RISULTATI RICERCA

This conceptual paper presents a model that may be used to redress the power balance between retailers and suppliers in the supply chain through better information symmetry and mutual dependence. It explores power dependence and resource dependence theories to conceptualise the use of demand information, by drawing on the diverse viewpoints within the extant literature on the effect of supply chain power asymmetry on exchange relationships and mutual dependence.Co-optation adds stability and reduces uncertainty through the exchange of resources. The dynamic nature of relationships and power between retailers and suppliers requires a multi-theory approach to identify a robust understanding of the interplay of different influence factors. This study has both operational and strategic implications for the food supply chain, as power asymmetry in relationships affects sustainability, especially in sales promotions periods for both retailers and suppliers.Improving power equilibrium between the buyer and supplier through information symmetry with the integration of power and resource dependence theory is novel.

The transition towards deregulated energy markets requires a dynamic participation by consumers. Yet, in many European countries, a high degree of consumer inertia is observed: the rate of switching to new tariffs and providers is far from being satisfactory. Neoclassical consumer choice models cannot explain this phenomenon, unless assuming that perceived transactions costs are disproportionately high. This paper discusses how more realistic assumptions about consumer behavior can help interpret low switching rates. In particular, it examines psychological aspects (e.g., loss aversion, present bias, ambiguity aversion) and cognitive biases (e.g., choice overload, overconfidence) that can explain consumer stickiness in energy markets. Different behavioral traits point at different policy interventions. Therefore, such analysis illustrates how crucial it is that policy-makers aiming at reducing consumer inertia take these behavioral aspects into account and make use of experimental testing when laying out interventions.

Nonostante si parli molto di consumer journey e consumer experience, una larga parte dei contributi sul tema è stata prodotta da professionisti e operatori di settore. La letteratura scientifica si è invece sviluppata in maniera significativa soltanto nell’ultimo decennio ed è ancora caratterizzata da un certo grado di confusione e ambiguità, sia a livello concettuale che semantico. Il volume si propone dunque di fare chiarezza in questo ambito di studio, fornendo una lettura ragionata dei filoni teorici che hanno portato al suo sviluppo.

This research aims to investigate attitudes, motivations and purchasing behaviour and identify consumer segments among Earth Market`s shoppers. The Earth Markets® are a particular type of Farmers' Markets which are organized and promoted by Slow Food® association. Thus, in the Earth Markets® the criteria of the Slow Food philosophy may play an important role to define the profile of Earth Market’s® shoppers. We conducted a survey on a sample of 185 consumers who buy food products at the Earth Market of Bologna in Italy during fall 2011. Data were analyzed using descriptive, bivariate and multivariate statistics. Results show that consumers perceive food products of the Earth Market® as tasty, high quality, fresh, local, seasonal and safe. Social and environmental aspects are the main factors that drive consumers to buy at the Earth Market. Three consumer segments were identified, described and discussed. Suggestions and recommendations for farmers, Slow Food® association and policy makers are provided.

Integrated Production has been applied in Brazil since 1998/99 aiming to mitigate the negative environmental impact of intensive production areas, and to improve the quality of the beans produced. Economic and market analysis is fundamental in providing adequate and better understanding of the likely response of potential buyers regarding this kind of product, especially when a premium price is feasible. The objective of this study was to analyse consumer perception of beans with a hypothetical integrated production label and estimate consumer willingnessto-pay for labelled beans. Data was collected from a sample of 160 consumers living in Goiânia, Brazil, using a questionnaire survey based on a discrete choice approach. The attributes (and levels) used in the choice experiment were label (IP labeled vs. conventional), price (3 levels), and brand (preferred vs. fictitious). Multinomial logit and mixed logit models were used to analyze data. The findings indicate that consumers are sensitive to the presence of the hypothetical label and are willing to pay more for IP certified beans. Thus, there could be an unmet demand for safe and sustainable food products because consumers apparently prefer the certified alternative, even when the brand is known and price is higher.

Albania has the potential to develop quality products given its cultural, climatic and territorial diversity. Moreover, consumers’ sensitivity to the origin of agrofood products, the huge variety of products, the growing integration of farms into the market, combined with on-going improvements in the legal and institutional framework regarding Protected Designation of Origin (pdo) and Protected Geographical Indications (pgi) indicate that these quality schemes are valid options for the maintenance of the agricultural sector in Albania, especially in mountainous areas. This study is based on a structured survey including 269 face-to-face interviews which were conducted in Tirana during summer 2013. According to the study results, most consumers’ choice of products is based on their origin (domestic versus imported), with a preference for domestic products. Also, within the domestic product group, there are significant differences in perceptions based on which region of Albania they were produced in - most interviewees stated that the region/ area of origin is either important or very important when choosing to buy Albanian products. There is a clear pattern of regional preferences for various food products, including most notably cheese. Based on association of typical product to specific regions, Protected Designation of Origin or Protected Geographical Indications can be promoted.

Yogurt is one of the main products of dairy industry in Albania. The dairy sector is considered a priority sector by the government in the context of agriculture and rural development given also the large number of farmers and other actors who are part of this value chain. This study assesses consumer preferences for yogurt in urban areas of Tirana, Albania with special focus on food safety related certification. The paper applies conjoint choice analysis based on a face-to-face survey with 250 consumers. According to the findings, consumers prefer domestic yogurt with low fat content and with food safety certification. The results of this study provide valuable market information to dairy value chain actors and policymakers, related to yogurt market development including food product safety (and quality) certification.

New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) present an opportunity to enhance plant resistance to parasites or diseases, reducing dependence on agrochemicals, and to extreme climatic events such as heavy rainfall or long periods of drought, thus fostering better adaptation to climate change. However, the diffusion of these techniques may encounter obstacles deriving from the reluctance of farmers, who have to sustain costs in the introduction of new technologies whose production results are still uncertain, but also the resistance of the market, given the still widespread reluctance of consumers in accepting wine products derived from the use of these technologies.Using original survey data from 1,045 respondents, we examine Italian consumers’ acceptance of and decision to buy NGT wine products. To achieve this, we developed two indicators to assess the quality of the information and the respondents’ level of knowledge about NGTs, our topic of interest. These indices were incorporated into a regression model to analyse their effects on the propensity to buy NGT wine alongside the socio-economic characteristics of respondents, which were categorized through cluster analysis.Our findings suggest a reduction in Italian consumers’ distrust toward these new technologies, possibly influenced by the European institutions’ proposed regulatory revision. Additionally, the results indicate that the quality of information plays a crucial role in the decision to purchase NGT wine. This highlights the need for higher-quality information to empower consumers, helping them reach an adequate level of knowledge that would allow them to make better-informed choices.

Consumer's attitudes, vertical differentiation, and labelling regulation in the food industry new GM-products vs. traditional regional products (di Adele Coppola, Maria Teresa Gorgitano, Valeria Sodano, Fabio Verneau) - ABSTRACT: The paper discusses results of a simulated marked research evaluating consumer’s preferences toward GM and NGM food products in the South of Italy. Three experimental scenarios with different hypotheses of price ratio and product attributes of GM and NGM products were run. Consumers’ choices were related to information and risk attitude. We find that consumers tend to prefer NGM products to GM products, without any statistical relationship with their information level and risk attitude. When the NGM product is compared with an enhanced GM product, most consumers still prefer NGM product. GM product consumption does rather depend on consumers’ risk perception. The results demonstrate that there is room in the market for vertical differentiation policies based on the wholesomeness of traditional production methods.

Worldwide, the potato is the third more important crop, coming after wheat and rice. In Argentina, it is the horticultural product with the highest consumption in fresh state, but Argentine consumers know little to nothing about potatoes attributes.The objective of this research is to identify the attributes that influence the assessment that consumers make of a potato with differentiated quality. Due to this, a Vickrey Second Price Experimental Auction took place in April 2017. The experiment involved 155 participants, who were students and employees of the School of Economic and Social Sciences of the National University of Mar del Plata. A Multiple Correspondence Analysis was applied based on the data of the bids and the survey carried out at the Auction.The main results showed that the participants, after receiving information about the culinary aptitude of the differentiated potato and its production method – its lower content of agrochemicals –, were willing to pay a higher price for the product. Additionally, participants opted for a higher price of potato when it was presented in a labelled package. Likewise, an identify group of participants were shown to be willing to pay more for this differentiated food.

The paper aims to understand the determinants that may encourage consumer acceptance of generic drugs. In particular, attitude, perceived risk and brand sensitivity are considered as relevant predictors of the intention to buy. Moreover, the study aims to investigate: the effect of perceived risk on brand sensitivity and attitude towards generic drugs; and the mediation role of attitude and brand sensitivity in the risk-intention relationship. The proposed conceptual model was tested through structural equation modelling using data collected with an online survey from a sample of 742 people who bought drugs. All the hypothesized relationships are supported. Results contribute both theoretically and practically to the understanding of generic substitution.

This paper aims to illustrate and discuss the importance of packaging attributes in the wine market. A survey was conducted in the north of Italy to assess how different attributes affect the probability of choosing a bottle of Prosecco wine. Two hundred face-to-face interviews based on a structured questionnaire were administered in Milan and Padua supermarkets to elicit preferences. Each respondentranked three new bottles of Prosecco wine and expressed the importance of different packaging characteristics in its choice.Product attributes include Label’s form, Label’s colours, the Label in its entirety, the Writing “Prosecco”, the Band on the bottle’s neck and the Bottle’s shape. The interviews allowed us to recognise the bottle customers found the most attractive, and rank-ordered logistic regression was able to disentangle whichpackaging characteristic led to their decision.

Food retailers are accustomed not to offer the so-called "Misfits", that is fruits and vegetables whose appearance do not meet the best visual quality standards. This is due to the assumption that consumers only prefer fruits and vegetables with perfect appeal, which ultimately contribute towards the global, food waste bad tendencies. Therefore, it is important to understand consumers’ acceptance of the pricing possibilities for misfits. This aspect inspired the current study, which is aimed to investigate whether consumers could accept or reject misfit vegetables if there were any possibility of choosing such produce. A sample of 200 consumers was surveyed in Bologna, Italy, in June 2014 using a choice experiment approach and fresh carrots as the product of interest. Data were analysed using both Multinomial Logit (mnl) and Random Parameter Logit (rpl) models. The results suggest that appearance actually influenced consumer preferences for fresh carrots, on the basis of deformation as well as irregularity in terms of size, reducing the probability to purchase. However, consumers were showing more tolerance for irregular sized carrots compared to deformed ones. In addition, misfits were more accepted by consumers purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables at fresh food market compared to supermarket customers.

The aim of this paper is to investigate consumers’ preferences in the real estate industry, especially in the residential field, in order to provide a contribution to the strategic planning and positioning of real estate enterprises. The existing literature highlighted some specific characteristics of the building product and their role in housing choice. This paper explores the house attributes through a qualitative research carried out by the use of some semi-structured interviews in three focus groups and, in a second phase, by the laddering method. We have chosen three categories of potential purchasers according their age: less than 30 years (20-30), between 30 and 40, and over 40. In this way we describe the different paths taken in choosing the ideal home, and the attributes, benefits and values that explain each personality. The discussion contents have been elaborated in order to obtain three different hierarchical value maps, by which the existing links are represented. Common traits in some cases and different characteristics in others emerged, providing interesting insights into the purchasing drivers, the positioning of firms and also some inputs for further analysis.

The present work is aimed to analyse extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) consumers’ preferences, identifying those attributes that more influence consumers’ choices. In order to reach this goal, a conjoint analysis was implemented. Furthermore, the study evaluates the influence of standard and healthy characteristic on consumers preferences, such as the presence of EVOO’s natural antioxidant compounds (polyphenols). Firstly, an explorative survey was carried out, in order to investigate the EVOO market. Basing on results obtained through explorative survey, a web-based questionnaire was realized using Survey Analytics software. Results show that the most important consumers’ attributes are: country of origin, label’s information, polyphenol’s presence.

Ethical brand crises are a breach in the core values held by a brand and a violation of the relationship between the brand and its stakeholders, and social networks provide consumers with a platform upon which they can discuss these crises and their meanings in detail. Through a qualitative content analysis and an interpretive approach, here we investigate the reaction of the social media audience to an apology released by a company after an ethical brand crisis. The emerging findings suggest that consumers engage in consumer identity work according to different strategies: they sublimate or minimize the crisis (defence of the brand) or focus on the ideological structure of marketing (criticism). In both cases, consumers offer the company an opportunity to assess and improve the ethical dimension of their marketing practices.