned by consumers. On supply side, the food industry has been challenged to find sustainable way of sourcing and producing. The issue of using local food and food self-sufficiency has gained more attention with COVID-19. This study aims to explore the attributes that are related to consumers’ trust and purchase intention of HMR using locally sourced food. An online survey was conducted with 807 Korean consumers. Factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used. The result showed three subdimensions of attributes: products, ingredients and retail attributes. Only ingredients attributes had direct effect on consumers’ purchase intention. However, when mediated by consumer trust, all three dimensions had positive indirect effect on purchase intention.

KEYWORDS:

• Local food
• HMR
• consumer trust
• attribute
• purchase intention

Introduction

Consumers’ eating styles are changing as they pursue more convenience. Demographic changes such as more single-person households and dual-income households, as well as external factors such as difficulty eating out due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 have influenced eating styles (Kim et al., 2020). Accordingly, consumers want convenient eating options by consuming more home meal replacement (HMR) products. HMR refers to fully or partially prepared foods that can quickly and conveniently replace home-cooked meals. The types of HMR can be classified according to cooking convenience including ready to eat, ready to heat, ready to end-cook, and ready to cook (Costa et al., 2001). Given the convenience of HMR, the industry has rapidly increased. The size of South Korea’s (Korea, hereafter) HMR market nearly tripled over three years from 1.68 trillion won in 2015 to 3.2 trillion won in 2018 (90.5%), and it is expected to increase significantly to about 5 trillion won by 2022 (Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, 2019).

Since HMR products use agricultural products, the industry has a strong connection to agriculture. Therefore, regional agricultural products that are used to make HMR can be linked to the long-term growth of agriculture and sustainable development in the region. Sustainability is a heavily researched topic around the world and in numerous industries. To realize sustainable development of the environment and society, scholars have proposed that promoting sustainable consumption through sustainable food production can satisfy the needs of consumers and reduce the negative impact on society and the environment (Coderoni & Perito, 2020; Cooper, 2013; Mont & Plepys, 2008). When sustainable production is applied to the HMR market, it can reduce the negative environmental impact, such as carbon emissions, particularly from global transportation and packaging waste (Pearson et al., 2011). Thus, an approach to sustainable development of the food industry using locally sourced food in HMR includes supporting local agricultural producers and reducing carbon emissions with a shorter food transportation distance.

Concerns about food self-sufficiency issue have also increased because global food distribution system has been disrupted with the spread of COVID-19. In 2021, the Korea government announced the National Food Plan 2021 to improve food self-sufficiency by promoting domestic local food production and consumption as an alternative to imported foods (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of Korea, 2021). Considering the unstable global food supply chain, using locally sourced food in HMR(vs. non-imported food products) can be another solution to food self-sufficiency issue considering the unstable global food supply (Park, 2020).

With increased consumption of HMR, the lack of safety and nutrition of the ingredients used in HMR poses a problem that needs to be addressed, especially since it directly relates to the quality of consumers’ diets and health (Kang & Jo, 2015). Using locally sourced food in HMR can also enhance consumers’ satisfaction with the food they consume since consumers have reported dissatisfaction with the nutrition and safety of ingredients used in HMR (Costa et al., 2003; Jeong & Lee, 2015; Jun, 2016; Kang & Jo, 2015). Jeong and Lee (2015) found that consumers want to improve the ingredients used in HMR so they are healthier and safer. Other studies have shown that HMR using locally sourced food can be a sager and healthier approach because local foods are generally healthier and the origin information is more trusted compared to imported food (Allen & Hinrichs, 2007; Bianchi, 2017; Feldmann & Hamm, 2015). In particular, unlike imported food, consumers are more likely to obtain reliable information about the region where the food was produced.

This study sets the research scope in Korea, where there is strong policy support for the rapid growth of the HMR industry and the consumption of local foods. The Korean government has recently promoted policies to support the revitalization of the local food product industry. The “Act on revitalization of direct trade in agricultural products, including promotion of use of local agricultural products” was enacted in 2015 to lay the institutional foundation for revitalizing the consumption of locally sourced food. In 2019, the government continued its policy efforts to promote the consumption of local foods, such as announcing a three-year policy implementation plan for the spread of local food (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of Korea, 2019). The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the attributes that consumers consider important, consumer trust, and purchase intention of HMR using locally sourced food.

Confirming which attributes have a greater effect on consumer trust and purchase intention provides vital evidence for practitioners on product. It also provides recommendations for policy-makers to support both locally sourced food and the HMR industry in Korea.

Literature Review

Home Meal Replacement (HMR) using locally sourced food and the attributes

HMR refers to food that is prepared in advance with little or no need for consumers to cook. The convenience of HMR can completely and quickly replace home-cooked food for consumption in stores or at home (Costa et al., 2007; Grier, 2001). The demand for HMR is growing rapidly due to changes in Korea’s household demographics, including more single-person households, double-income households, and Korea’s increasingly aging population. According to the Korean Ministry of the Interior and Safety (2021) , the proportion of single-person households exceeded 40% in 2021, while the proportion of 4-person households (i.e., the previous standard) was only 19%. In addition, the ratio of dual-income households in households with a spouse increased from 43.3% in 2013 to 45.4% in 2020 (Statistics Korea, 2020). The elderly population aged 65 and over accounted for 15.7% of the total population as of 2020 and is estimated to continue to increase to 20.3% by 2025. These changes in demographics along with the eating-out restrictions during COVID-19 has increased the demand for HMR (Kim et al., 2020).

To maximize consumer satisfaction with HMR and to promote continuous growth of the market, it is necessary to accurately identify what attributes various consumers consider to be important when choosing HMR (Ha, 2019). Attributes can be either tangible or intangible product characteristics. Selection attributes refer to factors that consumers evaluate to determine what product they will select (Jun, 2016). Previous studies have found that the attributes HMR consumers consider important are taste, price, brand, cooking convenience, packaging, storage, and hygiene. These are intrinsic attributes of food products that give consumers the perception that the food is higher quality (Bianchi, 2017; Park et al., 2016; Macromill Embrain, 2016; Yang et al., 2016; Jang, 2019).

Consumers, however, have also expressed dissatisfaction with the nutrition and safety of the ingredients used in HMR (Costa et al., 2003; Jeong & Lee, 2015; Jun, 2016; Kang & Jo, 2015). More than half (65.1%) of the survey subjects (total 412) recognized the need to improve HMR ingredients so they are healthier and safer (Jeong & Lee, 2015). Jeong and Lee (2015) emphasized the need to use ingredients that ensure quality and safety for HMR as the number of health conscious consumers increases, and HMR market competition intensifies. Thus, in this study, it is expected that consumer anxiety about safe and nutritious ingredients in HMR can be alleviated by using locally sourced food as the main HMR ingredients. Consumers consider locally sourced food to be more reliable than imported food products because locally sourced food has the advantage of being healthier and it is easier to obtain information about the origin of the food due to the short transportation distance (Bianchi, 2017; Roy et al., 2017; Allen, 2010; Carolan, 2006; DuPuis & Gillon, 2009; Sage, 2003 DeLind & Howard, 2008 ; Allen & Hinrichs, 2007). Since domestic foods are not imported, it is easy for consumers to know where it is produced and specific information about the region.

Local food is sometimes interpreted as domestic food products compared with imported food products, or in a local sense meaning an administrative unit or an area close to the consumer’s residence (Avetisyan et al., 2014; Sirieix et al., 2011). This study interprets local foods as domestic food products by considering food self-sufficiency of locally sourced food compared to imported food products. Korea has mostly been dependent of imported food, but with the spread of COVID-19, concerns about food self-sufficiency increased because logistics between countries was disrupted, making it difficult to supply food (Park, 2020). Therefore, in 2021, the Korean government announced the new National Food Plan. The plan states that the government will promote local food including production and consumption based on domestic food production to encourage food self-sufficiency (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of Korea, 2021). The plan is expected to help improve the environment, food security, consumers’ eating welfare compared to imported. Therefore, it is expected that HMR using locally sourced food could be one solution for the Korean National Food Plan to improve food self-sufficiency.

HMR using locally sourced food could also promote sustainable values in environmental and social aspects. Recent research has explored how to promote sustainable consumption through sustainable production to reduce negative impacts on society and the environment while meeting consumer needs (Coderoni & Perito, 2020; Cooper, 2013; Mont & Plepys, 2008). For HMR using locally sourced food, sustainability is an added value compared to the current HMR in that it reduces carbon emissions by shortening the transportation distance of food materials and contributes to small local economies (Pearson et al., 2011).

Since most agricultural products are unprocessed, previous studies on attributes of agricultural products including locally sourced food have mainly focused on selecting products and attributes of the food when consumers choose a place to purchase the food. Product-related attributes are limited to the origin of ingredients, health/functionality, and quality of ingredients, while purchasing-place-related attributes include preferred brands and promotions (Chung & Hwang, 2016; Hong et al., 2014).

This study focuses on the attributes of HMR using locally sourced food by synthesizing the attributes examined in previous HMR and local food studies. Specifically, this study examines the attributes of HMR such as taste, quantity, cooking convenience, packaging, and promotion, as well as attributes that reflect the characteristics of locally sourced food, such as domestic and eco-friendly foods. However, limited research has examined HMR using locally sourced food. Thus, it is necessary to determine how the attributes of two different product categories (i.e. HMR and locally sourced food) are categorized as attributes of one product category (i.e. HMR using locally sourced food).

Consumer trust and purchase intention for food products

Consumer trust refers to expectations, feelings, and beliefs about fidelity based on the intention, capability, and truthfulness of the counterparty (Moorman et al., 1992). With the globalization of the food industry, the distance between where food is produced and where it is consumed has increased, and violations in food safety standards have occurred. Thus, consumers have found it increasingly difficult to trust the quality and safety of the food they eat (La Trobe & Acott, 2000). As a reliable food alternative, consumers have increased their demand for local produce (Feldmann & Hamm, 2015) because consumers want transparent information on where the food they purchase comes from, how it is made, and how it is transported. Since, locally sourced food has a shorter supply chain compared to imported foods, consumers feel that the food production is closer and they can interact directly with producers (Roy et al., 2017). More specifically, consumers trust locally sourced food since it is easier to track and thus perceived as safer (Nganje et al., 2011). In addition, purchasing locally sourced food can enhance consumer confidence in that it contributes to sustainable production and distribution (Ilbery & Maye, 2005; Jarosz, 2008; Roy et al., 2017). Therefore, when examining consumer trust in HMR using locally sourced food, it is necessary to consider consumer trust in both the producers and retailers.

Trust in locally sourced food appears to have a positive effect on consumers’ attitudes toward the products, suggesting that trust also affects purchase intention (Dentoni et al., 2009; Feldmann & Hamm, 2015). Feldmann and Hamm (2015) found that consumers have a higher purchase intention for locally sourced food that is produced close by and when the production location is known compared to when there is no clear indication of the production location or a longer distance. J. E. Kim (2013) also found that consumer trust affects the purchase behavior of locally sourced food, confirming that local agricultural products are purchased based on consumers’ absolute trust. Kim also found that consumer trust mediates the effect of the perception of locally sourced food on purchase behavior. Specifically, consumer trust showed complete mediation in terms of health awareness about locally sourced food and purchase behavior, and partial mediation in consumers’ perceptions of environmental and community maintenance and purchase behavior.

Trust in HMR can affect purchase intention. Ha (2019) found that the attribute of the convenience of HMR affected purchase intention and that consumers’ trust in the brand mediated purchase intention. Specifically, along with convenience as the most important attribute when purchasing HMR, the greater the consumer trust, the higher the purchase intention.

Trust and honesty in the exchange relationship between companies and consumers also reduces perceived risk when choosing a product or service (Parsons, 2002). In addition, trust was found to be a prerequisite for maintaining long-term relationships (Ha, 2019). From this perspective, in terms of the relationship between the attributes of HMR using locally sourced food, purchase intention and trust are necessary prerequisites for long-term consumer purchases of HMR using locally sourced food. Ultimately, increasing the use of locally sourced food in HMR will contribute to the sustainable development of the food industry.

Research Model & Hypothesis

To achieve the purpose of this study, the following research questions were formulated.

RQ 1. How are the attributes of HMR using locally sourced food categorized?

RQ 2. What is the relationship between the attributes of consumer trust and purchase intention for HMR using locally sourced food?

Existing studies examining HMR using locally sourced food are limited. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine how the attributes of different product categories such as HMR and locally sourced food are categorized when combining the attributes for HMR using locally sourced food.

Through structural equation model (SEM) verification, this study examined how the effect on consumer trust and purchase intention varies based on the attributes derived from Research Question 1. The research model (Figure 1) determines how the attributes of HMR using locally sourced food affects consumer trust and purchase intention.

Figure 1. Research model.

For Research Question 2, previous studies have shown that the attributes of HMR and the attributes of locally sourced food positively affect consumer trust and purchase intention. Specifically, attributes of HMR such as taste, price, cooking convenience, package design, brand awareness, origin of ingredients, and safety of ingredients positively affect consumer trust and purchase intention (Ha, 2019; Kang & Jo, 2015; Kim et al., 2019; Yang et al., 2016). Consumers’ perceptions of attributes of locally sourced food such as improved taste, brand value, promotion, origin of food, and eco-friendliness affect consumer trust and purchase intention (Chung & Hwang, 2016; Bianchi, 2016; Feldmann & Hamm, 2015; Hong et al., 2014; J. E. Kim, 2013; Allen & Hinrichs, 2007). Thus, H1 and H2, respectively, predict that the attributes of HMR using locally sourced food will have a positive (+) effect on consumer trust and purchase intention.

In addition, since consumer trust in food products including locally sourced food and HMR positively affects purchase intention (J. E. Kim, 2013; Kim et al., 2019; Ha, 2019; Konuk, 2017), H3 predicts that consumer trust in HMR using locally sourced food will have a positive (+) effect on purchase intention.

H1. Attributes of HMR using locally sourced food are positively related to consumer trust.

H2. Attributes of HMR using locally sourced food are positively related to purchase intention.

H3: Consumer trust in HMR using locally sourced food is positively related to purchase intention.

Research Methods

This study received ethical approvals from the Institutional Review Board of Seoul National University (IRB No. 2010/003-011). The preliminary survey was an online survey from September 21–25, 2020, targeting 22 Korean undergraduate students and 40 adults in their 30s or older. The main survey was an online survey targeting 1,000 adult consumers in Korea from October 6–12, 2020. The survey targeted an equal number of males and females, and participants’ ages ranged from their 20s to 60s with 200 people targeted for each age group. Participants were recruited from an online panel of online research agency Macromill Embrain. A total of 807 respondents who answered that they were familiar with HMR using locally sourced food were used for the final analysis. Responses with missing values were excluded from analysis.

The questionnaire included questions to confirm the research model and hypotheses. The questionnaire also gathered data on the demographics of consumers, including gender, age, household income, education, and marital status.

To confirm the research model and hypotheses, we examined how important each attribute of HMR using locally sourced food was to consumers using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = not very important; 5 = very important). Dawes (2008) confirmed that the average values of the same items separately constructed in the form of a 5-point scale and a 7-point scale to measure the same item were the same. Therefore, in this study, a 5-point scale was applied for an effective survey response. The study included attributes that were treated as general attributes of HMR in previous studies, including taste, price, quantity, cooking convenience, packaging design, frequency of promotion, and brand awareness. In addition, considering the characteristics of locally sourced food (i.e., ease of obtaining information on the origin of the food, non-imported transportation and production method), the questions reflected attributes such as the origin of the ingredients, whether they were 100% domestically produced, and whether they were eco-friendly (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of Korea, 2021; Jang, 2019; Fernández‐Ferrín et al., 2017; Park et al., 2016; Yang et al., 2016; Macromill Embrain, 2016; Hinrichs, 2000). The attribute of consumer trust in HMR using locally sourced food was based on previous studies indicating that consumers form a trusting relationship with locally sourced food because the distance between consumers and producers is closer than that of non-local food ingredients (Eriksen, 2013; Fernández‐Ferrín et al., 2017; Galli & Brunori, 2013). Therefore, one question measured consumers’ trust in producers and retailers that consumers will face at the market point of contact using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = I do not trust the producers and retailers, 5 = I strongly trust …). Finally, consumers’ purchase intention for HMR using locally sourced food was measured for three items using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree).

Table 1 summarizes the demographics of the respondents. Frequency analysis was conducted using the IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 program. Of the 807 subjects, 469 (58.1%) were female, which was slightly more than male 338 (41.9%). In terms of age, most were in their 50s with 212 (26.3%), followed by those in their 60s (201, 24.9%), 40s (176, 21,8%), 30s (115, 14.3%), and 20s (103, 12.8%). As for the education level, 533 (66%) were university graduates. As for the average monthly household income, 363 people (45%) earned 3–6 million won, which is considered middle class in Korea. The ratios of those earning 3 million won and those earning more than 6 million won were 26.3% and 28.7%, respectively. In terms of marital status, more than half (503, 62.3%) were married.

Table 1. Demographics of respondents

Demographic variable	Frequency (%)
Gender
Male	338 (41.9)
Female	469 (58.1)
Age
20 to 29 years old	103 (12.8)
30 to 39 years old	115 (14.3)
40 to 49 years old	176 (21.8)
50 to 59 years old	212 (26.3)
60 years old or older	201 (24.9)
Education level
High school or less	170 (21.1)
Bachelor’s degree	533 (66.0)
Master’s degree or higher	104 (12.9)
Household income (per-month)
Less than 3 million KRW/3,000 USD	212 (26.3)
3 to 6 million KRW/3,000 ~ 6,000 USD	363 (45.0)
More than 6 million KRW/6,000 USD	232 (28.7)
Marital Status
Married	503 (62.3)
Non-married	304 (37.7)
Total	807 (100.0)

Results

Descriptive analysis and reliability of the questionnaire items

Table 2 shows the mean, standard deviation, and reliability of the measurement items. The reliability of items was evaluated based on Cronbach’s alpha. In this study, the Cronbach’s alpha above 0.6 was considered acceptable (Cronbach, 1951). For the perceived importance of attributes of HMR using locally sourced food, the overall Cronbach’s alpha value was 0.806. The respondents indicated that the most important attribute of HMR using locally sourced food was using 100% domestic ingredients, followed by price and taste.

Table 2. Questionnaire items and reliability

Items	Mean	S.D.^1)	Cronbach’s α
Attributes of HMR using locally sourced food			0.806
Price	4.12	0.64
Taste	4.12	0.63
Quantity	3.70	0.73
Cooking convenience	3.82	0.70
100% domestic ingredients	4.16	0.76
Eco-friendly ingredients	4.02	0.77
Origin of ingredients	3.96	0.73
Package design	3.10	0.77
Frequency of promotions	3.26	0.76
Brand awareness	3.40	0.82
Consumer trust of HMR using locally sourced food			0.746
Producers of HMR using locally sourced food are reliable	3.64	0.69
Retailers of HMR using locally sourced food are reliable	3.41	0.73
Purchase intention of HMR using locally sourced food			0.875
I will purchase HMR using locally sourced food in the near future.	3.43	0.79
I am willing to invest time and money to purchase HMR using locally sourced food.	3.36	0.81
When purchasing food, I will prioritize HMR using locally sourced food over regular HMR.	3.43	0.82

^aS.D.: Standard deviation.

The reliability of each item constituting consumer trust in HMR using locally sourced food was also appropriate at 0.746, and the average values for each item were 3.64 and 3.41, indicating that the subjects generally trusted producers and retailers of HMR using locally sourced food.

The reliability of purchase intention was also at an appropriate level with a Cronbach’s alpha value at 0.875, and the average value of the responses for the three items was 3 points or more, indicating that the respondents generally had high purchase intention for HMR using locally sourced food.

Exploratory factor analysis for attributes of HMR using locally sourced food

Given that few studies have examined HMR using locally sourced food, the attributes that previous researchers have identified for existing HMR and local foods were investigated to reflect the attributes of HMR using locally sourced food. Since it is necessary to verify how the selection attributes are categorized when the attributes of two different product categories are combined in one product category (i.e., HMR using locally sourced food), exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted using the IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 program. EFA was performed by applying principal component analysis and varimax rotation methods. To determine the suitability of the data of this study, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value and the Bartlett’s test were examined. The KMO value was 0.802, and the Bartlett’s test was found to be statistically significant at the p < .001 level. The KMO index ranges from 0 to 1, with 0.50 considered suitable for factor analysis and the Bartlett’s test of sphericity should be significant (p < .05) for EFA to be suitable (Williams et al., 2010). The results are shown in Table 3.

Table 3. Results of exploratory factor analysis of perceived importance of attributes of HMR using locally sourced food

Variable	Loading	Eigen value	% of variance	Cumulative %	Cronbach’s α
		3.690	36.9	36.9	0.765
Product attributes
Price	0.830
Taste	0.779
Quantity	0.706
Cooking convenience	0.614
Ingredient attributes		1.513	15.131	52.031	0.766
100% domestic ingredients	0.863
Eco-friendly ingredients	0.843
Origin of ingredients	0.633
Retail attributes		1.325	13.252	65.283	0.725
Package design	0.833
Frequency of promotions	0.784
Brand awareness	0.708

The result of the analysis indicated that the attributes of HMR using locally sourced food could be grouped into three categories: Product attributes, Ingredient attributes, and Retail attributes. The first category combined price, taste, quantity, and cooking convenience into “Product attributes” because they are attributes that apply to all processed foods. For the second category, 100% domestic ingredients, eco-friendly ingredients, and origin of ingredients were combined into “Ingredient attributes.” Finally, package design, frequency of promotions, and brand awareness, which are all related to the retail context in which products are sold, were combined into a category named “Retail attributes.” The attributes of local foods, which have been divided into product and purchase place-related properties in previous studies, were combined with the product attributes of HMR, and categorized as “Retail attributes.” Thus, practitioners should consider the attributes of products as processed food, ingredients, and retail channel that consumers value in terms of locally sourced food.

Hypotheses testing

The findings in this study confirm the relationship between the attributes of HMR using locally sourced food, consumer trust, and purchase intention. The three attribute categories confirmed by the factor analysis were applied to the research model, and the sub-divided hypotheses were tested using structural equation model (SEM) using the IBM AMOS 22.0 program. The factor scores of each attribute were applied and analyzed. Before conducting structural equation analysis on the effects of the HMR attributes of consumer trust and purchase intention, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to verify the goodness-to-fit and validity of the measurement model. To determine the fit of the model, various indices were considered. In the case of χ2, since it is greatly affected by the sample size, other indices that complement it need to be examined together. CFI does not represent the simplicity of the model, but unlike χ2, it is not affected by the sample size. RMSEA and TLI are also relatively less sensitive to sample size and are widely used as indices indicating the simplicity of the model (Kang, 2013). Therefore, in this study, CFI, TLI, and RMSEA were selected as fitness indices in addition to χ2 to determine the fitness of the measurement model. CFI and TLI values close to or above 0.9 are good (Chong et al., 2014). RMSEA and RMR of less than 0.08 are good (Chong et al., 2014).

For the measurement model of this study, the χ2 value was 21.151 (df = 13), which was significantly below the significance level of 0.05. CFI and TLI were 0.994 and 0.987, respectively, which were higher than the reference value of 0.9. The RMSEA and RMR values were 0.034 and 0.012, respectively, which were lower than the reference value of 0.05, indicating that the simplicity of the model was also appropriate. Table 4 shows the fit index of the measurement model.

Table 4. Goodness-to-fit index of the measurement model with confirmation factor analysis

Model	χ2^1)	df^2)	CFI^3)	TLI^4)	RMR^5)	RMSEA^6)
Optimum model	p-value < 0.05	-	0.9 ≤ ~ < 1	0.9 ≤ ~ < 1	~ < 0.05	~ < 0.05
Measurement model	25.151*	13	0.994	0.987	0.012	0.034

¹⁾χ2: Chi-square.

²⁾df: Degree of freedom.

³⁾CFI: Comparative fit index.

⁴⁾TLI: Tuker-Luwis index.

⁵⁾RMR: Root mean residual.

⁶⁾RMSEA: Root means squared error of approximation.

* p < .05

We also analyzed the structural model after confirming that each variable in the measurement model adequately explained the latent variable through CFA. For the path analysis of the SEM, the parameters were estimated using the maximum likelihood method.

The results of hypothesis testing are shown in Table 5. H1 and H2 were specified and tested as follows based on the structuring results of the attributes of HMR using locally sourced food and were confirmed by factor analysis.Figure 2 shows the results of SEM.

H1a: Product attributes of HMR using locally sourced food are positively related to consumer trust of HMR using locally sourced food.

H1b: Ingredient attributes of HMR using locally sourced food are positively related to consumer trust of HMR using locally sourced food.

H1c: Retail attributes of HMR using locally sourced food are positively related to consumer trust of HMR using locally sourced food.

H2a: Product attributes of HMR using locally sourced food are positively related to purchase intention of HMR using locally sourced food.

H2b: Ingredient attributes of HMR using locally sourced food are positively related to purchase intention of HMR using locally sourced food.

H2c: Retail attributes of HMR using locally sourced food are positively related to purchase intention of HMR using locally sourced food.

H3: Consumer trust in HMR using locally sourced food is positively related to purchase intention.

Table 5. Results of hypothesis testing

Path		B^1)	β^2)	S.E.^3)	C.R.^4)	p-value	Hypothesis testing
H1a	Product attributes → Consumer trust	0.090***	0.160***	0.021	4.181	0.000	Accepted
H1b	Ingredient attributes → Consumer trust	0.148***	0.264***	0.022	6.787	0.000	Accepted
H1c	Retail attributes → Consumer trust	0.162***	0.290***	0.022	7.427	0.000	Accepted
H2a	Product attributes → Purchase intention	−0.014	−0.021	0.022	−0.64	0.522	Rejected
H2b	Ingredient attributes → Purchase intention	0.116***	0.169***	0.023	5.015	0.000	Accepted
H2c	Retail attributes → Purchase intention	0.004	0.006	0.023	0.18	0.858	Rejected
H3	Consumer trust → Purchase intention	0.761***	0.623***	0.060	12.587	0.000	Accepted

¹⁾B: Unstandardized coefficients.

²⁾β: Standardized coefficients.

³⁾S.E.: Standard error.

⁴⁾C.R.: Critical ratio.

*** p < .001

Figure 2. Results of structural equation modeling.

The results of hypothesis testing confirmed that all three categories of HMR using locally sourced food (i.e., product attributes, ingredient attributes, and retail attributes) had a positive (+) effect on consumer trust, so H1a (β = 0.160, p = .000), H1b (β = 0.264, p = .000) and H1c (β = 0.290, p = .000) are all supported. In terms of the effect of the attributes of HMR using locally sourced food on purchase intention, H2a (β = −0.021, p = .522) and H2c (β = 0.004, p = .858) are rejected and only H2b (β = 0.169, p = .000) is confirmed. The results indicate that the more important the ingredient attributes of HMR using locally sourced food were to the consumer, the higher the purchase intention. Finally, in terms of the relationship between consumer trust and purchase intention for HMR using locally sourced food, a positive (+) relationship was confirmed, and H3 (β = .623, p = .000) was supported. These results confirm the results of previous studies that the attributes of HMR and locally sourced food affect consumer trust and purchase intention and consumer trust in each product category (i.e., HMR and locally sourced food affect consumer trust and purchase intention and consumer trust in each product category (i.e., HMR and locally sourced food) affects purchase intention is also consistent with HMR using locally sourced food (Ha, 2019; Kim et al., 2019; Konuk, 2017; Kang & Jo, 2015; Yang et al., 2016; Bianchi, 2016; Feldmann & Hamm, 2015; J. E. Kim, 2013; Allen & Hinrichs, 2007). In addition, the results of the standardized coefficients (β) indicate that consumer trust has the greatest influence in terms of the attributes.

Thus, the result that securing consumer trust is a priority for promoting the consumption of HMR using locally sourced food.

Conclusion and Discussion

This study focuses on a unique type of home meal replacement: HMR using locally sourced food. The findings identified the diverse attributes consumers value, and the effect on consumer trust and purchase intention based on the attribute factor categories.

The study revealed that among the attributes of HMR using locally sourced food, the use of domestic ingredients was the most important to consumers, rather than price or taste. Consumers want foods with clear information of the origin, such as domestic food and locally sourced food, as it is difficult to know exactly where the various ingredients included in the HMR they eat are produced. As previous studies have found, consumers want reliable food with origin information rather than trusting imported food (Roy et al., 2017). Since it is difficult to know how imported food was produced and transported, consumers in this study indicated that they wanted to consume reliable food such as HMR using locally sourced food. These results are consistent with previous studies on the need to create HMR products that can revitalize the local economy and satisfy consumers’ needs by using eco-friendly and healthy ingredients (Ha, 2019; Jeong & Lee, 2015).

When consumers evaluated HMR using locally sourced food, they considered three main factors based on the exploratory factor analysis: product attributes (e.g., price, taste, quantity, and cooking convenience), ingredient attributes (e.g., 100% domestic ingredients, eco-friendly ingredients, and origin of ingredients), and retail attributes (e.g., package design, frequency of promotion, and brand awareness). Only ingredient attributes had a positive effect on purchase intention. The greatest influence on purchase intention was consumer trust but all attribute types had a positive effect on consumer trust. The results indicates that consumers prioritize ingredient attributes when purchasing locally sourced food especially when they purchase HMR. In addition, consumption of locally sourced food including HMR can only grow when there is greater consumer trust in the products, ingredients, and retail attributes.

Previous studies on HMR have shown that when consumers select HMR products, convenience has the greatest influence on their purchase intention, and the greater the trust in the HMR product, the higher their purchase intention (Ha, 2019). However, in this study, among the attributes of locally sourced food, product attributes including cooking convenience did not have a significant effect on purchase intention, and only the ingredient attributes directly affected purchase intention. This suggests that the purpose of consuming HMR using locally sourced food is different from that of the current HMR, and the value may also be different.

The results of this study also provide practical implications in that all attributes of HMR have a positive effect on consumer trust, which has the greatest influence on purchase intention. Considering the attributes of HMR using locally sourced food, enhancing consumer trust rather than directly connecting to purchase intention can ultimately help promote consumption of HMR using locally sourced food. Therefore, to increase the efficiency of policies and businesses, policy-makers who make local food revitalization policies and HMR industry practitioners need to specifically identify factors affecting consumer trust. This significance of this study is identifying the necessary information consumers demand.

To date, few studies have focused on locally sourced food in the growing HMR industry. The significance of this study is the implications and suggestions for food self-sufficiency and sustainability of the food industry by promoting HMR using locally sourced food. It is important to promote production and consumption using locally sourced food for HMR because supply and demand stability is higher even in a crisis such as COVID-19 compared to imported food. Domestic food enhances the positive impact on the environment, society, and consumer health. Finally, the results confirm that consumer trust is an important factor in purchase intention, indicating that trust must be ensured to enhance consumer satisfaction.

One limitation of this study is that the scope is limited to Korea. For greater generalizability, the research results can be expanded to target countries in future studies. Also, compared to the current HMR, the most important attribute of HMR using locally sourced food was different, so it is necessary to examine the purpose of local food product consumption and the value based on consumers’ characteristics. The findings from this study add important data to build a practical strategy. Finally, since consumer trust was found to be the most important factor for purchase intention of HMR using locally sourced food, further research should be conducted on the role of consumer trust for each attribute and purchase intention for the long-term development and consumption of locally sourced food.

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Rural Development Administration [PJ015292012021].