SELLER RELIGIOUS IDENTITY AS A HALAL SIGNAL IN INFORMAL FOOD MARKETS: A SIGNALING-THEORY PERSPECTIVE FROM INDONESIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24260/m76nqx54Keywords:
Halal Signaling, Seller Religious Identity, Perceived Halalness, Consumer Trust, Signalling TheoryAbstract
Purpose: This study examines whether sellers' religious identity functions as an observable halal signal in informal food markets when Muslim consumers have limited access to formal, verifiable halal information. Drawing on Signaling Theory, the study conceptually investigates how seller religious identity shapes consumers' perceived halalness and consumer trust in the informal food market of Tembilahan, Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a qualitative, literature-based research design informed by PRISMA 2020 identification and screening procedures and analyzed through thematic synthesis. Peer-reviewed articles indexed in Scopus and Web of Science and published between 2021 and 2026 were purposively selected, coded using a structured literature matrix, and synthesized to derive research propositions. Findings: The synthesis identifies five interconnected themes: persistent information asymmetry surrounding halal attributes; the distinction between formal and socially mediated halal signals; the salience of source credibility and observable seller cues; perceived halalness as an interpretive rather than verificatory process; and consumer trust as a downstream response to signal interpretation. Together, these themes support a conceptual sequence in which information asymmetry elevates the salience of seller religious identity, which shapes perceived halalness and, subsequently, consumer trust. Research limitations/implications: As a conceptual study contextualized in Tembilahan, the proposed framework requires empirical validation across regions, product categories, and market structures. Practical implications: The findings underscore the importance of transparent halal information, visible certification, and consumer literacy in reducing overreliance on informal religious cues among food sellers. Originality/value: The study extends halal consumer research beyond certification and product-attribute signals toward seller-based social signaling, explicitly distinguishing perceived halalness from formally verified halal status and situating halal consumption within signaling and information-asymmetry theory.
References
Arifin, M. R., Raharja, B. S., & Nugroho, A. (2023). Do young Muslim choose differently? Identifying consumer behavior in the halal industry. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 14(4), 1023-1040. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-02-2021-0049
Aslan, H. (2023). The influence of halal awareness, halal certificate, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, attitude and trust on purchase intention of culinary products among Muslim customers in Turkey. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 32, 100726. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2023.100726
Bhutto, M. Y., Rūtelionė, A., & Vienažindienė, M. (2024). Investigating eWOM and halal product knowledge on Gen Z's halal cosmetics purchase intentions in Pakistan. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 15(11), 3266-3281. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-09-2023-0292
Cahyono, E. (2023). The effect of halal brand awareness on purchase intention in Indonesia: The mediating role of attitude. Cogent Business & Management, 10(1), 2168510. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2023.2168510
Dashti, L. A. H. F., et al. (2024). Enhancing halal food traceability: A model for rebuilding trust and integrity in Muslim countries. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 15(12), 3382-3408. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-06-2023-0167
Daud, A. H. M., Lee, U., & Ismail, A. (2023). The practice of halal certification: A case of Malaysia's halal meat-based industry. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(8), 1563-1577. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v13-i8/17666
Dewi, C. K., Pradana, M., Huertas-García, R., Rubiyanti, N., & Syarifuddin, S. (2022). Developing halal consumer behavior and tourism studies: Recommendations for Indonesia and Spain. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 863130. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.863130
Elfeky, A., Treweek, S., Hannes, K., Bruhn, H., Fraser, C., & Gillies, K. (2022). Using qualitative methods in pilot and feasibility trials to inform recruitment and retention processes in full-scale randomised trials: A qualitative evidence synthesis. BMJ Open, 12(4), e055521. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055521
Farhan, F., & Sutikno, B. (2024). The acceptance of halal food products among non-Muslim consumers in Indonesia. Journal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing, 36(2), 125-146. https://doi.org/10.1080/08974438.2022.2067281
Febriandika, N. R., Wijaya, V., & Hakim, L. (2023). Gen-Z Muslims' purchase intention of halal food: Evidence from Indonesia. Innovative Marketing, 19(1), 13-25. https://doi.org/10.21511/im.19(1).2023.02
Forbes, M. (2022). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. Evaluation Journal of Australasia, 22(2), 132-135. https://doi.org/10.1177/1035719X211058251
Furlong, D. E., & Lester, J. N. (2023). Toward a practice of qualitative methodological literature reviewing. Qualitative Inquiry, 29(6), 669-677. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778004221131028
Hashim, N. A., & Hamzah, H. (2024). An analysis of Malaysian halal street food vendors' service quality. International Journal of Academic Research in Economics and Management and Sciences, 14(2), 233-247.
Hussain, K., Fayyaz, M. S., Shamim, A., Abbasi, A. Z., Malik, S. J., & Abid, M. F. (2024). Attitude, repurchase intention and brand loyalty toward halal cosmetics. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 15(2), 293-313. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-08-2022-0210
Ibrahim, K., Sarfo, C., & Burnett, M. (2024). Effect of source credibility and consumer ethnocentrism on halal purchase intentions in the UK: An elaboration likelihood model approach. British Food Journal, 126(7), 2875-2894. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-09-2023-0823
Isa, N. M., Rahman, A. A., & Osman, L. H. (2023). Determinants of consumer adoption of halal cosmetics: A systematic literature review. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 22(3), 801-812. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.15486
Jalil, M. I. A., Samsu, S. H., Andriani, D. P., Kadir, S. U. S. A., & Ahmed, H. (2026). Consumer insights on halal certification: Awareness, perception, and visibility as key determinants of purchase behaviour. Journal of Islamic Monetary Economics and Finance, 12(1), 195-228. https://doi.org/10.21098/jimf.v12i1.3086
Kholilah, S., Fenitra, R. M., Hati, S. R. H., & Thurasamy, R. (2026). Food for the soul: Religious identity and ethical halal labelling in sharing economy apps. Identities, 33(4), 476-496. https://doi.org/10.1080/1070289X.2024.2444105
Koc, F., Ozkan, B., Komodromos, M., Efendioglu, I. H., & Baran, T. (2025). The effects of trust and religiosity on halal products purchase intention: Indirect effect of attitude. EuroMed Journal of Business, 20(5), 141-165. https://doi.org/10.1108/EMJB-01-2024-0004
Kurniawati, D. A., & Cakravastia, A. (2023). A review of halal supply chain research: Sustainability and operations research perspective. Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain, 6, 100096. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clscn.2023.100096
Loussaief, A., Lin, J. Y.-C., Dang, H. P., Bouslama, N., & Cheng, J. M. S. (2024). Eating halal: A serial mediation model for the effect of religiosity on the intention to purchase halal-certified food. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 36(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-10-2022-0868
Maeda, Y., Caskurlu, S., Kenney, R. H., Kozan, K., & Richardson, J. C. (2022). Moving qualitative synthesis research forward in education: A methodological systematic review. Educational Research Review, 35, 100424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2021.100424
Małecka, A. (2022). Segmentation of collaborative consumption consumers: Social identity theory perspective. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 46(4), 1350-1367. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12798
Muslichah, I., & Ibrahim, K. A. (2021). Antecedents of intention to buy non-Muslim halal fast foods: Evidence from the biggest Muslim population country. JBTI: Jurnal Bisnis: Teori dan Implementasi, 12(2), 115-128.
Mustapha, M. R., Ahamad, F., Hazahari, N. Y., & Samsudin, N. (2024). Ethical issues in the halal food supply chain: A systematic bibliometric review. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 15(12), 3804-3819. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-07-2023-0210
Nugraha, W. S., Chen, D., & Yang, S.-H. (2022). The effect of a halal label and label size on purchasing intent for non-Muslim consumers. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 65, 102873. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102873
Osman, I., Omar, E. N., Ratnasari, R. T., Furqon, C., & Sultan, M. A. (2024). Perceived service quality and risks towards satisfaction of online halal food delivery system: From the Malaysian perspectives. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 15(9), 2198-2228. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-06-2023-0176
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., Mcguinness, L. A., Stewart, L. A., Thomas, J., Tricco, A. C., Welch, V. A., Whiting, P., & Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Permana, D., & Ahmad, F. S. (2022). How education level polarizes halal food purchase decision of Indonesian millennials. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 13(12), 2582-2610. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-10-2020-0323
Pfeuffer, A. (2022). Stranger danger? Cue-based trust in online consumer product review videos. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 46, 964-983. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12740
Pratiwi, D., Kara, M., K, A., Masse, R. A., & Wahab, A. (2024). The experiences felt like mediators between consumer perception and halal product purchase decisions. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Literature, 3(5), 559-571. https://doi.org/10.53067/ijomral.v3i5.251
Rachmawati, E., Suliyanto, & Suroso, A. (2022). A moderating role of halal brand awareness to purchase decision making. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 13(2), 542-563. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-05-2020-0145
Rahman, R. A., Zahari, M. S. M., Hanafiah, M. H., & Mamat, M. N. (2021). Effect of halal food knowledge and trust on Muslim consumer purchase behavior of syubhah semi-processed food products. Journal of Food Products Marketing, 27(6), 319-330. https://doi.org/10.1080/10454446.2021.1994079
Ramli, M. A., Abd Razak, M. A., & Jaafar, M. H. (2023). Understanding non-Muslims' reluctance to halal food: A systematic review. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 14(2), 544-561. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-05-2021-0134
Rejeb, A., Keogh, J. G., Rejeb, K., & Dean, K. (2021). Halal food supply chains: A literature review of sustainable measures and future research directions. Foods and Raw Materials, 9(1), 106-116. https://doi.org/10.21603/2308-4057-2021-1-106-116
Sepadi, M. M., & Hutton, T. (2025). Health and safety practices as drivers of business performance in informal street food economies: An integrative review of global and South African evidence. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(8), 1239. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22081239
Siregar, J. L., & Sobari, N. (2024). The implications of religiosity and complementary determinants on the repurchase intention of halal-certified food in Indonesia. ASEAN Marketing Journal, 17(1), 1-20.
Supriani, I., Ninglasari, S. Y., & Iswati, S. (2025). How social media influencers form Muslim consumers' halal cosmetics purchase intention: Religiosity concern. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 16(2), 502-525. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-02-2024-0085
Usman, H., Chairy, C., & Projo, N. W. K. (2022). Impact of Muslim decision-making style and religiosity on intention to purchasing certified halal food. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 13(11), 2268-2289. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-01-2021-0027
Usman, H., Chairy, C., & Projo, N. W. K. (2023). Between awareness of halal food products and awareness of halal-certified food products. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 14(3), 851-870. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-07-2021-0233
Usman, H., Projo, N. W. K., Chairy, C., & Haque, M. G. (2024). The role of trust and perceived risk on Muslim behavior in buying halal-certified food. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 15(7), 1902-1921. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-09-2021-0303
Wiyono, S. N., Deliana, Y., Wulandari, E., & Kamarulzaman, N. H. (2022). The embodiment of Muslim intention elements in buying halal food products: A literature review. Sustainability, 14(20), 13163. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013163
Yener, D. (2022). The effects of halal certification and product features on consumer behavior. International Journal of Management Studies, 29. https://doi.org/10.32890/ijms2022.29.2.5
Zafar, M. B., & Abu-Hussin, M. F. (2025). Halal purchasing decisions and consumer behavior: A multi-method review. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 16(9), 2703-2732. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-08-2024-0365
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Hari Risky Syahputra, Wahyu Prasetyawan, Cecep Castrawijaya, Khaeron Sirin
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
