Factors Influencing Consumers' Buying Behaviour towards Traditional Handicrafts in Sri Lanka: Evidence from the Colombo District

Abstract

Traditional handicrafts contribute to cultural continuity, artisan livelihoods and tourism-related value creation, yet empirical evidence on the determinants of consumer purchasing in Sri Lanka remains limited. This study examined the associations of personal attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control with buying behaviour towards traditional handicrafts among adults in the Colombo District. A quantitative cross-sectional design was used. A self-administered online questionnaire was distributed using convenience sampling to 400 individuals, yielding 384 usable responses. The analytical framework was based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, Pearson correlations and multiple linear regression were conducted in IBM SPSS Statistics. Personal attitude was positively associated with buying behaviour (beta = .114, p = .037), and perceived behavioural control showed the strongest positive association among the included predictors (beta = .204, p < .001). Subjective norms had a small positive but non-significant regression coefficient (beta = .054, p = .306). The regression model was statistically significant and explained 8.7% of the variance in buying behaviour (R = .295, R-squared = .087; adjusted R-squared = .080). These findings indicate that, within this Colombo-based convenience sample, favourable evaluations of handicrafts and consumers' perceived ability to access and purchase them were more informative than perceived social influence. The modest explanatory power of the model indicates that product attributes, knowledge, authenticity, price, innovation and other determinants should be examined in future research. The results support cautious, evidence-based strategies that improve access, information and perceived value without implying causal or nationwide effects.