Consumer perceptions and attitudes of organic food products in Eastern China

2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (3) ◽  
pp. 1105-1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Biao Xie ◽  
Liyuan Wang ◽  
Hao Yang ◽  
Yanhua Wang ◽  
Mingli Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Eastern China ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Consumer Perceptions ◽  
High Price ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceptions And Attitudes ◽  
Organic Food Industry ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose – In response to food scares related to high levels of agro-chemical residues sometimes found on foods, consumers in China increasingly demand for organic foods. As little is known on consumer perceptions and attitudes toward organic food products, the purpose of this paper is to gain insight into the purchase of organic food products by consumers and to explore the main factors driving this process. Design/methodology/approach – Mixed (quantitative and qualitative) market survey approaches were used to provide a potentially deeper insight into consumer’s perspective and could help get a better picture of the complex factors involved. Findings – The main trigger for purchasing organic food products is that consumers expect them to be healthier and safer. The respondents who have bought organic food products tend to have a higher education level and disposable incomes, be families with children and be older than those who have not bought them. The main barriers to increasing the market share of organic food products are the consumers’ lack of knowledge, the relatively high price premium and the lack of availability of organic food products. Informing consumers about unique characteristics of organic production methods, the decline in the prices of and increasing the availability of organic food products to its customers might be a promising strategy to develop the market for organic food products. Originality/value – This paper provides a unique insight into buying behavior and attitudes of organic consumers in China. The results of the research could provide information for the organic food industry to expand its market and improve its profitability and reliability.

scholarly journals Food for thought

2020 ◽  
Vol 122 (4) ◽  
pp. 1130-1155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boban Melović ◽  
Marina Dabić ◽  
Sunčica Rogić ◽  
Vladimir Đurišić ◽  
Vesna Prorok
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Product Category ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Social Implication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceptions And Attitudes ◽  
Organic Products ◽  
Young Consumers

PurposeThis paper seeks to identify the factors that influence the perceptions and attitudes of young people in Montenegro toward organic products.Design/methodology/approachThe results of the research, obtained using the multivariate factor analysis, showed that the vast majority of young consumers identify organic food as healthy and natural and that its higher price is a significant barrier inhibiting their likelihood of purchasing it, along with inaccessibility and the limited options offered.FindingsThe data obtained provides valuable information for managers and decision-makers working in organic food production and sales in Montenegro – a country with the potential to develop in this field.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was carried out in the CEE transition country of Montenegro, with 300 young consumers. Further research is needed to validate the results through longitudinal study.Practical implicationsThe data obtained represents a meaningful contribution to the field of organic food production and sale in Montenegro (which is a country with a lot of potential in this area) and will assist managers and decision-makers in the field.Social implicationUnlike most research that has previously examined issues concerning organic production – such as its standardization, financing, environmental impact, and even its promotion – this paper provides a better understanding of the behavior of young consumers toward organic products in Montenegro by outlining their perceptions and attitudes toward this product category.Originality/valueThis research represents the first academic study of customers' attitudes and perceptions in this area, alongside the main factors affecting the young consumer's choice to purchase organic food in Montenegro.

scholarly journals Consumer Preferences for Private Label Brand vs. National Brand Organic Juice and Eggs: A Latent Class Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7028
Author(s):  
Ellen J. Van Loo ◽  
Fien Minnens ◽  
Wim Verbeke
Keyword(s):  
Orange Juice ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Latent Class Model ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Private Label ◽  
National Brand ◽  
Major Barrier

Many retailers have expanded and diversified their private label food product assortment by offering premium-quality private label food products such as organic products. With price being identified as the major barrier for organic food purchases, private label organic food products could be a suitable and more affordable alternative for many consumers. While numerous studies have examined consumer preferences for organic food, very few organic food studies have incorporated the concept of private labels. This study addresses this research gap by studying consumer preferences and willingness to pay for national brand and private label organic food using a latent class model. Specifically, this study analyzes consumer preferences for organic eggs and orange juice and the effect of national branding versus private label. Findings show heterogeneity in consumer preferences for production method and brand, with three consumer segments being identified based on their preferences for both juice and eggs. For eggs, about half of the consumers prefer private label and organic production, whereas one-quarter clearly prefers organic, and another quarter is indifferent about the brand and the organic production. For orange juice, the majority (75%) prefer the national brand. In addition, one-quarter of the consumers prefers organic juice, and about one-third values both organic and the national brand.

Attitudes and behaviour towards organic products: an exploratory study

2008 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efthimia Tsakiridou ◽  
Christina Boutsouki ◽  
Yorgos Zotos ◽  
Kostantinos Mattas
Keyword(s):  
Organic Food ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Consumer Decision Making ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Actual Behaviour ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Organic Products

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to identify consumers' attitudes and behaviour towards organic products in Greece.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on a non‐probability quota sample of 660 respondents to explore the attitudes and behaviour of Greek consumers towards organic food products.FindingsGreek consumers seem to be informed about environmental and health issues. They seek information about the nutritional value of food and demand more products free from chemical residues. The results show that most consumers associate organic consumption mainly with fruit and vegetables. Although demographics seem to affect attitudes towards organics, their value in explaining actual behaviour is minimal.Research limitations/implicationsIt is recognized that the data gathered in this study focus on the metropolitan area of Thessaloniki, Greece. The specific area though, is considered to be representative of the total Greek population. The results confirm that health, concern for the environment, animal welfare and support of the local economy are drivers of organic consumption. However, there is an indication that the importance of motives and barriers may vary for different product categories and perhaps future research should focus on product segmentation.Practical implicationsAlthough certain similarities in consumers' attitudes towards organic food products have been identified, this paper records the variation in behaviour towards organics among the various consumer groups examined in Greece, and highlights the gap between attitudes and actual behaviour. Given the complexity of consumer decision making, future research should explore the other value trade‐offs that consumers make.Originality/valueThis paper attempts to provide evidence on the relatively under researched area of organics attitudes and behaviour in Greece.

The impact of social trends: teenagers’ attitudes for organic food market in Thailand

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 682-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waripas Jiumpanyarach
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
High Price ◽  
Food Motivation ◽  
Organic Foods ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Trends ◽  
Food Items ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate teenagers’ preferences, attitudes, and purchasing power towards organic foods in markets and to explain influences of teenagers’ choices and purchasing intentions on organic foods. Design/methodology/approach A paper-based and a web-based survey were conducted among 557 teenagers in Thailand. A choice experiment logit model was used to identify factors influencing decision in purchasing. Findings The study found that teen consumers were likely to buy ready-to-cook organic food items instead of conventional food items because of health and food safety concerned under their budget constraints. The willingness to pay found organic food items (eggs, pork, chicken) had negative impact but organic opinion had positive impact. The attitudes on high price of organic food items were positive impact because of production process, quality, and quantity of products. Research limitations/implications Teenagers’ consumption impacted on food demands in supermarkets and convenient stores because of their attitudes and behaviours in purchasing. The desired food characteristics should be good quality, safety for consumers, and available in the market nationwide. The supported policies for expanding organic markets were benefits for organic farmers to be sustainable farming. Originality/value This study examined the impacts of economic conditions and the premium quality healthy food products on teenagers’ food motivation.

Perception of Romanian Consumers on Ecological Products

2016 ◽  
pp. 203-224
Author(s):  
Violeta Sima ◽  
Ileana Georgiana Gheorghe
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Purchase Decision ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Consumption Behavior ◽  
Perceptions And Attitudes ◽  
Organic Products ◽  
Decision Making System

This chapter aimed to investigate perceptions and attitudes of Romanian consumers about organic products, in order to study the connection between knowledge and attitudes of consumers and their place in purchase decision-making system to understand their behavior toward organic food. In the first part, after a brief introduction, the authors tried to perform a review of the literature in the field, starting from the presentation of the concept of green or ecological consumption behavior and the notions related to it. A synthetic scheme of the drivers of the green market was proposed as a conclusion of this introductory part. The main concern is about consumption of the ecological products in Romania. The authors identified a number of 17 relevant studies performed in Romania in order to help them substantiate their work. They took into account two issues, namely, Ecological Non-Food Products and Ecological Food Products.

What motivates Indian consumers’ to buy organic food in an emerging market?

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heerah Jose ◽  
Vijay Kuriakose ◽  
Moli P. Koshy
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Market ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Indian Consumers ◽  
Perceived Price ◽  
Buffering Agent ◽  
Ordinary Least Square Regression

Purpose Indian consumers are showing an increased demand for organic food products; however, little is known about their intention to buy organic foods. The purpose of this paper is to understand how fear towards conventional food products motivates an individual to buy organic food products and whether trust and perceived price as contextual factors are able to enhance the buying intention. Design/methodology/approach A total of 275 valid responses were collected using a self-administrated structured questionnaire, representative of Indian consumers. An ordinary least square regression analysis was used to analyse the effect of trust and perceived price in influencing the relationship between consumers’ fear and intention to buy organic food products. Findings The moderating role of trust and perceived price in enhancing the direct relation between fear and intention was established. In addition, cluster analysis results revealed that married women with children are showing a greater interest in buying organic food products. Practical implications The findings of the study are of high importance to all stakeholders in organic food products, as selecting marketing practices which target consumers’ concern is an indispensable part of finding a niche for organic food products. Originality/value The findings suggest that even though consumers are fearful towards conventional food products, they displayed negative intention to buy organic food products when their trust towards the third party is low, thus confirming the importance of trust as a buffering agent.

Differences between organic and conventional leafy green vegetables perceived by university students

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (7) ◽  
pp. 1579-1591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diogo Thimoteo Da Cunha ◽  
Adriane Elisabete Costa Antunes ◽  
Julia Gabriela Da Rocha ◽  
Talita Gaspar Dutra ◽  
Catarina Vezetiv Manfrinato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Blind Test ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Students First ◽  
Likert Scale Response ◽  
Cross Sectional Design ◽  
Organic Food Consumption

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate perceived sensory differences of organic and conventional leafy green vegetables through three sensory tests – blind, informed and inverted and the willingness to buy (WTB) them, and associated factors of organic food consumption by these students. Design/methodology/approach The research had a cross-sectional design with university students. First, a questionnaire with 16 statements was presented to 233 consumers with a five-point Likert scale response. The assertions were categorized into five domains: trust in organic production; trust in conventional production; positive attitude to organic; affordable price; and perceived quality. Afterwards, a hedonic scaling was conducted with 150 consumers, 50 in each type of test with conventional and organic leafy green vegetables: lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.); kale (Brassica oleracea L.); common chicory (Cichorium intybus); and endive (Cichorium endivia). Visual aspect, taste, texture, bitterness and overall liking for all samples were evaluated on a nine-point hedonic scale. Findings In general, the participants did not perceive sensory differences during the blind test, but when the information about the vegetables was provided, higher scores were obtained by those products labelled as organic in the informed test and in the inverted test (conventional labelled as organic). This effect was higher for students with stronger attitudes towards organic food. These results indicated that the perceived differences between organic and conventional leafy green by university students tended to be attitudinal and, therefore, can be greatly influenced by the information provided with the product. Originality/value This research showed that university students were influenced by the organic label, revealing their sensory perception about vegetables. This study had multiple methodological approaches, including hedonic scaling and consumers’ WTB. This combination allowed identifying the students’ attitudinal tendency in relation to their sensory perceptions of organic green leafy green vegetables.

Customer value perception of organic food: cultural differences and cross-national segments

2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (2) ◽  
pp. 396-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Seegebarth ◽  
Stefan Henrik Behrens ◽  
Christiane Klarmann ◽  
Nadine Hennigs ◽  
Lisa Luebbehusen Scribner
Keyword(s):  
Customer Value ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Value Perception ◽  
Value Perceptions ◽  
Segmentation Approach ◽  
Customer Value Perception ◽  
Cross National ◽  
National Borders

Purpose – Due to consumer concerns about food-related diseases and an increase in the use of genetically modified food, more and more “green consumers” integrate environmental considerations into daily purchases, asking for healthier, safer and higher quality food. Marketing managers still face the challenge of broadening the understanding of how and why consumers purchase organic food. Specifically, a deeper understanding of the value dimensions consumers perceive in the context of organic food products is required to develop and implement successful management strategies which might transfer positive consumer perceptions to actual buying behavior and satisfaction. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on theoretical and empirical insights on organic food consumption in different markets, this research investigates antecedents of organic food products and differences regarding the relative importance of the value-based drivers across two Western nations. Findings – The results from survey data indicate significant differences in the value perceptions, especially the functional and individual value perceptions, and recommendation behavior related to organic food for consumers from the USA and Germany. In addition, the segmentation approach provides evidence for consumer segments that cross-national borders: the “convinced opponents,” the “silent/private consumers,” the “prestige-seekers” and the “passionate evangelists.” Originality/value – Consequently, instead of a country-based segmentation approach, marketers should emphasize the different types of consumers across national borders in order to address the differences in customer value perception in the organic food market.

Segmentation of organic food buyers: an emergent market perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Almir Peštek ◽  
Emir Agic ◽  
Merima Cinjarevic
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Latent Class Model ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Segmentation Approach ◽  
Food Market ◽  
Organic Food Industry

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to obtain empirical understanding of organic food buyers in the context of emergent organic food market (i.e. Bosnia and Herzegovina) by using a segmentation approach. Design/methodology/approach A self-administrated online survey was carried out among organic food buyers (n=202) using the snowball sampling technique. Measurement items were mainly adapted from the prior studies. Findings The authors analysed the heterogeneity of organic food buyers with latent class model. Four distinct latent classes (i.e. segments) of organic food buyers were identified. Those segments were named as enthusiastic social-seekers, enthusiastic moralists, hostile seldom shoppers, and hostile heavy shoppers. Originality/value Though the study was exploratory, the identified segments of organic food buyers can enhance our knowledge about differing characteristics of organic food buyers in the context of the country where the organic food industry is in the early stages of development. The findings of this study will give organic food producers and marketers a much better framework for making product, pricing, distribution and marketing communications decision. Moreover, the identification of organic food consumer profiles will provide an insight into how policymakers should tailor their public policy and strategies to expand the size of the organic food market.

Impact of consumption values on consumers’ purchase of organic food and green environmental concerns

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Norazah Mohd Suki ◽  
Abdul Majeed ◽  
Norbayah Mohd Suki
Keyword(s):  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Environmental Concerns ◽  
Simultaneous Estimation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumption Values ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to examine the impact of consumption values on consumers’ purchase of organic food and green environmental concerns. Additionally, the relationships between green environmental concerns and consumers’ purchase of organic food are investigated. Design/methodology/approach A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 500 consumers with experience in purchasing organic food in Pakistan. The covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) technique was used for the data analysis using the Analysis of Moments Structure software version 23. The CB-SEM technique allows for the simultaneous estimation of all relationships. Findings The CB-SEM technique reveals that of the 11 hypotheses tested, social value heavily influences consumers’ green environmental concerns. Moreover, consumers’ purchase of organic food is greatly impacted by conditional value. Consumers purchase organic food for their daily needs because they feel responsible for preserving and protecting the environment against global warming and its associated threats. This green purchasing behavior actually leads to better social approval, through its ability to impress others. Practical implications Organizations and business owners should address green environmental concerns by seriously applying organic methods in the process of production, processing, packaging and selling of organic food products. Such organic practices would enable organizations and business owners to produce organic food products that are free from chemicals. Originality/value The inclusion of consumption values strengthens the explanatory power of the proposed model in the context of Pakistani consumers’ purchase of organic food and green environmental concerns simultaneously. This study therefore adds new and substantial insights into the marketing theory.

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