Health-conscious Gen-Z consumers' perceptions and willingness to pay for organic food products: the mediating role of lifestyle and awareness

Purpose Previous studies have examined consumer perceptions of organic food and willingness to pay, but limited research has explored how lifestyle and awareness influence Gen Z's purchasing decisions. As organic food remains a developing market in India, with affordability posing a challenge, a deeper understanding of consumer behaviour is needed. This empirical study addresses this gap by investigating the relationships among health consciousness, lifestyle factors, awareness, attitude and willingness to pay for organic foods. Focusing on Gen Z consumers in Agra, India, the study aims to provide a comprehensive framework explaining how these variables shape purchase intentions and willingness to pay for organic products. Design/methodology/approach This study assessed the perceptions of Generation Z consumers (18–28 years) in Agra towards organic food and their willingness to purchase it. A descriptive research design was adopted, and primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire containing closed-ended Likert-scale items to evaluate the proposed relationships. Convenience sampling, a non-probability technique, was used to recruit respondents through colleges, workplaces and social media platforms, ensuring a diverse participant pool. The survey was administered online through an open-access platform. Following the structural equation modelling (SEM) recommendations of 10–20 responses per indicator (Hair et al., 2019), 300 valid responses were obtained for partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis. Findings The structural model supported all proposed hypotheses. Awareness significantly increased consumers' willingness to pay for organic products (β = 0.437, p < 0.001). Health consciousness positively influenced both awareness (β = 0.881, p < 0.001) and lifestyle (β = 0.916, p < 0.001), suggesting that health-conscious individuals are more aware and adopt healthier lifestyles. Lifestyle also had a significant positive effect on willingness to pay (β = 0.284, p = 0.008). Additionally, health consciousness directly enhanced willingness to pay for organic products (β = 0.256, p = 0.011), emphasising its key role in consumer purchase decisions. Research limitations/implications The research is conducted with the Gen Z consumers of urban areas of Agra, India, which can restrict the generalisability of the study as the research could be conducted with different sets of consumers or different geographical locations. Secondly, the study takes health consciousness, lifestyle and awareness as main determinants in why consumers will be purchasing organic goods. However, other factors haven't been taken into account, such as income and price sensitivity. Practical implications From the results, it was suggested that Gen Z should be marketed to with a focus on the health, lifestyle and sustainability benefits. To increase willingness to pay, appropriate labelling, education and communication are used to raise awareness. Government agencies can assist in the consumption of organics by promoting healthy and sustainable consumption of food, public awareness and certification. Originality/value This study represents an original empirical investigation conducted by the author. The research framework was independently conceptualised based on an extensive review of the relevant literature, while the survey instrument was self-developed and adapted to the study objectives. All primary data were collected directly from respondents through a structured questionnaire, and the dataset was generated exclusively for this research. The analysis, interpretation and conclusions are the author's own work. No previously published datasets, proprietary material or third-party research findings were used as a substitute for the primary data employed in this study.