đề tài môn học xuất sắc ueh500 năm 2022 công trình factors from healthy lifestyle affect on gen zs purchase intention of fb products

In that context, this research was carried out to identify the factors and their influence on Vietnamese consumers’ purchase intentions for Food and Beverage items.. This research aims t

ABSTRACT With the participation of a significant number of young consumers and their capacity

to swiftly adjust to innovations, the trend of consuming healthy items has gradually become a lifestyle for many Vietnamese consumers Along with that event, the demand to understand more about its influence on purchasing intention has become a hot subject that F&B firms are seeking to explain In that context, this research was carried out to identify the factors and their influence on Vietnamese consumers’ purchase intentions for Food and Beverage items

The research paper, after doing desk research, had to go through 2 times using the qualitative technique, which uncovered the initial subjective findings, and a final quantitative step at a larger sample size to conclude the previous results In particular, after polling a total of 22 people at the qualitative stage, 11 factors, which are

anticipated to exert an influence, were discovered In the end, 5 out of the total

components demonstrated measurements that clearly indicated their association with consumer purchase intention

II

TABLE OF CONTENTS

F1) 5i c n6 7 I P109) 83/000 (2700/1051 6 ố ố IV D309) 0).)2 (A4700 c1 ố VỊ

1 Di ;(01900 00900) 0252757 1 1.1 RESEARCH TOPIC AND CONTEXT 1 LLL The Vietnam Market 1

1.1.2 Consumer Insights 2 1.13 Movements from F&B Brands in Vietnam 8

1.2 RESEARCH NECESSITY 9 1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS 9

2 IPui3.700 408.45 /1A 10 2.1 'TTHEORETICAL, ÑEVIEW cà TH TH KH Hà HH TH HH Hà Hà TH HH HT HH TH HT TH HT HH HT HH HH HH ty 10

2.11 Theory of Planned Behavior 10

2.1.2 Purchase Intention 11 2.1.3 Perception 12 2.2 RELEVANT PAPER REVIEW 12 2.2.1, Health Consciousness 12

2.23 Perceived Convenience 13 2.24, Perceived Risk 14

2.2.5 Social Influence 15

2.27 — Sensory Appeal 16

2.28 Nutritional Content 17 2.3 RESEARCH GAPS 17

3 ;i3)1.1.(0i8050ï009)099)009 110 18 3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN 18 3.2 DATA COLLECTION METHOD 19

4 RESEARCH RESULTS ác ke kiersresersreesrsrs 20 4.1 TWENTY-STATEMENT TEST 20 4.2 IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW 22 4.2.1, Health Consciousness 23 4.2.2 Nutritional Content 24 4.23 Perceived Risk 25

4.24, Trust- Brand Credibility 25 4.2.5 Sensory Appeal 26

43.5, Trust Does Affect Consumer Purchase Intention 33

4.3.6 Social Influence Does Affect Consumer PurChase Ini€HẨEÏOH ki khai 34 4.3.7 Perceived Convenience Does Affect Consumer Purchase Inf©ntÍOH cikiie.re 35 4.3.8 Sensory Appeal Does Affect Consumer Purchase [Ntention ee eseeennsnssnssnnmsnnssnnnnninis 35 4.3.9 Knowledge Does Affect Consumer Purchase Intention 36 4.3.10 Inconclusive Relationship between Perceived Price and Purchase Intention

4.3.11 Inconclusive Relationship between Packaging and Purchase Intention 37 4.3.12 _Inconclusive Relationship between Curiosity and Purchase Intention 38 CONCLUSION AND IMPLICA TION e- sec các 38

LIMITATIONS AND FURTHER RESEARCH DIRECTION 39 REFERENCES cọ con HH HH HH HH HH HH HH HH 1111111111119 119010 R TH KHE ceraeeaaeeeaee teases 41 APPENDIX on nhọ ch HH HH HH HH H11 1111111111111111111818 1911900 T91TXE KREHETk khi ri rittre 53 APPENDIX 1: [NTERVIEWEES TRANSCRIPT 53

APPENDIX 2: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE 80

IV LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figure 1.1 Felt Ashamed about Living an Unhealthy Lifestyle ~-<- 2 Figure 1.2 Have Been Encouraged to Live a Healthier Lifestyle by Family or Friends 2y ti 021 3 Figure 1.3 Have Been Inspired by an Online Influencer or Celebrity to Live a Healthier Lifestyle (% respondent) 0 0 eee 3 Figure 1.4 Penetration % of Plant-based Alternatives Foods and Drinks in Vietnam 4 Figure 1.5 Liquid Milk - % Total Consumpflion 5-5 5c s se, 5 Figure 1.6 Why Do You Eat Healthily (% respondenf§) - -cc se se+ 5 Figure 1.7 Which Activities do You Take Part in Besides Eating Healthy (%

"U30 NA 6 Figure 1.8 When Seeing an Ad, Which Best Associated to Healthy Eating (%

"U30 NA 6 Figure 1.9 Where Do You Often Seek Information about Healthy Food/Healthy Eating (% TeSPONCent) oo ee 7 Figure 1.10 What Are Your Barriers to Eating Healthy Food (% respondents) 7 Figure 2.1 Theory Of Planned Behaviot c ccc + + + SH HH 2n ky 10 Figure 4.1 Respondenf Àÿe - - k2 HH HH H1 2210 HH HH HH 30 Figure 4.2 Respondent endeT - s13 111131111112 21 01H HH nh 30

Table 1.1 List of Healthy Market Drinks - S5 + S5 +2 +3 + cư 8 Table 4.1 Twenty-Statement Test Result SummaTy 5 «5+5 c+< sex ++sxc+sxse 20 I0 VI náo Tố .e 23 Table 4.3 Quantifative Result - Health ConscIousness -cs+s<<<<< <x+ 31 Table 4.4 Quantifative Result - Nutritional Confent ẶẶSSS< Sex 32 Table 4.5 Quantitative Result - Perceived RIsk -Ặ- SSĂ SH 33

ID 900i (04 nàn: na e 33 Table 4.7 Quantitative Result - Social InfÏluence - <-c se xà 34 Table 4.8 Quantitative Result - Perceived Convenlience -.<-ccc«+ss+sss2 35 Table 4.9 Quantitative Result - Sensory AppealL - - -+ce s2 ky 35 Table 4.10 Quantitative Result - Knowledge - -c- cà + HH ky 36

Vv Table 4.11 Quantitative Result - Perceived Price .cccccccsececcee cee sees ceeeeesseeseees Table 4.12 Quantitative Result - Packaging - -c- chen, Table 4.13 Quantitative Result - Curiosity

VI

HHS Health and Human Services

KOC Key Opinion Consumer

KOL Key Opinion Leader

MSG Monosodium Glutamate

NLEA The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act

TPB Theory of Planned Behavior

TRA Theory of Reasoned Action

TST Twenty-Statement Test

USDA United States Departments of Agriculture

USDHHS U.S Department of Health and Human Services

VND Viet Nam Dong

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Research Topic and Context

1.1.1 The Vietnam Market

In recent daylights, “Healthy & Balance” is a hot search among Vietnam youths Originally considered as a term to describe the relationship between people, over the years it has evolved into contemplating the ideology of a positive lifestyle In recent years, several trends have popped up and taken Vietnamese communities by storm For instance, the trend of “utilizing technology to monitor a healthy lifestyle” A number of growing proponents of this trend are youngsters, who will take advantage of said technology to keep track of their health status both physically and mentally (e.g stress management, heart rate, steps committed, or distance traveled during workout sessions) Another common trend is “Eat clean”, where participants are involved in the preparation and making of meals through a list of simple steps for an overall healthy diet This trend promotes minimalism in cooking, do-it-yourself (DIY) with a large portion of ingredients that are green, fat-free to balance the nutrients a body needs to be healthy Most importantly, with the rise of social media prevalence in Vietnam, internet influencers have kick-started a trend of working out and resuming a healthy diet on multiple platforms under different norms and contexts It can be a post on Facebook where everybody shares their workout progress during Covid lockdown, making meals with influencers’ recipes to the clean eating challenge on Tiktok, racking up a huge number of online interactions and responses, further solidifying the popularity of healthy lifestyle in Vietnam

In arecent collaboration between Vero and Decision Lab on Vietnamese consumers, 3.3

million VND was the total retail sales of goods in Vietnam, 12.3% of which belonged

to products in the Food and Beverages (F&B) Industry - 2018 In 2020, Vietnam is in the leading third of the Asian countries that have the fastest growth in food expenditures With a normative return post-pandemic in Vietnam, the F&B Industry is presented with

an opportunity to continue the growth as similar or even higher compared to numbers

before Covid-19

1.1.2 Consumer Insights

In the vein of Covid-19 existence, people in Vietnam are increasingly aware of their personal health, with some opting to turn themselves in and adopt healthier, more sustainable lifestyles This is the conclusion obtained from the GlobeScan report back

in 2021 on Global Healthy & Sustainable Living On the global scale, key aspects that were highlighted are “consumers interest in changing their lifestyle in ways that align with health and — sustainability”, “consumers prefer easy to approach changes”, “affordable changes are key for behavioral change” and most importantly “Gen Zs are most open to change and have a higher likelihood of feeling guilty about their behaviors” As can be seen in Figure 1.1, the total percentage of Gen

Z that state “feel ashamed about living an unhealthy lifestyle”, “Been encouraged to live a healthier lifestyle by family or friends” and “Been inspired by an online influencer

or celebrity to live a healthier lifestyle” are highest among all age groups at 50%, 58%, and 52% respectively

Felt Ashamed about Living an Unhealthy Lifestyle

© Often @ Very often

Gen Z Millennial Gen X Baby Boomer +

Figure 1.1 Felt Ashamed about Living an Unhealthy Lifestyle (Decision Lab & Vero, 2022)

Have Been Encouraged to Live a Healthier Lifestyle by Family or

Gen Z Millennial Gen X Baby Boomer +

Figure 1.2 Have Been Encouraged to Live a Healthier Lifestyle by Family or Friends (% respondents) (Decision Lab & Vero, 2022)

Have Been Inspired by an Online Influencer or Celebrity to Live a

Healthier Lifestyle (% respondents)

© Often OB Very often

Some 82% of the Vietnamese respondents proactively sought information regarding healthier lifestyle choices - a step-up in comparison to 56% globally, and as many as 87% actually made progress towards a healthier lifestyle within a 1-year span From the information relay in the report, it appears that Vietnamese consumers are highly involved with the term “healthy consumption’, especially Gen-Zs, which brands can

4

capitalize on by incorporating it into their products and services for better business prospects Another report also provides similar insights, it is a research carry out by Gutcheck on 7.000 consumers from 4 generations: Gen-Z, Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers 56% is the number of consumers who read the product ingredients list before purchasing the product, 51% and 67% - respectively said ingredient quality and taste/scent of the products are most crucial factor when choosing healthy products Finally, the report concluded that Gen Z considered 3 main trends for choosing foods

33c

and beverages, which are “lactose-free”, “plant-based proteins” and “pure vegan” The Decision Lab report also supports the findings above, 46.3% interested in changing eating habits and 43.4% had updated their knowledge of healthy foods

Health & Wellness Food Safety Household Income

5

Vietnamese people are increasingly aware of their choices can lead to serious health problems later in life, as seen in the chart for zero or less sugar milk consumption:

Liquid Milk - % Total Consumption

@ Less Sweetencd [ÑÑ Plain

40

Q3/18 Q3/19 Q3/20

Figure 1.5 Liquid Milk - % Total Consumption (Decision Lab & Vero, 2022)

Gen Z prioritizes eating for health benefits over other factors:

Why do You Eat Healthily (% respondents)

6

Vietnamese consumers have been incorporating vitamins and supplements into their healthy lifestyles besides regular workout sessions and sleeping hours: Which Healthy Activities do You Take Part in Besides Eating

Healthy (“% respondent)

Workouts Vitamin &

Gen Z are best influenced by ads that show information regarding origin of the products

as well as easy-to-read, non-technical nutritional value and health benefits on the advertisements of healthy products

When Seeing an Ad, Which Best Associated to Healthy Eating (%

respondents)

Nutritional value &

health benefit Food to tackle/prevent Benefits/information relating to mental Food supporting Food for improve fitness/sports Food source transparency Sustainably grown food Organiz food

Where do You often Seek Information about Healthy Food/Eating

(% respondents)

Social Media Online newspaper and

Influencer

Friends and family

Authority figure Offline newspaper and Out-of-home

I don't seek information

Figure 1.9 Where Do You Often Seek Information about Healthy Food/Healthy Eating (% respondents) (Decision Lab & Vero, 2022)

As for why Gen Z are refraining from eating healthily, the misconceptions of “You have

to pay more” for healthy foods and the shortage of time available for quality home cooked meals are responsible for this notion

What are Your Barriers to Eating Healthy Hood (% respondents)

Healthy meals are expensive

Do not fit my appetite Don't know how to Healthy foods isn't easily accessible Don't have enough time to cook

No one I know have

8

1.1.3 Movements from F&B Brands in Vietnam

Recognizing the increasing demand for healthy foods and drinks in Vietnam, brands have quickly mobilized their resources into creating new lines of products that soon gained traction in the community

Drinks with fruit flavors,

increase the intake of

vitamins and minerals

Fuze Tea+: Fuze Tea+ has multiple flavors (peach, passion fruit, lemongrass) put in with chia seeds Good Mood flavored water: Good Mood was advertised

as good for health, zero synthetic food colorings, zero preservatives

Fruit flavored carbonated drink Lavie: Similar to Good Mood, Lavie is committed to using zero preservatives, zero artificial sweeteners, low calories and made by

Bottled tea

Oolong Tea Plus+: Now with 4 flavors (Oolong,

Matcha, Lemonade, Zero Sugar Oolong), created from

top quality tea leaves that bring refreshness and alleviate

stress to consumers

Atiso Vfresh Tea: Less sugar with wonderful taste,

aroma Heat relief and detox

Table 1.1 List of Healthy Market Drinks

This is a trend that many brands have pursued in order to cater towards consumer’s need

for healthy drinks for sugar-free/diet consumptions, all the while maintaining the original flavor and good taste of the products

1.3 Research Objectives and Research Questions

Previous research about the impact of a healthy lifestyle is mostly from Western developed countries rather than developing economies such as Vietnam This research aims to find out factors related to healthy lifestyles that have an impact on Vietnamese generation Z consumers’ purchase intention in the food and beverage industry The authors decided to choose generation Z as this is the group of the future largest consumer base with an open-minded and very engaging attitude towards new global trends These factors are vital for the future development and innovation of F&B brands to serve the new demanding requirements in food and beverage products The new potential trend

of a healthy lifestyle can probably open a white space market for healthy and functional F&B for the Vietnam market which F&B firms can take into consideration based on exploratory prominent factors related to the health trend in the Vietnam market This paper will try to answer the following questions:

Does a healthy trendy lifestyle have an impact on Vietnamese generation Z's purchase intention of food and beverage products?

What are the prominent factors related to a healthy lifestyle that affect Vietnamese generation Z's purchase intention of food and beverage products?

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2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Theoretical Review

2.1.1 Theory of Planned Behavior

Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is an extension from Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) which states that an actual behavior is impacted by a person’s intention of performing a specific behavior (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980) In addition, there is a combination of two basic elements from which behavioral intention can be predicted as

follows:

1 An individual’s attitude toward the behavior

2 The subjective norms referring to an individual’s perception of the attitudes of significant others (e.g., opinion leaders, family members, and mates) toward the

LES”

Perceived Behavioral Control

Figure 2.1 Theory Of Planned Behavior

It is frequent for TPB to be used as a primary foundation for behavior prediction Thus,

in relation to the Food and Beverage industry, Trenda and Hillers (1997) conducted a

11 study of food safety behavior, then Tarkiainen and Sundqvist (2005) attempted to extend the model by placing it in the context of organic food The most recent study which can

be found belongs to Graham-Rowe, Jessop, and Sparks (2015) who wanted to utilize TPB to explore the motives and behaviors of people who want to reduce food waste This study continues to use this theory in order to determine the elements influencing customer purchasing behavior in the F&B industry in the context of a healthy lifestyle becoming increasingly popular in Vietnam

2.1.2 Purchase Intention

Intention is defined as a person's subjective capacity to undertake a given activity (Ajzen, 1985, 1991; Ajzen & Fishbein, 1975) or as customers’ willingness to acquire

and utilize the goods (Ercan & Matt, 2008; Sousa, Nobre, & Farhangmehr, 2018)

The actual behavior of consumers depends on their intentions In other words, intention

is seen as a prerequisite, which determines their behavior (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1975) It

is a 5-step process, which consumers need to pass through, consists of (1) assessing needs, (2) gathering information, (3) weighing possibilities, (4) making purchases, and (5) using the product thereafter (Kotler & Armstrong, 2012) Consumers will look for information, consider analyzing, and select procurement choices once there has been a sufficient demand for the goods or services, and during this process, they develop a purchase intention

Additionally, according to Fishbein and Aizen's (1975) definition, the intention is seen

as the weak strength of the intention associated with the purchasing behavior of

consumers, making it a useful indicator of that behavior (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, &

Davis, 2003) One of the most reliable ways to forecast consumers’ decisions is to understand their intentions, since the greater the intention is generally, the higher the capacity to make judgments about purchases and uses as well as the variables of fulfillment Scenes that are unpredictable are difficult to predict Additionally, buyer intent is taken into account as a foundation for projecting future demand based on a variety of hypotheses (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1975)

12 2.1.3 Perception

One of the earliest concepts of perception found on the research database that the authors can access is retrieved from Garner, Hake & Enksen (1956), which claims perception is

a concept that describes objective properties of the relations between stimuli and the correspondent’ responses Another state: “the direct, immediate awareness of discriminated existents which results from patterns of energy absorption by groups of receptors’ - by Efron (1969) However, this explanation was heavily influenced by early understanding of physical attributes and the ways the mechanical cogs in our brains function In the modern day, more researchers have built up theoretical findings based

on this background, offering a better representation of what perception is Weston, Burton & Kowalski (2019) in the book Psychology have discussed the potential meaning

of perception, where information is consciously chosen, selected, organized and interpreted from the surrounding environment before transmitted to the brain for processing Mothersbaugh and Hawkins (2016) provided a more specific outlook on implications of perception In their words, perception is span across 3 stages of activities

in a 4-levels information gathering process, including exposures, attention and interpretation Ultimately, perception alters the way The authors receive information from different advertisements and activities, leading to the decision to purchase relevant items for their needs and bypass others

2.2 Relevant Paper Review

2.2.1 Health Consciousness

Consumers’ comprehension of changes in their health state and their level of emphasis

on health requirements are referred to as their health consciousness (Hsu, Chang, & Lin,

2016) People often engage in specific health-conscious behaviors and take preventative measures to maintain their health and wellness to preserve their quality of life (Michaelidou & Hassan, 2010) According to recent surveys, customers are gradually getting more health-conscious, and they frequently prefer to buy natural and nutritious food products ((Hasselbach & Roosen, 2015) Customers that purchase organic food are more conscientious about their health, safety, and that of others The majority of them are encouraged to buy and eat more organic food because they think it has higher

nutritional value and fewer pesticide residues (Van Loo et al., 2010; Sirieix et al., 2011;

13 Huber et al., 2011) Additionally, consumers claim that organic food is more flavorful

and fresher, devoid of chemicals, and environmentally beneficial (Hill & Lynchehaun,

2002) Thus, it is believed that a key factor influencing the consumption of healthful

foods is health consciousness

2.2.2 Trust

Brand reputation is a significant factor in how brands can influence consumer choice Credibility is the ability to believe in an entity's motives, which manifests as dependability and knowledge (Erdem & Swait, 2004) A trustworthy brand will reduce risk and boost customer confidence (Delgado-Ballester & Luis Munuera-Aleman, 2001; Knox, 2004) For a group of customers who are motivated to live healthy lives, products from healthy brands may be intimately linked to the health of an individual Brand consideration and choice will be influenced by brand credibility for this market While the improper brand may evoke heightened, unfavorable emotional reactions, the appropriate healthy brand may produce increased, pleasant emotional reactions Credibility of a brand, which is viewed as a major determinant of consumer decision, denotes an impression of it as reliable and knowledgeable Consumer confidence will

be increased, and a trustworthy brand will be viewed as a less hazardous alternative (Calvo Porral & Levy-Mangin, 2016) Positive attitudes regarding trusted brands are more prevalent, and this is frequently reflected in consumers’ buying patterns (Kemp & Bui, 2011) These brands are more frequently chosen by consumers than less reliable alternatives, and they are typically willing to pay more for them Purchase intent increases when brand trustworthiness is perceived to be more reliable

2.2.3 Perceived Convenience

There are two types of convenience for consumers: product and service The amount of time and effort invested will decide if a product or service is convenient (Berry, Seiders,

& Grewal, 2002) When a product or service saves the user time, it is termed convenient

A product or service, in contrast, is deemed convenient when it reduces a user's

cognitive, psychological, and physical demands

According to Yoon and Kim (2007), perceived convenience is a degree of convenience toward time, venue, and execution a customer experiences when using a wireless

14

network to perform a task As a result, in order to match the context of this research,

perceived convenience was defined as a level of convenience toward time, place, and execution that one experiences during the purchasing transaction In detail, time convenience refers to a person's level of comfort with time during the purchasing process In other words, if a work may be completed at any moment, one feels more at ease with time Place convenience refers to a person's level of comfort with a location during the purchasing process, or if one can complete a task anywhere, that location becomes more appealing Execution convenience refers to the degree of easiness with which one experiences while performing a purchasing activity

In the context of food and beverage industry, referring to Chen et al (2016), the following dimensions are:

1 Physical risk: referring to the possibility that the products or services provided by the food and beverage industry would result in physical harm

2 Physiological risk: referring to the possibility of products and services offered by food and beverage businesses not achieving the expected result to damage self- respect or self-perception

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3 Functional risk: referring to the risk that comes from food and beverage companies’ equipment, technology, and personnel education & training not performing as intended

2.2.5 Social Influence

In 1936 - Sherif, a researcher of the time, first mentioned the concept of social norms or

“expected modes of behaviors established by groups” Deustch & Gerald (1955), Asch (1956) and Kaplan & Miller (1987) provide different aspects of social influence On the one hand The authors have informational social influence where a person accepts inputs from another as a matter of reality, while normative social influence is the result of interchange personal opinion in discussion for the majority answer, with the view of keeping the group harmony After receiving informational social influence, consumers have a greater confidence in their positions as they have accumulated different views with lots of knowledge regarding the product of choice (Spreng & Page, 2001) Li (2013), put both types of social influence in her model as moderators for the relationship between cognitive and affective responses towards an on-information system acceptance intention Interestingly, only informational social influence has moderation effects, and Cognitive responses have a one-way relationship with affective responses and intentions, which means sometimes cognitive functions will overrule affective functions

in making decisions, yet no context on what type of decisions will exert this type of interaction is found in the paper Although this research was not directly on purchase intention, The authors can refer to it as a reference for its ties with the general sphere of behavior intentions A better reference material can be found in Wang (2014)

“Consumer characteristics and social influence factors on green purchasing intentions” In Wang’s paper, both variables classify under social influence that 1s environmental visibility and subjective norm show positive affect regarding purchase intentions However, keep in mind that the model was developed for a specific industry (green industry) with a highly collectivist culture of Taiwan

2.2.6 Knowledge

There have been many studies showings that Knowledge acquisition is a factor closely associated with how customers perceive value of a product or services, mentioned in the article by Tullawat and Vicita (Pacharapha & Vathanophas Ractham, 2012) The set of

16 valued knowledge content consists of relative benefits or helpfulness, compatibility, and advantages one gained from having knowledge It can be said that possessing a certain amount of knowledge will make each individual perceive and evaluate a product differently

Knowledge can influence consumers’ perception and feelings, many previous studies

have shown that enhancing customers’ knowledge can lead them to have a more positive thinking of using new products (Wang, Ma, & Bai, 2019) For individuals who have a deeper understanding of a certain field or industry, they often have a deeper look and aspects, the assessment they make will also be more rigorous and detailed than those who have no or less knowledge of the product (Rambabu & Porika, 2020)

2.2.7 Sensory Appeal

All five senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and texture—contribute to a feeling, which

is described as a reaction to sensation (Hawkins & Mothersbaugh, 2010) Sensory

features are defined as final tasting flavor, appearance, freshness, texture, smell, and

overall, like (Imtiyaz, Soni, & Yukongdi, 2021) In the course of the purchasing and using procedures, the consumer is provided information on the characteristics of the item (Becker, 2000) Food sensory appeal consists of three major components: odor,

taste, and mouth stimulation according to (Hati, Zulianti, Achyar, & Safira, 2021) The

sensory qualities encountered during food consumption are generally the basis for determining sensory liking (Cardello & Maller, 1982; Raudenbush & Frank, 1999) Understanding the sensory impressions that underpin hedonic assessments and linking them to hedonic measurements might give insights into what customers consider to be pleasant when tasting items This would give information for food product development (Tan, Tibboel, & Stieger, 2017) Sensory appeal was the most important factor of customer purchase intention, consumption, and pleasure with food Within sensory appeal, the most important criteria impacting customer purchase intention, consumption, and pleasure with food were good taste, pleasing look, pleasant fragrance, and attractive

texture (Imtiyaz, Soni, & Yukongdi, 2021)

17 2.2.8 Nutritional Content

The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA), approved in 1990, provided a standardized food-labeling system to assist customers in understanding the nutritional composition of their food and its health consequences Its use was compulsory on qualified items beginning May 8, 1994 (Mossoba, Karunathilaka, Chung, & Srigley, 2017) The system's goal is to assist consumers in developing diets that adhere to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans published by the United States Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) (USDHHS) A nutrition claim called "nutrient content" defines the amount of a nutrient present in a meal, such

as "source of calcium” or "low in fat" In both international and domestic laws, reference levels are established at which a content claim may be utilized (McCrea,2014) Consumer views about healthful foods are influenced by nutritional facts (Hwang & Lorenzen, 2008) Another study found that nutritional content information had a

considerable influence on customer sentiments about food goods (Burton, Garretson, &

Velliquette, 1999) Nutritional information and a front-pack nutrition logo have been demonstrated to strongly affect customers’ motives in their meal choice in prior research including 7281 items (Vyth et al., 2010) Another study that looked at how information

on the vitamins and minerals in different kid-friendly goods, such as oatmeal, sandwiches, jellybeans, and chocolate, affected consumer purchase intentions

discovered this (les, Nan, & Verrill, 2017)

2.3 Research Gaps

Along with the expansion of the healthy lifestyle, a number of research about its benefits

on consumer health have been conducted According to a new study (Plym et al., 2022), men with the highest genetic risk for prostate cancer gain the most from leading a healthy lifestyle Furthermore, research on hypertension and dyslipidemia (Gao et al., 2022) discovered a negative association between them and the healthy lifestyle score All of the research agree that maintaining a healthy lifestyle seems to have a good impact

on both physical and psychological health

However, only a few investigations illustrate how keeping a healthy lifestyle affects customers in terms of economics and marketing In other words, the authors lack a lot

of data on consumer perception, which influences subsequent purchase decisions Some

18 studies indicate that food quality, cleanliness, and freshness are the primary drivers of

consumption (Loureiro, McCluskey, & Mittelhammer, 2001; Botonaki, Polymeros, Tsakiridou, & Mattas, 2006; Kihlberg & Risvik, 2007) Recent research (Salleh, Ali, Harun, Jalil, & Shaharudin, 2010) discovered that health consciousness greatly

stimulates people to buy healthy food, whereas quality and flavor are also key attributes Although studies have identified several elements that are likely to exert an influence, the link across studies is ambiguous, raising challenges for future study Even research

on particular items, such as organic food (Rana & Paul, 2017), cannot provide a comprehensive picture of the elements that impact customers’ purchase decisions whose consumption is influenced by a healthy lifestyle Eventually, and perhaps most crucially,

no studies have been published on this topic in the context of Gen-Z, a sensitive generation and a strong adopter of a healthy lifestyle As a consequence, the authors intend to investigate as many elements as possible that influence Gen-Z purchase intention toward F&B items in this study

3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design

The research approach for this study was qualitative research The authors began by performing a background investigation on the food and beverage industry as a whole Then, in terms of a market overview and the real picture of the industry at this ttme, The authors looked more closely at food and beverage companies and healthy lifestyles as well as healthy food and beverage products

Additionally, the authors also use the Twenty Sample Test (TST) to generate preliminary thoughts and collect as many potential elements as possible It is a tool for assessing self-concept Manfred Kuhn and Thomas McPartland came up with it in 1954 with the intention of coming up with a systematic method to assess beliefs and attitudes toward oneself The respondents are not required for responders to provide twenty answers for the test, which takes the form of a poll asking participants to provide up to

twenty responses to the prompts

The authors explore an all-encompassing perspective of the inquiry using qualitative methods A complete foundation for a healthy lifestyle and purchase intentions for F&B

19 items was supplied by the design of in-depth interview In-depth interviews are used as the primary investigative procedures to incorporate participants’ relevance in the research, which is accomplished through contact between interviewer and interviewee Before executing, a pre-interview process and in-depth interview plan was created that segmented the participants and created a questionnaire that was suitable for our research goals It's crucial to create proper, comprehensive questionnaires that address the majority of the components of our inquiry This study intends to examine Genz’s healthy lifestyle thoroughly and comprehensively and their purchase intention of Food and Beverage products

The authors may expand what the authors have learned with the research problem in a

methodical, inductive, and flexible manner based on the facts The authors have acquired,

helping to corroborate our research hypothesis deeper Finally, a simple survey containing Likert scale questions was developed and delivered to Gen-Z who cares about healthy lifestyle and Food and Beverage healthy items

3.2 Data Collection Method

For the first stage, a fairly large number of reports were used as secondary data sources for the purpose of obtaining fundamental ideas, concepts and different aspects from the perspective of consumers in different cultures spanning continents on healthy lifestyles, which exerts influences on Gen Z's purchase intention for brands in the Food and Beverage industry The authors simultaneously selected 12 students, who came from different universities in Ho Chi Minh City, answered “Yes” to the statement “/ want to lead a healthy lifestyle” to continue to conduct the Twenty Statement Test The results from each participant providing 20 reasons for the question "How does the healthy lifestyle affect your food and beverage purchase decision?" were analyzed and synchronized, in collaboration with previously researched data, to serve as the foundation for the following phase

There are 11 participants taking part in the in-depth interview for the next qualitative stage The interview commenced when the interviewer made questions about daily stories to increase the comfort in the atmosphere thereby making participants feel free

in sharing their opinions The topic was then spontaneously generated and valid data

20 were collected from this point on Open-ended questions were continuously suggested

to maximize the insights for research The information was then classified based on the set of previous answers and continuously updated with new answers

In the final stage, a set of questions, which adopted the Likert scale, was compiled based

on responses previously systematized to either reaffirm or be rejected This was the result from the statement-consensus analysis which comes from 250 participants in the age group of 10 to 26 who intend or are leading a healthy lifestyle The final results assisted the researchers to conclude and provide further implications, potential in contributing to academic literature in general and creating competitive advantages for

brands

4 RESEARCH RESULTS

4.1 Twenty-Statement Test

No Group Factor Explored Frequency Percentage

Table 4.1, Twenty-Statement Test Result Summary

*Note: Consumer behavior can be influenced by a range of multiple factors

At the culmination of the test, there were 12 participants attending and over 200 responses collected On the assumption that consumer behavior may be influenced by a range of multiple factors, almost half of the findings reveal a predictive association between food purchases and health-related concerns In other words, the test findings assisted the authors in predicting that a healthy lifestyle had increased consumers’ health awareness, impacting their purchase decision The findings also reveal that health

21 perception influences various aspects of consumer behavior, such as goods considered, site of purchase, behavior patterns before making a decision, etc This factor, health consciousness, is adopted by the authors for additional research

Besides, the authors continued to observe that more than 20% of the responses highlighted "nutritional content" mentions, actions related to searching for components

in food, and behaviors to switch to foods that are richer in nutrients than those previously consumed The group believes that these comments are related to the Nutritional Content described in a previous section The association between a healthy lifestyle and nutrition

is considered to be the crucial factor in the test, ranking second following health consciousness, resulting in factor adoption for the research

In terms of risk, researches discovered that almost 15% of the respondents acknowledged being wary of the dangers that might arise from a variety of situations throughout the food purchasing procedure Specifically, the concerns of food cleanliness and safety, origin, processing process, and so on are noteworthy As stated in the study,

it is conceivable that a healthy lifestyle has made consumers more aware of the dangers associated with food intake, triggering a change in purchase intention

In addition to the factors that make up the majority, the test recorded 5 other components stated, with no significant difference in the number of related answers, namely brand credibility (trust), sensory appeal, individual knowledge, social influence, and convenience Participants expressed an interest in purportedly trustworthy purchasing venues, including brands they trusted Furthermore, a wide range of responses revealed

a tendency to seek opinions from individuals around them, including family, friends, or opinions from other platforms, such as Key Opinion Consumer (KOC), Key Opinion Leader (KOL), or similar consumer groups On the other hand, convenience is a key consideration in the purchasing process Despite the limitation in the amount of information acquired from the replies, the authors included these aspects into the study and continued to perform more research

Ultimately, there is a price consideration that is outside of the initial range A round 6 participants stated price or budgetary concerns when examining food options The research group re-investigated and discovered that money is an obvious challenge for

22 Gen Z since this generation still includes individuals who are dependent on their families and have little income This factor was recognized and included in further investigation 4.2 In-Depth Interview

As previously stated, the interview was conducted, and the research group gathered 258 relevant answers from 11 individuals The factors then have been classified and systematized to prepare for the next quantitative research the factors identified by the previous two rounds of research, the in-depth interview recorded several additional factors emerging, which were mentioned by many respondents, as well as logical explanations for factors Overall, there are 11 factors that are believed to exert influence

on consumer behavior, including health consciousness, nutritional content, perceived risk, trust, sensory appeal, social influence, perceived convenience, knowledge,

perceived price, packaging, and curiosity The team summarized all of the common patterns in the answers (in the table below) and seek confirmation in the following phase The explanation and analysis are as follows:

Perceived Risk I restrict my consumption of flavored foods because I am concerned of the negative

impact they may have on me

Consumers refer to the set of items (which they believe) of plant origin that they prefer

to eat in order to maintain good health Fresh vegetables, tubers, and fruits are the most often suggested options, even being described as a primary source of food in the daily diet As an alternative to soft drinks, fruit juices and smoothies are advocated Consumers feel that plant-based foods are healthier than those containing chemical- sounding substances According to the research (Nguyen, Tai, Hien, Quynh, & Son, 2020), the authors believe that this is a significant insight of the Vietnamese young generation, who believe that items derived from plants are usually better for their health This can be seen as a significant difference from the older generations since low intake

of fruits and vegetables has been detected in another study in Vietnam (Bui et al., 2016), which reveals that roughly 80% of Vietnamese adults intake less than five servings of fruits and vegetables daily

24 Furthermore, there is a trend toward choosing less flavored products, and its processing

is simplified, as "I like the reduction in salt, sweetness, and no MSG (Monosodium

Glutamate)" or "I restrict my intake of fatty foods because they raise cholesterol, which causes dyslipidemia.", "I avoid fried or charred dishes." Another set of consumers has demonstrated the use of functional meals in an effort to maintain or enhance their health

"I'm still taking iron and zinc pills because I think I'm deficient."

The last trend in this aspect is a decline in the intake of high-sugar beverages, as seen

by statements like "I normally look at the ingredients list and pick drinks that are low in sugar." This tendency contradicts the findings of qualitative research on sugar consumption trends in Vietnam (Harris, Nguyen, Tran, & Huynh, 2020), yet it is compatible with a healthy lifestyle This element will be incorporated into a quantitative study before it can be confirmed

4.2.2 Nutritional Content

Nutritional content was the second most important factor mentioned in the TST survey Coming to the in-depth interview, eight over eleven interviewees actively mentioned their interest in nutritional content when starting a healthy lifestyle The influence of nutritional content on purchasing intention is most intuitively demonstrated when consumers begin to take the time to read more carefully about the ingredient list when purchasing food and beverage products which is consistent with Vyth et al., 2010

research about front-of-back nutritional labels

Respondents are often interested in what nutrients are included in the product and consider the ratio of the nourishment to suit their needs before making a purchase decision Protein, starch, and fat are three groups of substances that are mentioned a lot when talking about main meals Protein is considered to have a very important and positive impact on the body, so it should be consumed more carbohydrates and fat are considered essential but should not be consumed in large amounts because it will harm the body if the ratio is too high With the group of vitamins and fiber, many of the interviewees said that they actively consume more fruits to provide enough vitamins and fiber for the body In addition, using vitamin, fiber, and mineral supplements is also a good, convenient alternative to replenish missing nourishments Although not counted

25

as a type of nutrient, calories are often mentioned by users when talking about nutritional contents because calories are often located right next to the nutrition information The concept of calories, also known as the body unit of energy, is carefully calculated when consumers decide to buy and consume food and drink

4.2.3 Perceived Risk

As far as the qualitative approach is concerned, perceived risk is in the top 3 of the most eligible factors influencing a consumer's purchase intention of products in the F&B industry regarding healthy lifestyle In fact, during the process of in-depth interview as many as 11 participants mentioned at least once about risks involved in purchase intention Not only was it varying in the number of respondents claimed, the shapes and forms in the way risk manifested were also of plethora

The first instance of perceived risk happened when choosing a place to eat outside A respondent proposed “See if the surrounding area has trash under the table or not, whether the dishes are cleaned and how they make food/do they use gloves or not” and some others sharing vividly resembled the message As can be seen, consumers are extremely cautious about the surroundings and the care personnels directly involved take during food preparations By keeping the cleanliness standards high, businesses are already a cut above the rest in the list of priorities consumers considered Secondly, consumers concered about spices and ingredients origin, as well as the process of frying, grilling leaving too much excess fat and grease, or overcooked products that lead

to unhealthy consumption and later health complications “Too much fat cause high cholesterol level, grease in bloodstream”; “Consume too much fish sauce leads to high blood pressure” - are just a few examples of such claims, with the ultimate consequence

is respondents showed signs of consumption avoidance, seeking alternatives or at the very least cut back on purchases

4.2.4 Trust - Brand Credibility

The level of trust in a brand is always one of the factors contributing to the purchase decision of customers The higher the trust, the more likely customers will purchase that

product (Wang, Liao, Wu, & Khanh Lé, 2021) Currently, a wide range of social media

platforms have been used for the benefit of perceived credibility (Yogesh & Yesha,

26 2014) As aresult, there is a growing number of consumers who are highly engaged with

social media websites (Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, Tiktok, etc.) to acquire desired

information about products or services (Li & Jaharuddin, 2021)

After summarizing the interviewee’s responses, our team found out that most of them are interested in reviews on social media platforms Especially recently in Vietnam, Tiktok has become very prominent in the food review section With a lot of videos introducing new and delicious stores/ products, our interviewees admit that they have followed these videos a few times when looking for a place to eat However, the situation

of booking and false reviews had made them worried and no longer fully trust online reviews, instead they evaluate through the comments of diners who have experienced that restaurant or product (VietNamNet News, 2022) Another finding is that consumers are likely to choose products from a brand or store with a better reputation, which means

it has no scandal or serious criticism from consumers, even if the product costs higher

or is more difficult to purchase

4.2.5 Sensory Appeal

According to previous research, consumer product selection is mostly driven by sensory

characteristics (Grzybowska-Brzezinska, GrzywinskaRapca, Zuchowski, & Boraski,

2017) The inherent features of a product are considered to be signals like flavor, texture,

and scent (Onyango, Luvitaa, Unbehend, & Haase, 2020) The internal characteristic

described here is that one of the aspects that influence customers to have a buy intention

is sensory appeal (Gunaratne et al., 2019) The inherent qualities are valued by consumers, which influences their choice of products (Topcu & Dagdemir, 2017) The research team discovered that people who are interested in healthy living and eating this lifestyle have an interest in sensory appeal in their daily food and drink intake after conducting in-depth interviews with the participants They place a premium on the food and beverages they consume on a daily basis having a distinct flavor so that they can appreciate them They can then maintain and expand their utilization of healthful foods and drinks Furthermore, some participants believe that because healthy meals and

drinks are pleasant, they will consume them, such as detox water, juice or smoothies,

and fruit trees because they feel delicious and appropriate to their preference Some participants also stated that they were unable to utilize healthy meals and beverages

27 because they did not taste as nice as what they regularly ate and, in some cases, had a flavor that made the individual feel uncomfortable or unsatisfied One participant, for instance, stated that Coca-Zero tasted a little peculiar and wasn't as delicious as the original, so they wouldn't switch to it, but stick to using the original flavored Coke Additionally, identical findings from a previous study indicated that sensory appeal is the primary factor influencing food purchase intention, consumption, and customer pleasure (Imtiya, Soni, & Yukongdi, 2021)

4.2.6 Social Influence

Previous research has found that social influences have an impact on consumers’ purchase intentions and that both personal and societal variables influence ethical purchasing intentions (Hoon Ang, Sim Cheng, Lim, & Kuan Tambyah, 2001; Wang, Zhang, Zang, & Ouyang, 2005) A person is affected by social impact elements in a variety of ways According to Bonne, Vermeir, Bergeaud-Blackler, & Verbeke, 2007 when significant societal forces promoted the consumption of halal meat, purchasing intentions increased Alam and Sayuti (2011) also repeat this finding

Through the results of in-depth interviews, social impacts are also a component that influences customers’ buying intentions Before purchasing a healthy product or going out to eat or drink outdoors, the majority of respondents rely their decisions on recommendations from nearby individuals like family and friends, as well as ratings and

reviews from social media platforms like Facebook, Tiktok, or review sites

Additionally, consumers’ purchase intentions are influenced by physicians since most respondents say they tend to have a high level of confidence in doctors, which is particularly true for items like nutritional supplements

4.2.7 Perceived Convenience

Convenience level also has an undeniable impact on customer purchase intention, Shih

et al (2015) stated that perceived convenience could enhance purchase intention, it positively affected their satisfaction and willingness to buy In contrast, a low level of

convenience can reduce the customers’ purchase intention and attitude (Hasan, 2018, Lin, Shie, Jou, & Lai, 2018) After conducting interviews, the research team found out

that products that are sold near consumers or widely available (such as at supermarkets,

28 traditional markets, convenience stores, or on ordering apps, etc.) will often make people more accessible and willing to buy

In addition, the level of convenience is also evaluated by how "fast" it is to prepare the food/drink, most of our interviewees responded that they are often unable to eat healthily when they are too busy, lacking time to buy ingredients and cook a healthy dish Instead,

at busy times they tend to eat canned foods or eat out to make it faster and more convenient Gen Z has an age range between 10 and 25, which means most are still studying, with a tight study schedule and "going to extra classes" characteristics of Vietnamese students, the lack of time for them to prepare or find a nutritional and healthy dish is understandable As a result, most of our interviewees acknowledged that the convenience of a product will influence their purchasing decision, the more convenient it is, the more likely they will buy it

4.2.8 Knowledge

Users who want to lead healthy lives must have a particular level of understanding about diet, healthy goods, and eating habits The combined information will affect how customers judge the products on the market Some interviewees with extensive knowledge of healthy food and beverage would express interest in unique and specialized product categories throughout the in-depth interview Granola, a nut product that can be quickly produced and substituted for breakfast or a snack, was cited by up to

3 respondents Granola is thought to include a lot of nutrients, contribute to skin beauty, and be simple to digest Additionally, respondents stated that using items made from

seeds will have excellent health benefits

For people who live a healthy lifestyle, and especially for bodybuilders, nuts with excellent fats are essential Users will utilize their expertise to perform the most thorough evaluation of healthy items when deciding which products to purchase and use This has an indirect impact on generation Z's intention to buy Knowledge is an indirect factor that influences how much a client values a product and whether they are more likely to buy and use healthy products This finding is in line with a recent study

on the association between food knowledge and perceived value that can influence personal decision-making in the intention to purchase healthier foods (Latip et al., 2021)

29 4.2.9 Perceived Price

After conducting the interview, the team discovered that the “Price” was mentioned and agreed by some participants as having an influence on their decision to buy healthy products In fact, perceived price is a factor that is always associated with the purchase,

it is asymbolic quantity of the buyer's trade-off to receive the product A lot of previous research has shown a close relationship between perceived price and purchase intention; however, there has been no official statement on whether the relationship is positive or negative There are many people who think that consumers will prefer cheaper products, but many customers feel that the price can somehow demonstrate the level of safety/quality of a product, so they are willing to spend money to buy a worthy one

(Ghali-Zinoubi & Toukabri, 2019)

Of our interviewees, five of them think that they will consider buying a product if the price is high Three other people think that they are willing to spend money to buy a product, as long as the price is worth the quality the product brings The other two said that they do not really care about the price much Because the individuals in the interview have different income levels, it is inevitable that they have different viewpoints on the price of the product However, their answers did show that price has possibly affected their willingness to buy one product

4.2.10 Packaging

Packaging is another factor that is not predicted in this investigation However, over the period of carrying out in-depth interviews, several respondents mentioned and emphasized this aspect According to prior study, consumer goods packaging is a significant aspect contributing to product distinctiveness and can assist in competitive advantage (Rundh, 2009) Product packaging draws attention to a product and impacts

customer purchasing decisions (Vazquez, Bruce, & Studd, 2003; Lofgren, Witell, &

Gustafsson, 2008) The respondents who highlighted packaging all agreed that if the food and drink goods are attractive, it will influence their purchasing choice One of them also remarked that while evaluating a food and beverage product, she is more inclined to be beautiful and eye-catching in terms of aesthetics

30 4.2.11 Curiosity

Curiosity is a factor that we, initially, did not expect to find in the study However, through analyzing the information given in the qualitative approach, it appears that curiosity has a certain amount of involvement with the grand scheme of purchase intention on healthy products Curiosity has long been investigated in formal paperworks Nevertheless, partly due to the broad field of studies the term curiosity was used, partly due to the distinct phenomenon curiosity covered (Deci, 1975; Gruber et al., 2014; Kang et al., 2009), curiosity to this day is still taken upon multiple definitions For the purpose of this research, the authors will utilize the Contemporary views of curiosity, which is “a special form of information-seeking that is internally motivated” (Loewenstein, 1994; Oudeyer and Kaplan, 2007) This factor was not heavily supported

by evidence like previous factors Yet, it can still be a valuable contribution to our research findings as a few respondents in the qualitative phase started following the healthy eating trend out of pure curiosity about certain aspects of health Further research may lead toward the outcome where curiosity affects other factors in our proposed model

4.3 Survey

4.3.1 Demographic Characteristics

Respondent Age Respondent Gender

© Under 18 @ From 18 to25 @ Over25 @ Male @ Female © Others

Figure 4.1 Respondent Age Figure 4.2 Respondent Gender

Demographic data in the survey indicate that the majority of survey respondents are between the ages of 18 and 25 years (2), at 92% Although people in this age group are

31 mostly pursuing bachelor's degrees or fresh graduates, they share a common feature of

a limited financial capacity This is also the age group that shows the most characteristics

of Gen Z This is also the age group that exhibits the most Gen Z features Along with this, the survey documented the involvement of the other two age groups: (1) under 18 years old and (3) over 25 years old, with rates of 4.4 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively Individuals in group (1) are completely financially dependent on their families, and group (3), while considerably more financially stable, is too connected to the preceding generation, resulting in insight that is not characteristic of GenZ people With a total of 250 valid responses, grouping (1) and (3) in a modest proportion will not significantly affect the research results There are also disparities in the gender data, where women appear as a slightly larger proportion than men However, with the difference being insignificant, the study is still intended to provide useful findings by uncovering insights from both genders

After the statistical and analysis process, the survey found that 8 out of 11 factors studied received the consent of the participants in relation to purchase intention, including health

consciousness, nutritional content, perceived risk, trust (or brand credibility), social

influence, perceived convenience, sensory appeal, and knowledge The assessment of each factor in turn will be presented below

4.3.2 Health Consciousness Does Affect Consumer Purchase Intention

Factor Mean Median SD

HI Teat a lot of vegetables, tubers, and fruits because I care about my 4.272 4 0.770 health

H2 I limit eating greasy food to better my health 4.112 4 0.916 H3 Tuse functional foods to improve health 3.300 3 1.213 H4 I limit my consumption of flavored foods for better health 3.600 4 1.049

HS I minimize my intake of high-sugar beverages to improve health 3.876 4 1.122

Table 4.3 Quantitative Result - Health Consciousness

The majority of the statements that obtained agreement from the participants reflected the expectations from the preceding sections In all five of these components, the authors can observe that GenZ consumers are growing healthier by shifting their eating patterns toward a greener diet, as demonstrated by H1 and H2 (Agree) Along the same lines, while the remaining propositions obtained slightly lower ratings, agreement is still

32 significant In detail, groups of F&B high in flavoring compounds are not rejected to be infrequently consumed by GenZ consumers

However, it can be noticed that a smaller score in the H3 statement at a mean of 3.300

or at the median of 3, a close to Neutral point on the scale rather than Agree, indicates that health improvement through supplement consumption is not well regarded by this generation's customers This may be due to the financial capacity of this age group is not really strong while functional foods are often sold at higher prices to target older customers (Nguyen, 2020) Within the scope of the paper, however, this will still be a prediction, which can be addressed in additional studies at other levels

4.3.3 Nutritional Content Does Affect Consumer Purchase Intention

Furthermore, N2 had a stronger association with the Neutral score, indicating that this viewpoint varies across respondents According to the interview round results, while the applicants state that they are concerned about their nutritional consumption, they still perceive meals out as occasions to eat comfortably A number of respondents also stated that making the decision in the presence of friends would be exceedingly awkward and challenging As a result, the N2 results are entirely compatible with the study's earlier predictions

4.3.4 Perceived Risk Does Affect Consumer Purchase Intention

Factor | Mean | Median | SD |

33

RI Icare about food hygiene and safety when eating out 4344 5 0.793 R2 During the purchasing process, I am concerned about food hygiene 4.188 4 0.836 and safety

R3 Irestrict my consumption of flavored foods because I am 3.744 4 1.001 concerned of the negative impact they may have on me

R4 I minimize my consumption of oily meals due to worries about 4.004 4 0.880 their negative health impacts

Table 4.5 Quantitative Result - Perceived Risk

The Perceived Risk factor statistics are all impressive The mean score of all four statements is relatively high, and their standard deviation is also among the smallest in the whole questionnaire, indicating that agreement dominates this component

In terms of hygiene and safety, over 80% of participants answered Agree to Strongly Agree, clearly expressing concern during the purchasing process about the dangers posed by potentially unsafe food This comes as no surprise to the research team given that this is a subject that the Vietnamese government is particularly interested in and has widely disseminated to build public awareness, so GenZ in Vietnam is not an exception

In terms of nutritional concerns, statements R3, R4 all concur According to the

explanation in the interview part, flavors seem to be a health danger since they can cause diseases related to nerves, heart, organs if used for an extended period of time It is also the case for fat intake In addition, adverse effects on appearance are also thought

to stem from the consumption of not only spicy foods, but also the consumption of dietary fats

4.3.5 Trust Does Affect Consumer Purchase Intention

Factor Mean Median SD

Tl Thave the intention to buy and consume food products from 4.460 5 0.723 credible brands

T2 Tusually buy food from places where quality is guaranteed 4.324 5 0.783

Table 4.6, Quantitative Result - Trust Brands’ reputation and selling points are the two main ideas of trust that drive consumers’ purchase intention With the mean of 4.460 and median value of 5, brand credibility and reputation truly have a great impact on gen Z purchase intention Standard deviation at an average of 0.723 shows a consistent agreement on the first

statements