Increasing the Sales of Suboptimal Foods with Sustainability and Authenticity Marketing Strategies

Hooge, Ilona E. de; Giesen, Roxanne I. van; Leijsten, Koen A. H.; Herwaarden, Charlene S. van

doi:10.3390/foods11213420

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Indeed, van Giesen and de Hooge (2019) and Wang et al (2022) found that communicating the naturalness of imperfect fruits (via a label) can increase consumer WTP as much as a price discount can. In a recent field experiment with oddly shaped pears and cucumbers, de Hooge et al (2022) found that sustainability and authenticity messages can not only increase the perceived similarity between suboptimal and optimal products, but also the actual sales. Qi et al (2022) found that dual messages which emphasise the reduction of food waste as well as naturalness and authenticity of the imperfect products, increased WTP significantly (Qi et al, 2022).…”

Section: State Of Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perfect apples or sustainable production?—Consumer perspectives from Germany

Hueppe,

Zander

2023

J of Consumer Behaviour

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In recent years, environmental problems, such as resource depletion and biodiversity loss, have come to the forefront of society's attention. Consumption of fruits and vegetables from extensive production systems could decrease food loss and increase biodiversity and more sustainable resource use. However, fruits and vegetables from extensive production systems are not always of perfect external quality, and hence, rejected by consumers. To increase acceptance of imperfect fruits, this study aims to better understand consumers' perceptions of different levels of imperfections, using apples as an example. An online survey with 842 German consumers investigated associations, important apple‐buying criteria, organic apple consumption, socio‐demographics, and willingness to pay (WTP) for apples with different levels of imperfection. The latter is investigated via contingent valuation. A multiple linear regression was calculated for each level of imperfection. Results show that consumers' WTP for apples differed depending on the level of external imperfections. The majority of consumers accepted slightly imperfect apples; a noticeable share would even buy them at the same price as flawless apples. Apples with heavy imperfections were mainly accepted by consumers who had sustainable buying criteria. To increase acceptance, it is important to tell consumers that their food choice can make an impact on how apples are produced, that imperfect apples come from more sustainable production systems and are of perfect internal quality. And finally, it is important to give specific advice that buying these apples can help to increase sustainable resource use and biodiversity.

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Section: State Of Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perfect apples or sustainable production?—Consumer perspectives from Germany

Hueppe,

Zander

2023

J of Consumer Behaviour

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“…Understanding the motivations behind consumers' decisions to purchase and consume imperfect produce presents a promising approach to combating food waste, with potential benefits spanning various levels of the food supply chain [50]. However, the specific factors influencing the choice to purchase or avoid "ugly" products remain somewhat unclear [51].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Impact of Visual Perception and Taste Experience on Consumers’ Acceptance of Suboptimal Fresh Produce

Elimelech,

Ert,

Parag

et al. 2024

Sustainability

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Consumers’ tendency to avoid purchasing cosmetically “suboptimal” fruits and vegetables has been widely recognized as a significant contributor to food waste. However, the mechanisms that shape and influence this tendency remain largely unknown. The current study evaluates the impact of visual perception and taste experience on willingness to purchase and quality perceptions of fresh produce, focusing on two types of suboptimality: small size and abnormal shape. The study employed a 3 × 2 between-subjects factorial design in which participants indicated their perceived quality and willingness to purchase suboptimal tomatoes and sweet peppers in three informational conditions: viewing the vegetable picture (no taste), view then taste (participants tasted a slice after viewing the vegetable picture), and taste then view. The results revealed that, as expected, the abnormally shaped vegetable was judged less favorably than the normal one. The small-sized vegetable was judged more favorably than the regular one, in contrast to the current size regulations applied by retailers. Tasting significantly increased people’s willingness to purchase the abnormally shaped produce, but had no effect on the willingness to purchase the abnormally sized produce, nor did it impact the perceived quality of the abnormal products. This study highlights consumer bias towards aesthetic qualities and suggests that direct taste experiences can alter perceptions towards accepting visually imperfect produce, thereby contributing to sustainability and food-waste reduction efforts.

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