Understanding Sustainable Handicraft Purchase Intention: The Influence of Regional Product Love, Perceived Quality, Price Fairness, and Product Knowledge

Sustainable handicrafts, purchase intention, regional product love, perceived quality, price fairness, product knowledge, PLS-SEM

Consumer decision-making in culturally embedded sustainable markets is shaped by a complex interplay of emotional and cognitive forces. This study examines four key determinants of purchase intention for Indian handicrafts, namely regional product love, perceived quality, perceived price fairness, and product knowledge, and further investigates whether purchase intention translates into actual purchase behavior. A survey-based research design was adopted, and data were gathered from 311 consumers at government-authenticated handicraft stores and regional trade fairs across Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, India. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed for data analysis. The results demonstrate that all four antecedents exert a significant and positive influence on purchase intention, with perceived price fairness and perceived quality emerging as the strongest drivers. Purchase intention, in turn, significantly predicted actual purchase behavior. These findings enrich the understanding of value-based and emotion-driven consumption in heritage craft markets and offer actionable guidance for handicraft enterprises, marketers, and sustainability policymakers.