FACTORS AFFECTING PERCEIVED PRODUCT QUALITY TOWARD CONSUMER PURCHASE INTENTION OF READY-TO-EAT FOODS IN CONVENIENCE STORES - A CASE STUDY OF VIETNAM’S GEN Z

Despite of Vietnam’s rapidly evolving retail environment and the growth of convenience stores, limited research in Vietnam has dived into this field. This study explores what influences Vietnam’s Gen Z in perceiving product quality and intending to buy ready-to-eat (RTE) foods in convenience stores. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Stimulus-Organism-Response framework, it examines psychological factors (attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control) and product traits (price, convenience, packaging, taste) impacting perceived product quality (PPQ) and its effect on purchase intention (PI). A structured questionnaire was distributed online via social media, yielding 304 valid responses. The data were analyzed using SPSS v.30 and PLS-SEM via SmartPLS 4.0. Results show that attitude, taste, perceived control, and price positively affect PPQ, while subjective norms and convenience have negative impacts. Packaging showed no significant influence. Importantly, PPQ strongly drives purchase intention. The findings suggest Gen Z prioritizes taste, autonomy, and authenticity over social influence or convenience. It also provides practical insights for convenience stores retailers and RTE food manufacturers aiming to align product strategies with Gen Z’s expectations, emphasizing authenticity, sensory quality, and value over superficial convenience or social influence.