Chinese consumer response to imported fruit: intended uses and their effect on perceived quality

Though imported fruit sells in China for many times the price of its local equivalent, and sometimes at prices higher than in developed countries, there are still many willing buyers. Previous reports argue that this purchase behaviour is impelled by the perceived high quality of imported fruit. However, perceived quality itself cannot explain this behaviour comprehensively without examining the intended use behind the decision to purchase. In this research we examined the relationships between intended use and people's perceptions of fruit quality. After convergent interviewing, an intercept mail survey of 1000 consumers was conducted in two different Chinese cities, Guangzhou (highly developed) and Urumqi (relatively undeveloped). The research identified five intended uses of imported fruit, each associated with different functions. Statistical analysis showed that intended use did affect people's perceptions of fruit quality, and that a significant difference exists between the two investigated cities in terms of the relative importance of the five intended uses. Results from this study could help to better understand why Chinese consumers purchase imported fruit and the interrelationships between quality attributes and intended uses. Such an understanding would be significant in developing strategies and policies in marketing imported fruit in China.     

中国消费者奢侈品消费动机的实证研究

亚洲特别是中国正成为世界奢侈品的主要市场,但是受文化的影响,东西方消费者的奢侈品消费动机是不同的。本文回顾了东西方奢侈品消费动机的研究,及其文化背景原因,特别关注了儒家文化对于东亚消费者的影响;对中国消费者的奢侈品消费动机进行了实证分析,对于奢侈品市场细分策略提出了建议。     

How important is appearance? Consumer preferences for mandarins in Indonesia

The purpose of this research was to determine consumer preferences for attributes of mandarins in Indonesia, in particular the preferences between domestic and imported mandarins. A focus group was conducted to identify some salient attributes of mandarins to Indonesian consumers. Intrinsic fruit attributes that are important to consumers include the appearance, taste, texture and overall quality of fruit segments and skin colour. Based on the results of the focus group, a survey questionnaire was developed and used in the interview process with the consumers. Evaluations were made on a seven‐point intensity scale for two domestic lines of mandarins and one imported line. Respondents did not know the origins of the fruit when evaluating the intrinsic qualities of mandarins. The results from 113 respondents in the city of Surabaya showed that domestic mandarins were rated higher on all intrinsic attributes. Imported mandarins were rated the best only on skin colour as domestic fruit are normally green or only partially orange when ripe. The fact that imported mandarins continue to command premium prices in the Indonesian market is an interesting phenomenon. Two possible explanations are suggested. The prestige of supermarket retailers (where imported produce is mostly sold) may advantage imported fruits. Alternatively, consumers may hold persistently favourable perceptions of imported fruits. Whether this represents the influence of subjective psychological and status factors requires further investigation.     

The role of cultural values in green purchasing intention: Empirical evidence from Chinese consumers

Environmental problems, especially in the case of water and air pollution, are the harmful result of the overconsumption of fossil fuels as well as various forms of industrial sewage water discharge. Recently, growing environmentally friendly purchasing behaviour of consumers has become regarded as an effective method for alleviating such environmental problems. Due to concerns regarding the natural environment, consumers have increasingly begun to exhibit favourable attitudes towards environmentally friendly products, and as a result, are more likely to purchase “green” products. However, green purchasing behaviour of consumers varies across different nations and cultures. This study aims to reveal how Chinese cultural values (specifically, the Doctrine of the Mean) influence green purchasing intention of Chinese consumers. As the lifestyles of consumers will be deeply affected by their cultural values, this study examines the mediating effects of the four dimensions of Chinese lifestyle have on consumers. At the same time, environmental knowledge is considered as a moderating variable in order to investigate the relationship between the Doctrine of the Mean and green purchasing intention. The study’s data were collected from Chinese consumers. Empirical results reveal that such Chinese cultural values are positively associated with green purchasing intention, and that three dimensions of consumer lifestyle (namely leadership, cost consciousness and development consciousness), are all found to play mediating roles in the relationship between the Doctrine of the Mean and green purchasing intention in Chinese consumers. The moderating effects of environmental knowledge are exhibited in the influence of leadership as well as development consciousness on green purchasing intention. The study’s findings have theoretical implications for understanding green purchasing intention as well as behaviour of Chinese consumers further. The study’s findings also present practical implications for how to promote green purchasing intention in Chinese consumers better.     

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。     

Factors affecting non‐green consumer behaviour: an exploratory study among Chinese consumers

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that affect a typical non‐green consumption behaviour among Chinese consumers. A conceptual framework was developed and an empirical study was conducted using a geographically diverse sample of Chinese consumers. Based on the consumer choice theory, the conceptual framework in the current study included both economic and non‐economic factors. Ten research hypotheses were developed under the framework. A survey was conducted among 600 consumers in four cities in China in 2013. Confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical regression analysis were used for hypothesis testing. The empirical results showed that consumer preference, reference groups, and face perception have a significantly positive effect on the consumers’ non‐green consumption behaviour; whereas budget constraints and social responsibility consciousness have a significantly negative effect on the consumers’ non‐green consumption behaviour. Furthermore, the current research demonstrated that the relationships between consumer non‐green behaviour and its four antecedents – budget constraint, reference groups, social responsibility consciousness and face perception – are significantly moderated by extravagant atmosphere; whereas the relationship between consumer non‐green behaviour and consumer preference is not moderated by extravagant atmosphere.     

Consuming counterfeit: A study of consumer moralism in China

The consumption of counterfeits is a central theme in understanding consumer moralism. While some studies on marketing have highlighted the consumption motives and socio‐economic factors behind this seemingly unethical phenomenon, research on the subjective experiences of consumers and the cultural concerns about the consumption of counterfeits is lacking. The aim of this article is to gain a better understanding of how consumers construct and negotiate their moralistic identities through engaging in counterfeit consumption. We also examine how consumers utilize counterfeit goods as symbolic resources to echo, or even reproduce, the entrenched Chinese social relationships and marketplace ideological conditions. Our findings suggested that the research participants attempted to make sense of their counterfeit consumption behaviour by infusing the moralistic meanings drawn from the Chinese socio‐cultural value orientation. The study concludes that the moral identity work and counterfeit consumption practices are interwoven in a web of multiple discourses and resources available in the contemporary marketplace under the overarching consumer moralism framework.     

Chinese Consumers’ Perceptions of Functional Foods: A Netnography Study of Foods that Help the Immune System Recover from Air Pollution

In China, persistent and severe episodes of poor air quality have raised the population’s awareness of the deleterious impact that air pollution can have on their health and lead many people to explore physical means to limit their exposure to air pollution and therapies to help their immune system cope with this stress. Using a netnographic approach we explored Chinese consumers’ understandings of the impacts on their health caused by air pollution, and the key attributes (expected benefits, forms, and patterns of consumption) they expect of functional foods designed to help them recover from the pollution-driven impact. Relevant Chinese consumers’ discussions were selected from two Community Question Answering websites, “Zhihu” and “Baidu Knows”. The impact of pollution on the respiratory system was considered to be of the most concern and homemade TCM therapies and diet adjustment were the main forms of remedies discussed online. Results from this study will support the commercial success of functional food products designed to help Chinese consumers recover from the impact of air pollution on their health.     

Green tea quality attributes: a cross-cultural study of consumer perceptions using importance–performance analysis (IPA)

This study examined consumer perceptions about green tea quality attributes and consumers’ green tea consumption behavior within major green tea-producing and consuming countries including China, Japan, and Korea. Five factors of green tea quality attributes were revealed through the exploratory factor analysis and were analyzed using importance–performance analysis (IPA). Safety, health, and sensory factors perceived by Chinese consumers as being important and well-performed were positioned in the “Keep Up the Good Work” quadrant. Safety and sensory factors were perceived by Japanese and Koreans as being important, but were less-performed and were placed in the “Concentrate Here” quadrant. Japanese and Koreans considered the health factor as less important and less well-performed and were positioned in the “Low Priority” quadrant. The price/utility and production factors were less important by all consumers. Chinese consumers perceived all five factors as performing very well. However, Japanese and Koreans perceived other factors as performing less acceptable except for the production factor for Korean respondents and the price/utility factor for those Japanese respondents. The production factor was the most influential for drinking frequency and spending for green tea in all three countries, also for the amount purchased by Chinese and Japanese consumers.     

Exploring the influence of family on adolescents’ seafood consumption choices

Seafood in the adolescent diet has many benefits, yet a number of adolescents do not consume the recommended levels. Despite this the consumption of seafood by younger consumers has received scant attention in the extant literature. Previous studies on adolescents’ food‐related behaviour tend to focus on general choice mechanisms or perceptions of food and mainly relate to fruit and vegetable intake. The present study seeks to address this gap through investigating the impact of family upon the consumption of seafood by younger consumers through exploring adolescents’ attitudes and behaviour in regard to eating seafood. Utilizing an exploratory qualitative methodology, seven focus groups of adolescents aged 13–19 years were conducted at two schools in South West England. Discussions covered a range of issues related to adolescent seafood consumption. The use of thematic content analysis found that the family, and parents in particular, exert high levels of influence over adolescents’ consumption of seafood both at home and when dining out. The parent who does the shopping and cooking has the greatest role. Sibling preferences and dietary choices also influence whether seafood is served in the home. Of value to researchers and management are the insights gleaned into the influences on adolescents’ attitudes towards and behaviour in regard to eating seafood. In particular, encouraging seafood consumption will rely upon interventions aimed at both parents and children and need to take into account adolescents’ diet and lifestyle preferences, while also acknowledging the influence of peers and the school food environment.     

Sharing Sustainability: How Values and Ethics Matter in Consumers’ Adoption of Public Bicycle-Sharing Scheme

This study investigates the antecedents and mechanisms of consumers’ adoption of a public bicycle-sharing scheme (PBSS) as a form of shared sustainable consumption. Drawing on marketing ethics and sustainability literature, it argues that cultural and consumption values drive or deter the adoption of PBSS through the mediating mechanism of ethical evaluation. This study tests its hypotheses using a sample of 755 consumers from one of the largest PBSS programs in China. The results confirm the significance of collectivism, man–nature orientation, materialism, and face-consciousness as key determinants of the adoption of PBSS. Interestingly, these values play mixed roles in influencing PBSS adoption. It also finds that such values and beliefs need to be effectively translated into ethical evaluations of PBSS adoption, and need to be addressed in the specific social context. Thus, ethical evaluation constitutes a cognitive strategy that allows consumers to justify and defend their adoption of sustainability practices. The results suggest that a desirable sustainability program needs to not only cater to the cultural and psychological motivations of consumers, but also reflect the social norms and social context in which the sustainability practices and consumers are embedded.     

Socio‐demographic basic factors of German customers as predictors for sustainable consumerism regarding foodstuffs and meat products

An important step in promoting sustainable purchase behaviour is to explore the understanding of responsible consumerism from the consumers’ point of view. For this purpose, a study among 1040 German consumers was carried out using a two‐pronged approach. First, open‐ended questions were used to explore the characteristics of sustainable food consumption in general as well as the willingness and meaningfulness of a low‐meat diet from the consumers’ point of view. After that the interactive structure behind the term was studied using a quantitative empirical method. As standard of evaluation the four underlying socio‐demographic factors gender, age, wealth and education are used. Apart from the consumers’ financial situation, the applied statistics show significant correlations of the propensity for sustainable consumerism to each of the above factors. Women, middle‐aged and well‐educated consumers show a greater tendency to purchase environmentally and socially sustainable products. Accordingly, the suitability of socio‐demographic factors is confirmed in this study. The open‐ended questions fathom what attributes consumers connect with sustainable food consumption, in particularly with regard to the consumption of meat. It is clear that attributes that affect consumers directly and attributes which can be directly influenced by their actions are better perceived by the consumer. Altruistic factors or abstract aspects of food consumption (e.g. climate protection) are generally of less significance. Conversely, factors which concern the value added chain, like for example, origin and processing, have priority. To conclude, the findings enable the identification of the variables determining the sustainability construct. This allows policy makers to develop customized incentive systems. Similarly, private sector stakeholders are enabled to adapt marketing activities and their product mix to consumer demands.     

Consumers’ perception of store image of joint venture shopping centres: first-tier versus second-tier cities in China

Studies on consumer behaviour and the modelling of attributes representing store image of shopping centres in the context of a developed country have been the focus of many researchers. In contrast, although China has the largest consumer market in the world, the consumer behaviour and consumption psychology of this enormous market remain relatively unknown due to a previously “close-door” policy as well as a high degree of government intervention within the retail sector. This paper discusses the unique nature and development of the retail industry in China, and formulates a model to represent the store image of joint venture shopping centres, which are the only approved form of direct foreign investment into China's retail sector. Research on store image of shopping centres in the west as well as in China has been applied in the formulation of the model, which consists of 21 attributes. The relative importance of these 21 shopping centre image attributes is subsequently analysed between consumers in a first-tier and a second-tier city in China. By being the first of its kind to reflect on China's retail market and its joint venture shopping centres, and to compare the consumer behaviour within different levels of cities in China, this paper provides both researchers and retailers with a better insight and understanding into the psychology of Chinese consumers, and the retailing business in China.     

Towards conscientious food consumption: exploring the values of Czech organic food consumers

The effects of the organic consumption are often contested with regard to the motives of consumers. Main goal of the paper is to present a theoretical framework that would encapsulate the motives of consumption and enable to identify the conditions for sustainable consumption. In particular, the paper seeks a new perspective that will not be tied to specific ways of life and that could bridge the complex, and often contradictory, motives of consumers. This framework is applied to map the values of organic food consumers in the Czech Republic with the use of the means‐end approach. The participants identified about 30 attributes related to organic food. Those attributes were divided into 14 basic categories. The study proves that Czech consumers mainly see organics as food ‘without chemicals’ that is favourable to health. At the same time, the identified hierarchical map of values reveals the great importance of the environmentally friendly approach, which results in the reduction of negative impacts and creates an opportunity to balance the relationship between society and nature. Some of the identified motives have pointed out a potential for merging together the egocentric and altruistic motives of ethical consumption in relation to the concept of ‘alternative hedonism’.     

“Take it or leave it?”: Evidence on cultural differences affecting return behaviour for Gen Z

Both culture and age have a direct impact on consumers' shopping behaviour. Similarly, this paper explores consumers’ return behaviour in two different cultural contexts, China and Italy, characterized by low/high individualism vs. high/low collectivism. To this end, the research employs a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews collected in May and June 2020 for a sample of Generation Z consumers in China and Italy. Results show differences and similarities affecting consumers' willingness to return in the different stages of effective purchase behaviour. For instance, in the pre-purchase stage, Chinese consumers often show a limited interest in return policies since they usually prefer not to return and repurchase otherwhere the product to maximize their cost-benefit trade-off. In contrast, when retailers adopt return policies, Italian consumers are more interested in feeling protected against the risk of wrong purchases. Instead, both samples are very attentive in return and refund efficiency in the post-purchase stage, which are perceived as two discriminating factors in terms of repurchase from the same retailers.This study offers theoretical and managerial insights towards consumers' return behaviour, offering new directions for future studies.     

Values,socially conscious behaviour and consumption emotions as predictors of Canadians’ intent to buy fair trade products

Over the last two decades, a growing concern about ethical behaviour has been observed among consumers. Ethically minded consumers are more inclined towards the consumption of ethical goods, such as green products and fair trade (hereafter, ‘FT’) products, organic products and local products. Establishing the motives that predict FT consumption behaviour provides ground for understanding how consumers make purchase decisions. This research postulates that the intention of buying FT products is influenced by socially conscious behaviour, consumers’ values and emotions. The study, conducted among 268 Canadian consumers, shows that the high intention of buying FT products is linked to high levels of pride, enthusiasm, satisfaction, happiness and joy related to FT product consumption. The FT consumption experience provides consumers with hedonic gratification. It shows that the higher the levels of self‐centred, equality and social justice values are, the higher the intention of buying FT products. An increase in socially conscious behaviour generates an increase in intention of purchasing FT products. The research contributes to a preliminary analysis of the role of emotions in this field and calls for the development of cognitive‐affective models of purchase and consumption behaviour. Understanding the dimensions of hedonic values and the significance of pleasure experience is essential to the development of the theory and practices of FT consumption.     

Classifying Consumer Purchasing Decision for Imported Ready-to-Eat Foods in China Using Comparative Models

This study aims to identify factors influencing consumer purchasing decision for imported ready-to-eat foods by investigating marketing factors and lifestyles in China (Beijing and Shanghai) using comparative models. Consumers in each city showed different specific lifestyles but shared consumption culture and traditions in common. Regarding lifestyles, consumers who usually buy instant food products face long commutes to work and prefer less cooking time were more likely to buy imported ready-to-eat foods. Findings suggest that product development, labelling with quality guarantees, packaging design, the production process, and multichannels are the prominent factors persuading Chinese consumers to purchase imported ready-to-eat products.     

Antecedents of Taiwan Chinese Consumers’ Purchase Intentions Toward U.S.- and Japanese-Made Household Appliances

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to understand the factors influencing Taiwan's Chinese consumers’ purchase intentions toward U.S. and Japanese household appliances. The authors attempt to develop and test a comprehensive model linking such purchase intentions to several constructs including Taiwan Chinese consumers’ openness to foreign cultures, consumer nationalism, product familiarity, traditional cultural values orientation, and product-country image. The result of analysis using structural equation modeling shows that consumer nationalism has a strong indirect effect on purchase intention via the product-country image construct. Taiwan Chinese consumers’ traditional cultural values orientation and openness to foreign cultures have direct effects on consumer nationalism and, hence, are important antecedents in explaining the purchase intentions toward foreign-made goods by Taiwan Chinese consumers. With the growing importance of the Chinese domestic market, this study provides international marketing managers with practical implications in important areas such as market segmentation, branding strategy, and market research and practices in the Chinese consumer market.     

中国城镇居民文化消费问题实证研究

自2008年金融危机爆发以来,面对全球经济衰退,中国乃至世界都在寻找出路,特别是中国,当传统制造业面临挑战,消费特别是文化消费成为提升和调整产业结构、转变经济发展方式的重要手段。而城镇居民作为中国文化消费的主力军,对推动中国文化产业成为支柱产业起着举足轻重的作用。当前,受宏观经济发展水平、城镇居民收入水平、消费主体特征、文化产品消费环境等因素影响,我国城镇居民文化消费还存在一些需要改善的地方。为更好地引导和提高中国城镇居民文化消费水平,应大力发展文化产业,提高国家财政性教育经费,完善社会保障制度,加强文化产业法制建设,为促进我国文化消费提供制度保证。     

Antecedents of materialism in China—an intergenerational analysis

Materialism has been at the centre of the consumer behaviour literature for decades. Despite a huge number of studies that have shed light on its antecedents and consequences, it is still not clear how a materialistic orientation evolves and becomes prevalent in line with socioeconomic transitions in a country. The current research aims to analyze possible reasons why different generations of consumers in China have become more or less materialistic. Data were collected from 613 consumers in two cities, representing three focal generational cohorts, labelled, in chronological order, the Cultural Revolution Generation, the Economic Reform Generation and the Social Change Generation. Traditional Chinese cultural values are shown to still play a significant role in the formation of materialism in China, serving to curtail the prevalence of materialism. At the same time, secular values serve as a driving force for a materialistic orientation.