Factors Impacting Consumer Choices From the Perspective of Owners and Managers of Beauty Parlors Located in Kraków and the Neighborhood

Purpose: The studies on consumer behavior on the market should take into account not only the criteria of product choices, but also the factors determining the choice of the place of purchase. The purpose of the paper is to assess the knowledge about the factors influencing the consumer choices with respect to a beauty parlor on the part of owners and managers offering cosmetic services in parlors located in Kraków and in other cities of the Małopolska Province. The significance of individual factors was assessed. Methodology: A diagnostic survey method was used for the study. An interview questionnaire comprising 51 questions was used as the research tool. The research was carried out with the use of PAPI (Paper and Pen Interview). 298 correctly completed questionnaire were qualified for statistical analyses. The choice of companies was non-random, purposeful and depended on their location in the area of Kraków and the Małopolska Province. Findings: The received results show which factors – according to the owners and managers – guide consumers in their choices of a beauty parlor. Research limitations: When analyzing the generalizing conclusions, caution should be exercised as to uncertainty with respect to the validity of the population list in the address database purchased for the study purposes from an external company. However, attempts were made to make the study representative, yet certain caution should be exercised during the generalization of the findings with respect to the entire population. Implications: Identification of factors determining the choice of a place of purchase of services is valid especially from the point of view of companies operating at a competitive market. Skillful use of knowledge on the consumer behavior often determines the efficiency of actions and the success of an enterprise. Originality: The paper presents a fragment of analysis of data procured as part of broad research of the market of beauty services in the area of Kraków and the neighborhood. At the present moment, a limited number of scientific publications about the market of beauty services is available, both in the national and regional approach.

Consumer Choices in the Pasta Market: The Importance of Fiber in Consumer Decisions

The aim of the current study was two-fold: (1) to identify consumer segments based on pasta selection motives and (2) to examine the differences between the identified segments in terms of perception of pasta and pasta with added fiber and information on the food label. The data were collected using a CAPI (computer-assisted personal interview) survey on a sample of 1013 consumers. The k-means clustering method was used to identify four clusters of consumers, namely, quality-oriented, sensory-oriented, convenience-oriented, and neutral consumers. The quality-oriented group was the group that expressed the most positive opinions about the pasta and about the addition of fiber to pasta. Moreover, they appreciated the information placed on the pasta label the most. Consumers in the sensory-oriented segment were the least likely to agree that the addition of fiber to pasta deteriorated its taste and to agree that it looked worse compared to pasta without fiber. These findings are of significance for those involved in the public nutrition sector as well as for those responsible for preparing well-targeted marketing messages. The conclusions may constitute invaluable insights for those devising educational initiatives and campaigns.

A nudge toward healthier food choices: the influence of health star ratings on consumers’ choices of packaged foods

Purpose This study aims to reveal the presence of products with negatively correlated nutrients in the marketplace and their implications for consumer choices. It also investigates the role of an overall simplified nutrition scoring system (SNSS) – health star rating (HSR), in improving the healthiness of consumer choices. Design/methodology/approach Three (lab, online and eye-tracking) experiments investigate the effects of negatively correlated nutrients and the mitigating role of an overall SNSS for consumers’ food choices. A final panel-data study analyzes the changes in actual food purchases after the introduction of HSRs (an SNSS) in Australia. Findings Experimental results show that consumers use a decision strategy based on a dominant nutrient to choose food products, which creates health halos and leads to less healthy choices when products have negatively correlated nutrients. The presence of an overall SNSS leads to more accurate healthiness perception and healthier choices. Panel data analysis shows that the healthiness of consumer food purchases increased after the introduction of HSRs. Research limitations/implications The study investigated the effect of an overall SNSS on specific categories, but not on the overall shopping basket. Practical implications For policymakers, this paper shows that overall SNSS helps consumers choose healthier options. Food manufacturers and retailers could be motivated to formulate healthier products when consumers choose healthier options. Originality/value This is the first study to document the presence of products with negatively correlated nutrients and their implications for consumer choices. It highlights the unique role of an overall SNSS, in helping consumers identify healthier options when products have negatively correlated nutrients.

The Rebellious 1960s via the Prosperous 1990s: Youth, Modernity and Consumption in Antonis Kokkinos’ Τέλος εποχής (End of an Era) (1994)

This article explores the movie Τέλος εποχής (End of an Era) by Antonis Kokkinos (1994), a key film in the regeneration of Greek cinema in the mid-late 1990s. The film constitutes a form of public history construing and problematizing relations between the images and the historical past, exploring the dictatorship (1967–74) through the consumer-oriented values of the 1990s. By scrutinizing historical (dis)continuities (similarities, differences, and transformations in consumer politics and sexuality in particular) between the dictatorship and the 1990s, the article argues that, focusing on 1960s youth, End of an Era underplayed the dictatorship's authoritarianism and (re)defined politics through the availability (or not) of consumer choices, expressing the relaxed ideological climate of the 1990s.