Factors Affecting Retailers’ Decisions on Participating Activities in Displaying Products and Providing Services According to Safe Fresh Market Concept

Abstract

This research was undertaken to study factors affecting retailers’ decisions on participating activities in displaying products and providing services according to safe fresh market concept. The research was conducted with 22 retailers selling in the fresh market namely Don Klang, Ubon Ratchathani province, Thailand. The study utilized qualitative research approach principally using purposive sampling and in-depth interview techniques. The open-ended questionnaires were employed and these were constructed in accordance to the Ajzen (1991; 2005)’s Theory of Planned Behaviors (ToPB). The theory broadly indicates key factors affecting intentions and behaviors into personal (attitude), social (subjective norms) and control (perceived toward behavioral control) factors. To participate in the research activities, all retailers firstly had to agree for complying with the so-called 12 sanitation practices of food stalls and hawkers, to basically improve qualities of their products and personal health. The products were regularly and openly checked by public health authorities and researchers utilizing standard approaches. Results subsequently were announced through QR label of the on-line database. Such publicized activities were parts of product displays and services provided to customers. Experimental results regarding the key decision factors suggested the attitudes had great effects on decisions of the retailers who had not joined the research activities since the beginning. They observed and pondered future benefits from the research participations. For the retailers joining the activities since beginning, the subjective norm, i.e. market owner was considered by them through the patron-client relationship as a main factor governing their decisions to join the research. The perceived toward behavioral control especially the retailers’ ways to comply with the sanitation practices as well as in-return benefits was considered an important factor affecting their decisions to join the research activities.