Consumers' valuation of food quality labels: the case of the European geographic indication and organic farming labels

This paper assesses consumers' preferences and willingness to pay for European Union geographical indication quality labels [Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indications (PGI)], organic farming label and other product quality cues. Using a choice experiment, random parameter logit model and olive oil as product of interest, results suggest that respondents are willing to pay the highest premium price for a product with a PDO label, followed by organic farming label, a quality cue describing the product as extra‐virgin olive oil and then a PGI label.     

Study of Consumer Preferences in Regard to the Blonde Orange Cv. Washington Navel “Arancia Di Ribera PDO”

Consumers’ attitude and preferences in regard to food ingredients, country of origin, social corporate responsibility toward the environment, and work conditions have changed over the last 10 years. Consumers are getting more educated and therefore more sensitive around cultivation practices in agriculture and food processing, which increases concerns in regard to production practices in agriculture. Several studies have been conducted on consumers’ preferences about quality food, but not with regard to blonde oranges cv. Washington Navel cultivated in southern Italy. This quality fruit is a niche product that achieved the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) certification for high organoleptic properties and fine taste. In this study, by a survey of 400 Italian consumers, we discovered preferences in regard to the cv. Washington Navel PDO (Riberella) attributes and revealed variables that may influence consumers’ purchasing behavior. Cluster analysis, based on respondents’ rates on 20 attributes, revealed preference segmentation. Freshness, taste, and origin were the most important attributes for consumers, following visual appearance and quality/price ratio. In responding to the demands of consumers for quality fresh fruit, information about quality standards and about the Riberella PDO is poor. Therefore, there may be potential to develop specific policies and marketing strategies to product the position in the international market.     

Buy Local! Familiarity and Preferences for Extra Virgin Olive Oil of Italian Consumers

Over the last few years, the origin of the local product has played a central role in consumer choices. This study explores what Italian consumers want and look for when purchasing olive oil by combining a web-based survey and a perceived analysis technique. In particular, preferences for different olive oil attributes as well as the psychographic traits of respondents were revealed through a web-based questionnaire administered to Italian consumers (N = 179). From this questionnaire, respondents who indicated their availability to participate further underwent a preference test under blind conditions (N = 99). Respondents also did an expectation test based on the visual observation of the labels. Results showed that the majority of consumers considered local production, PDO and region as factors of highest importance in determining olive oil quality.     

Genuine brands or high quality counterfeits: An investigation of luxury consumption in China

This study examines the effects of different marketing and manufacturing factors on the perceived quality gap and willingness to pay (WTP) for genuine luxury brands. Using the survey data of 786 Chinese consumers, the results show that three marketing factors (product innovation, price promotion, and sales environment) and two manufacturing factors (production in country of brand origin and difficulty in producing the products) all indirectly influence WTP through a perceived quality gap between originals and counterfeits. These effects differ significantly among consumers with different counterfeit and genuine brand purchasing experiences. For consumers with counterfeit purchasing experience, it is important to emphasize the manufacturing factors in the marketing strategies; however, for consumers who only buy genuine brands, marketing factors play a more important role. Copyright © 2016 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling effects of consumer animosity: Consumers' willingness to buy foreign and hybrid products

This study aims to examine the effects of animosity on consumers’ willingness to buy hybrid products i.e. products that involve affiliations of two or more countries (such as branded in Japan but made in China). While consumers’ reluctance to purchase foreign products from countries that they have animosity towards is clearly evident in the current literature, little is known about consumers’ attitudes towards hybrid products. As such, the study introduces this new construct (i.e. willingness to buy hybrid products) to the animosity model to determine if animositic consumers would be more receptive or willing to accept hybrid products where the animistic tendencies towards foreign countries in question can be negated by the products’ domestic affiliations. To conduct this investigation, the study is undertaken in China where the Chinese consumers’ animosity towards the Japanese was examined. The data with a usable sample size of 435 were collected in the Chinese city of Nanjing. The findings of the study revealed that the high level of animosity present against the Japanese resulted in the Chinese consumers’ unwillingness to buy Japanese products. More importantly, results showed that the Chinese consumers are not any more receptive to hybrid products as such domestic affiliations have not diluted the animosity. Consistent with the literature, the study has also validated that Consumer Animosity to be a higher-order construct indicated by war and economic animosity. Under the conditions of extreme animosity, Consumer Ethnocentrism does not take a significant role in influencing other constructs in the animosity model.     

Conceptualising consumer regiocentrism: Examining consumers' willingness to buy products from their own region

The key objective of the study is to address the gaps by building a theoretically based conceptual model to examine the influence of consumer regiocentrism and its moderators, and community involvement on consumers’ willingness to buy products from their own region. A mail survey of 2000 consumers from the Western Australian metropolitan area, supported four of the five proposed hypotheses. The results revealed that consumer regiocentric tendencies and community involvement positively influenced consumers’ willingness to buy products from their own region. Community involvement was also found to positively influence consumer regiocentric tendencies. Although perceived product necessity moderated the relationship between consumer regiocentrism and consumers’ willingness to buy products from their own region, perceived economic/personal threat did not moderate the relationship between consumer regiocentrism and consumers’ willingness to buy products from their own region. The study offers several implications to public policy makers as well as strategic and communication managers of regional products and brands.     

感知质量和感知风险对自有品牌购买意向的影响

在中国,品牌名称和价格能够影响消费者对于自有品牌的感知质量和感知风险,进而影响其购买意向,其中品牌名称的影响要大于价格的影响。零售商在市场策略上,应该更加注重品牌建设,以提高消费者的购买欲望,而不是单纯依靠低价竞争。但是,价格和品牌名称只是最重要的外部因素,未来的研究可以综合考虑更多的外部因素。     

Luxury fashion consumption in China: Factors affecting attitude and purchase intent

This study examined influencing factors that affect Chinese consumers’ attitude towards purchasing luxury fashion goods and purchase intent. Data was collected in three major cities in China (i.e., Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou). A total of 161 respondents were included. Using regression analyses, the results indicated that brand consciousness, social comparison and fashion innovativeness have significant impact on attitude towards purchasing luxury fashion goods among Chinese consumers. In addition, Chinese consumers’ purchasing intention for luxury fashion goods was affected by their attitude towards buying luxury fashion goods. Practical and managerial implications are further discussed.     

我国消费者生态购买行为影响机制

消费者的生态购买行为是构建生态消费模式的基础和重要组成部分。而现阶段我国消费者生态购买意愿相对不足,已有文献也缺乏基于中国情境的生态购买行为实证研究。基于此,本文首次在中国情境下对消费者生态购买行为的影响机制进行探讨。研究结果表明,我国消费者生态购买行为主要受到心理和社会文化因素的影响。我国消费者的生态购买意愿取决于生态态度以及生态知识、生态价值观和生态情感等因素的交互作用。消费者的生态知识及生态情感能够直接驱动生态购买意愿与行为。因此,为提升我国生态消费水平、构建生态消费模式,应加强生态教育,提高消费者生态知识水平;倡导文明生活方式,构建生态消费价值观;促进生态体验,培育消费者的生态情感;建立全方位制度环境,强化消费者生态态度的形成。     

Ethnocentrism and Its Effect on the Chinese Consumer: A Threat to Foreign Goods?

This study examines ethnocentric tendencies including consumer ethnocentrism, country of origin, product judgments, willingness to buy, and animosity toward foreign products among a sample of economically progressive Chinese college students in a coastal port city in northern China. Survey results suggest that these Chinese consumers held a rather positive view of, and little animosity toward, the United States. They also did not show high levels of ethnocentrism or country-of-origin effects. These results would suggest openness toward foreign products. While Chinese consumers report little animosity or ethnocentric tendencies toward U.S. products, animosity, country of origin, and ethnocentrism are significantly correlated with willingness to buy. This suggests managers need to carefully position foreign products with respect to Chinese consumer expectations. Impacts of traditional collectivist views of the Chinese culture are suggested as an avenue for future research with respect to ethnocentrism and willingness to buy foreign products.     

Marketing of specialised products and services to consumers with disabilities: exploring the role of advertising,country-of-origin,and e-commerce

This article contains an exploration of the needs, preferences and concerns of consumers with disabilities (CwD) considering their acquisition of specialised products and services. An exploratory survey among 215 Italian citizens was carried out, all of whom are dealing with some type of disability. Quantitative and qualitative data were used to generate insight into CwD buying preferences and the difficulties associated with finding what they want/need. The results are presented under four main research issues: the consumers’ difficulty in finding the right product/service provider, the perceived degree of advertisement for products/services, the importance of the origin of the product/service provider, and finally, CwD willingness to buy products online. A number of practical implications and suggestions to improve marketing of specialised products and services to this target group are provided, which may help businesses to improve their economic success. The findings of this research may also help the CwD to improve their quality of life.     

How anticipated regret influences the effect of economic animosity on consumers’ reactions towards a foreign product

We use regret theory to explain the negative effect of economic animosity on consumers’ reactions towards a foreign product (i.e., product judgment and reluctant to buy). We conduct our study in Taiwan by collecting data via an online survey. Our results show that consumers’ economic animosity increases their anticipated regret towards purchasing a foreign product originating from a target market of animosity. Specifically, anticipated regret is found to mediate the link between economic animosity and foreign product judgment, which in turns affects consumers’ reluctance to buy. Our study is the first to consider the role of anticipated regret in explaining the negative effect of economic animosity on consumers’ reactions towards a foreign product. We also contribute to research by introducing two antecedents of economic animosity: perceived economic competition and consumer ethnocentrism.     

Consumer Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Bundled Fresh Produce Claims at Farmers’ Markets

This study uses a conditional logit with systematically varying parameters model to analyze consumer survey data collected at farmers’ markets in Utah. The purpose of this study is to examine consumption preferences and willingness to pay for differentiated fresh produce among farmers’ market shoppers in Utah. Three primary differentiating claims, namely conventionally grown of unknown origin, conventionally grown local (in-state), and organically grown of unknown origin, are investigated. Results indicate that consumer preferences and willingness to pay are higher for the conventionally grown local origin claim, emphasizing the importance of local origin labeling for directed marketed fresh produce. This claim was especially preferred among frequent farmers’ market shoppers and those who spend above average. Those who receive WIC and/or food stamp benefits show lower preferences for fresh produce. The shoppers are significantly sensitive to price increases. This study implies that marketing strategies and policy regulations aiming at promoting local, organic, labeling, and reinforcing repeated farmers’ market customers can positively impact purchasing preferences and willingness to pay for production-method-based and origin labeled products.     

Does impact of campaign and consumer guilt help in exploring the role of national identity and purchase decisions of consumers?

Extant research emphasized the role of consumer guilt and the importance of campaigns in consumers' willingness to buy domestic-made products. The antecedents of willingness to buy domestic-made products have not been well understood in literature. This is because the experience of national identity vis a vis the understanding of the consumers' guilt feeling has partly been explained. To address these concerns, we developed a survey in the context of Indian cities. We note that consumers' experience with foreign-made products is negative when they feel uncomfortable buying them, and thereby develop a feeling of guilt. Marketing managers are more likely to prepare consumers' experiences with their products by emphasizing the high or low impact of the campaign on consumers’ willingness to buy domestic-made products.     

Older consumers’ perceptions of functional foods and non‐edible health‐enhancing innovations

Increasing interest in health and well‐being is likely to drive a growth in demand for products that have positive effects on health. Consumers’ acceptance of and willingness to buy functional foods has been widely studied, but there has not been research on consumers’ attitudes towards innovative non‐edible products with health effects. This study examines how older consumers perceive functional foods and novel non‐edible health‐enhancing products, how willing they are to purchase such products, and how health orientation influences their views. As an example of a ‘radical’ innovation, consumers’ acceptance of rubbing their hands in a specific soil‐based mixture to modulate the immune system is explored. The research material, 13 thematic interviews, was collected in Lahti region, Finland, in 2015. The study indicates that the older consumers’ market is not homogeneous. Based on a qualitative, in‐depth approach, the study distinguishes four consumer segments with different lay understandings of health and attitudes towards health‐enhancing products, which influence people's willingness to purchase such products. The segments are health‐seeking consumers, cautious consumers, critical consumers and natural health consumers. Various motives and barriers for using products with health claims are also identified. The case of rubbing hands in organic soil‐based mixture indicates the difficulty of predicting which consumer segment will first adopt this kind of ‘radical’ innovation. The results highlight that the credence qualities of a novel product must be communicated and advertised before entering the market while also taking into account the sensory properties of the product. ‘Radical innovations’ must be in a form that consumers can easily accept.     

Adolescents’ attitudes towards organic food: a survey of 15‐ to 16‐year old school children

Adolescents are the consumers of tomorrow; therefore policies aimed at increasing organic food consumption should address the needs of this group. To discover their attitudes towards organic food and their knowledge of the subject, a survey among almost 700 school children aged 15–16 years was conducted. Four main groups of questions were used: adolescents’ knowledge of organic food, attitudes, whether they bought organic food and the perceived influences they exerted on the buying patterns of their parents. From the survey it can be concluded that adolescents’ attitudes towards organic food are positive, but their knowledge of and their willingness to buy it are low. Campaigns aimed at encouraging the purchasing of organic food targeted at adolescents should particularly emphasize those characteristics of organic foods that they can relate to their interests and ethical preferences, for example, animal welfare and environmental considerations.     

Urban Perceptions of Print Advertisements in the Indian Subcontinent:

This exploratory research investigates the relationship between the degree of westernization of urban consumers in India and their perceptions toward American origin print advertisements versus print advertisements of Indian origin of the same products. The study also explores the relationship between the advertising perceptions and the behavioral intention to buy the advertised product. The results indicate that the educated, middle-class, urban respondents, irrespective of their degree of westernization, seem to like both the Indian as well as the American advertisements. The findings seem to favor the case of standardization of advertising messages. The results also indicate that there is a positive relationship between the attitude towards the advertisement (Aad) and the behavioral intention to buy (BIB) the advertised product.     

Factors affecting consumers’ intention towards purchasing halal food in South Africa: a structural equation modelling

This research study highlighted the factors that influence the intention of consumers to buy halal food products. In this study, the researchers have chosen to address the gap in the literature pertaining to non-South African consumers’ purchase intention. Non-South Africans are foreign people who reside in South Africa including immigrants, workers, and students. Through utilising the theory of planned behaviour, this study aims to determine the attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behaviour control, and awareness of non-South African towards purchasing halal food products. This also attempts to identify the strongest factor that influences the purchasing intention of halal food by non-South African consumers. The sample of the study consisted of 230 non-South African consumers in Cape Town. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to identify the structural relationships among the constructs identified and to test the study hypotheses. The findings of this study indicate that there is a significant relationship between awareness and buying behaviour. Interestingly it found that only the attitude dimension of TPB had a significant relationship with purchase intention, whereas subjective norms and perceived behavioural control did not show a significant relationship with the consumer intention variable.