Aims and Objectives
In contemporary times, consumers are becoming health conscious and as a result of which their food consuming habits are changing more and more. Therefore, consumers purchasing behaviour of food products have shifted drastically. Consumers are interested in purchasing food products that are healthy and fresh. However, consumers’ perception of healthiness varies from one consumer to another. A huge number of consumer yearns for fresh food that is leading to seismic change in the food industry. Taking from seafood and meat that is ready to consumer, purchasers are asking for more healthy and convenient food available from the local products. Fresh food therefore implies a shift towards healthy and wellness food. (SmartBrief. 2018). In this report, a consumer concept is developed by exploring the various factors that influence consumers buying behaviour and to understand their level of expectations regarding the healthiness and freshness of food products that are available in the market.
The main aim of this research is to design a consumer concept by exploring the factors influencing the consumers’ perceptions and expectations towards healthiness and freshness of food.
In accordance with the above mentioned aim of the research the following objectives are constructed:
- To understand the consumers perception regarding healthiness and freshness of food
- To explore the factors that would influence the consumers buying behaviour in regards of healthiness and freshness of food
- To develop a consumer concept for healthy fast food outlets that is present in the market
Consumers have the power to influence the marketplace and developing the ongoing trends in the competitive market. In recent times, the health risks are increasing day by day and because of which consumers are becoming conscious about their choices while selecting food products and items. Henceforth, sustainable food sourcing is increasingly emerging to be significant for the consumers (Aschemann-Witzel 2015). Consumer’s perception of naturalness are essential for the acceptance of food. Several studies in this cont6ext highlighted the significance natural and healthy food that determines the perception of the customer on healthiness and freshness. Through the purchasing of natural food that may vary across various consumers, they move towards a healthy and fresh living. The review in this article clearly highlights that for most of the customer’s naturalness of food items are necessary for moving towards healthiness and freshness (Roman et al. 2017). Therefore, ignoring the factors of naturalness in food and retail industry may be very costly for them.
In addition to this, taking into account the perception of healthiness of food items among consumers, it has been observed that the nutrient value of food, heavily influence the level of healthiness that the consumers seek for (Barreiro-Hurlé,Gracia and De-Magistris 2010). Healthy eating habits is increasingly becoming essential for the customers. Based on this, the influence of healthy and freshness in food prepared in restaurant are studied. In this context, the study carried out in Kim et al. (2013) explores the connection in between the healthiness of restaurant food, value and satisfaction. In order words, it can be said the perceived healthiness and freshness in food enhances the value and satisfaction. Moreover, there are several components in attributes of healthiness that are nutritional value, fresh and natural ingredients used in food and products, weight control processes and nutritionally balanced that represents the perception of healthiness and freshness. A growing number of consumers are aware of this and take actions towards it. By preferring healthy lifestyle choices, consumers are also changing their food habits and opting for food items that are healthy for their body. Henceforth, food items and products that are rich in protein, fibre and other good nutrients, consumers prefer those food items. This has ultimately influenced their purchasing habits as well, as they now buy or choose those products that have high nutritional values to it. On the contrary, Irene Goetzke and Spiller (2014) stated that it has been found that consumer of operational food have similar perception about being health and wellbeing though the consumption of organics food. However, this may differ in various ways, as the buying behaviour of organics and functional food may be driven by various life tend. Therefore, the overall results ensures that there is a link in between organics food and active lifestyle as well as functional food products.
Literature Review
In this regard, certain factors can be taken into consideration that influences the behaviour of the customers. As stated by Grunert (2006) one of the most important factors that influence the decision of a customer is the economic factor. This is important, as without the stability of income it can be difficult for customers to spend money in the purchase of things that are considered as valuable. However, one of the counter arguments to this particular factor in this case is the fact that with regard to health economic condition is not taken into account (Johns and Pine 2002).
Yarar and Orth (2018) is of the opinion in the case of maintaining health and ensuring that freshness of food is available, customers does not seem to make compromises. Hence, economic condition of the market does not contribute to the purchase decision of a customer. The actions of the customers with regard to the consumption of food contribute to the development of fresh and healthy food in the market. The expectations of the customers rests on the fact that every food item that they order or purchase need to contain healthy ingredients suitable for the development of an individual (Verain, Sijtsema and Antonides 2016).
The article by Fitzpatrick et al. (1997) shows that out all the restaurant menus only 1127 food items were rated for the components of satisfaction by the customers, 205 were rated due to low fat and healthy food and 878 were regular. To be specific, consumers were highly satisfied with low fat food items that represented their perception of being healthy and fresh. Therefore, increased amount of satisfaction with limited fat menu shows that customers will prefer restaurants that offers such healthy choices. Dieticians as well can utilise these findings for motivating restaurant owners for including low fat options on their menus and ensure that the customers’ needs are fulfilled. .Despite this, Rizk and Treat (2015) is of the opinion that people prefer to consume more of the fast food than the nutritious food. Hence, it can be said that a mixed conflict exists between the people in terms of consumption of healthy food as well as fast food. Therefore, Downs (2013) is of the opinion that a balanced diet need to be maintained by the people so that they can maintain health as well as consume fast food.
Results from Lindberg et al. (2018) shows that consumer behave in a way what the customer perceive while shipping for chilled grocery foods from the open and closed stores within supermarkets. It has been further seen that the behaviour of the customers concerns highly with accessibility of fresh groceries. The results also shows that the senses are specifically pronounced in accordance to environmental dimensions of chilled groceries. To be specific, these senses are associated with perceptions of freshness and hygiene. A clean and freshly contained food items within the functional environment while shopping is a general importance for the in customers.
References
Aschemann-Witzel, Jessica (2015): Consumer perception and trends about health and sustainability: trade-offs and synergies of two pivotal issues. In Current Opinion in Food Science 3, pp. 6–10. DOI: 10.1016/j.cofs.2014.08.002.
Fitzpatrick, M.P., Chapman, G.E. and Barr, S.I., 1997. Lower-fat menu items in restaurants satisfy customers. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 97(5), pp.510-514. https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/45971682/s0002-8223_2897_2900131-420160526-16848-132or1u.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1541238702&Signature=2GUaBuzIyy4CjKbgKesLQiirzm8%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DLower-Fat_Menu_Items_in_Restaurants_Sati.pdf
Grunert, Klaus G. (2006): How changes in consumer behaviour and retailing affect competence requirements for food producers and processors. In Economia Agraria y Recursos Naturales 06.
Irene Goetzke, B. and Spiller, A., 2014. Health-improving lifestyles of organic and functional food consumers. British Food Journal, 116(3), pp.510-526. doi/abs/10.1108/BFJ-03-2012-0073
Johns, Nick; Pine, Ray (2002): Consumer behaviour in the food service industry: a review. In International Journal of Hospitality Management 21 (2), pp. 119–134. DOI: 10.1016/S0278-4319(02)00008-7.
Kim, H.J., Park, J., Kim, M.J. and Ryu, K., 2013. Does perceived restaurant food healthiness matter? Its influence on value, satisfaction and revisit intentions in restaurant operations in South Korea. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 33, pp.397-405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2012.10.010
Lindberg, U., Salomonson, N., Sundström, M. and Wendin, K., 2018. Consumer perception and behavior in the retail foodscape–A study of chilled groceries. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 40, pp.1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2017.09.001
Roman, S., Sanchez-Siles, L.M. and Siegrist, M., 2017. The importance of food naturalness for consumers: Results of a systematic review. Trends in food science & technology, 67, pp.44-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2017.06.010
SmartBrief. 2018. Tracking the fresh approach at food retail. [Online] Available at: https://www.smartbrief.com/original/2018/10/tracking-fresh-approach-food-retail [Accessed 3 Nov. 2018].
Verain, Muriel C.D.; Sijtsema, Siet J.; Antonides, Gerrit (2016): Consumer segmentation based on food-category attribute importance: The relation with healthiness and sustainability perceptions. In Food Quality and Preference 48, pp. 99–106. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2015.08.012.
Yarar, Nadine; Orth, Ulrich R. (2018): Consumer lay theories on healthy nutrition: A Q methodology application in Germany. In Appetite 120, pp. 145–157. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2017.08.026.
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