Unveiling the dual impacts of the aesthetic deficiency of foods on consumers’ purchase intentions

The bias of "beauty is good" is prevalent in the consumption field. Products with attractive appearances can enhance consumers' favor towards the product, gaining a "beauty premium," while products with aesthetic deficiencies are subjected to a "ugly penalty." However, in some cases, aesthetically deficient "ugly" products may also have unique advantages. Therefore, actively exploring the double-edged effect of aesthetically deficient food on consumer purchase inclination holds significant practical importance. Based on 374 questionnaire data, this study employs Mplus8.0 for data analysis and finds that: (1) there is a negative correlation between the aesthetic deficiency (ugliness) of food and consumers' purchase inclination; (2) perceived risk mediates the relationship between the aesthetic deficiency (ugliness) of food and consumers' purchase inclination; (3) consumers' perceived coolness mediates the relationship between the aesthetic deficiency (ugliness) of food and consumers' purchase inclination; (4) Rebelliousness moderates the relationship between the aesthetic deficiency (ugliness) of food and consumers' purchase inclination. These conclusions not only enrich product design theory and marketing theory but also offer valuable references for enterprises to formulate marketing strategies and stimulate consumers' purchasing intentions.