Fair Trade Purchase Intention Scale

What it measures

Measures consumer intentions to purchase fair trade certified products and willingness to pay a price premium over non-fair-trade alternatives. Fair trade products guarantee minimum prices to producers in developing countries, worker rights, and sustainable practices. De Pelsmacker et al. demonstrated that while attitudes toward fair trade are generally positive, only a minority of consumers consistently buy fair trade and pay premiums — illustrating the attitude-behaviour gap in ethical consumption. Widely used in research on ethical labels, cause-related marketing, and price premiums for sustainability.

Representative items

• I intend to buy fair trade products in the future.
• I prefer fair trade products to conventional products.
• I would buy fair trade products even if they cost more.
• I would be willing to pay more for a product if I knew it was fairly traded.
• The next time I shop, I will actively look for fair trade products.

Citation

De Pelsmacker, P., Driesen, L., & Rayp, G. (2005). Do consumers care about ethics? Willingness to pay for fair-trade coffee. Journal of Consumer Policy, 28(4), 363–385.