Aleksandra Kowalska, Krzysztof Leoniak, Bartosz Grzegorz Sołowiej
{"title":"Consumers’ attitudes and intentions toward functional beverages: a lesson for producers and retailers","authors":"Aleksandra Kowalska, Krzysztof Leoniak, Bartosz Grzegorz Sołowiej","doi":"10.1007/s40622-024-00395-y","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Functional foods and drinks benefit human health beyond adequate nutritional effects. The rising popularity of functional beverages (FBs) is associated, among others, with their convenience and capacity to meet consumer needs. This research study aimed to explore the predictors of consumers’ intentions toward functional beverages FBs and develop guidelines for how producers and retailers could develop adequate strategies regarding the products. The online questionnaire survey examined consumers’ willingness to purchase (WTP) FBs in three categories: (i) yogurts, kefirs; (ii) isotonic, hypertonic, and hypotonic drinks; (iii) smoothie drinks, and fruit/vegetable cocktails. The questionnaire considered consumers’ values, attitudes, and intentions toward FBs. A four-stage hierarchical multiple regression was undertaken. Predictors of WTP products from the selected groups differed. Women were more willing to buy fruit and vegetable-based FBs than men. Reward from using functional foods was the strongest predictor of consumers’ WTP dairy FBs and sports drinks. We suggest conducting an experimental study in the future, which should allow us to best determine cause-and-effect relationships between values and attitudes and WTP FBs. Food habits are essential determinants of consumer intentions toward FBs; hence, we suggest promoting healthy nutrition habits within public–private partnerships. Retailers that offer health foods and employ societal retailing may disclose this information in sustainability reporting. The originality of this study resides in designing a model for assessing consumers’ attitudes and intentions toward FBs belonging to three selected categories. Previous studies were usually focused on the functional food market in Asian countries. We examined consumers’ WTP FBs in a European country.</p>","PeriodicalId":43923,"journal":{"name":"Decision","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Decision","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40622-024-00395-y","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"MANAGEMENT","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Functional foods and drinks benefit human health beyond adequate nutritional effects. The rising popularity of functional beverages (FBs) is associated, among others, with their convenience and capacity to meet consumer needs. This research study aimed to explore the predictors of consumers’ intentions toward functional beverages FBs and develop guidelines for how producers and retailers could develop adequate strategies regarding the products. The online questionnaire survey examined consumers’ willingness to purchase (WTP) FBs in three categories: (i) yogurts, kefirs; (ii) isotonic, hypertonic, and hypotonic drinks; (iii) smoothie drinks, and fruit/vegetable cocktails. The questionnaire considered consumers’ values, attitudes, and intentions toward FBs. A four-stage hierarchical multiple regression was undertaken. Predictors of WTP products from the selected groups differed. Women were more willing to buy fruit and vegetable-based FBs than men. Reward from using functional foods was the strongest predictor of consumers’ WTP dairy FBs and sports drinks. We suggest conducting an experimental study in the future, which should allow us to best determine cause-and-effect relationships between values and attitudes and WTP FBs. Food habits are essential determinants of consumer intentions toward FBs; hence, we suggest promoting healthy nutrition habits within public–private partnerships. Retailers that offer health foods and employ societal retailing may disclose this information in sustainability reporting. The originality of this study resides in designing a model for assessing consumers’ attitudes and intentions toward FBs belonging to three selected categories. Previous studies were usually focused on the functional food market in Asian countries. We examined consumers’ WTP FBs in a European country.
期刊介绍:
The aim of the Journal, Decision, is to publish qualitative, quantitative, survey-based, simulation-based research articles at the national and sub-national levels. While there is no stated regional focus of the journal, we are more interested in examining if and how individuals, firms and governments in emerging economies may make decisions differently. Published for the management scholars, business executives and managers, the Journal aims to advance the management research by publishing empirically and theoretically grounded articles in management decision making process. The Editors aim to provide an efficient and high-quality review process to the authors.
The Journal accepts submissions in several formats such as original research papers, case studies, review articles and book reviews (book reviews are only by invitation).
The Journal welcomes research-based, original and insightful articles on organizational, individual, socio-economic-political, environmental decision making with relevance to theory and practice of business. It also focusses on the managerial decision-making challenges in private, public, private-public partnership and non-profit organizations. The Journal also encourages case studies that provide a rich description of the business or societal contexts in managerial decision-making process including areas – but not limited to – conflict over natural resources, product innovation and copyright laws, legislative or policy change, socio-technical embedding of financial markets, particularly in developing economy, an ethnographic understanding of relations at a workplace, or social network in marketing management, etc.
Research topics covered in the Journal include (but not limited to):
Finance and Accounting
Organizational Theory and Behavior
Decision Science
Public Policy-Economic Insights
Operation Management
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Information Technology and Systems Management
Optimization and Modelling
Supply Chain Management
Data Analytics
Marketing Management
Human Resource Management