Determinants for store-switching in shopping for fresh produce: investigating the mediating role of consumer way of life

The present study addresses store-switching behavior regarding shopping for fresh produce. In particular, the study highlights the role played by a consumer way of life associated with fresh food consumption and explains how it has a mediating effect on consumer intention to switch food stores. A sample consisting of 252 respondents was obtained from the Israeli Arab community. The empirical results of the study indicate that way of life factors have a mediating effect on the influence of store outputs on consumer emotions and behavior intention, thus low outputs for fresh produce will lead to store-switching. However, the findings reveal that dissatisfied consumers may not consider switching due to switching barriers which moderate the influence of perceived dissatisfaction on store-switching. Implications for food retail providers are identified, together with a discussion of the study's limitations and avenues for future research.