The impact of corporate social responsibility associations on trust in organic products marketed by mainstream retailers: a study of Italian consumers
Year: 2009
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This paper investigates the determinants of consumer attitudes toward organic products marketed by mainstream retailers under a private label. Since organic products are credence goods, consumers cannot directly verify whether these products comply with official standards. Organic labels are the primary source of consumer trust in organics, but these labels must be noticed and understood before consumers will actively seek them out. In that some consumers may not prioritize product labels when they shop, it is sometimes up to retailers to strengthen consumer trust. Within the antecedents of this trust, we isolated the contribution of the corporate social responsibility associations held by consumers about retailers. We surveyed Italian customers interested in organics and found that they are more likely to trust the private‐label organic products sold by a retailer when it is considered socially responsible. Our results also show that consumer trust translates into brand loyalty and a willingness to pay a premium price for organic products. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
DOI: 10.1002/bse.660
Institution: Bocconi University
Language: English
Topic: Organic Food and Agriculture
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2041048328