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Introduction
Chile is the main supplier of fresh cherries in China, which receives more than 85% of the total exports of this fruit 6. An important leap forward considering that more than 10 years ago it was the 22nd supplier for the fruit industry in China 35. In addition, in 2018 Chile exported more than one hundred thousand tons of fresh cherries to China, almost quadruple the tons for all of 2012 32. Such rapid growth can raise questions about certain factors and behavioral patterns that can provide information about the reasons for fruit consumption and, in particular, fresh cherries in China. Yet few studies have been published about the Chinese consumer generally and the way in which they buy food 19. It has been stated that the Chinese consumer’s behavior is essentially different from other countries due to its unique cultural, social and economic roots 3.
From this perspective, concepts such as purchase intention have been used in the specialized marketing literature as a measurement for predicting behavior and subsequent repurchase. The concept reflects consumers’ likely behavior in future purchase decisions in the short term 7. Purchase intention is the possibility that determines customers’ willingness to buy the product; the greater the chances, the stronger the purchase intention 25. It is crucial to recognize customers’ purchase intentions, since their behavior can generally be predicted according to their intention Hsu et al. (2017) suggest that purchase intention is a combination of the concentration of consumers in the purchase of a product and the likelikhood of buying. For a complete representation of consumers’ purchase behavior, their attitudes, preferences, motivations and perceptions of income must be considered. It is also noted that purchase intention is a future projection of the consumer’s behavior, which will significantly help form his/her attitudes 15.
In this area, the fresh fruit market in China has grown significantly, driven by growing demand from consumers increasingly concerned about healthy diets, food quality requirements and availability of fruit all year round 40, which has opened the Chinese domestic market to influence by international trade 3.
Although, perceived quality cannot be determined objectively, there are currently four main approaches to explain it: The economics of information approach, the means-ends chain approach, integrative approaches and multi-attribute approaches 12,28, with the last being the one used in this study. The multi-attribute approach understands quality as a dichotomous phenomenon between intrinsic and extrinsic cues 12,19,33,48.
Intrinsic signals measure the quality objectively. These qualities pervade the product with their functionality and are related to its physical appearance 1,30. According to Olson and Jacoby (1972), the intrinsic attributes are specific to each product, disappear when they are consumed and cannot be altered without changing the nature of the product itself 1,5. Conversely, extrinsic signals are not physically part of the product, but they represent information related to the product, which can be modified externally, for example use by dates, information related to the origin and information related to production and processing practices 20,30. Generally, high perceived quality reflects superiority, greater reliability or greater functionality of a product. Therefore, when consumers favorably perceive the quality of a product, they are more willing to buy it, i.e., a greater potential intention to determine the mentioned behavior 11.
Satisfaction is the psychological state where the emotions that contain unconfirmed expectations are combined with the consumer’s previous feelings about consumption experiences 23. It is considered a cognitive and affective response by consumers to a food product in a purchase context 14. The important factors for consumer satisfaction when consuming foods appear before, during and after eating. For example, before eating, the important factors are: expectations and desires based on memories of previous food experiences and the context in which the meal is perceived 4. One of the most studied approaches in the literature is the paradigm or theory of the disconfirmation of expectations. This theory indicates that disconfirmation is a post-purchase process, in which the consumer establishes a comparison between the results obtained and the previously created expectations, and it is the difference between these two magnitudes that leads the consumer to form judgments about a product or service 42. Consequently, customer satisfaction can lead to a later behavioral intention as a purchase and a positive communication. Several authors have shown a direct relation between consumer satisfaction and the consumer’s behavioral intention 22.
Additionally, the perceived quality of and satisfaction with food are highly correlated, with the former concept being a precursor of the latter 12,14,15,31,36.
Therefore, the main aim of this study was to model the purchase intention of Chinese consumers of fresh cherries through direct and indirect relations and mediating role between intrinsic perceived quality, extrinsic perceived quality and satisfaction. On this basis, the following hypotheses were tested:
H1: Perceived intrinsic quality has a direct and significant relation with the satisfaction of the Chinese consumer of fresh cherries.
H2: Perceived extrinsic quality has a direct and significant relation with the satisfaction of the Chinese consumer of fresh cherries.
H3: Perceived intrinsic quality has a direct and significant relation with the purchase intention of the Chinese consumer of fresh cherries.
H4: Perceived extrinsic quality has a direct and significant relation with the purchase intention of the Chinese consumer of fresh cherries.
H5: Perceived intrinsic quality has an indirect and significant relation with the purchase intention of the Chinese consumer of fresh cherries through the mediating role of satisfaction.
H6: Perceived extrinsic quality has an indirect and significant relation with the purchase intention of the Chinese consumer of fresh cherries through the mediating role of satisfaction.
H7: Satisfaction has a direct and significant relation with the purchase intention of the Chinese consumer of fresh cherries.
The structural model is shown in Figure 1.
Indirect relations: H5 and H6 are provided in the body of the text. Direct relations; H3 and H4 are provided in the body of the text.
Relaciones indirectas: H5 y H6 se proporcionan en el cuerpo del texto. Relaciones directas; H3 y H4 se proporcionan en el cuerpo del texto.
Figure 1: Figura 1: Causal model on purchase intention in Chinese consumers of cherries. Modelo causal de intención de compra en consumidores chinos de cerezas.
Materials and Methods
Sample and questionnaire
A survey was applied to a non-probability convenience sample in Beijing, China 12,28,37 comprised of 388 people of Chinese nationality. The survey was developed in Chile in Spanish and then sent to China for translation. After the completion of this process by the specialized agency in Chinese, possible issues were identified and the writing was modified to adjust to the local cultural contexts in terms of vocabulary, idiomatic and syntactic equivalence where it was corrected and translated again back into Spanish. The two versions were compared, ensuring their consistency.
To improve the survey-taking process, a user manual was designed in Chinese, which was meant to instruct and guide the Chinese surveyors, reducing the likelihood of errors in the data collection due to reports of similar studies conducted in China, warning of people there being less familiar with surveys 19. The field work was conducted in two phases: the first consisted of applying a pretest, where 30 individuals were surveyed in the Yuyan Daxue market in Haidian district in Beijing, through which errors were detected that could affect the result, and these surveys were thus excluded from the analysis. The second stage consisted of applying the survey on a massive scale. The buyers of fresh cherries in three characteristic sectors of Beijing were defined as the sampling unit: i) the Sanyuanli food market, with 125 valid surveys, located in the international sector, is ample, with a good infrastructure and location, and has fruits of different origins and qualities; ii) the Wuluju market, with 128 valid surveys, located in the city’s southwest, is in a sector far from the international area and focuses more on suburban life, and the prices of fruits are lower than in the Sanyuanli market; and iii) the Wudaokou sector, with 135 valid surveys, in the Haidian district, has a young population, as it is located near Tsinghua University and the Beijing Language and Culture University. Data were collected on different days.
The evaluation instrument included questions corresponding to perceived extrinsic quality (PEQ), perceived intrinsic quality (PIQ), satisfaction (ST) and purchase intention (PI). The method used to collect the information was quantitative based on a structured survey of 16 statements, (1: not important; 5: very important) for perceived quality, 5 statements for satisfaction (1: strongly disagree, 5: strongly agree), and 6 statements for purchase intention (1: strongly disagree, 5: strongly agree).
For the construct PIQ, attributes were used based on the studies by Zeithaml (1988), Grunert et al. (2015) and Chiang et al. (2018). The items used were: color, size, aroma, juiciness, flavor, texture and freshness. For the construct PEQ, attributes were used based on the studies by Ness et al. (2010), Grunert et al. (2015) and Chiang et al. (2018). The items considered in this study were: price, region of origin, seller’s recommendation, seals of quality, commercial brand, packaging and bulk sale.
The construct satisfaction included statements used in previous studies by Sanzo et al. (2003), Espejel et al. (2009) and Chiang et al. (2018). The statements included in the study were: I feel satisfied with the product, I feel happy with the product, the product fulfills my purchase expectations, I am satisfied with the seller of the product and the product satisfies my needs.
Finally, for purchase intention, statements were included such as: I intend to continue buying the product 15,21; if I couldn’t find the product in my usual store, I would look for it another one 17; I want to buy the product 41; I intend to increase the size of the purchases 11; I intend to increase the frequency of purchases 11, and I am going to make an effort to buy the product in the near future 46.
To perform the exploratory factor and confirmatory factor analyses and the structural equation model, the software SPSS Statistics v.21 was used with its complement Amos, employing maximum likelihood extraction 27.
Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses
The exploration of dimensions, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) index and Bartlett’s test of sphericity (BTS) were applied, which must be significant, i.e., less than 0.05, being obtained from the reduction of dimensions 44. In the confirmatory analysis, two tests of construct reliability were determined: Cronbach’s alpha, which measures the internal consistency of the constructs individually, and the composite reliability index (CRI), which considers the interrelations of the constructs, both with an accepted minimum value of 0.7 8. In order to obtain the validity of the latent variables, a convergent validity analysis was performed. The convergent validity is verified through the average variance extracted (AVE) of the constructs, with the recommended minimum of 0.5, with which it may be stated that the variables explain more than 50% of the variance of their constructs, there being convergent validity 38.
Structural equation model
Once these tests were completed, the goodness of fit of the model was estimated. For this study, the following was determined: a) Relative Chi (X2/df), which must be less than 2, b) Mean root error of approximation (RMSEA), with the maximum accepted value less than 0.05, c) Index Goodness of Fit (GFI), which must be greater than 0.95, d) Comparative Adjustment Index (CFI), which must be greater than 0.95, and e) Average Goodness of Fit Index (AFGI), which must have higher values at 0.80 29.
Finally, based on the approach suggested by Baron and Kenny (1986), the bootstrap technique was used to evaluate direct and indirect relations as well as the mediating role of the variables on purchase intention with a 95% confidence level and a P value less than 0.05.
Results and discussion
With respect to the sociodemographic profile of the sample, Table 1 illustrates greater participation in the purchase and consumption of fresh cherries by women.
Generally, they are more aware of the implications of foods for health and the benefits of eating healthful foods 34.
Williams, Ball and Crawford (2010), indicates that women have a greater gustatory preference for fruits and vegetables, and even have greater self-efficacy when it comes to following a healthy diet. Conversely, men worldwide consume fewer fruits and vegetables than what is recommended 2,13. With respect to monthly family income, Florkowski et al. (2014) states that consumers with a higher income have greater chances of acquiring good quality fresh fruits. One the other hand, for purchaser of imported food in supermarkets of Beijing, Grunert et al. (2015) quantify a mean monthly family income of 7897 renminbi (RMB) and over 84 percent of those surveyed have a higher education. This is consistent with the results found in this research, especially if the data were collected in high-income sectors and with many universities.
Given that the sample obtained a value of 0.848 on the Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin index, a result above the minimum of 0.5 established by Williams, Brown and Onsman (2010), it was valid to perform a factorial analysis.
Bartlett’s test of sphericity was 0.00, indicating that the correlation matrix is not an identity matrix. The individual reliability of the indicators (Table 2) determined that the observable variables of Chinese origin (ATRI01), Chilean origin (ATRI02) and US origin (ATRI03) were significant for the construct PEQ, and the variables texture (ATRI10), size/ caliber (ATRI11) and color (ATRI16) for the construct PIQ.
Table 2: Tabla 2: Exploration of dimensions. Exploración de dimensiones.
***p< 0.05. nd: not determined, because this regression coefficient was adjusted to 1 to identify the model. ns: not incorporated as a variable to the model because it is insignificant.
*** p< 0,05. nd: no determinado, porque este coeficiente de regresión se ajustó a 1 para identificar el modelo. ns: no incorporado como variable al modelo porque es insignificante.
Intrinsic quality results are consistent with another study on fruits like goji conducted in China by Yao et al. (2018), who reported that the Chinese consumer prefers fruits associated with good quality based on color and texture. Liu and Niyongira (2015) also detected that color generates the perception of safety that Chinese consumers have about foods. In another study, Sun (2010) established that the buyers of fresh cherries at online food markets prefer cherries according to their size and country of origin.
The indicators I feel satisfied with the fresh cherries purchased (ATRI17), I feel happy with the cherries acquired (ATRI18), the fresh cherries meet my expectations (ATRI19), I feel satisfied with the seller of fresh cherries (ATRI20) and the fresh cherries satisfy my needs (ATRI21) were part of the construct satisfaction, confirming the studies conducted on foods by Espejel et al. (2009) and Bech-Larsen and Tsalis (2018), which yielded results similar to those found in this study. Finally, the construct purchase intention was comprised of the indicators: I intend to increase the frequency of purchases of fresh cherries (ATRI22), I want to buy fresh cherries (ATRI23), I intend to buy a greater amount of fresh cherries (ATRI25) and I am going to make an effort to buy fresh cherries in the near future (ATRI27), obtaining results similar to the studies by Buaprommee and Polyorat (2016) on meats and Fandos and Flavián (2006) on food products with denomination of origin.
The reliability of the constructs was determined in the confirmatory analysis (Table 3).
Table 3: Tabla 3: Reliability and convergent validity of the constructs. Fiabilidad y validez convergente de los constructos
Cronbach’s alpha was above 0.7 for the five constructs; thus, they can be reliably measured individually. At the same time, the composite reliability determined that the constructs were reliable to measure as a whole. The convergent validity of the construct indicated that the attributes of the latent variables share more than 50% of the explained variance. The goodness of fit of the model was good and fulfilled what was stipulated in the literature: X2/d.f = 1.887, RMSEA= 0.048, GFI= 0.940 and AFGI= 0.915 and finally, CFI= 0.971.
With respect to the direct and indirect relationships between the variables (Table 4), it was found with 95% confidence (p <0.05) that only the intrinsic perceived quality in fresh cherries is directly and significantly related to the satisfaction of Chinese consumers, generating indirect effects on the purchase intention through the mediating role of satisfaction, which is opposed to the results obtained in extrinsic perceived quality.
Table 4: Tabla 4: Type of mediation. Direct, indirect path coefficients and totals by construct. Tipo de mediación. Coeficientes de trayectoria directa, indirecta y totales por constructo.
* p<0.05. nd not determined. ns: not significant. DE: Direct effect. IE: Indirect effect. TE: Total effect.
* p< 0,05. nd no determinado. ns: no significativo. DE: Efecto directo. IE: Efecto indirecto. TE: Efecto total.
Other authors such as Ness et al. (2010), achieve partial support in the indirect relationship between perceived quality and behavioral intentions, possibly due to the behavioral duality of intrinsic and extrinsic perceived quality.
It was found statistically that there is a direct and significant relation between the PIQ and satisfaction. Fan et al. (2017) and Chiang et al. (2018) showed that the signals of intrinsic quality present a direct and significant relation with Chinese consumers’ satisfaction when preferring fresh fruits. This statistical relation was also demonstrated in other food types, e.g., Espejel et al. (2009) in ham and Grunert et al. (2015) in pork ribs in China. This result means that hypothesis H1 is accepted.
There was no statistical significance between PEQ and satisfaction, which means hypothesis H2 is rejected. In this respect, studies like those conducted by Espejel and Fandos (2009) on wine and Chiang et al. (2018) on fresh cherries concluded that there is no positive and significant relation between PEQ and satisfaction; however, Grunert et al. (2015) determined that only in a narrow age group do the extrinsic attributes reach significance in Chinese consumer satisfaction.
Little information is available in the scientific literature linking PIQ and PEQ purchase intention; rather, various authors analyze it as a perceived general quality. For example, Buaprommee and Polyorat (2016) demonstrated that there is no direct and significant relation between perceived quality and purchase intention in Thai consumers of red meats; however, Ness et al. (2010) concluded that in 5 of 6 European countries a direct and significant relation does exist between the two variables. The differences in the results obtained by both authors might not only be due to cultural diversity, but also because there was no dissociation between extrinsic and intrinsic attributes. The results obtained in this study determined that PIQ presents no direct and significant relation with purchase intention, a result in conflict with that obtained in PEQ. Therefore, hypothesis H3 is rejected and H4 is accepted.
A similar context occurs when the indirect relations of PIQ and PEQ on satisfaction are measured. Ness et al. (2010) determined that perceived quality has an indirect relation on the behavioral intentions of European consumers of fruits like tomatoes. Also, in the services sector, researchers like Wu and Li (2017) demonstrated that quality is a precursor of satisfaction and a good predictor of behavioral intentions. In this study it was demonstrated statistically that PIQ has an indirect and significant bearing on purchase intention through the mediating role of satisfaction; therefore, hypothesis H5 is accepted, on the other hand, no indirect and significant influence was found between PEQ and purchase intention as a result of the mediating role of satisfaction. Therefore, H6 is rejected.
Satisfaction has a direct and significant relation on the purchase intention of Chinese consumers. Thus, hypothesis H7 is accepted. This is consistent with studies conducted by Espejel and Fandos (2009) on wines, Ness et al. (2010) on tomatoes and Konuk (2018) on organic foods, which shows a direct and significant relation between satisfaction and purchase intention.
In addition, the results obtained from hypotheses H1, H5, and H7 confirm that there is complete mediation between PIQ and purchase intention from the mediating role of satisfaction. The results of this research seem to be in line with the marketing initiatives developed by ASOEX, enhancing the attributes of intrinsic quality, color and size, and linking it to celebrations and traditions, through activities such as “Super Cherries days”, “Chilean Cherries dance” and “Cherries from Chile”, activities that have also been enhanced by public policies and agreements such as the free trade agreement between the two countries in force since 2005.
The limitations of this study, considering the non-probabilistic nature of the sample, are that the results cannot be generalized and that the sample is not representative according to the population distribution.
Conclusions
The main aim of this study was to model the purchase intention of Chinese consumers of fresh cherries through direct and indirect relations and mediating role between perceived intrinsic quality, perceived extrinsic quality and satisfaction. It was found that Chinese consumers’ satisfaction with fresh cherries is related directly and significantly to purchase intention, and that in turn satisfaction acted as a mediator of the intrinsic perceived quality variable, indirectly and significantly affecting purchase intention.
The study also found a direct and significant relationship between the latent variable of perceived extrinsic quality with purchase intention, and although it is not explained by the mediating role of satisfaction, it manages to be the variable with the best correlation in total effects on the intention to purchase.
The attributes that comprise the latent variables are worthy of study for exporters of fresh cherries to China, as the country of origin stands out for perceived extrinsic quality, and the color, size and texture for perceived intrinsic quality. It is important that these attributes are not neglected, because combined they can help generate the construction of quality in consumers, who will be willing to acquire fresh cherries when they perceive a greater value and useful life of the product than for the money they pay.
In summary, the exporter of fresh cherries should focus his strategy on the intrinsic attributes of the product that directly satisfy the Chinese consumers (color, texture and size). These attributes have a direct and significant relationship on the purchase intention these consumers, through the latent variable of satisfaction. On the other hand, the exporters should highlight the origin attribute (such as Chilean origin), because it shows direct and significant relationship with the intention of purchase, through of latent variable of perceived extrinsic quality.
Future studies could include in the model variables related to the consumer’s purchase intention such as: loyalty, sacrifice and perceived risk. Additionally, studying the moderating role of these variables in consumers can be a feasible suggestion to delve more deeply into the study discussed here.
