Antecedents and consequences of anxiety: the relevance of perceived legitimacy

Mental health is considered as a relevant issue worldwide. It has been included in the UN Sustainable Agenda and is a political priority for policy makers. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate that hygiene and safety are antecedents of anxiety, and that legitimacy and purchase intention are their consequences. We surveyed 1200 regular supermarket shoppers. Results show that hygiene has no significance, since it is a retailing attribute that is given for grant by consumers. Safety actions reduce consumers' anxiety and anxiety negatively influences legitimacy and purchase intention. In addition, legitimacy has a positive influence on purchase intention. This study has important academic implications since it introduces anxiety as a new variable into the agenda of business management scholars. The research highlights managerial implications such as the need to invest on safety in the retail shops and communication to reduce customers' anxiety perception.