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Eating Behaviors of Preschool-Aged Children – Gender-Linked Differences
13-26Views:137A growing popularity in the consumption of foods with low nutritional value is increasing amongst the preschool age groups worldwide, which is partially responsible for the increase of childhood obesity rates globally. Thus, it is vital to examine the eating behavior of preschool aged children, as these are known to effect the daily energy intake. On the contrary, gender differences could possibly also influence the food intake and therefore health-related outcomes in children. In order to investigate the relationship between the children’s eating behavior and their gender, a survey was conducted amongst the parents of children aged between 3-7 in Hungary, which included Wardle et al.’s (2001a) 35-item instrument, the Children’s Eating Behavior Questionnaire, together with questions concerning possible food allergies and demographics. The sample of size N=365 was then analyzed using SPSS via the INDSCAL method. The initial creators of the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire found only one gender difference, namely that the incidence of eating fussiness was slightly higher in boys, the findings of the current study were able to verify this result together with other dissimilarities. The findings indicate that other eating behaviors can be linked to gender, including that girls’ desires to drink, which is generally higher than that of boys and that boys tend to eat slower than girls. Boys also lean towards emotional undereating, while girls have a tendency towards emotional overeating. The information above can be of great use to marketers in the food and beverage industry as well as the healthcare industry.
JEL Codes: I12, M31
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Adaptation Possibilities of the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire in the Field of Marketing Research – Differences Based on Gender and Generation
3-20Views:191Overweight and obesity is an endemic that appears in the developed countries of the world. Overweight and obesity means a serious expenditure for the consumers, for the employers and for the national states both in the prevention and in the treatment phases. In the national and international literature more authors deal with the research of the dimensions of healthy lifestyle either in a complex way or focusing on a special area (e. g. smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity or eating behavior). There are more tests investigating food consumption, but the most widely used one is the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ). The revised TFEQ (TFEQ 21 and TFEQ 18) scales were validated in Hungary on the population with normal weight and overweight obese individuals and three types of eating behavior were identified, namely (1) emotional eating (EE), (2) cognitive control eating (CR) and (3) uncontrolled eating (UE). The aim of this study is on the one hand to introduce the Hungarian adaptation possibilities of the revised scale (TFEQ 16) measuring eating habits and on the second hand to explore the connections with demographics. In an empirical research 919 adult people were interviewed: 45.2% males and 54.8% females. Based on age the authors defined three generations, the “Baby boomers”, the X and the Y generations. Their ratio in the sample is the following: 14.7, 42.5 and 42.8%. Relying on the results of the empirical research it can be said that the adaptation of TFEQ 16 is possible in Hungary. The former explored factor structure is valid among Hungarian population that is adults can be characterized by emotional, uncontrolled and cognitive control eating. The EE and CR are typical eating styles among women and CR is typical for people belonging to Y generation. In the future the authors plan to extend the research to segment the population based on their eating styles in order to develop an effective marketing program for them.
JEL codes: I12, M30, M39
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Changes in Food Purchasing Habits During the Covid Pandemic in Slovakia and Hungary, Focus on Southern Slovakia and Western Hungary
55-70Views:957The global pandemic of COVID-19 has led to many drastic changes worldwide, not only in the economy, but amongst others, in the structure of people’s daily routines as well. Some developments have been involuntary – as social distancing, wearing masks, restrictions on travel, etc., but for others, it has merely accelerated the adoption of behaviors already gaining traction, such as the digitalization of shopping and more. Consequences of subsequent lockdowns and their effect on the consumers’ grocery purchasing habits and their implications for food retail had been investigated in our research with a particular focus on regions of South Slovakia and West Hungary in a period ranging from November 2020 till April 2021. The constructed online questionnaire chosen for data collection aimed to identify specific ways in which consumers changed their grocery shopping behavior during the lockdown (e.g., frequency of shopping trips, time spent in stores, the aim of shopping, purchase of ingredients, online shopping). The results of the online questionnaire underlined the main regional differences between the two countries. The overall outcome of our research showed the moderate reduction in grocery shopping frequency, minor changes in shopping location and partially increase in online shopping. Our results showed that although the proportion of online purchases has increased, such a crisis does not seem to be sufficient to overcome barriers to shopping, such as the purchase of a new, unknown product. But changes that provide positive experiences are likely to last longer, particularly those driven by convenience and well-being, such as digital adoption, value-based purchasing, and increased health awareness. This provides an opportunity for companies to offer innovative, value-based, and integrated products or services to meet customer needs. Companies and retailers will need to adapt fast, understand consumers’ preferences, and stay relevant.
JEL Codes: D12, D91
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The Effect of Consumer Perceived Trust and Image Toward Food Brands on Consumers’ Willingness to Buy
41-56Views:234Purpose – consumers’ buying process is affected by many variables in which branding strategy is indeed an important variable to be considered. This paper aims to evaluate the influence of three branding elements – brand name, packaging, and country of origin – on Palestinian consumers’ willingness to buy food products to understand better their buying. Methodology – The study was conducted in the Palestinian market, the sample was selected according to simple random sampling technique, and a structured questionnaire was prepared, then it was electronically distributed by using emails and social media. The questionnaire contains 35 questions depending on a balanced Fifth Likert Scale and a single-item 7-point differential semantic scale, the questions intended to determine the influence of the selected branding elements on consumers’ willingness to buy food products. The data were analysed depending on the descriptive analysis and one sample t-test. Findings – according to the results of the data analysis it was found that product features and attributes were the factors of the highest importance that influenced the consumers’ willingness to buy, while the branding elements variables came at second rank of importance. Also, the results show that the effect of three chosen branding elements on consumer willingness to buy is significant. The outcomes of this study may be advantageous for firms working in food sectors, since the Palestinian market is lacking such a scientific study and help them in creating marketing strategies to increase the sales volume of their products.
JEL Codes: M31, M39
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Investigating the Coffee Consumption Habits
59-70Views:1851Coffee consumption is a widespread activity nowadays all around the world. It is a very popular beverage, with many variants as are known. Caffeine can cause many effects in our bodies. These include health benefits and adverse effects. According to 2018 data, the annual per capita coffee consumption in Hungary was 3.1 kilograms, making it the 24th largest coffee consumption country in the world. The aim of the research was to reveal the coffee consumption habits at the domestic level, based on the results of a questionnaire survey based on secondary data collection. In our research, we have also placed great emphasis on examining the beneficial and harmful health effects of coffee consumption. Our further goal is to explore whether domestic consumers are aware of the health effects of coffee consumption. Our hypothesis, defined in connection with our research, was, “Those people who frequently consume coffee are unaware of the health effects of coffee”. As a first step in our research we made a secondary data collection and our second step was the primary data collection. The basis of our primary research was the questionnaire we prepared, which was shared online. The size of the examined sample is 1 664 people. The sample population does not statistically represent the population of Hungary, therefore we do not consider the survey to be representative, the results are only exploratory. Based on our research, we found out that although most of the people who consume coffee often are aware of the beneficial and harmful health effects of coffee, this is mainly true for women, but less so for men. Men are more likely to know only the harmful effects. Our results have shown that those who are aware of all the health-affecting properties of coffee are not more conscious of the amount of coffee consumed than those who are unaware of only the good, bad, or both of the properties.
JEL Codes: A13, P56
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Game-meat Consumption Behavior the Image and Market Positioning of Quality Venison
141-147Views:44The purpose of our research is to understand the wild game meat, and more specifically, venison consumption behavior of the Hungarian population. In order to examine the issue, we have conducted questionnaire surveys as well as focus group interviews. Only 36.6% of the respondents reported that they consume game-based foods with some frequency. The main reason for the low consumption rate is related to the price of wild game meat which consumers consider too high. Based on focus group interviews, we concluded that the main problem is that most people do not even consider trying game-meat as they do not know about possible preparation methods. The results of our questionnaire survey reveal that 22.4% of the population has consumed red deer, while fallow deer has only been consumed by 7.7%. The respondents primarily associate deer meat with men, as they consider hunting and the preparation of wild-game foods a masculine activity. In Hungary, deer meat is a lesser known product considered to be a luxury good, for which a new marketing communication and sales strategy is needed. Limiting factors include unfamiliarity, high price and that respondents consider wild-game a seasonal product.
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Farmers' Markets on the University Campus
41-56Views:386Short food supply chains are increasingly studied areas of international studies. Many see their spread as the solution to sustainability in agriculture. One of its defining sales channels is farmers' markets, their number has grown dramatically in Hungary in recent years. Many studies analyse the consumers of farmers' markets worldwide, but only a few studies examine the relationship of university students with farmers' markets. However, there are examples of this in the USA; it is even typical that farmer's market is organized on university campuses. University students are not typical buyers of farmers' markets, but they will be the consumers of the future, so it is worth examining their habits and needs. With the help of a questionnaire filled out by 382 university students, we investigate whether there is a difference between the food shopping habits of the university students examined in previous studies and the ones analysed in the current study. Do they have clearly identifiable habits of purchasing on the farmer's market? Is there a demand to organize farmers' markets on university campuses in Hungary? The food shopping habits of university students studying in Hungary are largely the same as the habits of university students examined by previous research. For university students, the price, comfort, the selection, and quality aspects of the products dominate. 31% of the university students, who filled out the questionnaire, have never shopped at a farmer's market; while among those, who purchase there food, only 21% do this regularly. The main obstacle for non-regular shoppers is the distance from farmers' markets, which can be solved by organizing farmers' markets on university campuses. 95% of the sample is open to this, so it would be worthwhile to conduct separate research for each university and put the positive results into practice.
JEL-Codes: O13, P46, Q13 -
What sort of Carrier Food Should Be Enhanced by Functional Food Producers? – A Continuation of a Scientific Debate in Hungary
35-48Views:205The basis of our study was provided by the question previously discussed in literature: whether functional food producers should enrich unhealthy or healthy carriers. Most of the previous studies reached the conclusion that such foods can be the carriers of successful functional foods that are perceived as healthy by themselves, such as yoghurt, cereals, orange juice and whole grain products. According to some authors, however, carriers that are perceived as healthy are not worth improving functionally, because they are perceived as healthy by themselves, so consumers did not find artificial enrichment necessary. The main objective of the study was to find out that the enrichment of which foods would be the most justified for food companies in Hungary. In our online questionnaire reaching 2034 respondents we built on the methodology of previous studies. As part of the questionnaire, based on conjoint cards, we created different mini-concepts to study the respondents’ willingness to buy them. For Hungarian customers, based on the respondents’ answers, the enrichment of “healthy foods”– aligning with the findings of several other researchers – generally makes the judgment of the product even more favourable, however, we also agree with the findings of researchers arguing differently, namely that in the case of an unhealthy product enrichment can cause a bigger change in how healthy it is perceived. But in the case when a functional food developer wants to sell their product with its healthy image, it is a better choice to enrich a carrier that is perceived as healthy, because the purchase intention for the product created by enriching something “unhealthy” is not going to be as high as the purchase intention for the non-enriched product seen as healthy.
JEL code: I15
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Examination of the Eating Motivations of the Hungarian Population Based on the TEMS-Model
81-93Views:208Our study fills a gap because we were the first to examine the eating motivations of the Hungarian population using the TEMS questionnaire. Our aim was to analyze the eating motivations of Hungarian consumers in details. To this end, we launched a national questionnaire survey of 1,000 people, which is representative by gender, age, type of settlement, and region. In our survey, we obtained 8 well separated factors, which are the following: Social Anxiety, Comfortable Enjoyment, Health Awareness and Weight Control, Price Sensitivity, Social Eating, Self-Rewarding, Habit and Tradition-Driven Eating, The Tempting Nature of Food. Based on cluster analysis, we classified consumers into 5 clusters: Traditional Simplifiers, Thrifty Social and Emotional Eaters, Balanced Self-Rewards, Health Conscious, Indifferent.
JEL-Codes: A13, D70, I12, Q56 -
The Examination of Markets of Organic Foods
45-50Views:84Nowadays the consumption of organic foods has an outstanding importance from the aspects of health and environmental consciousness. In this study the habits of organic food consumption in Debrecen are examined by the help of a questionnaire-based survey and a personal interview. On the basis of our results the supply of organic foods in the local markets satisfies the requirement of the consumers, and this tendency is expected to be maintained for the future. The most popular products are vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meat and honey. Generally the consumers are very satisfied with these products. Most of the buyers choose organic foods not only because these products are healthy, but for the fact that they are aware of the environmental- friendly technology by which the production happens. Consumers visiting the markets buy organic foods mainly at a weekly occasion, thus their consumption is conscious, and the healthy way of life is relevant for them. Many people do not know that there are such markets in Debrecen, in this way the promotion of these places is outstandingly important.
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Analyzing Consumer Attitudes Towards Health-protecting Food
39-55Views:461The main goal of our research was to analyze the role of health-protecting food in our daily nutrition. In our secondary research, we analyzed the generalities and characteristics of health and health behavior with the help of relevant domestic and foreign literature. We analyzed the domestic tendencies of health in details. We examined the most important characteristics of functional foods and investigated the factors of personalized nutrition. Based on a literature review, in our primary research we conducted an online questionnaire survey with 231 respondents. Our survey cannot be considered representative, however, the proportion of genders in our sample population is almost the same as the Hungarian population’s. In the questionnaire survey, we examined the frequency of consumption of health-protecting food. After that, we analyzed respondents’ perceptions of the actual health effects of health-protecting food. We have measured consumer attitudes towards health-protecting food. We analyzed the perception of potential health risks and problems from the consumer perspective. We measured the impact of various health factors on shopping. Besides, we have explored our intention to participate in personalized nutrition-related programs. Based on our research, most of the analyzed health-protecting food is consumed once or twice a week. It can be stated that the respondents considered the examined food categories less scientifically proven. We could identify the preventive behaviors of respondents for various health problems. However, there is also uncertainty in the decision of respondents in what is the right way to prevent the diseases. In this uncertain situation, only experts can provide real help to them.
JEL Classification: Q16, Q12, Q13, O32
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Examination and Consumers’ Evaluation of New Pilot Products from Pseudocereals
57-68Views:176Nowadays the importance of the use of pseudocereals is increasing, especially in the diet of health conscious consumers and those who follow reform diet. In our research we produced pilot products with health-beneficial properties. The main ingredients were pseudocereals, such as buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa flour, and our aim was to get more information about their possible uses in nutrition. These grains have typical (buckwheat) or bitter taste (amaranth), therefore our second aim was to survey the consumers’ opinions, which help us to determine further direction of development. In our research we produced bakery pilot products from the previously defined mixtures of different gluten free flours and natural additives, taking into account the consumer’s demands, because more and more people are looking for the opportunity to reduce the gluten intake improving their health condition. Physical and chemical parameters of pilot products were determined. Finally, we evaluated the consumers’ opinions by a sensory test and questionnaire, therefore, we got results not only about the quality of products but the consumers’ preference orders too.
JEL Code: I19
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Analysis of University Students’ Behavior Towards Online Grocery Shopping Based on the TAM-Model
3-19Views:435These days new, alternative forms of sales such as parcel delivery, direct sales, telephone and the internet are playing an increasingly important role in commerce. Relevant literature and statistics prove the success of e-commerce at national and international levels. Our aim is to identify a segment of online sales where this performance is still modest. Online grocery shopping has not been integrated into consumer’s life so far compare to other market-leading product categories (clothing, footwear). During the secondary research, we conducted extensive literature analysis using national and international sources. In the course of primary research, a questionnaire survey was conducted as a quantitative procedure. 501 students were involved from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Debrecen in this non-representative survey, in which we sought to reach as many cultures and nations as possible. Our main goal was to answer the question of the factors behind the development of online consumer preferences in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) product category. For this the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was applied in the primary research. The Likert scale was applied to assess the students’ position on the topic. The 18 statements underlying the analysis were adapted from the researches of Radka and Martin (2018). After the reliability test, a factor analysis was made. The variables were compressed into three factors. Because of the better understanding, the exploratory factor analysis and the data reduction were separated. Principal component analysis was made on the statements belonging to each factor. Subsequently, a cluster analysis of four was conducted or four clusters for Hungarian and foreign students. The hypothesis about the attitude towards buying food online among the FMCG products is more reserved for Hungarian students than for foreign students has been proved.
JEL Classification: M31, Q13
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Changes in Dietary Habits During the Pandemic
39-53Views:403The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the daily lives of the population, primarily due to the disease control measures. The focus has shifted to health protective factors, with a healthy diet playing a key role in increasing the human body's resistance to pathogens. In addition, being overweight has a negative impact on the course of the disease, making the virus an even greater threat to our society. Our aim was to examine how the pandemic has changed our daily diet, with a particular focus on fruit and vegetable consumption. Data collection included both secondary and primary research. With 242 responses, our primary analysis was conducted using an online questionnaire. The results showed, that half of the respondents had changed their eating habits and one third had gained extra weight during the pandemic. A higher percentage regard their fruit and vegetable consumption as sufficient enough, while only 29.6% think they are eating the daily recommended amount. The results showed that there is a lack of awareness among respondents of the recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables, which is a fundamental problem in terms of dietary health.
JEL Code: I12
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Analysis of Energy Drink Consumption Habits and Motivations among University Students
67-79Views:717Young adults tend to consume energy drinks, even if they know exactly what they contain and what their health effects might be, even in the long term. The purpose of our research is to find out what motivates young people to consume energy drinks. In the quantitative research, a focus group-oriented online questionnaire was held out to assess the energy drink consumption habits of university students as well as their motivations for consumption using the TEMS model (N=897). The TEMS model was adapted for energy drinks. The qualitative research involved an eye-camera study with advertisements of the most popular energy drink brands and the existence of cognitive dissonance among students consuming energy drinks was also investigated. In summary, the majority of students were aware of the ingredients of energy drinks and their negative effects on health. The main motivations for consuming the product were that it tastes good, gives energy, is a pleasure to drink and that they simply like the product. Cognitive dissonance is also present in the purchase and consumption of energy drinks, therefore advertising has a strong influence on brand evaluations.
JEL-Codes: M31, M3 -
Analysis of the Values of Sustainable Development and the Health Conscious Lifestyle Among Secondary School Students
41-62Views:236Health, together with the social- and natural environment has become the most important and core value recently. The current research would like to explore the presence of sustainable development related values and the elements of health consciousness among the consumption behaviour of secondary school students. The aim of the first part is to provide an overview of conscious consumption, sustainable development and the literal researches connected to this particular generation. In the second part of the work, we present the results of a research made between April 2015 and 2016 involving 1 002 students of 13 institutions. During the selection, we kept in mind to choose institutions of all different profiles (human, sport, art, general) and different types (grammar school, vocational high school, technical school). During creating the questionnaire, the basis of the questions and statements since was the consumption trends that can be found in the literature sources as well. We analysed the data with the help of frequency indicators together with factor- and cluster analyses. During the primary examinations, we identified five factors that were created along with the values of the following behaviours: trend-following individualistic, health- and environmental conscious, authentic patriot, altruistic-ethical and business ethical. With the help of them, we could name four well-divided groups after the cluster analysis, where the values of the created factors can be realised at different rates. The groups were the Trend-avoiding Conscious, the Responsibility-blamers, the Passive “freshmen” and the Conscious individualists. The first group can be related to the trends of voluntary simplicity, whereas the fourth segment shows a strong similarity to the values of the LOHAS consumer group. These groups – and their different socio-demographic features – raise the attention to the fact that knowledge, messages and examples-to-follow are worth conveying with a differentiated marketing communicational strategy. This secondary school generation undertakes their connection to the particular sustainable and health conscious values, and – at least in a theoretical field – the majority of the students admit their responsibility in shaping the environment and their own health. In the case of conscious consumption, the peculiarities of this generation (digital, “Always on” generation) demand a quite new communicational approach in transporting messages and possibilities of act.
JEL codes: A13, D70, I12, Q56
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Sports Activity vs. Consumption of Dietary Supplements
35-48Views:745Previous research on consumption of dietary supplements and consumer motivations has shown that there are different motivations behind their widespread consumption in recreational and competitive sports. This research examined the consumption of the main nutritional supplements, the relationship between different forms of sports and dietary supplement consumption, as well as their relationship with age. The questionnaire survey was conducted by telephone among those who mainly exercised recreational sports activities and a total of 236 valid responses were obtained. The sample is gender-balanced and overrepresents younger segments by age groups. The majority of recreational athletes interviewed in the research are among the potentially stable consumers. Only 10% does not consume and does not plan to use supplements. The interview recorded the main types of supplements (vitamins and minerals; amino acids, proteins; essential fats, etc.) as well as the preferred forms of sports (device-free and device-intensive aerobics and cardio; fitness and team sports). As for the purpose of consuming dietary supplements it can be said that the main motivator is the preservation of health, followed by the improvement of physical well-being, cartilage protection, muscle gain, and then performance enhancement. Among other things, the research revealed differences in consumption motivations for dietary supplements by age group, the relationship between sports type and dietary supplement consumption. Health preservation as motivation spans different age categories, however, cartilage protection and improvement of physical well-being are more typical for the 25+ and 35+ age groups, while supplements consumed to increase muscle mass and performance shift to the younger side of the sample. Different patterns appear for each type of sport, only the outstanding rate of consumption of vitamin preparations is the same. Device-free aerobic and cardio 91%, device-intensive aerobic and cardio 88% and fitness sports 85% are the proportions of people who often consume vitamin preparations several times a day, once a day or several times a week. The results suggest that the primary driver of the use of dietary supplements is the preservation of health, but product knowledge is an important consideration, as excessive intake of these supplements can even lead to damage to health.
JEL Codes: I12, M31, Z2 -
Parental Health Conciousness and Examination of Eating Preferences in Reflection of Childhood Obesity
27-38Views:559One of the 21st century’s well-known megatrend is the healthy lifestyle and eating which is the basis of this research. We have already known some aspects of this topic, but the parental health consciousness and the examination of eating preferences is not as well known as it has to be, so this makes this study relevant. The goal of this exploratory research was to get to know more about the parental health consciousness, their eating preferences and attitudes, so Hungarian parents were asked who have children under 14 years old to tell more about their habits and lifestyle. In the primer research an online questionnaire was used which reaches 206 people so we could make some consequences about the lifestyle and the preferences of the families in Hungary. The main parts of this research were: the importance of health and the healthy lifestyle, the form of the parental research about the topic, which sources they find the most relevant and authentic, the parental eating habits, family health, the responsibility of the parents. During the statistical analysis some segments of people could be separated whose different attitudes and preferences were shown very clearly. It reveals of the results for example that the groups have different eating habits and researching systems.
JEL Codes: I12, M31
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Chocolate Consumption Habits of Hungarian Women and Their Consumer Behaviour Regarding Sugar-free Chocolate
3-20Views:243In line with the global trend of health and wellness, there is now an increased demand for products that have a positive effect on health (or that are at least less unhealthy), such as sugar-free or reduced-calorie chocolate, especially among female consumers. Therefore, in our research, we set out to explore the chocolate consumption habits of Hungarian women, with particular regard to consumer acceptance of sugar-free chocolate. In the course of our primary research, we conducted an online questionnaire survey with the participation of 370 female respondents, during which we explored some elements of their consumer behaviour related to conventional and sugar-free/reduced-calorie chocolates; moreover, possible differences in the willingness to pay for sugar-free and conventional chocolates were also examined by using the packaging of two real, 100 g Stühmer milk chocolate bars and their modified versions as well. According to our results, the vast majority of women interviewed like chocolate, with milk chocolate being the most popular. Most of them eat chocolate a few times a week, but consumption of sugar-free/reduced-calorie chocolate is much less common. When buying chocolate, the respondents are clearly most influenced by the taste, which is followed far behind by the price, and then the healthiness of the chocolate. Most of the women asked are interested in sugar-free and reduced-calorie chocolates, the majority of them consume such products because of health awareness. The respondents’ willingness to pay for sugar-free chocolates is not lower compared to the versions sweetened with sugar, but the willingness to pay reaches the market price only in the case of a gift purchase; in the case of a purchase for one’s own consumption, it mostly falls short of it.
JEL-Code: M31 -
Consumer Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction and Handling of Complaints in out of Home Eating Sector
3-18Views:130The contribution of the eating-out-of-home sector to the overall food spending of Hungarian households is very low, especially when compared to other, well developed countries. In order to increase this market – besides the improvement of the elements of macro- and micro-environment – a significant task is to strengthen and improve the consumer satisfaction and loyalty. Consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction is a complex system whose key element is complaint handling. The research team conducted a questionnaire survey in the spring of 2014 in Hungary (Central Hungary and Northern Great Plain regions) with a sample of 1063 respondents of the age group 15+ years. In the survey, the research models and findings of former international research projects were taken into consideration. Our research results are in compliance with the international research results and trends, although differences may be found in the numbers and extent of the Hungarian results. In the Hungarian eating-out-of-home sector, the desired service quality of the consumers exceeds the detected quality of services particularly in the key areas. Despite the frequent consumer dissatisfaction, the documented forms of dissatisfaction, which could be recognized directly by the management (e.g. direct complaints towards the staff, registered opinion on the claims book), are very low. Guests prefer to use the indirect channels of complaint (for example choosing other restaurant, negative word of mouth, or reducing tips), which will result in that the specific reasons of complaints could not be recognized by management of the restaurant. The exploration and registration of the original problems are the main prerequisites of the successful improvement of consumer satisfaction, therefore establishing an active complaint management system should be a key task for the restaurants.
JEL code: D12
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Drivers of Local Food Product Consumption among Young Consumers
21-39Views:375Future trends in sustainable food consumption include, among others, the expansion of short food supply chains coupled with a shift in consumer behaviour, e.g., a growing interest in product information, increased appreciation of trust towards local producers and locally produced food. There is a growing body of literature on local or alternative food to address the problem of consumer behaviour called the buyer's "black box". This paper aims to identify the most prominent drivers for the segment of young consumers for purchasing healthy and quality products: curiosity, uniqueness, and experience. We conducted this study to direct the attention specifically to the buying behaviour of young consumers, as previous research found this segment the most open to sustainable food consumption. A quantitative study was conducted on a large-sample survey with respondents aged 18 – 45 in Hungary. The questionnaire focused on product features, intrinsic and extrinsic motivational elements, and demographic characteristics. The findings of this study can support managerial decision-making and serve as a basis for further academic research.
JEL-Codes: A13, F64, M21, O13, P46 -
Pilot-study for the Investigation of School Meals’ Preference and Main Factors of Restaurant Service
53-63Views:120In Hungarian public educational institutions (nurseries, kindergartens, primary and secondary schools) it is compulsory to provide food for schoolchildren at least by one meal per day. Schoolchildren represented 14% of the total population of Hungary in 2016. Although school catering is compulsory task for educational institutions, many students refuse this service, because of food intolerances or based on external reasons such as „I don’t like’, ”it is not tasty” or because of negative opinions and rumours about school catering services. Surveys have already been conducted in some countries on the acceptance of school catering services in order to explore the reasons of the negative experiences, but in Hungary, our research was the first in this topic. Our main goal was to explore the acceptance level of the school catering services and their meals in the sample of schools in Budapest. The first step of our research was to launch a pilot study, where 202 students and teachers of five schools in Budapest filled a questionnaire. The most preferred meals of the students were roasted and fried meats (they would like to have these meals more frequently), and cakes/desserts. The least preferred meals were pottage, and simple soups, which they would like to consume less frequently. Teachers preferred healthier food, e.g. fish, stewed or grilled vegetables. In almost half of the different meal types, a significant difference was detected between the answers of teachers and students. Noodle dishes, cakes and desserts were preferred at significantly higher level by the students. The different characteristics of the meals (taste, aroma, nutritional value, temperature, serving style) were assessed as significantly less important by the students than by teachers. Food hygiene, healthy food and diversity of meals were assessed equally well by the two respondent groups. Both respondent groups indicated that adapting to the individual needs of the consumers is inadequate.
JEL codes: D12, L83
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Examination of Margarine Preferences Among College Consumers
3-12Views:163The purpose of this study is to investigate the applicability of discrete choice experiment and thereby assess consumer preferences for margarine among students of the University of Debrecen Faculty of Economics and Business. The questionnaire was based on a focus group interview where the most important product attributes (price, fat, salt and sunflower oil content) and their levels were determined. Based on the estimates of the multinomial logit model, we concluded that increasing fat and salt content among participants reduced the sense of utility and hence willingness to pay, while we cannot found significant effect in respect of sunflower oil content.
JEL Codes: I12, M31
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Main Characteristics of Table Egg Consumption in Hungary
133-138Views:73In the last years many changes occurred in the egg sector in Hungary; the sector’s participants have to face with a number of challenges today as well. Both egg production and consumption decreased significantly in Hungary. The objectives of present survey are (1) to identify factors which are important for domestic customers in the course of purchase and consumption of table egg and (2) to investigate how informed the consumers are as regards table egg. To examine the aforementioned objectives online inquiry was applied, in pursuance of it 729 appreciable questionnaire put in. 99 percent of respondents consume eggs occasionally or regularly, while 79.1 percent of them buy as well. The findings suggest that the freshness and soundness of egg the most important factors for the domestic consumers.On the other hand trademark, price of kilogram and colour of egg influence on the decision of customer less. Present study only focuses on the importance of the factors influencing purchase and consumption, furthermore it introduces the consumers’ opinion on these factors. On the strength of disposable database
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Examination of the Young Athletes’ Eating Habits
79-88Views:592Nowadays, movement and maintaining health are becoming more and more prominent in both public life and the scientific world. In connection with this, we can meet many scientific developments and new recommendations. In the present research, we examined young athletes, primarily in terms of their eating habits, as the compilation of a proper diet contributes greatly to the ability of athletes to achieve the best possible results. The aim of the secondary search was to get acquainted with the young athletes’ health-consciousness behavior and eating habits. The primary search consisted of an online-, and paper based questionnaire as well. As far as data analysis is concerned, we only considered data given by the targeted segment of the respondents, which falls between the age of 15 and 35. For statistical analysis we used descriptive statistics and crosstabs procedure. The results revealed that the majority of the athletes eat 3-5 times a day both in preparation and competiton period. Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of athletes find conscious eating important, however, they did not find either the consumption of different health protecive or disease preventive food important. They also do not follow the latest trends in connection with sportfood.
JEL Classification: M31, H12, Z2