The shift in consumer dietary patterns from meat-based to plant-based food products has become a prominent trend worldwide. This shift is driven by various factors, including concerns about personal health and environmental awareness. Despite the global growth of the plant-based food industry, developing nations tend to be slow with adopting non-meat-based diets. This is mainly due to high levels of food insecurity and meat being the main source of protein, especially in countries like South Africa where food consumption is needs-based, and consumers are unaware of the environmental footprint of meat production. This paper is part of a two-phase study and reports on the quantitative results, which were obtained during the second phase. The main aim of this study was to investigate the factors that influence consumers’ decisions to choose plant-based food products. The factors that were selected were informed by the thematic results from phase 1, which involved focus groups that explored consumers’ opinions and behaviours towards plant-based lifestyles. By means of survey distribution, 426 online questionnaires were distributed among young consumers in South Africa. A conceptual model with six hypotheses was tested and the data were analysed using SmartPLS 4.1.0.8. The findings indicated the product taste and product knowledge are the most important factors that drive young consumers’ decisions to choose plant-based food products. The study further found that product quality, affordability, social influence, and product packaging play a role but to a lesser degree. Food marketers can utilise these findings and implement marketing strategies that can assist with persuading consumers to choose plant-based food products and adopt a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.

Background: Consumer decision-making is shifting from the rational to the emotional, and as a result, retailers are investing in unique store atmospheric cues to capture the attention of consumers. Although not a completely new phenomenon, a lack of studies on this topic remains in Africa, an emerging economy that is rapidly becoming part of the global economy. This is especially evident in the fashion industry where global fashion chain stores are rapidly infiltrating the local market. Objectives: This article aims to investigate the influence of store environment on purchase intention of fashion products with brand attitude and brand experience as the mediators. Method: By means of a quantitative study, 501 online self-administered surveys were distributed among black middle-class women residing in Johannesburg. Results: The results support four of the five hypotheses. It is therefore evident that store environment positively influences consumer’s brand attitudes, purchase intention and brand experience in the fashion retail industry. Conclusion: This article contributes to existing literature on fashion retail, experiential marketing and branding. It further provides retailers with adequate insight into experiential retail strategies that can yield profitable returns and increase their customer loyalty base.

Recent trends in consumerism have highlighted the proliferation of the global flea market economy, which contributes significantly to the growing informal sector. Although a number of studies have explored the present topic within different contexts, few studies have addressed the factors that contribute to flea market loyalty among Millennial consumers. The purpose of the present paper is therefore to investigate the influence of market location and product assortment on market loyalty and the inter-construct relationships of market experience and purchase intention. By means of a quantitative study, 280 self-administered questionnaires were distributed amongst Millennial consumers. The data analysis was done using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in SPSS 23 and AMOS 23. The results indicated that all seven proposed hypotheses were significant. In other words, market location, product assortment and market experience positively influence consumer’s purchase intention and market loyalty. This paper is of paramount importance to brands and retailers who wish to expand their distribution network to the informal market economy, also known as the flea market economy. Marketers should realize the importance of the market’s location and the product assortment when investing in the flea market economy. The results of this paper contribute to literature in the informal market economy, which is rapidly expanding.

Shock Advertising: Not So Shocking Anymore. An Investigation among Generation Y

Fashion in Africa has undergone a tremendous transformation process due to an increase in international trade. As a result, African consumerism has surfaced. Through being part of the global community, the youth in Africa capitalizes on the wide variety of fashions available, and they view fashion as a medium for expressing their identity. More specifically, in South Africa, fashion is used as the ideal vehicle for the youth to re-map previously fixed racial identities. Although a number of studies have explored this subject in an array of contexts, limited research has focused on factors that drive fashion adoption among the youth in Johannesburg. In view of this identified research gap, the present study aims to investigate the impact of fashion consciousness, the need for uniqueness, interpersonal influence, individualism/collectivism, and masculinity/femininity on fashion adoption. A Field study was conducted in Johannesburg and research data were collected from 400 respondents aged between 18 to 29 years. Linear regression analysis was performed to explore the relationship between the quantitative outcome variable and the predictor variables of the study by use of the SPSS 22 and the AMOS 22 software program. The results reveal that two of the five variables positively influence fashion adoption, while individualism/collectivism has an inverse relationship with fashion adoption. The significance of gaining insight into such factors, draw from the rich political history of South Africa and how the youth’s conflicting identities may influence the modern concept of adopting global fashion trends.

Voting intention has become an issue of concern worldwide with regard to successful political elections. With only 6% of South Africa’s youth having registered to vote in the 2014 elections, it is of vital importance to get a better understanding of the main reasons behind these statistics and factors that have influenced voting intentions. Although several studies have explored this area of research, it remains a topic of interest. This research paper aims to examine the factors behind voting intention of the youth in South Africa, as most are in their first or second democratic election. This study adds to existing literature on political parties as brands and factors influencing the youth’s intention to vote. These factors include advertising mediums, convenience factors of location and registration, and social pressures from peers or family on voting intention. By means of quantitative research, two hundred and fifty questionnaires were distributed amongst students from the University of Witwatersrand. The findings indicate that five of the six hypotheses are insignificant with the exception of radio advertising. The results of this study provide political parties with a better understanding of the factors that prove to be ineffective when targeting Generation Y consumers in South Africa. It further provides political parties with an opportunity to more successfully reach such individuals through other media platforms.