Determinants of Consumer Buying Behaviour in the Edible Oil Sector: A Systematic Review with Reference to Gujarat

Abstract

The issue of consumer buying behaviour in the edible oil industry is gaining more momentum with the rising concern of health, nutrition, sustainability and quality of products. This paper is a systematic literature review of research studies conducted on the determinants that have a significant role in determining consumer purchasing behavior of edible oils. The review was done based on PRISMA framework so that a transparent and systematic process of selection of studies is achieved. Therefore, 554 records were first identified in major academic databases and manual searches and then duplicate elimination and screening processes were performed. After the eligibility evaluation, 88 studies were chosen to be qualitatively synthesized. The analysis shows that the buying behaviour of consumers in the edible oil market relies on several determinants, such as price sensitivity, health consciousness, brand trust, product quality, food labeling and sustainability awareness. The practices of nutritional information and labeling were identified to have a huge impact on consumer knowledge and product judgments. In addition, the problem of environment and the ethical aspect of palm oil production and sustainable sourcing becomes more and more influential on consumer attitude and preference. Other product attributes such as origin, certification and organic attributes also identify with consumer quality and authenticity perceptions. Overall, the review proposes the ways in which consumer decision-making within the edible oil sector is multidimensional and the role of transparency, a health-oriented positioning of the food, and sustainability among the food producers and marketers.