Mountains to Markets: “A PLS-SEM Investigation of Cosmetic Purchase Patterns among Working Women in Uttarakhand Region.”
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66635/d2y2aj34Keywords:
Working women, cosmetic buying behaviour, purchase intention, PLS-SEM, Uttarakhand, Theory of Planned Behaviour, brand loyalty, emerging marketAbstract
The rising integration of women into the workforce across semi-urban and rural regions of India has reshaped consumption landscapes, yet the buying behaviour of working women in geographically distinct regions such as Uttarakhand remains under-explored. This study investigates the antecedents shaping cosmetic purchase patterns among working women in Uttarakhand by developing and empirically testing a comprehensive conceptual model grounded in the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). A survey of 410 working women across Dehradun, Haridwar, Haldwani, and Rudrapur was conducted using a 32-item structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0. The findings reveal that subjective norms (β = 0.342, p < 0.001) exert the strongest influence on purchase intention, followed by perceived behavioural control (β = 0.278, p < 0.001) and attitude (β = 0.204, p < 0.01). Brand trust and perceived quality were found to be stronger drivers of brand loyalty among working women than price sensitivity. The study further identifies online convenience, product information accessibility, and social media influence as critical mediators in the purchase pathway. These findings carry significant implications for cosmetic brands targeting the evolving female workforce in emerging Indian market contexts.
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