Perceived health benefits and food purchasing decisions

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this research is to investigate the relative importance to consumers of different health benefits of food. Design/methodology/approach -This study uses conjoint analysis to investigate the relative importance of five health benefits to consumers in their intention to buy a food. Findings -The results suggest that the single most important health benefit influencing purchase intentions is high nutritional value. If two health benefits are to be promoted, for the total sample the most effective combination would be high nutritional value and the potential to reduce cancer, followed by high nutritional value and proven to reduce the risk of heart disease. However, for those respondents with less than a college education, the most effective combination would be high nutritional value and the potential to reduce arthritis.Research limitations/implications -The sample size is small -238 respondents. Practical implications -The results can be used to help food marketers offer and promote health benefits of their products. Social implications -More effective marketing of health benefits of foods should increase consumption of healthy foods, which will enhance consumer welfare. Originality/value -Conjoint analysis has not previously been used in studies of this topic. The advantage of conjoint analysis over other analytical techniques is that it incorporates realistic trade-offs when measuring consumer preferences.

Perception of Naturalness of Food Packaging and Its Role in Consumer Product Evaluation

“…More practical considerations stipulate that natural is expressed through the color green, which evokes nature and provokes an emotional reaction, or through the ingredients; natural ingredients help reassure the consumer (Evans et al, 2010). Finally, the information given about the product seems to be important and must be clear and unambiguous (Silayoi & Speece, 2007), mentioning health benefits (Darian & Tucci, 2011) or ecological benefits, in order to reassure consumers in their decision.…”

The Impact of Marketing Mix Elements on Food Buying Behavior: A Study of Supermarket Consumers in Vietnam

“…Additionally, Maruyama and Trung (2007) demonstrate that the underlying reasons for buying fresh food in Vietnamese supermarkets include factors such as brand names, ranges of size and volume, the freshness and the origin of goods. Recently, scholars typically identify food label and package as important determinants of consumer purchasing decision (Akbay & Jones, 2005;Andreas, Panagiotis, & Rodolfo, 2007;Jabir, Sanjeev, & Janakiraman, 2010;Jean & Louis, 2011;Kempen, Bosman, Bouwer, Klein, & van der Merwe, 2011). Hence the following hypothesis has been developed: H1: Product factor has a positive influence on consumer buying behavior.…”

Are Consumer Health Concerns Influencing Direct-From-Producer Purchasing Decisions?

“…The authors found that presence of any illness they examined (cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity) in the respondent's family increased the likelihood of buying foods directly from producers; however, it was not possible to identify which of the specific diseases were driving the purchasing decision as they were aggregated into a single variable. Darian and Tucci (2011) found that high nutritional value and the potential to reduce the risk of cancer or heart disease play a vital role in consumers' purchase intentions. Similarly, Nayga, Lipinski, and Savur (1998) found that consumers, particularly those on special diets, placed importance on nutrition and on following dietary guidelines while shopping.…”