The Impact of Perceived Value of Regional Products on Consumers' Multi-Dimensional Decision-Making Behavior

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of the perceived value of regional products (PVRP) on multiple facets of consumer decision-making, including brand decision heuristics, preference formation, recommendation behavior, attribute preference, and usage situations. Data were collected via on-site, street-intercept surveys in Zhanjiang, Zhuhai, and Shantou (N = 217). The perceived value was categorized into Low, Medium, and High levels. Cross-tabulation, chi-square tests, and Cramer's V analyses revealed significant associations between PVRP levels and all behavioral dimensions (Cramer's V range: 0.195 - 0.205). The study identified three distinct consumer behavior patterns: low-PVRP consumers (13.8%) exhibited externally-dependent behavior, characterized by a reliance on word-of-mouth and external incentives; medium-PVRP consumers (49.3%) demonstrated experience-oriented behavior, emphasizing service quality and social contexts; while high-PVRP consumers (36.9%) displayed intrinsically-driven behavior, focusing on ingredient safety, brand recognition, and integration into daily usage scenarios. The findings confirm that perceived value can systematically influence multiple behavioral dimensions in the context of regional products. This provides actionable insights for regional brand managers to develop value-based segmentation strategies. Furthermore, the study suggests that future research could employ longitudinal designs or multi-regional comparisons to further validate the generalizability of these conclusions.