FACTORS AFFECTING CONSUMERS’ TRADITIONAL RICE PURCHASE INTENTION OF MILLENNIAL CONSUMERS IN SRI LANKA

Abstract

The traditional rice industry in Sri Lanka, which has a 3000-year history and more than 1000 varieties of rice, is a somewhat hidden industry when compared to other improved rice varieties. Although traditional rice varieties consist of several nutritional values and a long history, the majority of consumers in Sri Lanka where rice is the main food, are used to consuming newly improved rice varieties. Accordingly, due to the difficult status of Sri Lankan consumers’ purchase intention toward traditional rice, this study investigates the factors affecting traditional rice purchasing intention, with special reference to millennials in Sri Lanka. The study is quantitative, and a structured questionnaire was randomly shared with a total of 251 Sri Lanka’s millennial population. Based on these findings, the study emphasizes that there is a positive and significant impact of the factors affecting millennial consumers’ traditional rice purchase intention. The research provides an opportunity for Sri Lankan entrepreneurs and firms in the industry to improve the traditional rice market by paying attention to factors that influence the intention of millennials to purchase traditional rice.