Turning Boycotts into Markets: The Role of Animosity and Social Norms in HalalConsumption

Background: Boycotts are a common way for people to show their activism, often based on ethical, political, or religious reasons.In places where most people are Muslim, these boycotts often relate to the choice of halal products, as consumers tend to avoid brands that don't meet their religious or moral standards.This study uses the Theory of Planned Behavior, Animosity Theory, and Religious Consumption Theory to explore how people's attitudes toward boycotts, their level of religiosity, and their knowledge about halal products affect their desire to buy halal items.Methods: A survey was carried out among 410 Muslim consumers in Pakistan using purposive sampling.Scales that had been used in previous studies were modified to fit a 5-point Likert scale.The data was analyzed using PLS-SEM (Smart PLS 4.1) to check the reliability and validity of the measurements, also to examine the relationships between variables, including mediation and moderation effects.Results: Boycott attitude ( = 0.421, p < 0.001) and religiosity ( = 0.317, p < 0.001) predicted consumer animosity; halal knowledge ( = 0.296, p < 0.001) directly influenced halal purchase intention.Consumer animosity positively affected purchase intention ( = 0.418, p < 0.001) and mediated both boycott attitude and religiosity effects.Subjective norms strengthened the animosity-intention link ( = 0.102, p = 0.019).The model explained 64.3% of purchase intention variance. Conclusion:Findings highlight the intertwined moral, emotional, and social drivers of boycott-driven halal consumption, offering both theoretical contributions and strategic implications for halal marketers and policymakers.