Understanding Consumer Behaviour to Develop Competitive Advantage: A Case Study Exploring the Attitudes of German Consumers towards Fruits with Cosmetic Flaws

Federico G. Topolansky Barbe, Philip von Dewitz and Magdalena M. Gonzalez Triay

International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 2017, vol. 7, issue 6, 554-580

Abstract: Worldwide, there is a great contradiction when it comes to food waste. On the one hand, it is estimated that up to 40 % of the globally produced food is lost or wasted every year, on the other hand about 925 million people suffer from malnutrition. In addition, food production has to be increased by 70 % to feed a population of 9 billion people in 2050. Due to these estimations, it becomes increasingly important to start initiatives to reduce food waste and its impact on natural resources. One reason why fruits and vegetables are wasted in developed countries is aesthetic standards set by retailers. Aesthetic standards regulate the shape and appearance of fruits and vegetables. Retailers have set these standards based on the assumption that consumers are only willing to buy fruits and vegetables without any cosmetic flaws. The result is that produce which are misshapen are sorted out in advance and go to waste. Within this context, this paper has two main objectives: first, to explore the attitudes of consumers towards fruits and vegetables with cosmetic flaws; and second, to unveil how these attitudes influence consumers’ purchase intentions.

Keywords: Food Waste; Competitiveness; Consumer Behavior; Germany; Misshapen Fruits (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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