Characterisation of fresh fruit consumption in Spain based on food-related lifestyle

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe fresh fruit consumers in Spain according to their food-related lifestyle (FRL).

Design/methodology/approach

A random stratified sample of 500 people, representative of the persons responsible for household food purchasing and resident in Spain, was interviewed in 2017 using a revised and adapted version of the FRL instrument (Grunert et al., 1993). Questions about fruit purchasing criteria, consumption habits and demographics were also included. Factor and cluster analysis (Ward method) yielded four segments.

Findings

The segments identified are: “Total indifference (TI)”, small segment with disinterest in extra-domestic and social consumption, nutrition and innovation; “Little time to cook, concerned about nutrition and extra-domestic consumption (LICNE)”, the largest consumers of fresh fruit who show interest in nutrition and health, but no interest in the price of products, convenience foods or liking cooking; “Cooks and preference for natural products (COOKNAT)”, the largest segment, with a medium-high consumption of fresh fruits, who are related to cooking at home, natural products and a concern for the price-quality ratio; and “Unconcerned (UNC)” presents the lowest fresh fruit consumption and shows the lowest interest in natural products and some indifference to the other criteria.

Originality/value

The information obtained in this study gives interesting new insights for the marketing strategies of the fresh fruit suppliers to Spain and the Food and Public Health Administrations.

Citation

Montero-Vicente, L., Roig-Merino, B., Buitrago-Vera, J. and Sigalat-Signes, E. (2019), "Characterisation of fresh fruit consumption in Spain based on food-related lifestyle", British Food Journal, Vol. 121 No. 12, pp. 3307-3320. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-04-2019-0253