Consumer trust in food retailers: conceptual framework and empirical evidence

Abstract

Purpose -The rising number of food safety scandals during recent years has led to increased uncertainty about food consumption choices. Additionally, new production process technologies, increased attention toward product ingredients, and obesity concerns have affected general levels of trust in food. Consequently, trust is an ever more decisive factor for success in food industry buyer-seller relationships and, hence, in the retail food market. Although considerable research has investigated trust in organizations, research in the food retailing industry needs further investigation. The aim of this paper is to identify variables related to consumer trust in food retailers. Only when consumer trust in food retailers is understood can retailers effectively apply corresponding strategies to secure long-term success. Design/methodology/approach -Based on an established model of trust in organizations, the authors developed a questionnaire to test drivers (ability, benevolence, integrity), outcomes (risk taking, loyalty) of specific trust in food retailers, as well as moderators (propensity to trust, perceived risk). Findings -Study results support the hypothesized model, showing that specific trust in a food retailer strongly predicts risk taking and, in turn, loyalty. The food retailer's ability and integrity were identified as relevant to specific trust, while the customer's propensity to trust was shown to moderate the relationship between benevolence and specific trust. The results further indicate that the perceived risk affects the relationship between specific trust and risk taking. Originality/value -This paper is the first to apply and test an established model of trust in the food-retailing market.

Food Safety Gaps between Consumers’ Expectations and Perceptions: Development and Verification of a Gap-Assessment Tool

“…Another indicator that manufacturers face with food safety issues is the assurance of trust. As argued by Morgan and Hunt [41], trust and confidence plays an important role in the business/consumer relationship, yet this trust appears only when the supplier satisfies the needs of the consumer [42]. This sense can bring about increased motivation on the part of the consumer, and it also means that people "trust Taiwanese food manufacturers to produce safe foods" (A7) and "trust processors to honestly convey the country of origin and the product's ingredients" (A8) [21].…”

Forecasting Demand Improvement for Replenishment in a Retail Painting Company

“…The classic EOQ concept equation 1 is born from the minimum intersection of the costs of maintaining the inventory with ordering costs; in this way, it can be assumed that it is an optimal value of units to be requested at the minimum possible cost [29]. * (1) Where: Q* = economic order quantity, D = forecasted demand in the planning horizon, Co = ordering cost per unit in the planning horizon, Ch = holding cost per unit in the planning horizon.…”

“…This case study was developed a retail store of paintings because of; currently; consumers prefer buying from retailers because their trust is a sensible expectation [1]. Hence family firms are supposed to be more trustworthy compared to their nonfamily counterparts [2][3][4].…”

Drivers of Impulse Buying at Retail Stores: Mediating Role of Customers’ Loyalty

“…Retailers should exhibit integrity and ability to the customers to build trust. Retailers to boost the trust by engaging in activities related to integrity (Rampl et al, 2012). Although overall store trust consists of trust on salesperson and trust on store brands, store trust enhances the loyalty intention (Guenzi et al, 2009).…”