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This study develops a modified food-related lifestyle (FRL) instrument to analyse Kosovo consumers' fruit consumption behaviour and attitudes.

The research study is based on a structured questionnaire designed using a reduced version of the FRL instrument, including evaluation factors related to fruit consumption, which is useful to describe a fruit-related lifestyle. Data were collected through a face-to-face survey with 300 consumers in three main cities in Kosovo. A principal component analysis (PCA) with Varimax rotation and Kaiser Normalisation was performed to interpret and investigate fruit-related lifestyles. Cluster analysis was performed to analyse market segments, using the identified factors obtained from the PCA, a hierarchical clustering algorithm with a Ward linkage method and the K-means clustering technique.

Consumption behaviour is motivated by health concerns (perceived), fruit (nutrition) content and consumption habits. Four distinct consumer clusters were identified based on the fruit-related lifestyle instrument and analysed considering the different fruit purchase and consumption behaviour, attitudes towards health, quality, taste and safety.

The authors adapted a survey tool based on a reduced FRL instrument to elaborate a specific survey instrument suitable to describe the fruit-related consumer's lifestyles. The instrument was not designed according to the standard scales design procedure, but it is a first step towards creating a fruit-related lifestyle instrument.

The fruit-related lifestyle instrument can be used in studies focused on fruit consumer segmentation. Results provide insight into fruit marketing and distribution companies, which can adjust their marketing strategies and customer-oriented initiatives tailored for specific consumer segments. Results can be useful also for policymakers to promote increased fruit consumption.

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) has been frequently proposed as a promising tool for learning. However, researchers have commonly implemented a plethora of design elements in these IVR systems, which makes the specific aspects of the system that are necessary to achieve beneficial outcomes unclear. Against this background, this study aims to combine the literature on presence with learning theories to propose that the ability of IVR to present 3D objects to users improves the presence of these objects in the virtual environment compared with 2D objects, leading to increased learning performance.

To test this study’s hypotheses, the authors conducted a 2 (training condition: approach vs avoid) x 2 (object presence: high vs low) between-subjects laboratory experiment that used IVR with 83 female participants.

The results support this study’s hypotheses and show that training with high object presence leads to greater reactions to cues (chocolate cravings) and improved health behaviour (chocolate consumption).

This study shows that increased object presence leads to unique experiences for users, which help reinforce training effects. Moreover, this work sheds further light on how immersive computer technologies can affect user attitudes and behaviour. Specifically, this work contributes to IVR research by showing that learning effects can be enhanced through an increased degree of object presence.

Carp is a traditional aquaculture fish with decreasing relevance in European markets. Despite this, it is a protein source which could contribute to the worldwide protein supply. Traditional carp ponds are part of human cultural heritage with high relevance for biodiversity. But, market shares of carp are small compared to other seafood market, mainly due to low consumer demand. The aim of this research was to contribute to the discussion on how to increase demand for carp by testing the acceptance of selected preprocessed carp products.

A quantitative online survey was conducted in Germany and Poland with the aim of identifying consumers' attitudes towards carp and carp products. On this basis recommendations on how to best market carp products are developed.

Carp is perceived to be a fish eaten primarily at Christmas and New Year's Eve and to be difficult to prepare. The analyses reveal that a potential for novel carp products does exist in Germany and in Poland. The wider introduction of a bonecut filet to the market, a better availability of carp products, and the avoidance of off-flavors are important prerequisites for higher market relevance of carp.

In this research consumer preferences were elicited “theoretically” by showing pictures of carp products and asking them for their preferences. In this regard, the results presented here state a general consumer interest and a potential for new carp products. Further research, integrating product tastings might give additional information on the likely success of new types of carp products.

In order to let people know about the new products and at the same time to combat the sometimes existent bad image of carp, product tastings, also in combination with information regarding local origin and environmental/cultural impact, should be offered at the point of sale.

Carp is a highly sustainable fish and offers a valuable protein source for human consumption. But, in its common ways of market presentation it is not highly appreciated by consumers. This paper demonstrates options of overcoming this situation.

Urban metropolitan consumers react to the different qualitative categorizations of the product thus creating homogeneous market segments. The aim of this paper is to identify specific market segments which allow for the definition of homogeneous olive oil consumer targets.

This study was based on the stated preferences of consumers and emphasizes the role that different quality scales of olive oil have in the eye of the consumer. The data, collected through a questionnaire, were analysed by means of inferential and multivariate statistics techniques, that is, the study specifically entailed a factorial and cluster analysis.

This paper explores olive oil market segments broken down by the different quality levels of existing products, thus trying to identify main consumer preferences. Our outcomes suggest the existence of three main quality classes of olive oil consumer: basic, popular and premium.

Even though we gathered data and information from a broad sample, the study does not fully reflect the average Italian population since we based our study on a convenience sample of northern Italian consumers. A more extended sample is needed to test our hypothesis in other regional areas.

The outcomes derived from this study provide useful insights both for marketers and olive oil producers by allowing more efficient strategic decisions in terms of product segmentation.

This study, aimed at matching olive oil market segments and consumer preferences, shows the existence of three well-defined quality classes of olive oil consumer: basic, popular and premium. In addition, this study ascertains for the first time how the attitude towards local products is positively influenced by family origin as a result of an inter-generational attitude.

Both governments and the food industry are interested in plant-based products. New products are advertised as climate-friendly, with plant-based materials increasingly replacing animal-based content. In Finland, oat milk dominates the plant-based milk market. The authors studied what features young and urban users of plant-based and cow's milk value in oat milk for coffee and how the preferences of the users relate to ethical food-choice motives.

In total, 308 students filled in an e-questionnaire. The survey used best-worst scaling (BWS), a discrete choice approach, to measure the perceived values related to oat milk characteristics. The ethical motives were measured by a version of the Lindeman and Väänänen scale. Also the respondents' diets were asked. Preference clusters were identified and viewed with the ethical food-choice motives and diets.

The respondent group that exclusively used cow's milk attached more value to taste, added nutritional elements, discounts and recommendations by friends. The rest of the respondents attached more value to origin and sustainability-related features of oat milk. In the six-cluster solution, one extreme cluster was valuing taste and the other was valuing sustainability-related issues. All the ethical food-choice motives: ecological welfare, political values and religion were (roughly) the higher the cluster valued sustainability-related items. The respondents eating meat were more likely to belong to the clusters valuing taste than non-meat eaters that belong more likely to clusters valuing sustainability-related features.

Very few earlier studies have explored the heterogeneity of valuations of plant-based products and the products' relationship with ethical food-choice motives.

This paper aims to explore the shopping intention of local products. Using the theory of planned behavior model, the authors study the effect of egoistic and altruistic benefits and the influence of contextual limitations and people’s own limitations on the intention to buy local fresh fruits and vegetables.

This paper uses a sample of 1,200 consumers of a south European city to test the model using a structural equation modeling technique with partial least squares.

Although egoistic benefits have a direct effect on the shopping intention, altruistic benefits have a much higher total effect. Surprisingly, attitude does not influence shopping intention. This paper provides elements that favor the consumption of local products from a more global, social and sustainable perspective.

This paper provides new empirical evidence on the influence of perceived benefits and personal limitations on local food consumption.

Este trabajo explora la intención de compra de los productos locales. Partiendo del modelo de la Teoría del Comportamiento Planificado, estudiamos el efecto que los beneficios egoístas y altruistas y la influencia de las limitaciones contextuales y las propias limitaciones de las personas tienen en la intención de compra de frutas y verduras frescas locales.

Utilizamos una muestra de 1.200 consumidores de una ciudad del sur de Europa para probar el modelo, utilizando modelos de ecuaciones estructurales con mínimos cuadrados parciales.

Aunque los beneficios egoístas tienen un efecto directo en la intención de compra, los beneficios altruistas tienen un efecto total mucho mayor. Sorprendentemente, la actitud no influye en la intención de compra.

Este artículo proporciona nueva evidencia empírica de la influencia de los beneficios percibidos y las limitaciones personales en el consumo de alimentos locales.

这项工作意味着探索本地产品的购物意向。利用计划行为理论模型, 我们研究利己主义和利他主义利益的影响, 以及环境限制和人们自身限制对购买本地新鲜水果和蔬菜的意向的影响。

我们使用一个南欧城市的1,200名消费者的样本, 用部分最小二乘法的结构方程模型技术来检验该模型。

尽管利己主义利益对购物意向有直接影响, 但利他主义利益的总影响要大得多。令人惊讶的是, 态度并不影响购物意向。这篇文章提供了有利于从更加全球化、社会化和可持续的角度消费当地产品的因素。

这篇文章提供了新的经验证据, 说明感知到的利益和个人限制对当地食品消费的影响。

纸张类型 – 研究论文

This study contributes to the scant research on dealcoholised wine from a consumer behaviour perspective by providing insight and reporting on the attributes that South African Generation Y consumers prefer when purchasing dealcoholised wine.

A two-phased research approach was adopted, involving a main quantitative phase, preceded by a qualitative phase. Data were gathered from 626 South African Generation Y respondents by means of a questionnaire. The best–worst scaling method was applied to 13 selected dealcoholised wine attributes, to measure the level of importance of each attribute. To gain more insight on the data, the best-worst scaling scores were further standardised to a probabilistic ratio scale.

“Taste”, “price” and “I have tried it before” were the most important attributes that respondents considered when purchasing dealcoholised wine. Furthermore, “taste” was by far the most important of all the attributes. The attributes of “back label”, “attractive front label” and “brand name” were identified as the least important by the respondents, suggesting that they did not consider the visual elements of a bottle of dealcoholised wine as particularly important in their purchasing decision.

The findings of this pioneering study contribute to the lack of knowledge about dealcoholised wine from a consumer behaviour and marketing perspective, and provide insights and strategies that can be used by stakeholders to enhance the dealcoholised wine market in South Africa.

The paper aims at investigating whether and how the product designation of origin (PDO) label influences consumers' acceptance, attributes' perception and purchase intention of PDO foods.

The study employs an experimental lab study based on the affective test of acceptance methodology with a nine-point hedonic scale. Three PDO foods are compared with similar non-PDO samples concerning cheese, cured ham and olive oil categories.

The presence of PDO labels enhances the consumers' acceptance as well as their perception of sensory attributes. A critical role of the brand name as an enhancer of consumer acceptance also emerges, highlighting the relationship between brand-name and PDO label.

The main limitation is related to the lab study methodology, which employs a small number of participants and occurs far from a “normal” situation of consumption. The acceptance test, moreover, does not provide explanations about motives underlying the differences in consumers' perception and preferences.

Practical implications are suggested for food companies concerning the management of both PDO labels and brand strategies and the product's properties that could improve the sensory perception of consumers and their overall product's acceptance.

The study contributes to the debate on consumer behaviour towards PDO foods by adding evidence about the positive influence of such a certification on individual preferences on the basis of a sensory methodology that has been little employed for studying the domain of product certifications.

The purpose of this study is to propose a matrix framework to understand the interdependencies of domains and scales of protein transition towards diets based on plants and alternative sources of proteins.

The abductive research approach is used in building the framework, and the proposed framework is illustrated using the regional food system in Central Finland as an example. Focus groups and interviews were used to collect qualitative data from 28 respondents.

This study provides a framework for protein transition, with five domains and five scale levels. Interactions between public and private governance activities at different scales, domains and governed niche and regime levels are discussed. The study shows how micro-level activities at individual or community levels are linked with broader governance activities.

Due to the relatively narrowed set of empirical data, further research is required to test the framework in different regional and cultural settings.

This paper presents a practical illustration of the matrix framework, and considering this, the paper discusses the possible implications of matrix interdependencies for protein transition management.

This study proposes that understanding the coevolution of domains and scales, with the help of accurate policies and business models, can lead to effective protein transition.

This study fulfils an identified need to study protein transition in a broader frame, which highlights the structural activity interdependencies between different scale levels and domains.

This study analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the consumption of locally produced food. In particular, it examines an extended model of the theory of planned behavior, with the addition of the perceived risk of becoming infected with the disease, locavorism and internal locus of control.

The study employs data collected from an online panel of consumers from the five largest cities in Spain (n = 1,000). It uses partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test and validate the proposed theoretical model.

The results indicate that the perceived risk of COVID-19 drives consumers to embrace locavorism more and, although locavorism is a strong predictor of attitude, internal locus of control also has a strong impact on attitude and switching intentions. Subjective norm and attitude are strong predictors of switching intentions and purchase intentions, and switching intentions also have a powerful impact on purchase intentions.

This study extends previous research on locally produced food consumption in that it has proposed and tested a new conceptual model with the inclusion of the perceived risk of COVID-19, locavorism, internal locus of control and switching intentions, which were found to have an influence on purchasing behavior.