Buying conspicuous organic food when it’s crowded: how social crowding and the need for self-expression influence organic food choices
With an expanding consumer base for organic food globally and a steadily growing interest worldwide, it is important to understand the influencing factors behind organic food preference formation and purchasing decisions. Distinguishing from previous studies, this study focuses on the conspicuousnes...
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| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1486469/full |
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| author | Qiuqin Zheng Xiaoxia Chen Haimei Zeng |
| author_facet | Qiuqin Zheng Xiaoxia Chen Haimei Zeng |
| author_sort | Qiuqin Zheng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | With an expanding consumer base for organic food globally and a steadily growing interest worldwide, it is important to understand the influencing factors behind organic food preference formation and purchasing decisions. Distinguishing from previous studies, this study focuses on the conspicuousness of organic food consumption and proposes a new concept of conspicuous organic food consumption. This study aims to explore the relationship between social crowding, the need for self-expression, and conspicuous organic food consumption. Through three experimental studies, this study reveals that: (1) social crowding positively influences the consumption of conspicuous organic foods, (2) the need for self-expression plays a mediating role, and (3) self-concept clarity plays a moderating role. Specifically speaking, the conspicuousness leads consumers to increase their choice of organic food under social crowding, with the need for self-expression playing a fully mediating role in this effect. However, this effect only exists among consumers with lower levels of self-concept clarity; when consumers have higher levels of self-concept clarity, the influence of social crowding and non-social crowding on conspicuous organic food consumption does not significantly differ. By highlighting the uniqueness and usefulness of social crowding as an environmental factor, this study can facilitate companies to adjust their organic food marketing strategies to different levels of crowding promptly, thereby expanding organic food consumption. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-db647798a5ee4a2f9ca3cea9d9b1e662 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2571-581X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
| spelling | doaj-art-db647798a5ee4a2f9ca3cea9d9b1e6622025-01-31T06:40:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems2571-581X2025-01-01910.3389/fsufs.2025.14864691486469Buying conspicuous organic food when it’s crowded: how social crowding and the need for self-expression influence organic food choicesQiuqin Zheng0Xiaoxia Chen1Haimei Zeng2College of Tourism and Leisure Management, Fujian Business University, Fuzhou, ChinaCollege of Business Administration, Fujian Business University, Fuzhou, ChinaShenzhen Tourism College, Jinan University, Shenzhen, ChinaWith an expanding consumer base for organic food globally and a steadily growing interest worldwide, it is important to understand the influencing factors behind organic food preference formation and purchasing decisions. Distinguishing from previous studies, this study focuses on the conspicuousness of organic food consumption and proposes a new concept of conspicuous organic food consumption. This study aims to explore the relationship between social crowding, the need for self-expression, and conspicuous organic food consumption. Through three experimental studies, this study reveals that: (1) social crowding positively influences the consumption of conspicuous organic foods, (2) the need for self-expression plays a mediating role, and (3) self-concept clarity plays a moderating role. Specifically speaking, the conspicuousness leads consumers to increase their choice of organic food under social crowding, with the need for self-expression playing a fully mediating role in this effect. However, this effect only exists among consumers with lower levels of self-concept clarity; when consumers have higher levels of self-concept clarity, the influence of social crowding and non-social crowding on conspicuous organic food consumption does not significantly differ. By highlighting the uniqueness and usefulness of social crowding as an environmental factor, this study can facilitate companies to adjust their organic food marketing strategies to different levels of crowding promptly, thereby expanding organic food consumption.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1486469/fullorganic foodconsumers’ preferencesthe need for self-expressionsustainable food consumptionself-concept clarity |
| spellingShingle | Qiuqin Zheng Xiaoxia Chen Haimei Zeng Buying conspicuous organic food when it’s crowded: how social crowding and the need for self-expression influence organic food choices Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems organic food consumers’ preferences the need for self-expression sustainable food consumption self-concept clarity |
| title | Buying conspicuous organic food when it’s crowded: how social crowding and the need for self-expression influence organic food choices |
| title_full | Buying conspicuous organic food when it’s crowded: how social crowding and the need for self-expression influence organic food choices |
| title_fullStr | Buying conspicuous organic food when it’s crowded: how social crowding and the need for self-expression influence organic food choices |
| title_full_unstemmed | Buying conspicuous organic food when it’s crowded: how social crowding and the need for self-expression influence organic food choices |
| title_short | Buying conspicuous organic food when it’s crowded: how social crowding and the need for self-expression influence organic food choices |
| title_sort | buying conspicuous organic food when it s crowded how social crowding and the need for self expression influence organic food choices |
| topic | organic food consumers’ preferences the need for self-expression sustainable food consumption self-concept clarity |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1486469/full |
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