Measuring organic food consumption experience: scale development and validation

Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop organic food consumption experience (OFCE) scales based on structural/functional theory. Design/methodology/approach In the first step, the construct and item generation of OFCE were developed by a literature review, and 58 items were created for the item pool. In the second step, qualitative interviews were used to evaluate and maintain 35 items. In the third step, an online survey collected 543 valid samples to test reliability and validity with exploratory factor analysis in phase 3A. The AHP method was also used to confirm the construct and items in phase 3B. In the final step, 1,017 valid samples were collected by face-to-face survey to test the formal scale with confirmatory factor analysis. Findings This study defines OFCE as the internal and subjective responses that result from a series of interactions between consumers, the shopping environment and organic food. Meanwhile, six dimensions are named: organic food quality, store interactions, organic certification, convenience concerns, health benefits, caring for family and sense of responsibility. In addition, there are significant differences between organic food businesses and consumers regarding their perceptions of OFCE. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is among the first studies to develop OFCE scales. In addition, the results of the study can potentially help organic food marketers develop new promotion strategies.