Antecedents of junk food purchase intention among generation Z: A case study of Kota Bharu, Kelantan

Junk food consumption is progressively thriving worldwide. Having junk food products close-at-hand at the marketplace with the frequent low-price sales promotion have significantly inflated the junk food consumption among Malaysians. Consumers can conveniently consume junk food as it requires zero planning on a formal meal. This study concentrates on generation Z consumers since they are among the prevalent junk food fans in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Generation Z is a demographic cohort born between the years 1995 to 2015. Despite being rich in purchasing power, there is still a lack of comprehensive information on the antecedents of junk food purchase intention among generation Z consumers. This survey study is presented to identify the core factors affecting generation Z's purchase intention of junk food using the exploratory factor analysis. The Cronbach's Alpha validated questionnaires were distributed to the sampled 384 respondents in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. The exploratory factor analysis identifies four essential factors, which are ‘convenience trait, price, taste, and promotion’, ‘eating habit, spending priority, and peer influence’, ‘packaging information and brand’, and ‘health effect’. These factors hold nearly 50% of the variability. The research findings leverage academics and non-academics with wider cognizance into key antecedents of junk food purchase intention among Kota Bharu generation Z consumers. The ongoing augmentation of notion and understanding on the reasons for purchasing junk food help to drive the frenzy of junk food marketers and brands in extemporizing their strategies to consumer expectations that subsequently win the consumers’ penny.