Exploring Chinese Consumers’ Attitudes Towards Pet Nutritional Products and Their Continuous Purchase Intentions: A Dual-Phase Analysis Using SEM and ANN

As the role of pets evolves, they are increasingly regarded as members of the family. Although incapable of making independent decisions, pets become unique consumer groups through the purchases of specific products and services made by their owners. In China, the pet economy has developed into a novel economic sector. With the growing concern for pet health, the demand for pet nutritional products continues to rise. This study aims to explore Chinese consumers' attitudes and intentions towards pet nutritional products in this burgeoning market. A survey was carried out on 600 Chinese consumers who had purchased pet nutritional products in 2024. A two-stage analysis using structural equation modeling and artificial neural network examined the correlation within the research model across 506 samples. The results indicate that perceived benefits, perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, and health consciousness positively influence attitudes towards pet nutritional products, while perceived barriers, health risks, and economic risks negatively impact attitudes. The attitudes of consumers significantly enhance their continuous purchase intentions. This study lays an essential groundwork for advancing pet food products, refining marketing approaches, and conducting future research.