Religiosity and information search behaviour: A two-step cluster analysis profiling Muslim consumers’ convenience food product information use in the UK.

The paper focuses on the impact of religiosity on convenience food product search behaviour experienced by Muslims in a non-Muslim culture. There is a scarcity of research on the purchasing patterns of Muslim diaspora communities residing in risk societies, where there is an increasing inclination toward industrialized food items and a renewed interest in the concept of natural foods. Selecting the United Kingdom as the study's setting is fitting due to the rising Muslim population in the country, accompanied by the concurrent growth of the Halal Food Market. Quantitative cross-sectional consumer data were gathered via face-to-face survey interviews with 141 Muslims in Liverpool during the summer of 2020, situated in the Northwest of England. The study utilized the proportion formula, and the population of interest was stratified by gender and age before recruitment occurred through local mosques and community centers. Seven input variables were used (intrinsic religiosity, search intensity, search effort, media source use, digital advice source use, personal source use, and product label use), dividing the sample into 4 clusters using the Two-Step Cluster Analysis procedure in SPSS. Nuanced variances were observed in the search behaviour undertaken by religiosity group, which influences convenience food purchasing activities. Four distinct market segments were identified: highly religious intense searchers (30.5%), less religious moderate searchers (27.0%), highly religious passive searchers (22.0%), and less religious limited searchers (20.6%). These segments differ significantly with respects to their search behaviour, behavioural variables (place of purchase, involvement, and important product attributes), socio-cultural (acculturation), and individual characteristics. Overall, highly religious intense searchers, who are typified by first- and second-generation Muslims, search intently for the appropriate product across all information sources. Less religious moderate searchers were more dietary acculturated and less engaged with their purchases, displaying moderate search activities across all sources of information sources. Highly religious passive searchers had the highest proportion of Muslim born outside the UK. Muslims in this cluster had the highest levels of product involvement, were more likely to shop in ethnic stores and displayed low search across activity all information sources. Less religious limited searchers have the lowest food safety concerns but are involved in their food purchases, explaining their below average search activity across all information sources. Research implications are outlined and potential avenues for further explorations are identified.