Open Access

Silvia Boßow-Thies, Marion Preuß, Joachim Schwarz

• This article examines the willingness of consumers in Germany to purchase unpackaged food products. A two-step approach was used to determine and analyze factors potentially influencing the purchase intention: a focus group was asked about aspects and motives for purchasing intentions as a qualitative method. Starting with this research, hypotheses were derived based on the gained insights as well as the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Thus, an explanatory model was set up. To test our hypotheses, a data set of 1,894 persons was generated using an online survey. The study integrates various perspectives on unpackaged food from the consumers’ point of view, such as ethical and egoistic motives for buying in relation to attitude, subjective norm as well as limitations of personal and external resources and explains their effects on the intention to buy. Since consumer decisions play a key role in product success in the food industry, the results of the study support existing marketing strategies and allow new approaches to address potential customers within this special market.