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Consumer Study (consumer + study)
Selected AbstractsEmerging perspectives on customer relationships, interactions and loyalty in Irish retail financial servicesJOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 2 2006Deirdre O'Loughlin This paper presents the key findings in relation to current consumer perspectives on the role of relationships, the nature of loyalty and types of customer interaction from an in-depth qualitative consumer study of Irish retail banking. Although the literature proposes that the RM approach is particularly applicable to the financial services sector, the research findings identify key supply and demand-related changes within Irish financial services and raise questions as to the appropriateness of general RM theory to the current nature of interaction between consumers and their financial suppliers. Key customer factors such as low involvement, apathy and dissatisfaction have resulted in much apparent customer loyalty actually being spurious. More important for customers in this study was how convenient the bank was for their lifestyle. In an age in which increased depersonalisation and automation impact upon the nature of consumer-supplier interaction and service delivery, it would appear that the concepts of relationship and loyalty need to be fundamentally re-examined and their role and relevance within current retail financial services re-appraised. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] EVALUATION OF ISOMALT AND HYDROGENATED STARCH HYDROLYSATE IN SUGARLESS CARAMEL POPCORN,JOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 1 2002L.G. BECK Five formulations of sugarless caramel popcorn sweetened with different proportions of hydrogenated starch hydrolysate and isomalt were developed. Control and test products were evaluated for changes in physical, chemical and sensory properties over a 3-month storage period at 33C and 50% humidity. Moisture content and water activity values increased for all products, but color values did not change with time. Texture compressibility measurements were highly correlated with liking of texture values gathered from a consumer study. The fonnula with 100percnt; isomalt was liked significantly more by consumers than the other formulas. [source] CONSUMER ASSESSMENT OF THE SAFETY OF RESTAURANTS: THE ROLE OF INSPECTION NOTICES AND OTHER INFORMATION CUESJOURNAL OF FOOD SAFETY, Issue 4 2006SPENCER HENSON ABSTRACT This paper explores the ways in which consumers assess the safety of food in restaurants and other eating-out establishments, and the resulting impact on restaurant choice. The analysis builds on the existing literature on restaurant choice more generally and a growing body of studies on the impact of official inspection information on the perceived safety of restaurants. Based on a two-stage consumer study in the City of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada, involving focus groups and a postal survey, the research highlights how consumers base their assessment of food safety in restaurants using a range of visible indicators of the experience and/or credence characteristics associated with foodborne illness. These include their observed judgments of restaurant hygiene, the overall quality of the restaurant, external information, including official inspection certificates, and the level of patronage. The use of these broad groups of indicators varies across consumer subgroups according to gender, age, level of education and recollections of past incidences when a restaurant was closed and/or convicted for food safety reasons. [source] Identifying Drivers for Consumer Acceptance and Purchase Intent of Corn TortillaJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 9 2007J.A. Herrera-Corredor ABSTRACT:, The traditional production of corn tortilla has been modified by new processing technologies to make possible a commercial-scale production; this practice has resulted in products having sensory properties different from those produced by the traditional method. There is no published information on sensory attributes driving acceptance and purchase intent of corn tortillas. Identifying sensory drivers for acceptance and purchase intent of corn tortillas will help commercially produce products that satisfy consumers' expectations. A consumer study was conducted to evaluate acceptance and purchase intent of corn tortillas and determine drivers of acceptance and purchase intent of the products. Ten samples of corn tortillas were selected to represent a variety of corn tortillas available in the Mexican market. Three hundred Mexican consumers evaluated acceptability of appearance, color, thickness, rollability, resistance to tearing, aroma, chewiness, taste and aftertaste, and overall liking using a 9-point hedonic scale. Overall acceptance and purchase intent were determined with a yes/no scale. Analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of variance revealed that consumers were able to differentiate differences in sensory acceptability among 10 samples. For example, 2 homemade and 1 small commercial-scale samples, with an overall liking score of 6.6 to 6.7, were more acceptable than others. Rollability, resistance to tearing, and chewiness were attributes underlying overall differences among 10 samples. Attributes determining overall acceptance of corn tortillas were chewiness and overall liking. Purchase intent was influenced by overall appearance, rollability, chewiness, taste, and overall liking. This study revealed critical sensory attributes and their weights given by Mexican consumers when making decisions for acceptance and purchase intent of corn tortilla. [source] A SIMPLE ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS FOR THRESHOLD DATA DETERMINED BY ASCENDING FORCED-CHOICE METHODS OF LIMITSJOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 3 2010HARRY T. LAWLESS ABSTRACT An alternative analysis of forced-choice threshold data sets such as the type generated by ASTM method E-679 involves a simple interpolation of chance-corrected 50% detection. This analysis has several potential advantages. The analysis does not require the ad hoc heuristics for estimating individual thresholds above and below the series. It takes into account the possibility of guessing correctly, which is not considered in the ASTM calculations and produces a downward bias to the estimates. It does not discount correct responses early in the series which may be legitimate detections, but which are discounted by the ASTM method if followed by any incorrect response. Comparisons of the two methods in a large consumer study of odor detection threshold study data set gave comparable values. The interpolation can also be done to determine other levels of detection (e.g. 10, 25%). These values other than 50% can be potentially useful in setting regulatory standards for water or air pollution limits or to food manufacturers who wish to avoid detection of taints by more sensitive individuals. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The forced choice methods for threshold estimation have proven practically useful in comparing the potency of various flavor materials and in comparing the sensitivities of individuals. The ASTM method E-679 is one such method. The alternative analysis of results from this procedure which is outlined here provides additional information and does not exhibit the downward bias because of correct guessing. [source] | ||||||||||