Showing papers in "British Food Journal in 1998"
TL;DR: This paper explored how retailers use perceived risk in their strategies and developed the links between store attributes and risk dimensions, and discussed how the risk concept can be used by food retailers as well as presenting some ideas for future research.
Abstract: The power and usefulness of perceived risk theory in understanding shoppers’ behaviour has been demonstrated many times over recent years in the UK by the numerous food scares. The article explores how retailers use perceived risk in their strategies and develops the links between store attributes and risk dimensions. This re‐interpretation of previous store‐image studies provides a new conceptual framework for understanding store image and deepens our knowledge of how risk and risk‐reduction are operationalised in practice. The paper also reviews some evidence on factors which affect shoppers’ risk perceptions, e.g. age, gender, group discussion, brand name and shopping channel and discusses how the risk concept can be used by food retailers as well as presenting some ideas for future research.
197 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the significance of the marketing functions of a pack and the perceptual processes of consumers in their information search concerning pack design and labelling in marketing research is examined. But the authors focus on the design of food packaging and label copy to provide a company with a competitive advantage.
Abstract: This paper illustrates how an understanding of consumer models, psychological processes and the appropriate use of marketing research techniques can help in the design of food packaging and label copy to provide a company with a competitive advantage. The paper examines the significance of the marketing functions of a pack and the perceptual processes of consumers in their information search concerning pack design and labelling in marketing research. Case study material is introduced to help illustrate the main points.
164 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used data from four empirical studies to test hypotheses about heavy wine users with the objective of developing a comprehensive model of heavy usage, and found that heavy users were more likely to be interested in and involved with wine.
Abstract: A common approach to analysing markets and selecting the most profitable target consumers is to identify and focus on the heavy users. Although this is a widely used practice in food marketing, no general theory describes the characteristics of heavy users of food products. The purpose of this paper is to use data from four empirical studies to test hypotheses about heavy wine users with the objective of developing a comprehensive model of heavy usage. The topics of the surveys were wine attitudes and behaviours. Data came from samples of students and adult US consumers. The findings showed consistently that heavy wine users were more likely to be interested in and involved with wine. When compared with studies of heavy users in other product fields, the beginnings of a general model of heavy usage that focuses on product involvement rather than demographics can be proposed.
105 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identify and describe the determinants of consumer attitudes towards artisanal cheeses within the speciality cheese market and the reasons behind the growing interest in this premium value sector as evinced by two surveys of specialist food retailers and artisanal cheese consumers.
Abstract: This paper aims to identify and describe the determinants of consumer attitudes towards artisanal cheeses within the speciality cheese market and the reasons behind the growing interest in this premium value sector as evinced by two surveys of specialist food retailers and artisanal cheese consumers. The survey results obtained are presented in the context of a changing consumption culture and the concept of an emerging “postmodern” consumerism. Artisanal cheese consumers focus on the unique characteristics of the products and their distinctive character in relation to mass produced industrial cheeses. Price and functional properties of artisanal cheeses are less important in the consumer purchase decision. Artisanal cheese consumers are characterised by “variety seeking” behaviour. This is stimulated by the broad range of available flavours, tastes and cheese types and suggests a low degree of brand or even cheese‐type loyalty among such consumers. The “plural” nature of the “speciality” cheese market accommodates well the highly individual and fragmented requirements of consumers of artisanal cheeses.
95 citations
TL;DR: The authors explored food consumption experiences of an ethnic minority group, the British Pakistanis in Bradford, UK, and found that the first generation of British Pakistani perceive their own food to be traditional, tasty but oily and problematic.
Abstract: The paper explores food consumption experiences of an ethnic minority group ‐ the British‐Pakistanis in Bradford, UK. The paper looks at the way the British Pakistanis perceive their food, and at their perception of English food in the UK. In doing so the paper identifies some important generational and gender differences in food consumption experiences. The first generation of British‐Pakistanis perceive their own food to be traditional, tasty but oily and problematic. The English foods are perceived by the same generation as foreign, bland, but healthy. The young generation of British‐Pakistanis is increasingly consuming mainstream English foods while also consuming traditional Pakistani food. The paper draws on participant observation and in‐depth interviews with British‐Pakistanis in Bradford.
87 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue for a biographical and geographical understanding of foods and food choice, and conclude that a structural ambivalence can be identified, such that consumers have both a need to know and an impulse to forget the origins of the foods they eat.
Abstract: This article argues for a biographical and geographical understanding of foods and food choice. It suggests that such an approach highlights one of the most compelling characteristics of food ‐ that being the way in which it connects the wide worlds of an increasingly internationalised food system into the intimate space of the home and the body. More specifically, and based on ongoing empirical research with 12 households in inner north London, the article explores one aspect of food biographies, through an interlinked consideration of what consumers know of the origins of foods and consumers’ reactions to systems of food provision. It concludes that a structural ambivalence can be identified, such that consumers have both a need to know and an impulse to forget the origins of the foods they eat.
82 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present the need for the European agribusiness and food industries to redesign and reposition their activities in the food supply chain, both at a technical and organizational level, in order to achieve customer satisfaction and business efficiency.
Abstract: Presents the need for the European agribusiness and food industries to redesign and reposition their activities in the food supply chain, both at a technical and organizational level, in order to achieve customer satisfaction and business efficiency. Focuses on the findings of ten supply chain projects in the Dutch horticultural sector and on the results of a benchmarking project in five different European countries. Describes the activities of the “Agri Chain Competence” programme in The Netherlands. Stresses that more attention should be paid to international food supply chains and that chain reversal asks for new methods, tools and expertise on chain analysis and chain
65 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored the link between store attributes and store loyalty, using Kelly's repertory grid methodology to assess the store images of three UK grocery retailers, and found that important differences were seen between primary store-loyal customers' perception of their store and secondary store-non-Loyal customers's perception of that store.
Abstract: Gaining competitive advantage in retailing requires knowledge of the attributes consumers use to evaluate stores and an understanding of why these attributes are important. Although a number of store‐image studies have identified store attributes, evidence suggests that these attributes vary by store type and over time, but no work has considered the most crucial aspects to retailers, namely store loyalty. As no study has examined the links between store attributes and store loyalty, our knowledge remains largely speculative. This article explores this link using Kelly′s repertory grid methodology to assess the store images of three UK grocery retailers. Important differences were seen between primary store‐loyal customers’ perception of their store and secondary store‐loyal customers’ perception of that store. For example, primary‐loyal Tesco customers perceived quality, convenience and value factors in that order of importance, whilst primary‐loyal Kwik‐Save customers perceived quality, value and convenience factors when considering Tesco. Implications for retail positioning strategies and the development of store loyalty are discussed.
48 citations
TL;DR: A series of studies are outlined in which an intervention that combines video‐based peer modelling with rewards has been shown to be very effective in enabling children to eat a variety of fruit and vegetables that previously they rejected.
Abstract: There is widespread concern that children consume too few fruit and vegetables and as a result are likely to incur health problems. This paper outlines a series of studies in which an intervention that combines video‐based peer modelling with rewards has been shown to be very effective in enabling children to eat a variety of fruit and vegetables that previously they rejected. These effects have been very substantial and long lasting. The procedure has been used successfully in children’s own homes and, as this paper shows in particular detail, in school settings.
47 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors looked at the use of consumer competitions, one of the most popular non-price promotional tools, with a survey of 1,232 competitions which were jointly or wholly sponsored by food retailers.
Abstract: Although the food retail market has continued to grow steadily during the 1990s, the number of retail outlets forced out of business has also increased. In order to remain competitive, the food retailer needs to make full use of all the “tools” within the marketing management toolkit. Sales promotion, although a popular marketing tool, has never enjoyed the academic scrutiny afforded to the more glamorous field of advertising. Research that has been done has tended to concentrate on price‐based promotions. These have been the most popular among food retailers, as in many other markets, but there is growing awareness that non‐price‐based promotions can add value for the consumer while meeting a range of marketing communications objectives. This article looks at the use of consumer competitions, one of the most popular non‐price promotional tools, with a survey of 1,232 competitions which were jointly or wholly sponsored by food retailers.
47 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a sociological study of eating out in the UK is presented, where the authors discuss the relationship between social scientific and other forms of practical knowledge about consumption, and argue that too determined a practical focus to the study of consumer behaviour is likely to compromise understanding.
Abstract: This paper reflects on a sociological study of eating out in the UK. After a brief resume of the study and its main empirical findings it addresses questions about the relationship between social scientific and other forms of practical knowledge about consumption. In the context of a process referred to as the commercialisation of mental life, the paper isolates a number of features which distinguish sociological from market research approaches to the topic. It is argued that too determined a practical focus to the study of consumer behaviour is likely to compromise understanding.
TL;DR: In this article, current developments in Internet retailing and shopping and specifically in food retailing are reviewed and a review of the issues that need to be addressed before electronic retailing takes a significant market share from traditional retailing is presented.
Abstract: How fast will Internet shopping grow? Many retailers are currently developing a presence in the Internet shopping arena because they wish to be, and to be seen to be, at the forefront of technological innovation. Before electronic retailing takes a significant market share from traditional retailing there are a number of issues that need to be addressed. This article explores these issues in the context of food shopping and retailing. Current developments in Internet retailing and shopping and specifically in food retailing are reviewed.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on assessing the implications of effective branding within the context of the overall marketing strategies of brewers, and use the Boston Consulting Group Matrix (BCG) to illustrate the role of branding in product management within the competitive beer market.
Abstract: Seeks to emphasise the importance of branding in the European beer market. Attention is consigned to assessing the implications of effective branding within the context of the overall marketing strategies of brewers. To facilitate a comprehension of this, studies of three key players in the European beer market ‐ Bass plc, Carlsberg A/S, Heineken NV ‐ are utilised to exemplify the issues outlined. Practical applications of the product life cycle (PLC), and Boston Consulting Group Matrix (BCG) are then employed to illustrate the role of branding in product management within the competitive beer market. Reference to the European beer market is given at the beginning, as it facilitates a better understanding of the industry as a whole.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the food choice implications of food store expansion in the UK and present alternative interpretations of the contemporary food store development dynamic, and assesses the food choices implications of these developments.
Abstract: Tightened UK land‐use planning regulation governing retail development, specifically the 1993 and 1996 revisions of the Department of the Environment’s PPG6 Town Centres and Retail Developments, appeared to usher in a new era of more restricted and redirected food store expansion. This paper explores to what extent that restriction and redirection has occurred, sifts rhetoric from “reality” in the intense debates that have surrounded PPG6, poses alternative interpretations of the contemporary food store development dynamic, and assesses the food choice implications of these developments.
TL;DR: It is concluded that women’s infant feeding decisions represent their attempts to reconcile these symbolic and practical tasks and that educational and other interventions which ignore these competing agendas are likely to fail.
Abstract: Many food choices are not centrally concerned with food and, even where they are, they do not necessarily relate to the nutritional functions of food. In this paper we report on the findings of a longitudinal interview study of infant feeding practices among first‐time mothers. In feeding their babies, mothers are engaged in a number of different projects, some of which conflict with expert guidance on the nutritional benefits of feeding babies in particular ways. We report on the symbolic and practical purposes which feeding babies in particular ways can serve for women, as they seek to combine infant feeding with their other responsibilities not only as mothers but more generally inside and outside the home. We conclude that women’s infant feeding decisions represent their attempts to reconcile these symbolic and practical tasks and that educational and other interventions which ignore these competing agendas are likely to fail.
TL;DR: Blind substitution of aspartame‐sweetened for sugar‐ sweetened soft drinks did not increase other sugar consumption and did not adversely affect mood, and any effects of this dietary change appear transient.
Abstract: It has been suggested that habitual consumers of sugar experience “cravings” when deprived. Subjects (n = 27) who habitually consumed sugar‐sweetened drinks were placed on a seven‐day regime receiving either sugar‐sweetened drinks, or aspartame‐sweetened alternatives. A between‐subjects design was used to prevent subjects comparing the drinks, which were given blind with the cover story that the study was testing a new drink. In fact commercial carbonated beverages were given. At the end, subjects were unable to guess which they had received. Subjects completed a prospective food diary and rated mood daily using the Profile of Mood States, as well as before and after each test drink, using simple visual analogue scales. Compared to subsequent days, on the first day of the study subjects receiving aspartame‐sweetened drinks ate fewer grams of carbohydrate and had fewer sugar episodes (where sugars, or sugar‐fat, or sugar‐alcohol mixtures were consumed). Overall energy intake for the day was unaffected. By day two, there were no differences between the groups in diet or mood. Body weight at seven days was unaltered from baseline. Blind substitution of aspartame‐sweetened for sugar‐sweetened soft drinks did not increase other sugar consumption and did not adversely affect mood. Any effects of this dietary change appear transient.
TL;DR: In this paper, the suitability of the UK as a possible niche market for a speciality Portuguese smoked sausage (Chourico de Portalegre) was investigated, with the help of secondary and primary research.
Abstract: This paper describes the findings of a research project which investigated the suitability of the UK as a possible niche market for a speciality Portuguese smoked sausage (Chourico de Portalegre). The paper begins with a discussion of niche marketing theory, and proposes three criteria which a potential niche market should adhere to. These criteria are then used as a means of assessing the potential of the UK as a niche market, with the help of secondary and primary research. Results show that the Chourico de Portalegre has an appropriate mix of qualities for niche marketing in the UK, but that issues of intermediary and customer knowledge and communication of product benefits need to be overcome.The findings have important implications for retailers of speciality meat products in the UK.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined how purchase involvement theory can be used to assist marketing management in making more effective marketing mix decisions, using examples from the Greek market for cheese, where product profiles are constructed for varieties of cheese and their usefulness as a segmentation tool is discussed.
Abstract: The article examines how purchase involvement theory can be used to assist marketing management in making more effective marketing mix decisions. The relationships between product purchase involvement and its antecedents are analysed, using examples from the Greek market for cheese. Mechanisms for measuring purchase involvement are identified. Product profiles are constructed for varieties of cheese and their usefulness as a segmentation tool is discussed. Implications of the results for marketing management and areas for further research are identified.
TL;DR: A survey of 400 respondents in the urban regions of Gent (Belgium) and Olsztyn (Poland) revealed statistically significant differences in consumption frequency, perception of product attributes and consumer attitude and preference towards yoghurt as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The recent history of Poland is characterised by the process of transition from the centrally planned to a market‐oriented economy and by the new challenge of preparing for joining the EU. Several authors indicate that Polish consumers are more and more similar to European consumers in terms of consumer behaviour. The research under consideration aims to identify similarities and differences between Polish and Belgian consumers with respect to consumer behaviour towards yoghurt. The choice of the dairy product yoghurt as a research subject is based on its remarkable consumption increase and product innovation rate during the previous decade. A survey of 400 respondents in the urban regions of Gent (Belgium) and Olsztyn (Poland) reveals statistically significant differences in consumption frequency, perception of product attributes and consumer attitude and preference towards yoghurt. The process of cross‐national data gathering and analysis identifies topics of interest to food companies and marketeers seeking to enter markets in Central and Eastern Europe.
TL;DR: In this article, the results of a recent online survey of consumer attitudes toward selected US online storefronts marketing barbecue sauce, cheese, olive oil, and potato chips as well as international companies marketing an assortment of specialty food products were reported.
Abstract: This paper reports the results of a recent online survey of consumer attitudes toward selected US online storefronts marketing barbecue sauce, cheese, olive oil, and potato chips as well as international companies marketing an assortment of specialty food products. It describes the relationship between consumer attitudes toward a commercial WWW site and likelihood of purchase as well as demographic factors which are related to online purchasing behavior of food and drink products.
TL;DR: Reports on the diverse standards of hygiene found in a cross‐section of food service establishments in south‐east Queensland, Australia suggest that there are major challenges ahead in devising a national food hygiene standard which will be accepted and be implemented by this sector.
Abstract: The increasing incidence of food‐borne diseases emphasises the importance of improving and maintaining a high standard of food safety in food service establishments. Currently, a proposal to develop an Australian national food hygiene standard based on the hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP), principles, is being discussed by major stakeholders with a view to improving the standard of food safety. Notes that food service representatives are naturally supportive of high standards of food safety, but feel the costs associated with HACCP‐based food safety are prohibitive for small businesses, and they advocate that the costs of staff training in food safety be borne by the entry level employee. Reports on the diverse standards of hygiene found in a cross‐section of food service establishments in south‐east Queensland, Australia. Hygiene standards were found to be satisfactory in only ten of the 19 sites surveyed. Small restaurants and hotel/clubs compared unfavourably with larger food service providers, (which included cafeterias, hospitals, resorts and a contract airline caterer). As the food service industry is still dominated by small operations, these findings suggest that there are major challenges ahead in devising a national food hygiene standard which will be accepted and be implemented by this sector.
TL;DR: Analysis of national household survey data and demand modelling based on the Almost Ideal Demand System analyses the economic and demographic factors influencing Scotland’s diet and shows that Scots are slowly moving from a diet rich in fat and cholesterol to a more healthy diet containing more white meat and fruit and vegetables.
Abstract: Scotland has one of the worst records in the western world for Coronary Heart Disease. The problem is to a large extent diet‐related. The Scottish Office has, therefore, set out a diet plan for Scotland. Its recommendations to the public are in terms of individual foodstuffs. This study using national household survey data and demand modelling based on the Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) analyses the economic and demographic factors influencing Scotland’s diet. The analysis shows that Scots are slowly moving from a diet rich in fat and cholesterol to a more healthy diet containing more white meat and fruit and vegetables. Part of the problem is income‐related with the wealthiest segment of the population having the best diet. Age is also a factor with the older people consuming a diet more suitable to the period of heavy industrial labour in which they were brought up.
TL;DR: There does not seem to be a clear international “lead” nation regulatory model for health claims, and this suggests global economies of scale are elusive for product development and marketing based on health claims.
Abstract: Enormous variation exists internationally in the regulation of nutrition and health messages on the food label. For the consumer, the health claim on the label becomes a value‐added point of product differentiation. Therefore, for the food industry, access to a health claim is a key marketing variable. It is important to understand the role of the public policy process in establishing health claims as developing nations mature and choose an approval process to advance their own food regulatory environment. Their choice of approach, and the type of participants contributing to the process, will influence the type of health claim outcome and the latitude of marketing permitted on the food label. This paper identifies and compares the regulatory approaches, in effect in early 1977, used to establish health claims in Japan, Australia and the European Union. There does not seem to be a clear international “lead” nation regulatory model for health claims, and this suggests global economies of scale are elusive for product development and marketing based on health claims.
TL;DR: This article analyzed data from the British Health and Lifestyles Survey of 1984/5 and the follow-up survey of 1992 and found that social class, age, and gender are significant determinants of taste in both time periods.
Abstract: The paper analyses data from the British Health and Lifestyles Survey of 1984/5 and the follow‐up survey of 1992. It attempts to break down a large number of food consumption patterns into a smaller number of interpretable factors or tastes which are then used in statistical regression models to analyse the determinants and changes in the strengths of these tastes over time. The results show that the nature of change has been contradictory when looked at from a health‐based perspective. Some tastes are changing in a healthier direction, while others are not. Social class, age, and gender are all shown to be significant determinants of taste in both time periods.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors classify the consumers in Navarra into homogeneous groups for the purpose of discovering the emergence of a new consumer, characterized by certain "impulsive" behaviour such as buying items that are not needed, purchasing products which will not be used, etc.
Abstract: Based on the responses to a questionnaire about consumer behaviour carried out in Navarra. The aim of the present study is to classify the consumers in Navarra into homogeneous groups for the purpose of discovering the emergence of a “new consumer”, characterized by certain “impulsive” behaviour such as buying items that are not needed, purchasing products which will not be used, etc.
TL;DR: The life history of the British Food Journal is described, its changing editorial team, ownership and editorial focus, in particular the history and development of the Society of Public Analysts and the profession and role of the public analyst.
Abstract: Describes the life history of the British Food Journal, its changing editorial team, ownership and editorial focus. The authors have used much wider source material than the archives of the journal, now in its 100th year. The journal was always closely identified with the safety of food, its adulteration and the government’s duty to safeguard the public. The second section reviews the profession and role of the public analyst, in particular the history and development of the Society of Public Analysts. The next and longest section of the monograph is devoted to an interesting examination of food safety, nutrition and food manufacturing issues over the last 100 years. Many of the points raised are illustrated by excerpts from papers written in BFJ and included as Appendices to the monograph. Food irradiation was first raised as a subject in the journal in 1928! Bread and milk as staples in the British diet are looked at in some detail in terms of their ingredients and health properties. Some appendices have been included just for interest and provide brief snapshots of some of the main food concerns of the time, e.g. The Pure Food Society, the food we eat, food poisoning, a world food policy, the packaging of foods, food hygiene. Plus ca change ...
TL;DR: Using basket analysis, a methodology is presented to investigate the healthiness of particular household diets, finding that 8 per cent of households had diets that were labelled “unhealthy”, based on standard recommendations for healthy eating.
Abstract: Using basket analysis, a methodology is presented to investigate the healthiness of particular household diets. The analysis was applied to “Homescan” panel data relating to 11,000 households. This breakdown was then cross‐related to geodemographic classifications using “MOSAIC” groups. The degree or extent of unhealthiness was determined on the basis of percentage swing away from recommended dietary patterns in terms of indicator foods belonging to five groups (dairy, meat, vegetables, fruit and bread and cereals). The consumption of fats was also monitored. It was found that 8 per cent of households had diets that were labelled “unhealthy”, based on standard recommendations for healthy eating. A further 20 per cent of households had “relatively unhealthy” diets. The majority of these households were shown to belong to the “suburban semis” group in the MOSAIC classification.
TL;DR: The authors found that frequent label users are label-oriented, nutrition-prone, advertising lovers, in the age group 35-50, and they read both English and Chinese, whereas the non-frequent label users were home-oriented and can read only Chinese.
Abstract: Though the Pacific‐rim countries like China, Hong Kong and ASEAN countries will soon constitute an economic power comparable to that of North America and Europe, most of the empirical work on food labelling is related to the US and UK consumers. Research into nutrition label usage in a Chinese socio‐cultural context is not found. To redress this imbalance, this study attempts to appreciate the use of nutrition information labels by Chinese consumers in Hong Kong. The research results reveal that the frequent label users are label‐oriented, nutrition‐prone, advertising lovers, in the age group 35‐50, and they read both English and Chinese, whereas the non‐frequent label users are home‐oriented and can read only Chinese.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the potential for application of statistical process control within the industry, and present the results of a nationwide survey of 200 food processing companies, indicating relatively low levels of SPC usage.
Abstract: Statistical process control (SPC) is a common feature of quality control in most high volume manufacturing processes. In the food industry, while there is no explicit compulsion for organisations to make use of SPC techniques, their usage can accrue the same benefits as in other industry sectors. Discusses the potential for application of SPC within the industry, and presents the results of a nationwide survey of 200 food processing companies, indicating relatively low levels of SPC usage. Three case studies are presented, which outline three typical approaches to SPC in the food sector, e.g., those organisations which make effective use of SPC in some form; those that do not perceive a need for it; and those that recognise its potential, but are unable to implement it effectively, owing to a lack of in-house expertise or advisory literature. Suggests ways in which the use of SPC might be promoted and encouraged within the industry.
TL;DR: This article focuses on a case study of food and eating practices in a co‐educational, multi‐ethnic primary school and illustrates discrepancies between the formal curriculum for food and the actual food consumed in school.
Abstract: This article focuses on a case study of food and eating practices in a co‐educational, multi‐ethnic primary school. It illustrates discrepancies between the formal curriculum for food and the actual food consumed in school. Themes to be explored further are children’s understandings about meals and snacks and the cultural significance attached to each.