Information Asymmetry in Consumer Perceptions of Quality-Differentiated Food Products Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • 2015 by The American Council on Consumer Interests. Increasing consumer demand for quality-differentiated food products has given rise to a large quantity of food product classifications related to production practices and locations. Some food product claims such as native have no clear definitions and may have ambiguous connotations for different consumers. We analyze whether asymmetry in information affects consumer preferences and willingness to pay for ambiguous claims using the native attribute. An empirical application of pecans is used in the analysis to compare native and improved pecan varieties. With no evidence in the literature of additional benefits of native varieties, the results showed that consumers preferred native varieties. Furthermore tastes and preferences for all product attributes were heterogeneous; heterogeneity in preference for the native attribute was only significant at the 10% level.

published proceedings

  • JOURNAL OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS

author list (cited authors)

  • Palma, M. A., Collart, A. J., & Chammoun, C. J.

citation count

  • 10

complete list of authors

  • Palma, Marco A||Collart, Alba J||Chammoun, Christopher J

publication date

  • January 2015

publisher