Exploring perceptions of non-Muslims towards Halal foods in UK

Abstract

Purpose – There is a growing demand of Halal products and services in a number of non-Muslim countries. Although Muslim consumers have been studied in several research studies but there is dearth of empirical studies about the perceptions of non-Muslims towards Halal. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the perceptions of non-Muslims towards Halal products and services. Design/methodology/approach – The data were collected from non-Muslims of UK through snowball sampling technique. In total, 29 interviews were conducted. The consumer perceptions were explored about Halal foods. The qualitative data were analysed for thematic analysis by adopting Spiggle’s steps for data analysis. Findings – It was found out that majority of the non-Muslims have positive perceptions regarding the Halal products and services as far as quality is concerned. The themes which emerged from these interviews were quality, knowledge about Halal, acculturation and animal welfare issues. Research limitations/implications – This study will guide the Halal marketers about how to market the Halal products and services from the non-Muslim customers. Originality/value – This is probably among the rare studies on non-Muslims regarding their perceptions towards Halal.