Segmenting Olive Oil Consumers Based on Consumption and Preferences toward Extrinsic, Intrinsic and Sensorial Attributes of Olive Oil

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to identify and describe segments of a study population that consumes olive oil. Therefore, a survey was conducted in 2019 on a sample of 705 German and 175 UK consumers. In both samples, three consumer segments were identified. These three segments differed significantly with regard to purchase and consumption patterns, as well as attitudes toward the extrinsic, intrinsic, sensorial, and health attributes of olive oil. Their main preferences related to health properties of olive oil, followed by hedonic attributes; therefore, these aspects should be marketed in German markets. For UK consumers, validation of extrinsic attributes, such as region, micro-location, and protected designation of geographical origin (PDO), should be used in marketing campaigns in light of economic sustainability on local family farms and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Since UK consumers rely heavily on vendors’ recommendations, more effort should be made in the UK market to establish habits of consumption and an olive oil culture that would be sustainable in long-term time frames.

Consumer Preferences for Origin and Organic Attributes of Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A Choice Experiment in the Italian Market

“…Nevertheless, consumers’ preferences concern not only the agricultural and production processes, but a complex set of product attributes [ 2 ]. Among these are the perceived sensorial quality of olive oil, such as taste, acidity, and fragrance, but also color, country of origin, geographical indication (GI), and the use of olives from organic farming [ 3 ].…”

“…The analysis of the literature findings highlights heterogeneity in olive oil consumption habits not only between traditional new consumer countries, but also across Mediterranean countries (see in particular [ 3 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ]). For instance, Dekhili et al [ 40 ] point out the relevance of oil color in Tunisia and France, while Ribeiro and Santos [ 41 ] focus on Portuguese consumers’ preference for low-acidity oil.…”

“…Moreover, recent studies on food choice and consumption demonstrate that consumers pay attention to the country of origin, suggesting that a certain product image reflects the image of the region or country of production [ 3 , 71 ].…”

No evidence of differential impact of sunflower and rapeseed oil on biomarkers of coronary artery disease or chronic kidney disease in healthy adults with overweight and obesity: result from a randomised control trial

“…Unlike RO and SO, olive trees only grow in a Mediterranean like climate and therefore must be imported to countries out with that area [ 16 ]. Both age and income level are key factors that influence the frequency and amount of olive oil consumed in the UK, with higher income brackets and lower age groups (below 50 years old) contributing most to frequent and occasional olive oil consumption in the UK [ 17 ].…”

Sustainable Configuration of the Tunisian Olive Oil Supply Chain Using a Fuzzy TOPSIS-Based Approach

“…In fact, in numerous studies about olive oil attributes, the concept of country of origin was highlighted as a significant feature for olive oil and other products, such as French wines and cheeses; German beer; Swiss and Belgian chocolate; and Italian wine, cheese, and pasta. Moreover, recent studies on food products have also shown the importance of the country of origin and suggested that a certain product image reflects the image of the region or country of production [8]. Therefore, each olive oil producing country should study their SD as a specific case study.…”