Buy Three to Waste One? How Real-World Purchase Data Predict Groups of Food Wasters

Sybilla Merian (), Sabrina Stöeckli, Klaus Ludwig Fuchs and Martin Natter
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Sybilla Merian: Department of Business Administration, Chair of Marketing, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
Sabrina Stöeckli: Department of Business Administration, Chair of Marketing, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
Klaus Ludwig Fuchs: Department of Management, Technology and Economics (D-MTEC), ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Martin Natter: Department of Business Administration, Chair of Marketing, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 16, 1-21

Abstract: Approximately one-third of all food produced for human consumption is either lost or wasted. Given the central position of retailers in the supply chain, they have the potential to effectively reduce consumer food waste by implementing targeted interventions. To do so, however, they should target distinct consumer groups. In this research, we use a unique data set comprising the grocery shopping data of customers who use loyalty cards, complemented with food waste reports, to derive three distinct target groups: traditionals , time - constrained , and convenience lovers . Based on the general behavioral change literature, we discuss diverse target group-specific interventions that retailers can implement to reduce consumer food waste. Overall, we pave a research path to examine how retailers and marketing can effectively shift consumer behavior toward more sustainable food and shopping practices and assume responsibility within the food supply chain.

Keywords: food waste; retailer; segmentation; behavior change intervention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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