Assessment of Factors Contributing to Consumer Attitudes and Preferences toward Chantenay Carrots using the CHAID Model

Abstract

Increasing the consumption of fresh vegetables to the recommended dietary guidelines by the World Health Organization (WHO) is the top priority for many national policy makers and horticulture businesses. One growth strategy which has been shown to promote vegetable intake is introducing different vegetable varieties into the market. This research analyses factors affecting consumer attitudes and willingness to purchase a new variety of carrots imported to Australia from the UK—the Chantenay carrot. To better inform marketing tactics for this new variety and to provide insights for predictions for uptake, a general carrot usage and attitude survey was conducted in four Australian states (N = 300). Results indicated that: sustainable packaging options; the size of carrots; cooking tips; taste; and place of origin were attitudinal triggering factors for purchasing fresh carrots in this sample. These factors were compared to the characteristics of the Chantenay variety using a CHi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) model to gauge the likelihood of acceptance and uptake of the variety within the larger Australian population. This study benefits marketing practitioners and horticultural businesses to develop a new vegetable variety that meets consumer preferences successfully.