Understanding Saudi Consumer Preferences: Implications for Localised Product Design

Abstract

Few papers examine the specific preferences of Saudi consumers regarding their purchase intentions. The available research focuses only on certain factors and does not offer a comprehensive picture. This study included almost all possible factors affecting Saudi consumers’ purchase behaviour. Thus, the study aimed to evaluate the Saudi consumer behaviour for their preference for local products in terms of their cultural sensitivity, religious compliance, capturing preferences for products that adhere to Islamic Sharia principles, such as halal certification and modest design, Arabic language preference, quality perception of localised versus non-localised offerings, brand loyalty, and purchase intention. Five research questions were framed based on this aim to facilitate methodology determination. The required data were collected through a survey of 500 Saudi customers. The data were analysed for descriptive statistics, rigour of the methodology, correlation, multiple regression analysis, evaluation of the effect of regional differences and demographic factors. The results collectively demonstrate that Saudi consumer preferences are strongly shaped by religious, cultural, and linguistic factors. Religious Compliance emerged as the most powerful predictor of purchase intention, followed by Cultural Sensitivity and Arabic Language Preference. Significant demographic variations were identified, with female consumers, older adults, and those residing in peripheral regions expressing the strongest preferences for culturally localised products. The measurement model demonstrated strong psychometric properties, and the regression model accounted for a substantial proportion of variance in purchase intention, underscoring the practical significance of these findings for localised product design strategies in the Saudi market.