Retail Meat Managers' Profitability Expectations for Irradiated Red Meats

Abstract

This paper uses data from 40 personal interviews with meat department managers at grocery stores and supermarkets to investigate managers' expectations regarding the profitability potential of irradiated red meats. The study models managers' profitability expectations as a function of attributes and factors such as the meat manager's or store's characteristics, how familiar the meat manager is with irradiation, and opinions held by the manager regarding irradiation's benefits and consumer acceptance.

To Drop or Add: Market Timing and Supermarket Decisions on Irradiated Ground Beef

“…According to several studies, retailers play a "gate-keeping" roie regarding new products (Rao and McLaughlin, 1989;McLaughiin and Rao, 1990;McLaughlin and Fredericks, 1994;Park, 2001). Jensen and Jaenicke (2004) provide one of the few studies that collected attitudinal information on irradiated ground beef directly from retailers. Based on interviews with supermarket meat managers, Jensen and Jaenicke (2004) find that only 20 percent of surveyed managers held negative opinions about the profitability potential for irradiated red meat.…”

“…Jensen and Jaenicke (2004) provide one of the few studies that collected attitudinal information on irradiated ground beef directly from retailers. Based on interviews with supermarket meat managers, Jensen and Jaenicke (2004) find that only 20 percent of surveyed managers held negative opinions about the profitability potential for irradiated red meat. Moreover, they find that profitability opinions were positively related to beliefs that irradiation will result in increased shelf life and substantial time-savings in the meat department.…”