Explaining Halal Chocolate Purchase Intention Among Muslim Young Adults In Malaysia

Abstract

Chocolate, a timeless household staple, remains a popular guilty pleasure enjoyed by people of all cultures and ages, enduring both good and bad times, and remains a timeless and appealing choice. While everyone loves chocolate, Muslims are only allowed to consume Halal chocolate due to religious obligations. Halal chocolate is becoming increasingly popular as consumers develop a greater awareness of Halal foods and the benefits associated with them. Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), this study examines the intention to purchase Halal chocolate among Muslim young adults in Malaysia. A total of 204 Muslims aged 18 to 34 participated in an online survey distributed through various social media platforms using Google Forms. Multiple regression analysis was performed to analyse the data. The results show that attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control significantly influence the intention to purchase Halal chocolate among Muslim young adults in Malaysia. Theoretically, this study adds to the limited existing literature on Muslim consumers' Halal chocolate purchasing intentions and the robustness of the TPB in explaining purchase intention. Practically, this study assists the Halal chocolate producers, manufacturers, importers, and exporters to engage with their Muslim consumers to promote the consumption of Halal chocolate in the country.