IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/joreco/v87y2025ics0969698925002371.html

Does atypical packaging design enhance the appeal of healthy food? Evidence from multiple experiments

Author

Listed:
  • Xu, Chonghuan
  • Niu, Shengjiao
  • Wang, Yajuan
  • Sima, Herbert

Abstract

In healthy food packaging design, enterprises have always emphasized typical visual appearance to help consumers rapidly recognize and appreciate the health benefits. However, this approach has reinforced the perception that healthy food is less tasty, affecting sales. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have yet explored how to use atypical visual appearance to increase purchase intention. Based on self-determination theory, this study explored the impact of visual appearance of healthy food packaging (typical vs. atypical) on purchase intention, as well as its mechanism and boundary, through four lab experiments. The results indicated that atypical visual appearance of healthy food packaging increased consumers’ purchase intention, with self-enhancement playing a mediating role. Moreover, we explored important boundary mechanisms: self-concept clarity and persuasive message type. These findings enriched the literature about effects of visual appearance in food packaging field, while also offered insights for optimizing healthy food packaging marketing strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Xu, Chonghuan & Niu, Shengjiao & Wang, Yajuan & Sima, Herbert, 2025. "Does atypical packaging design enhance the appeal of healthy food? Evidence from multiple experiments," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:87:y:2025:i:c:s0969698925002371
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104458
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698925002371
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104458?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yu, Junwei & Droulers, Olivier & Lacoste-Badie, Sophie, 2022. "Why display motion on packaging? The effect of implied motion on consumer behavior," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    2. Baek, Eunsoo & Huang, Zhihong & Lee, Seojin Stacey, 2023. "Visual complexity = hedonic? Effects of visually complex packages on consumer perceptions and evaluations of products," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    3. Ma, Jianan & Li, Fangxuan (Sam), 2023. "Does ‘chicken soup for the soul’ on the product packaging work? The mediating role of perceived warmth and self-brand connection," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    4. Benedikt Schnurr, 2017. "The impact of atypical product design on consumer product and brand perception," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 24(6), pages 609-621, November.
    5. Reimann, Martin & Schilke, Oliver & Thomas, Jacquelyn S., 2010. "Toward an understanding of industry commoditization: Its nature and role in evolving marketing competition," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 188-197.
    6. Jennifer Savary & Ravi Dhar & Andrea C Morales & Gita V Johar & J Jeffrey Inman, 2020. "The Uncertain Self: How Self-Concept Structure Affects Subscription Choice [Does High Self-Esteem Cause Better Performance, Interpersonal Success, Happiness, or Healthier Lifestyles?]," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 46(5), pages 887-903.
    7. Zhang, Xingyi & Wen, Han & Shao, Xiaolong, 2024. "Understanding consumers’ acceptance of edible food packaging: The role of consumer innovativeness," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    8. Hu, Linfeng & Wang, Sainan & Zheng, Jiehui & Xu, Qianwen, 2025. "How to present food images on packaging? The influence of aesthetics design on consumers' perceived healthiness," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    9. Meng, Lu (Monroe) & Bie, Yongyue & Yang, Mengya & Wang, Yijie, 2024. "Watching it motivates me to become stronger: Virtual influencers' impact on consumer self-improvement product preferences," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    10. Togawa, Taku & Park, Jaewoo & Ishii, Hiroaki & Deng, Xiaoyan, 2019. "A Packaging Visual-Gustatory Correspondence Effect: Using Visual Packaging Design to Influence Flavor Perception and Healthy Eating Decisions," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 95(4), pages 204-218.
    11. Joël Berger, 2017. "Are Luxury Brand Labels and “Green” Labels Costly Signals of Social Status? An Extended Replication," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(2), pages 1-17, February.
    12. Franck Celhay & Jean-François Trinquecoste, 2015. "Package Graphic Design: Investigating the Variables that Moderate Consumer Response to Atypical Designs," Post-Print hal-02009480, HAL.
    13. repec:oup:jconrs:v:49:y:2023:i:5:p:838-860. is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Carolina Dalla Chiesa & Erwin Dekker, 2024. "Communicating identity: how the symbolic meaning of goods creates different market types," Review of Social Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 82(1), pages 76-97, January.
    15. Huang, Li & Pricer, Laura, 2024. "How video conferencing promotes preferences for self-enhancement products," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 93-112.
    16. Shan, Minghui & Zhu, Zhenzhong & Song, Chunlei & Chen, Haipeng (Allan), 2023. "The effectiveness of advertising appeals: A culturally-derived power perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    17. Hossain, Md. Jakir & Chang, Hyo Jung (Julie) & Jones, Robert Paul, 2025. "I bought it and I feel good! An examination of fit factors and self-evaluation related to confident clothing decisions and psychological well-being," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    18. Wang, Ying & Zhao, Jincan & Pan, Jialing, 2024. "The investigation of green purchasing behavior in China: A conceptual model based on the theory of planned behavior and self-determination theory," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    19. repec:hal:journl:hal-03512772 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. repec:oup:jconrs:v:47:y:2021:i:5:p:787-806. is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Hwang, Jiyoung, 2016. "Organic food as self-presentation: The role of psychological motivation in older consumers' purchase intention of organic food," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 281-287.
    22. Sangwon Lee, 2019. "When is the atypical design not penalized? Moderating role of product innovativeness and technological sophistication in consumer’s evaluation of new products," American Journal of Business, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 34(3/4), pages 169-188, November.
    23. Thomas Rompay & Marieke Fransen & Bianca Borgelink, 2014. "Light as a feather: Effects of packaging imagery on sensory product impressions and brand evaluation," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 397-407, December.
    24. Mittal, Banwari, 2015. "Self-concept clarity: Exploring its role in consumer behavior," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 98-110.
    25. Fifita, 'Ilaisaane M.E. & Seo, Yuri & Ko, Eunju & Conroy, Denise & Hong, Dayun, 2020. "Fashioning organics: Wellbeing, sustainability, and status consumption practices," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 664-671.
    26. Byun, Jaemun & Jang, SooCheong (Shawn), 2015. "Effective destination advertising: Matching effect between advertising language and destination type," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 31-40.
    27. Do, Hoa & Chu, Lin Xiao & Shipton, Helen, 2025. "How and when AI-driven HRM promotes employee resilience and adaptive performance: A self-determination theory," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Akturan, Ulun & Kuter, Deniz & Gökkut, B. Selin, 2025. "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most convincing of them all? A systematic literature review on packaging," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    2. Tan, Fuqiang & Li, Xi & Agarwal, Reeti & Joshi, Yatish & Yaqub, Muhammad Zafar, 2024. "Does multilingual packaging influence purchasing in retail segment? Evidence from multiple experiments," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    3. Tian, Zhouyuan & Huang, Chia-Hsing, 2025. "Effects of color-typeface congruence on product evaluation," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    4. Hu, Linfeng & Wang, Sainan & Zheng, Jiehui & Xu, Qianwen, 2025. "How to present food images on packaging? The influence of aesthetics design on consumers' perceived healthiness," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    5. Du, Yingying & Wang, Xingyuan, 2024. "Dynamic or static? The effect of food imagery on menus on perceived food energy and purchase intention," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    6. Dixon, Darcie & Mikolon, Sven, 2021. "Cents of self: How and when self-signals influence consumer value derived from choices of green products," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 365-386.
    7. Daraboina, Rohini & Cooper, Orrin & Amini, Mehdi, 2024. "Segmentation of organic food consumers: A revelation of purchase factors in organic food markets," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    8. Chung, Myungjin & Saini, Ritesh, 2022. "Consumer self-uncertainty increases price dependency," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 40-48.
    9. Konuk, Faruk Anıl & Otterbring, Tobias, 2024. "The dark side of going green: Dark triad traits predict organic consumption through virtue signaling, status signaling, and praise from others," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    10. Akinwehinmi, Oluwagbenga & Ogundari, Kolawole & Amos, Taiwo, 2021. "Consumers' Food Control Risk Perception and Preference for Government-Controlled Safety Certification in Emerging Food Markets," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315312, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    11. Pozharliev, Rumen & De Angelis, Matteo & Rossi, Dario & Bagozzi, Richard & Amatulli, Cesare, 2023. "I might try it: Marketing actions to reduce consumer disgust toward insect-based food," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 99(1), pages 149-167.
    12. Antonino Galati & Giuseppina Migliore & Alkis Thrassou & Giorgio Schifani & Giuseppina Rizzo & Nino Adamashvili & Maria Crescimanno, 2023. "Consumers’ Willingness to Pay for Agri-Food Products Delivered with Electric Vehicles in the Short Supply Chains," FIIB Business Review, , vol. 12(2), pages 193-207, June.
    13. Aurélie Ringeval-Deluze & Louis César Ndione, 2021. "Meaning of packaging and innovation dynamics in a traditional luxury sector: the example of growers’ champagne [Signification des packagings et dynamiques d’innovation dans un secteur de luxe tradi," Post-Print hal-03266127, HAL.
    14. Phu Nguyen-Van & Anne Stenger & Tuyen Tiet, 2021. "Social incentive factors in interventions promoting sustainable behaviors: A meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(12), pages 1-27, December.
    15. Balabanis, George & Stathopoulou, Anastasia, 2021. "The price of social status desire and public self-consciousness in luxury consumption," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 463-475.
    16. Can, Ali Selcuk & Ekinci, Yuksel & Pino, Giovanni, 2021. "Joint brand advertising for emerging heritage sites," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    17. Balci, Gökcay & Cetin, Ismail Bilge & Tanyeri, Mustafa, 2018. "Differentiation of container shipping services in Turkey," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 26-35.
    18. Haiying Wang & Muhamad Abdul Aziz Ab Gani & Chang Liu, 2023. "Impact of Snack Food Packaging Design Characteristics on Consumer Purchase Decisions," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(2), pages 21582440231, April.
    19. Li, Zhaotong & Wu, Min & Teo, Chee-Chong & Yuen, Kum Fai, 2024. "An investigation of consumer switching intention on the use of automated courier station from a signaling perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    20. Zheng, Chundong & Liu, Xinru & Liu, Shuqin, 2024. "How to make busy individuals donate more? The matching effect of charitable appeals and busyness on willingness to donate," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:87:y:2025:i:c:s0969698925002371. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-retailing-and-consumer-services .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.