Buying seafood: Understanding barriers to purchase across consumption segments

Abstract

Most consumers have positive attitudes toward seafood and consider it to be an important part of a healthy and balanced diet. However when purchasing seafood, consumers also weigh up various risks which may act as barriers to consumption. In this paper, the findings of an online survey of Australian consumers (n=899) which explored both drivers and barriers to seafood consumption are discussed. The primary focus of this paper is to explore the perceived risks of seafood consumption and how these vary across consumption levels. Perceived risks associated with seafood consumption include functional, social, physical, psychological, and financial risk. With the exceptions of physical and financial risk, perceptions of risk varied across regular, light and very light seafood consumption segments. Lighter fish consumers were more likely to perceive functional risk associated with being less informed and less familiar with fish, experience more difficulties with selecting fish, recognising if fish is fresh, and preparing and serving fish than more regular fish consumers. Regular seafood consumers were less likely than lighter seafood consumers to perceive social risk arising from other members of their household not liking fish. Moreover, regular seafood consumers were less likely to perceive psychological risks associated with unpleasant past experiences or unpleasant sensory qualities, such as not liking the smell of fish and not liking to touch fish. Based on these results strategies for reducing perceived risks as a means of stimulating fish consumption are proposed for further investigation.

Does seafood knowledge relate to more sustainable consumption?

“…To our knowledge, only Cardoso et al (2013b) researched seafood consumption habits in Portugal and no survey has ever been done related to environmental issues. Most studies research on topics such as health benefits, product perception, perceived risks of fish intake, or seafood eco-labelling (Altintzoglou et al, 2011;Salladarré et al, 2010;Van Dijk et al, 2011;Birch and Lawley, 2012). Little research has been done about the information consumers seek on seafood products and even for knowledgeable consumers, can be difficult to take action regarding to more sustainable seafood choices (Pieniak et al, 2007;.…”

Toward crustacean without chemicals: a descriptive analysis of consumer response using price comparisons

“…There are consumers who would like to consume much less of fishery products, which can emanate from family influence to negate consumption levels of fishery products (27–29). Plausibly, considerations of contextual setting, personal (values, beliefs, attitudes, and demographics), and situational factors could affect consumer purchasing behavior toward fishery products, particularly when it concerns the relative choice of quantity and frequency of fishery consumption (10).…”

“…Also shown in Table 2, the frequency of consumption of crustacean product found Palermo dominating ‘twice per month’ before Naples and Rome dominating ‘at least once a month’, and Turin dominating ‘never’ before Milan. Previously reported cross-cultural and single cross-sectional studies have underlined that knowledge, skills, and self-confidence in the selection and preparation of fishery products can positively/significantly impact on its consumption frequency (10, 27, 30, 31). …”

“…Although some authors agree that cheaper prices would encourage higher consumption of fishery products, others somewhat oppose this given the lack of significant differences in consumption of given fishery products, for example, at expensive meal options. Thus, it is not yet clear whether the perception of high price actually affects consumption of fishery products (10, 27, 32, 35). The reasons limiting consumption and health perception of chemical-treated crustacean products by non-usual consumers across locations are given in Table 4.…”

Train the child and teach the adult: Developing intervention strategies for increasing seafood consumption

“…Cooking fresh seafood at home is not part of the traditional lifestyle in some developed countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom, where seafood consumption often involves eating precooked fish from take‐away outlets, rather than fresh seafood being purchased and prepared at home (Birch & Lawley, ). Moreover, in some developed countries, eating seafood is most commonly associated with special occasions such as when entertaining and dining out and for traditional or religious occasions rather than regular daily consumption (Birch & Lawley, ).…”