Consumers’ Attitudes Towards Whole Dried Figs Attributes: A Preliminary Study in Italy

Federica Monaco, Pietro De Marinis () and Guido Sali
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Federica Monaco: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, University of Milan, 20133 Milano, Italy
Pietro De Marinis: Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, 20133 Milano, Italy
Guido Sali: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, University of Milan, 20133 Milano, Italy

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 12, 1-15

Abstract: Dried fig production and trade are prominent in Mediterranean and Middle east countries, with Turkey as the major player. Concerns about the quality of Turkish supply in the EU market give chances to the Italian production to uphold quality standards and cope with the increasing demand. National consumption of dried figs is showcased in market reports and nutritional surveys, with insufficient insights on consumers’ preferences. This research combines qualitative and quantitative approaches to enrich the current knowledge and uncover consumers’ attitudes towards whole dried figs. A face-to-face survey was conducted to assess the relevance of selected intrinsic, extrinsic and credence attributes upon purchasing. A hierarchical cluster analysis detected four typologies of consumers and validate previous findings on taste being the prime purchasing driver. Price affects more the behaviour of low-income large families; the groups are featured by contrasting opinions on environmental and societal impacts of dried fig production, and its rootedness to the local context. This allowed to draft some considerations on possible marketing strategies tailored to different consumers.

Keywords: dried figs; consumers’ preferences; cluster analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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