No abstract

Developments in the nutritional value of quick-service meals since 1990 are highlighted, including the impact of the changes in the USDA Food Pyramid, the obesity issue, trends in quick-service menu items, and ratings of quick-service meals. In a survey of Louisiana consumers, respondents in the lower socioeconomic group rated the nutritional value of the quick-service meals as less nutritious than did those in the upper-class group. No significant differences were found between nutrition knowledge groups. The authors then compared the findings to previous studies of quickservice meal ratings.

Market dynamics are generating rapid product change and increasing the uncertainties of product management. As a result, the need for product adaptability has never been greater. Yet marketing managers lack a framework for evaluating product adaptability. Examines product adaptability in terms of two underlying dimensions: product domain (single versus multiple product) and performance criteria (internal versus external). This results in a framework that includes four basic types of product flexibility: acceptability (single‐product flexibility based on external criteria, e.g. customer acceptance); modifiability (single‐product flexibility based on internal criteria, e.g. production efficiency); leveragability (multiple‐product flexibility based on external criteria); and compatability (multiple‐product flexibility based on internal criteria). Using this framework, identifies specific factors that lead to product adaptability and proposes a method for product assessment.