Degree of Consumer Ethnocentrism towards the Domestic and Foreign-Made Health Supplements (The Case of Ludhiana Market)

Abstract

Customer ethnocentrism continues to be a major issue in worldwide business and marketing, influencing customer behavior even in the face of expanding global consumer cosmopolitanism. Ethnocentrism, the belief in the superiority of one's own group, manifests itself in the marketplace when consumers perceive goods made overseas as improper, unethical, or detrimental to domestic industry. This study examines how consumer ethnocentrism influences purchasing decisions since direct consumption of health supplements suggests a higher perceived physical danger. Since ethnocentric sentiments vary depending on the product category and geographic area, a product- and region-specific approach is required. The Ludhiana market, representative of a South-East Asian transition economy, is the subject of this study in order to investigate consumer attitudes toward both imported and indigenous health supplements. The findings aim to shed light on the relationship between customer ethnocentrism and product perception, which will assist policymakers and businesses better understand purchasing trends in similar economies.