Consumer Preferences for Japanese Automobiles

This paper investigates the relationship of automobile attributes and household characteristics to consumer preferences for Japanese cars. The analysis was confined to households that purchased new cars in 1986 and employed two-stage probit analysis. Results indicate that the coefficients of five automobile quality attributes are statistically significant while the coefficients of most household characteristics are not significant. Households interested in more fuel efficient and heavier cars as well as cars with lower depreciation rates and a lower frequency of repair are more likely to buy Japanese than non-Japanese cars. The fact that households buy Japanese automobiles because of quality considerations not because they are small has implications for the U.S. automobile industry which faces increased competition in a global economy.     

Consumer Preferences for Health Care Reform Options

This study uses the 1992 Health and Retirement Study to examine consumer preferences for four health care reform options: tax-financed national health insurance, personally subsidized Medicare extensions, publicly subsidized nursing home insurance, and tax credits for health insurance purchases. Males, non-Caucasians, the self-employed, those in excellent health, and those who reside in the Northeast favor national health insurance, while those with high levels of liquid and non-liquid assets tend to disfavor it. Males and those with higher expectations of living in nursing homes tend to favor personally subsidized Medicare extensions to cover nursing homes and home health care. Those with higher expectations of living in nursing homes also favor publicly subsidized nursing home insurance. Relatively little support for subsidized nursing home insurance is found among males and those with high levels of liquid and non-liquid assets. The self-employed tend to support tax credits for health insurance premiums.     

Factors Associated with Consumer Preferences for Convenience Meat

Abstract

An ordered-probit model was used to examine the preferences of Louisiana and southeast Texas residents for convenience meat. The results suggested that male, younger or unmarried respondents, and Catholics had higher probabilities of agreeing that they preferred convenience meat than their corresponding counterparts. However, unmarried male Caucasians had the highest probability of strongly agreeing or somewhat agreeing that they preferred to buy convenience meat. The results also suggested that price was an important determinant in shaping these preferences.     

Consumer Attitudes Toward and Preferences for Food Standards of Identity

Abstract

Federal food standards of identity protect consumers from nutritional and economic fraud by establishing standardized names and characteristics for some products. Standards have been criticized for a variety of reasons, raising the possibility that standards may be harmful to the consumers' interests that they are designed to protect. The authors conducted focus groups to collect information on consumers' attitudes toward food standards and their perceived usefulness. Many participants believed that standards are useful and deemed standards to be more important for some types of products than others. Regulators can use the study findings to guide policy decisions on food standards.     

Consumer Attitudes and Preferences Concerning Shopping On-Line

Abstract

The emergence of e-commerce is having a substantial impact on consumer purchasing behavior. Yet, the rate of consumers' acceptance of e-commerce has been slower than many predicted. Using the view of consumption as an institution, this study examines consumers' preferences for shopping on-line. Analysis of data collected from focus groups and surveys suggests consumers perceive relative advantages and disadvantages of shopping on-line vs. shopping in traditional stores. In addition, the results suggest consumers have substantive reservations about shopping on-line which may be adversely affecting the acceptance rate of this new channel. Study limitations and suggestions for future research are also presented.     

Consumer Preferences for Safe Handling Labels on Meat and Poultry

In August 1993, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a rule requiring safe handling labels on meat and poultry to help prevent foodborne illnesses caused by improper food handling. The authors conducted focus groups with household food preparers to help USDA develop an effective label format. Most participants preferred labels with SHORT instructions, ICONS, and an explanation WHY it is important to follow the instructions.     

Consumer Preferences Toward Product Attributes of Dietary Supplements Under Mandatory Food Traceability Systems in Korea

Korea, mandatory Food Traceability System (FTS) regulation on dietary supplements has been enforced since the end of 2014, which has allowed government to collect electronic data to trace food. The aim of this study was to determine which additional attributes of dietary food supplements are preferred by consumers and to assess the value of consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for these attributes. This investigation revealed that gender, age, income, and awareness were the most frequently reported drivers of purchase behavior. Gender was the most influential socioeconomic characteristic. The results of the conditional and random parameter logit model suggested that Korean consumers have the highest WTP for origin of all ingredients, followed by side-effect warnings, quality-related certifications, and date of import. It will be worthwhile to identify the value of relevant attributes once other nations establish FTS policies and improve food traceability services or regulations.     

Estimating Consumer Preferences for Value-Added Fish Products in Oman

Abstract

The European meat industry is confronted with substantial changes of consumer preferences in relation to the type and quantity of meat in everyday diet. One of the main reasons behind these changes is the public impression that meat is a “dangerous” to consume food. This feeling is the result of recent food scares where meat played a central role and their effect on consumers' perceptions about meat safety. The research at hand explores the market potential of organic meat in Greece and emphasizes the perceptions about meat consumption held by organic consumers as opposed to those held by non-consumers of organic foods. It is expected that organic consumers will be more interested in a series of quality attributes of meat commonly found in its organic type, in comparison to non-consumers of organic food. However, the main finding of the survey is that consumer demands in relation to meat quality and safety are particularly high, irrespective of meat's production method. The research concludes that the particularly low consumption of organic meat in Greece should be partially attributed to its insufficient differentiation in consumers' minds.     

Key Factors that Influence Consumer Preferences for Natural-Hyped Products

Natural-hyped products are receiving greater attention from and acceptance by consumers worldwide. Environmental factors that foster the demand for natural-hyped products, specifically hemp-based products include the deregulation of the cannabis industry and greater consumer desire for natural foods. Adding to this, the strategic use of stimulant type of cues (e.g., a cannabis leaf) included in product logos, ads, and packaging, seems to create hype associations when evaluating hemp-based products. In this context, this study presents empirical evidence (three experiments and two qualitative studies) that illustrates consumer preference for hemp-based products over ones that do not include hemp as an ingredient (hemp-free). The research focuses on identifying the psychological determinant that orients consumers towards hemp-based products. Findings suggest that the perceived naturalness is the psychological mechanism behind consumers positive evaluation of hemp-based products. Moreover, this study presents evidence that this evaluation is enhanced by the consumer's need for stimulation. Implications of the findings for the role of perceived naturalness and the need for stimulation in marketing strategies are discussed.     

Consumer Risk Preferences and Higher Education Enrollment Decisions

Although there are widespread concerns that consumers are making poor choices regarding higher education, the fact that human capital investments are risky is often overlooked in the national conversation. Therefore, this research investigates the effect of risk preferences on higher education enrollment decisions. A sample from the 1997 cohort of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97 ) was analyzed, and the results indicate that consumer risk preferences have a significant effect on the likelihood of enrollment. Specifically, there was a robust, positive relationship between risk tolerance and the likelihood of enrollment even after controlling for time preferences and risk perceptions. Consistent with previous findings, ability, parental education, family net worth and income, and being female were positively associated with the likelihood of enrollment. The results suggest that risk preferences may be an important source of omitted variable bias in previous studies of higher education investment choices.     

Mental Health Consumer Service Preferences and Professional Plannnig

The purpose of this survery was to update the state mental health planning process with representative input from mental health consumer with severe mental illness. This update is necessitated by national research and legislation which questions the traditional planning process and service array that were considered the state-of-the-art only ten years ago. Consumer service preferences of perceived needs were obtained through personal interviews conducted with consumers in six geographic service areas throughout the State of Alaska, including the State hospital. The results are discussed in contrast to the current goals developed by mental health professional in the State mental health plan. The results support the need to continue the traditional array of residential services, and to amend the State plan to increase the emphasis to assist consumers to succeed in independent living and to individualize support services.     

Consumer Preferences for Group Practice Medical Services in Rural Areas

Public initiatives are promoting the development of group medical practices in rural areas despite the fact that little information regarding consumer preferences for group practice medical services is available. In this paper, survey data are used to investigate these preferences, as evidenced in the choice of a usual source of care. In the rural area of central Wisconsin studied, consumers tended to choose a multispecialty group in preference to alternative providers, given equal travel costs. Variations in travel costs were found to be an important determinant of this choice. This suggests that consumer acceptance of multispeciality group practices in rural areas will depend to a large extent on their locational convenience. Additional research is needed to determine how consumer preferences for multispecialty group services, particularly as they are reflected in the acceptance of higher travel costs, are dependent on the size and characteristics of the group.     

Consumer Preferences for Locally Produced Food Ingredient Sourcing in Restaurants

Increasing restaurant supply chain participants’ knowledge of consumer preferences toward the use of locally produced ingredients in restaurants may provide insight into a valuable marketing opportunity. This study uses conjoint analysis to evaluate consumers’ locally produced ingredient preferences relative to two other key restaurant attributes (the price of the dining experience and restaurant type). Results suggest that, for one fifth of surveyed restaurant consumers, a restaurant’s practice of “buying locally” is the primary restaurant attribute of importance. The implications of these results for supply chain providers (e.g., producers, manufacturers, and food service distributors) are discussed.     

Consumer Preferences for Food Label Information: A Basis for Segmentation

Analysis of consumer reactions to food labeling alternatives using conjoint measurement raises questions concerning policy proposals to provide consumers with information. Conjoint measurement permits analysis of components of consumer perceptions without tedious data collection and analysis procedures. The study indicates that consumer preferences for information vary widely and an optimal policy should provide different labels for different market segments. Increasing the amount of information may reduce its effectiveness among the low income consumers it is intended to help.     

Brazilian Consumer Preferences for Processed Tomato Packaging Using Conjoint Analysis

Brazil is the largest producer and consumer of processed tomato products in Latin America. However, the consumption preferences related to this product are poorly studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of certain characteristics of processed tomato product packaging on Brazilian consumer preferences. The revised Personal Involvement Inventory (PII) and conjoint analysis (CA) were applied to 206 consumers in Brazil. Four packaging attributes were evaluated: colour (green, red, and yellow); material (sachets, tin, and brick carton packaging); the presence of additional information; and the presence of “easy-open” devices. The CA technique showed that in general, the Brazilian participants were influenced positively by red brick carton and sachet packaging and by the presence of additional information and a device that facilitated opening the package. The results presented in this study are useful for the food industry to develop packaging and marketing strategies using consumer profiles.     

Determinants of Consumer Preferences for Honey in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Honey is one of the important non-timber forest products consumed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and, as such, an important source of income for many households. However, poor knowledge of buyers’ preferences in the marketing of honey presents a major challenge to the profitability of the honey enterprises. The research presented in this article identifies key consumer characteristics that influence the preferences of honey consumers in the DRC. The primary data source used in this analysis is drawn from a survey of 214 consumers. Results show that consumers who are married and have reached at least the level of secondary education have a strong preference for local forest and savannah honey. Those between the ages of 30 and 50 do not prefer honey from beekeeping, but would rather have it imported. We conclude that segmentation of the honey market and increasing consumer awareness must go in tandem in order to develop a good marketing strategy.     

Implications of Consumer Information Processing Research for the Design of Consumer Information Systems

The commercial success of computerized consumer information systems will depend heavily on the extent to which they help consumers make choices. A system's usefulness will be a function of both the information it contains and the capabilities it offers to process this information. These capabilities will be incorporated in the system's access “language.” This paper reviews research on how consumers process information to make choices, and discusses the implications of this research for the design of consumer information system languages. A hypothetical example is presented and contrasted briefly with available access languages.     

The Impact of Information on Consumer Preferences for Different Animal Food Production Methods

The motivation for the present study is to understand food choice in relation to animal food production and to study how preferences are influenced by information. To do this, we carried out a choice experiment. In the analysis, we focus on chickens reared indoors and outdoors and chicken labelled campylobacter-free versus non-labelled chicken. The results suggest that there is a positive willingness to pay (WTP) both for chicken reared outdoors and for campylobacter-free labelled chicken. Information about rearing methods resulted in a higher WTP for chicken reared outdoors, while information about campylobacter had both positive and negative effects on respondents’ WTP. The highest increase in WTP for campylobacter-free labelled chicken was found for one of the high risk groups, individuals with poor kitchen hygiene.     

Consumer Preferences and Customer Satisfaction Analysis: A New Method Proposal

The organic food market is currently the fastest growing food sector in the United States, with growth rates in organic food sales averaging 17% per year between 1998 and 2006. The largest segment within the organic market is fresh produce, comprising 34% percent of retail sales in 2006. This analysis focuses on identifying the demographic characteristics of households buying organic vegetables (in total) along with prepackaged organic salads and organic carrots, by examining the factors that influence the probability that a consumer will buy organic vegetables, and which factors influence the household share of organic vegetables purchased. We use Nielsen Homescan data for the year 2004. Households with high levels of education are more likely to purchase organic vegetables, while the probability of purchasing organic vegetables is lower for African Americans and for older households.