The importance of region of origin and geographical labeling for tea consumers: the moderating effect of traditional tea processing method and tea prices

Abstract

PurposeThe objective of this study is to investigate the impact of geographical labeling (GL) and place of origin on consumers' perceived tea quality and purchase intention, as well as to analyze the moderating effects of traditional tea processing methods and the price of tea.Design/methodology/approachThis study conducts two experiments by combining a simulated scenario with a questionnaire; overall, 383 and 678 valid samples were collected, respectively.Findings(1) The existence of GL is extremely important and will give consumers the perception of higher tea quality resulting in higher purchase intention. The tea’s production method and geographic location are strongly correlated. Thus, whether the tea is produced with traditional methods has a moderating effect on the place of origin, GL, and consumer response in study 1. (3) Different tea pricing has a moderating effect on the place of origin/GL and consumer response in study 2.Originality/valueThis study demonstrates the relationship between consumers' perception of tea GL, and their response helps to identify the difference between Eastern and Western tea culture, which can be used to help promote and market tea leaves. Multiple clues show a complementary effect between the place of origin and the GL on tea packaging. In addition, perception of the tea craftsmanship from the place of origin (long-term) and the price manipulation (short-term) have a moderating effect, which can be used to improve tea marketing design in academia and in practice.