WOMEN AND THEIR “FOOD TIME” AN INVESTIGATION INTO FOOD PURCHASES, PREPARATION, AND CONSUMPTION ATMOSPHERE USING SMARTPHONE SURVEY TECHNOLOGY

Women’s food purchasing and eating habits have been studied in detail, but are still not entirely understood. Prior research has sought to segment the female food shopper market, but typically use only demographic characteristics. In this study, fifty females were recruited in San Luis Obispo, CA from March 2012 to May 2012 to keep an electronic food-time diary for one week. By collecting information through surveys distributed using a smartphone application, SurveySwipe, the study investigated the amount of time expended for each meal, as well as the manner in which the meal was prepared or purchased, and the context surrounding the eating situation, for a period of seven days. A segmentation of these female food consumers was then formed in order to demonstrate that by using attitudinal and behavioral data, a unique segmentation scheme may be achieved, different than would have resulted using only demographic information. For the data analysis, four principal components analyses were conducted followed by subsequent cluster analyses, followed by ANOVA and Chi-Square tests. Study participants were segmented in four distinct sets of clusters, or consumer groups. Of the four sets of clusters formed, one was created using solely demographic variables, whereas the other three used “food time” variables comprised of behavioral and attitudinal information. It may be inferred from the results that the behavior of the participants within each cluster was similar regarding a particular variable being tested, while it differed from the behavior of participants in other clusters (regarding the same variable being tested). Specifically, an abundance of key, significant differences were found with the “food time” variables. The study supports the use of variables related to “food time” allocation and the context of the eating situation as they relate to the purchase, preparation, and consumption of food, instead of only demographic attributes. The results will be useful for food marketers and product developers seeking to understand how food fits into the lives of female consumers with diverse roles and behaviors, in addition to being valuable for segmenting a select market or targeting a particular customer type

Psychological elements explaining the consumer's adoption and use of a website recommendation system: A theoretical framework proposal

The purpose of this paper is to understand, with an emphasis on the psychological perspective of the research problem, the consumer's adoption and use of a certain web site recommendation system as well as the main psychological outcomes involved. The approach takes the form of theoretical modelling. Findings: A conceptual model is proposed and discussed. A total of 20 research propositions are theoretically analyzed and justified. Research limitations/implications: The theoretical discussion developed here is not empirically validated. This represents an opportunity for future research. Practical implications: The ideas extracted from the discussion of the conceptual model should be a help for recommendation systems designers and web site managers, so that they may be more aware, when working with such systems, of the psychological process consumers undergo when interacting with them. In this regard, numerous practical reflections and suggestions are presented

CONSUMERS’ WILLINGNESS TO BUY FOOD VIA THE INTERNET: A REVIEW OF THE LITTERATURE AND A MODEL FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

In the first part of the paper, existing studies on consumer propensity to buy via the Internet are reviewed in an attempt to shed light on factors explaining consumer willingness to buy food via the Internet. Following a model by Sindhav and Balazs (1999), determinants relating to medium, product, consumer, firm and environment are distinguished. In order to draw the various results together and provide a coherent framework for future research, we then propose a model which combines the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the lifestyle construct. The model can be used to analyse how beliefs affecting consumers intention to buy food via the Internet are formed and changed due to experience with such shoppingNo keywords;

THE EFFECT OF APPLYING ESTABLISHED COLOR THEORY TO PACKAGING WHEN VISIBLE PRODUCT AND EXTERNAL LABELS EXIST SIMULTANEOUSLY

Color is affected by what is around it. A color doesn\u27t necessarily look the same when its placed against two different colored backgrounds (Ryan, William, and Theodore Conover, 2004) Oftentimes, designers are given a blank package and given the task of creating a label or package for the product. What is missing is the product, which can be an integral part of this design process. What is not yet to be determined by current packaging research is how colors work together through the product and package. One way to determine this would be through transparent bottled packages that contain external labels. Using various color harmonies, with the base color determined by the product color, this can be evaluated. Transparent packages with visible products containing colored labels were evaluated using established color theory. This research sought to understand the following questions: [RQ1]: Can established color theory be applied to packaging when visible product and external labels exist simultaneously? [RQ2]: Do consumers prefer a particular color harmony when compared to others? This was assessed using eye tracking metrics and overall preference testing. Eye tracking data yielded quantitative data that was statistically analyzed. This was completed through analysis of variance (ANOVA). A post experiment survey was given to collect participant\u27s demographics and additional data completed through Chi-squared tests for association

Summary report on sensory-related socio-economic and sensory science literature about organic food products

Organic food’s initial attraction to the public was that it was perceived to be healthier and tastier, but scientists and policy makers have mainly stressed the benefits to the environment of organic and sustainable farming. Scientific support for marketing actions addressed to those who want to be healthier and who want to enjoy better taste, and are willing to pay more for these benefits is scarce. Past research has produced little clear evidence about the importance of sensory characteristics such as taste, smell, appearance etc in consumers’ preferences with regard to organic food. The Ecropolis project, funded by the E.U., was set up with the aim of investigating the role of the senses in consumers’ preferences regarding organic food, and leading to research into how best to satisfy those preferences. This deliverable is aimed at providing a solid basis for such research with an in-depth review of, and two reports on, the relevant scientific literature. The first report (Annex I) regards what consumers expect from organic products in terms of taste, smell, appearance, etc and how these expectations are (or are not) met; the second is about the science of the senses (Annex II). The first project tasks included creating and agreeing on a glossary of terms, deciding on search criteria (key words, etc.), setting up a bibliographical data base, preparing then circulating the above-mentioned reports, and finally preparing a summary of the reports. The report on consumers expectations highlights the suggestion that while organic food has traditionally been marketed through specialized retailers, its market share will only grow significantly if it is promoted by multiple retailers. Research literature from all over the world seems to agree in indicating that consumers’ choices are largely motivated by health, the environment, price and social status. Other considerations include ethics, the localness of the product and lifestyle choices. The literature also indicates that the organic market will expand significantly only if consumers are more willing, and able, to recognize quality, but this presents serious issues. When buying the product they cannot personally verify its quality and genuineness and thus must rely on regulation and inspection bodies. The recognition of quality can also be encouraged by effective communication by producers and retailers through appropriate branding, labelling and presentation. There are connections between this information and questions of sense perception, but researchers disagree about how important the latter is in influencing the customer, and in which ways it does so. The following report focuses, in fact, on the science of the senses, which tries to analyze in detail people’s responses to food, despite the many potential pitfalls in carrying out the research which might influence the reliability of the results. There is broad agreement on two points: - there is no proof that organic food is more nutritious or safer, and - most studies that have compared the taste and organoleptic quality of organic andconventional foods report no consistent or significant differences between organic and conventional produce. Therefore, claiming that all organic food tastes different from all conventional food would not be correct. However, among the well-designed studies with respect to fruits and vegetables that have found differences, the vast majority favour organic produce. Organic produce tends to store better and has longer shelf life, probably because of lower levels of nitrates and higher average levels of antioxidants. The former can accelerate food spoilage, while antioxidants help preserve the integrity of cells and some are natural antibiotics. The first conclusion may, however, depend on factors not directly connected to organic farming, such as harvesting and storage methods and the type of land used for growing the food. About the second finding it must be considered that measuring organoleptic quality is difficult and inherently subjective and evaluations may be clouded by the influence of numerous factors on the consumer’s perceptions of the food and not just its appearance and taste. Experimental research indicates that the information that a food is organic confers upon it a “halo effect” (making it seem better sense-wise simply because it is organic) which might make consumers like it more. Ecropolis researchers will analyze in detail which senses are indeed impacted on, and how, and try to match them to consumer needs and expectations in order to be able to offer suggestions for future policy, including how the food is stored, transported and presented, which is also essential for maintaining sensory properties. The workpackage WP1 has also produced a specific report on how organic food sensory aspects are regulated. International standards, with some important exceptions, are largely in line with European ones. Differences in standards usually regard whether there is orientation towards freshness “per se” as opposed to increasing shelf-life, or quality standardization as opposed to quality differentiation. Differences in regulations regard such aspects as ingredients, additives, processing aids and methods, packaging, storage and transport. The lack of harmony among the different regulatory systems often reflects different traditions and market conditions, however, more complicated compliance procedures result in higher costs for importers. Greater homogeneity would not only reduce such costs but would also increase consumer confidence in international standards. Ecropolis will also investigate the effect of different regulations on how people perceive organic goods sense-wise. The work done to date is seen as a starting point for future research aimed at producing practical results in the organic food market. Ecropolis will try to bring together separate strands of research concerning how organic goods are regulated and marketed with regard to taste, appearance, etc., and how consumers themselves are affected by such factors. The aim is to find optimal matches between the two, and thus to greatly increase organic food’s share of the food market

Direct marketing and Asian American in Inland Empire

This thesis employed a series of surveys of Asian Americans residing in the Inland Empire to determine their personal views towards direct marketing. Data is broken out by age, gender, ethnicity and employment status

A Study on the Environmental and Societal Impact of Salad Packaging

Packaged salads are becoming an increasingly popular segment of today’s fresh cut vegetables and salads market. This increased demand is leading to an increased need for packaging. This increase in packaging can lead to a potential increase in impact on the environment. With a large push for sustainability in the modern economy, this environmental impact is becoming more and more unacceptable. Several studies have been conducted to determine environmental impacts of packaging, but none have homed in on the salad packaging market segment in detail until this study. This study is also pioneering the way by pairing environmental impacts of salad packaging with consumer sentiment of salad packaging. Salads can be prepared in many ways, often containing numerous ingredients that differ in size, flavor, texture, and consumption methods. Some of the most popular salads like Greek, Tomato, Mediterranean, Caesar, Chickpea, Garden, etc. have many ingredients and can require lots of packaging to reach the consumer. In current retail stores, consumers can purchase and consume salads using four different methods for consumer preparation: purchase whole ingredients to take home and prepare themselves; purchase prepared ingredients and take them home to mix; buy pre-made salad kits that have all ingredients included or they can create a salad at an in-store salad bar. Due to an abundance of salad types, the scope of this study was limited to just one salad type to gain an accurate idea of the environmental impact of one salad segment. This study’s scope was narrowed to gain an understanding specifically of the Caesar salad market, given its popularity among consumers and limited number of ingredients. A retail audit was conducted in the Spring and Summer of 2021 to identify and index all packages containing Caesar salad ingredients. Individual packages were then purchased, and their materials were identified to be used in a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). Concurrently, a national survey was conducted to explore consumer purchase behavior and consumer sentiment regarding Caesar salad packaging. This research shows environmental impacts for 26 unique Caesar salad packages across eight different impact metrics. Results show that larger, bulkier, and heavier packages have a significantly larger impact than smaller and lighter packages. The analysis suggests that dressings and parmesan cheese wedges should be packaged in flexible packages and flexible wraps for a minimal environmental impact. Data shows that for lower environmental impacts, romaine lettuce should be purchased as a whole head wrapped in a twist-tie wire, and croutons should be packaged in a multi-layer pouch. The “Whole Ingredients/Vegetables” salad purchasing method shows the lowest overall impact on the environment. This category aligns with how consumers choose to purchase salads, with most consumers (43%) choosing to purchase whole ingredients and vegetables to take home to cut and prepare themselves. Data from the national survey shows that consumers ranked “Fossil Fuel Use” the most important sustainability claim. Aligning this data point with the LCA data, an extrapolation shows what can be labeled as the most sustainable Caesar salad package, which consists of a whole lettuce head wrapped in a twist-tie, parmesan cheese packaged in a flexible wrap, croutons packed in a bag-in-box, and dressing packaged in a small, flexible pouch

The impact of attention on wines' purchase intention: the moderating role of awards and consumption situations

On every supermarket shelf, wines compete for consumers’ attention, which is decisive in consumers’ final choice. This investigation aims at clarifying the impact that wines’ labels have on individuals’ attention and how that can determine purchase intention. Simultaneously, it is evaluated the impact and the role that quality perceptions and desire have on inducting purchase behaviors. Besides, it is investigated the role of wine awards and the consumption situation as moderators of such relationships. Thirty-nine individuals participated in an experiment based on a 2 x 2 design (awarded/not awarded x self-consumption/social-consumption). For each scenario individuals’ attention, perceptions of quality, desire and purchase intentions were recorded. Data from eye-tracking shows that, the amount of attention given to a bottle is determinant of individuals’ purchase intentions, a relationship that increases in significance for bottles with awards and for when consumers are buying wine for a consumption situation involving a social environment. Also, both quality perceptions and desire were confirmed to positively influence wines’ purchase intentions. It was verified that attention moderates the relationship between quality perception and purchase intention in the case of awarded wines. Nevertheless, for self-consumption situations, desire is more determinant for purchase intentions, while for social consumption situations quality perception is more significant, due to the increased weight that individuals give to quality when buying for those situations. By using an eye monitoring method, this thesis brings fresh and new insights to the wine industry by highlighting the impact that wines’ labels and different consumption situations have on individuals’ attention and purchase intention.Em qualquer prateleira de supermercado, diferentes garrafas de vinho competem pela atenção dos consumidores, a qual é decisiva na escolha final dos mesmos. Esta investigação visa esclarecer o impacto que os rótulos dos vinhos têm na atenção dos indivíduos e como esta, a perceção de qualidade e o desejo podem determinar a intenção de compra. Simultaneamente, é avaliado o papel que os prémios e as situações de consumo têm como moderadores de tais relações. Trinta e nove indivíduos participaram numa experiência, baseada num desenho 2 x 2 (premiado/não premiado x consumo-próprio/consumo social). Para cada cenário, a atenção, perceção de qualidade, desejo e intenção de compra foram registados. Os dados recolhidos através de eye-tracking evidenciam que a atenção dada a uma garrafa é determinante na intenção de compra do indivíduo, a qual aumenta no caso de garrafas com prémios e quando os consumidores compram para uma situação de consumo social. Verificou-se ainda que a perceção de qualidade e o desejo influenciam a intenção de compra de vinho e que a relação entre esta e a perceção de qualidade é moderada pela no caso de vinhos premiados. Para situações de consumo próprio, o desejo é mais provável de determinar a intenção de compra, enquanto que para situações de consumo sociais a perceção de qualidade é mais importante. Através do uso de um método de monitoramento ocular, esta dissertação traz novos conhecimentos à indústria do vinho, colocando em evidência o impacto que a presença de prémios e as diferentes situações de consumo têm na atenção e intenção de compra dos indivíduos

Adaptive microfoundations for emergent macroeconomics

In this paper we present the basics of a research program aimed at providing microfoundations to macroeconomic theory on the basis of computational agentbased adaptive descriptions of individual behavior. To exemplify our proposal, a simple prototype model of decentralized multi-market transactions is offered. We show that a very simple agent-based computational laboratory can challenge more structured dynamic stochastic general equilibrium models in mimicking comovements over the business cycle.Microfoundations of macroeconomics, Agent-based economics, Adaptive behavior