CONSUMER RESPONSES TO ONLINE FOOD RETAILING

Consumer behavior in the context of online food retail channels is analyzed. The research is a follow-up to an earlier study conducted in early 1998 on consumer response to online food shopping. In the 1998 study (N=243), a majority of the sample (51 percent) were "new" users of online food shopping (<6 months); 35 percent were "intermediate" users (1-6 months); and only 14 percent were "experienced" users (>6 months). In contrast, the new user segment in the follow-up study (N=412) was 29 percent; the intermediate segment was 28 percent; and the experienced group was 43 percent. Demographic profiles and shopping behaviors of respondents in the two studies are compared. Using cluster analysis, four distinct segments of online food shoppers are identified. Marketing strategy implications for online retailers and store retailers are discussed.Consumer/Household Economics, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

FUNCTIONAL FOODS: CONSUMER ISSUES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES

Scientific progress in understanding the relationship of diet to disease, along with increasing health-care costs and consumersÂ’' desires to make healthy lifestyle improvements, provides a significant impetus for the development of novel foods with health benefits (functional foods). Combining sound science, effective and balanced communication strategies, and changes in the regulatory environment, important benefits could be realized for the entire food system, including producers, food manufacturers, retailers, and consumers.Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

HOW SOY LABELING INFLUENCES PREFERENCE AND TASTE

Using a “Phantom Ingredient” taste test, this article demonstrates how the use of soy labels and health claims on a package negatively biased taste perceptions and attitudes toward a food erroneously thought to contain soy. Consumers who ate products which mentioned soy on the package described the taste more grainy, less flavorful, and as having a strong aftertaste compared to those who ate the product but saw no soy label. Yet, while putting “soy” on a package negatively influenced taste-conscious consumers, when combined with a health claim, it improved attitudes among consumers who are health-conscious, natural food lovers, or dieters. Our results and discussion provide better direction for researchers who work with ingredient labeling as well as for marketers who work with soybean products.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

FUNCTIONAL FOODS: CONSUMER ISSUES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES

Scientific progress in understanding the relationship of diet to disease, along with increasing health-care costs and consumers' desires to make healthy lifestyle improvements, provides a significant impetus for the development of novel foods with health benefits (functional foods). Combining sound science, effective and balanced communication strategies, and changes in the regulatory environment, important benefits could be realized for the entire food system, including producers, food manufacturers, retailers, and consumers