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Convenience Orientation in the 21st Century: Qualitative Insights from Interviews with Consumers and Marketing Professionals

Qualitative Consumer Research

ISBN: 978-1-78714-492-7, eISBN: 978-1-78714-491-0

Publication date: 1 August 2017

Abstract

Purpose

The chapter investigates factors shaping convenience orientation in the 21st century as well as present-day barriers to the consumption of food and non-food convenience products.

Methodology/approach

A qualitative research approach with two kinds of data triangulation is used. Multiple key informants (marketing managers and consumers) allow a consideration from different angles and multiple methodologies (in-depth and focus group interviews) help to gain deeper insights into the topic.

Findings

Convenience orientation comprises dimensions that were previously not considered in marketing research. In addition to the known factors time and effort saving, consumers buy convenience products because of the flexibility they provide. Moreover, concerns for health, environment, and quality are important barriers that prevent consumers from buying and consuming convenience products.

Research limitations/implications

Our results suggest that factors increasing and decreasing convenience consumption depend at least partly on the product category. Future research should integrate various other product groups to further explore domain-specific convenience orientation.

Practical implications

The conceptualization of convenience orientation offers important implications for new product development as well as for the design of the marketing mix. For instance, existing barriers could be overcome by improving transparency or meeting environmental concerns.

Originality/value

The chapter reveals the factors shaping the consumption of convenience products. The presented findings are important to academics researching convenience consumption and practitioners producing and distributing convenience products.

Keywords

Citation

Scheiben, C. and Holthoff, L.C. (2017), "Convenience Orientation in the 21st Century: Qualitative Insights from Interviews with Consumers and Marketing Professionals", Qualitative Consumer Research (Review of Marketing Research, Vol. 14), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 175-206. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1548-643520170000014012

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017 Emerald Publishing Limited