Perceived Quality and Country of Origin (COO) Impact on Consumer Purchase Intent

Abstract

Economic globalization fosters a shift in consumer preferences, with cosmetics emerging as essential commodities. China's cosmetics market holds significant promise, yet domestic cosmetics enterprises in China encounter intense competition from foreign beauty companies vying for market dominance and the proliferation of product offerings. Numerous cosmetic firms have conducted analyses of marketing strategies and have identified that understanding the factors influencing consumer behavior is a key avenue for enterprises to withstand competitive pressures. This study examines the impact of perceived country of origin (COO) quality on consumers' purchase intentions, focusing on consumer behavior aspects related to cosmetics incorporating Chinese herbal medicine to enhance enterprises' competitive edge. Drawing on extant literature, three hypotheses are posited and empirically tested through a questionnaire survey to assess reliability and validity across three dimensions and confirm the hypotheses. Findings indicate that the country of origin serves as a crucial moderating factor in consumers' purchase decision-making processes, amplifying the favorable impact of perceived quality on purchase intentions. This study can help China cosmetics enterprises understand consumers better and make marketing strategies more pertinently, which is the profound value of this study.