Food Values, Satisfaction, and Loyalty: Some Evidence in Grocery Retailing Acquired during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Recent evidence illuminates the importance of relatively new concepts in grocery retailing, such as the concept of food values. The present work aims at analyzing the influence of: (i) food values on key non-financial results, particularly satisfaction and loyalty; and (ii) satisfaction on loyalty. The paper makes a further delineation for both satisfaction and loyalty (i.e., with the product and with the grocery store), as well as considers the potential implications derived from the COVID-19 pandemic. With these objectives in mind, the paper distributed an online survey to the residents of Toledo (Spain) during April and May 2020 (a period characterized by a national lockdown, where grocery stores and essential business were open to the public). This effort produced 303 valid questionnaires and the resulting data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics alongside linear parametric regressions. The findings show how food values have a positive and significant influence on both types of satisfaction and loyalty; there is also a significant and positive influence of both types of satisfaction on both types of loyalty. Moreover, the results corroborate previous works about the most influential food values. These findings highlight the importance of considering food values in grocery retailing in order to achieve key non-financial benefits. The paper ends with a discussion of several interesting managerial guidelines, particularly in light of situations like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Comparing Models with Positive Anticipated Emotions, Food Values, Attitudes and Subjective Norms as Influential Factors in Fast-Food Purchase Intention during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Two Channels: Restaurants and Mobile Apps

“…According to Martínez-Ruíz and Gómez-Cantó (2016) [33], Izquierdo-Yusta et al (2020) [34] and Muro-Rodríguez et al (2021) [35], product attributes can highly influence a product choice. Consumers assign a level of importance to certain product features, which could positively or negatively affect the purchase decision process.…”

“…Such food values are emblematic of Marketing 3.0 approaches, which emphasize treating individuals as full human beings rather than as mere consumers. This is also known as the valuesdriven era because marketing decisions often try to incorporate consumers' personal values [35]. In recent years, scholars have connected food values to emotions and attitude, with the goal of enhancing the relationship between food values and purchase intention [15].…”

A Review of the Literature on Food Values and Their Potential Implications for Consumers’ Food Decision Processes

“…In another study focused on the Czech Republic, consumers were revealed to devote more attention to the nutritional value and the composition, as well as the food's origin [35]. To conclude the discussion of the studies in Europe, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a quantitative article from Spain [36] revealed that among grocery store consumers, food values have a positive and significant influence on non-financial results such as satisfaction and loyalty.…”

In search of restaurant excellence in Peru: key insights on food values

“…Finally, “Natural Food-Safe (NFS)” includes naturalness and safety and accounted for 7.859% of variance; the name of this factor corresponds to the two values it includes. The EAS factor is similar to the first factor called Consumer Ethics Value, which Muro-Rodriguez et al . (2021) identified using the same thirteen food value variables in a database collected in the context of food retailing during the pandemic (specifically collected between 15 April and 4 May 2020) in Spain.…”

“…We also incorporated the two variables introduced by Bazzani et al. (2018) (novelty and animal welfare), as done by Muro-Rodriguez et al. (2021).…”