Consumer Preferences for Meal Delivery: The Offsetting and Complementary Effects of Virtual Restaurants

Promoting carbon labels for agricultural products has crucial practical value in reducing carbon emissions. Based on the binary logit model, this paper studied the different motivations of consumers in eastern, central, and western China to purchase carbon-labeled eggs. Based on the choice experiment method and mixed logit model, this paper investigates the preferences and willingness of consumers in different regions to pay for different attributes of carbon-labeled eggs. The results show that the motives driving consumers in different regions to buy carbon-labeled eggs vary but are mainly taking a wait-and-see approach. Consumers in the eastern, central, and western regions all strongly prefer low-carbon labeled eggs. In contrast, consumers in the western region have no significant positive preference for medium-carbon labels. The combination of low-carbon labels and free-range labels has a complementary effect on consumer groups in the eastern, central, and western regions. Low-carbon labels and organic certification labels have a substitutive effect on consumer groups in the eastern region. Medium-carbon labels, organic certification labels, low-carbon labels, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) -enriched egg labels have a complementary effect on consumer groups in eastern and central regions. In contrast, medium-carbon labels and DHA-enriched egg labels have a substitutive effect. The willingness to purchase carbon-labeled eggs is lower for older consumers in the eastern region and families with a heavier burden of elderly care and children in the central region.

ABSTRACT: Recent trends in the marketing of functional foods suggest that multiple‐benefit products are becoming more common. Yet it is unclear which consumers are most interested in, or best served by, such novel or new generation functional foods. With emerging scientific evidence of efficacy and more diverse products offered for sale, a broader range of consumers are likely to become interested in dietary interventions to enhance health. Consumers will likely respond based on a range of motivation, health conditions, and knowledge levels suggesting “one size will not fit all.” Given such an evolving marketing environment, this paper presents 1 research technique exploring differences in consumer preferences and valuations for a novel functional food product—a tomato juice containing soy. A discrete choice experiment is applied to examine consumer valuation of this novel functional food. Data were collected from 1704 households in Ohio through a mail survey. The choice experiment manipulates whether or not the product is organic, whether it contains natural or fortified nutrients, and product price. Estimates of consumer willingness to pay a premium price are based on conditional logit and mixed logit models, which permit an examination of consumer preference and valuation heterogeneity for key product attributes. Results indicate that health benefits and ingredient naturalness are positively valued, but such preferences and valuations depend on an individual's education, income, and food purchase behavior. Naturally occurring nutrients are preferred over fortification. Considerable heterogeneity is found in the data suggesting that a range of market segments may exist.

Background Ready-to-eat meal delivery services have become commonplace in recent years and their growth accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the potential ramifications on dietary habits and subsequent health outcomes remain largely unexplored. Given the well-established links between unhealthy dietary patterns and chronic diseases such as obesity, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, understanding the determinants and public health implications of ready-to-eat meal delivery services use is imperative. This study aims to investigate the determinants associated with the use of ready-to-eat meal delivery services and their implications for health behaviours and outcomes. Methods This cross-sectional study is conducted amongst adults residing in Flanders or Brussels, Belgium. A quantitative online survey commenced in April 2024 and is scheduled to conclude by June 2024. Structural equation models will be used to assess determinants and implications of ready-to-eat meal delivery services use. Latent class analysis will be used to identify user profiles and subsequent structural equation modelling will assess determinants of these profiles and their associated health (behaviour) outcomes. Results Preliminary results suggest meal delivery usage was higher in younger and middle-income users. Main reasons of use amongst users (n = 139) were more time for leisure activities (66%) and supermarket avoidance (64%). Main reasons for non-use amongst non-users (n = 69) were not wanting to spend money with meal delivery services (70%) and preference to cook own meals (81%). Data collection is currently ongoing. Further analysis is planned, and full results will be available by November 2024. Conclusions This study will provide a better understanding of drivers of meal delivery services use in Belgium and their potential impact on public health. It will also help inform public health strategies targeted at improving dietary habits. Key messages • Recognising that meal delivery services will become ever present in the future, insights into why people order meals for delivery and the potential health implications of such services are essential. • The use of advanced statistical techniques highlights the potential of the study to offer novel insights into determinants and ramifications of meal delivery services usage.

This dissertation investigates provider and consumer preferences in health care markets as they pertain to policy decisions and shows that, if placing priority on a nation’s welfare, policy makers would do well to design reforms that not only address, but also, are largely informed by, provider and consumer feedback. For example, if citizens’ preferences point to a willingness to pay high insurance premiums (or taxes) for health care consumption, reforms to cut cost through rationing health care provision may actually decrease a nation’s welfare. Each chapter of this dissertation can be considered as self-contained. Following a brief discussion of the relevance of preference measurement, this dissertation first analyzes what it is that physicians dislike about Managed Care (MC). Supported by evidence drawn from a discrete choice experiment conducted with Swiss ambulatory care physicians, findings demonstrate that private health insurers must be able to achieve substantial savings in order to create sufficient incentives for physicians to participate voluntarily in MC. The same is true for accepting budgetary co-responsibility investigated in Chapter 3. The results show that, as long as the alternative of conventional private practice exists, physicians are less likely to join physician networks and accept budgetary responsibility unless they are highly compensated for the additional financial risk. Chapter 4 compares consumer preferences for health insurance in Germany and the Netherlands. Using two discrete choice experiments, this chapter compares consumer willingness to pay for health insurance attributes. While the two populations agree in their resistance against MC-type attributes, German respondents required much higher compensation in order to give up free physician choice and instead accept a physician list. Chapters 5 and 6 examine physicians’ preferences for drug versions and package sizes. Chapter 5 tests physicians’ imperfect agency and reveals a significant positive association between physician dispensing and the use of generic drugs. Chapter 6 explores whether or not dispensing physicians optimize their own drug margins by prescribing margin-optimizing package sizes. Findings suggest that dispensing physicians achieve higher drug margins than pharmacies, which results in higher drug costs and inefficient package choices for patients.

Significant investment is needed to improve peri-urban sanitation. Consumer willingness to pay may bridge some of this gap. While contingent valuation has been frequently used to assess this demand, there are few comparative studies to validate this method for water and sanitation. We use contingent valuation to estimate demand for flushing toilets, solid doors, and inside and outside locks on doors and compare this with results from hedonic pricing and discrete choice experiments. We collected data for a randomized, controlled trial in peri-urban Lusaka, Zambia in 2017. Tenants were randomly allocated to discrete choice experiments (n = 432) or contingent valuation (n = 458). Estimates using contingent valuation were lower than discrete choice experiments for solid doors (US$2.6 vs. US$3.4), higher for flushing toilets ($3.4 vs. $2.2), and were of the opposite sign for inside and outside locks ($1.6 vs. $ − 1.1). Hedonic pricing aligned more closely to discrete choice experiments for flushing toilets ($1.7) and locks (−$0.9), suggesting significant and inconsistent bias in contingent valuation estimates. While these results provide strong evidence of consumer willingness to pay for sanitation, researchers and policymakers should carefully consider demand assessment methods due to the inconsistent, but often inflated bias of contingent valuation.

This study aims to provide valuable insights into consumer preferences for delivery services in online shopping in Chile. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the evolution of delivery and logistics services, leading to increased competition among online stores. Chile, with its highly digitally enabled population and a competitive landscape of online retailers, serves as an ideal reference case for Latin America. By analyzing key delivery attributes such as delivery time, order arrival time range, compensation policies for delivery delays, and delivery prices, we offer valuable insights into consumer behavior. These insights will, in turn, inform the formulation of effective strategies within the online shopping industry. We examine the following aspects: (a) The willingness of consumers to pay for the service attributes; (b) The relative importance assigned to these attributes by consumers; and (c) The relationship between consumer preferences and socioeconomic characteristics. Using Multinomial Logit Models and a database from a Discrete Choice Experiment, we have discovered that the most significant attributes of delivery service are the time until product arrival and the existence of compensation in case of delivery delays. Additionally, we found that consumers are willing to pay more for the same delivery service if the product is large, as large products generally have higher prices. Furthermore, we observed that delivery time preferences vary by gender and for small products, and price sensitivity varies according to educational level, household size, and socioeconomic status. To the best of our knowledge, no previous research of this kind has been conducted for Chile.

Brewers' spent grain (BSG), a nutrient-rich by-product, offers the food industry a sustainable opportunity. This study explores consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for food products enriched with BSG, focusing on the influence of sustainability logos and brand information. Using a discrete choice experiment (DCE), analyze how these attributes impact consumer preferences for two products: BSG-enriched bread and chocolate dessert. Key variables included the presence of sustainability logos and BSG information, brand type (premium, low-cost, or no-brand), and price. An online survey was conducted, and the multinomial logit (MNL) model was applied to the data (n = 402). Overall, these results suggest that sustainability logos and BSG information positively influence consumer choices, although brand significance varies across product categories. For bread, the brand plays a critical role in purchasing decisions, while for chocolate dessert, the price is the main decision factor. This research highlights that through the addition of BSG, the bread and chocolate manufacturing industry in Uruguay can increase profits with a premium price and improve product quality, transforming the food industry and advancing sustainable development.

BackgroundThe residential heating sector in many European countries requires a fundamental transformation if it is to become climate neutral. Besides the introduction of efficiency measures and updating heating systems, scholars and practitioners consider replacing fossil fuels in existing heating systems a viable approach. Drop-in renewable gases such as biomethane and synthetic natural gas (SNG) cause considerably fewer carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions than natural gas and can be used in natural gas boilers, the dominant heating system in many European countries. To move the ongoing debate around e-fuels forward, this study reports on a Discrete Choice Experiment with 512 respondents in Germany that analyzed consumer preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for SNG. I build on these insights by comparing WTP to the production costs, making evidence-based decision-making possible.ResultsThe results show that consumers prefer renewable gases over natural gas. Comparing the two types of renewable gases, SNG and biomethane, reveals that consumers clearly favor the latter despite the criticism it has come under in the last 10–15 years. Consumers show a surprisingly high WTP for increasing shares of SNG, with premia of 40 to almost 70% over a natural gas-based tariff. Comparing production costs to the WTP reveals that only tariffs with small shares of SNG (5% and 10%) can be offered at cost-covering prices.ConclusionsGiven the urgent need for a fundamental transition of the residential heating sector, marketers and policymakers should consider carefully whether it is worth channeling a rather unknown and expensive product like SNG into the voluntary market for heating gas, especially as biomethane is already established in the market and clearly a cheaper and more popular alternative.

ABSTRACTHeritage crops are grown from open‐pollinated old cultivars and are considered significant in their connection to human culture and food systems. Although developing market opportunities and promoting their production can be an effective strategy to conserve them, little is known about US consumers' awareness, interest, and preferences for them. In this study, we conducted a national survey and used a discrete choice experiment with five different crops (i.e., apple, cabbage, rice, squash, and tomato) to systematically investigate US consumers' preferences for heritage crops. We found that US consumers' awareness of heritage crops is limited. Their willingness‐to‐pays (WTPs) for these crops are relatively modest and vary between heirloom crops, which emphasize the legacy and time aspects of the crops, and heritage crops, which demonstrate the cultural and historical aspects of the crops. However, consumers' WTPs for heritage crops appear consistent across US regions and consumers' residency areas (i.e., cities, suburbs, and rural areas). Only a few consumers' lifestyle variables tend to be correlated to their WTPs. The findings of this study provide substantial empirical evidence to help farmers identify marketing opportunities for heritage crops and examine the feasibility of using a market‐driven approach to conserve heritage crops in the United States.

Agent-based modeling is a promising method to investigate market dynamics, as it allows modeling thebehaviorofallmarketparticipantsindividually. Integratingempiricaldataintheagents'decisionmodelcan improve the validity of agent-based models (ABMs). We present an approach of using discrete choice experi- ments(DCEs)toenhancetheempiricalfoundationofABMs. TheDCEmethodisbasedonrandomutilitytheory and therefore has the potential to enhance the ABM approach with a well-established economic theory. Our combinedapproachisappliedtoacasestudyofaroundwoodmarketinSwitzerland. WeconductedDCEswith roundwood suppliers to quantitatively characterize the agents' decision model. We evaluate our approach us- ing a fitness measure and compare two DCE evaluation methods, latent class analysis and hierarchical Bayes. Additionally, we analyze the influence of the error term of the utility function on the simulation results and present a way to estimate its probability distribution. 1.2 To further improve this situation, we present an approach where we have applied discrete choice experiments (DCEs)toelicitpreferencesofactorsthatarelaterrepresentedasagentsinourmodel. ThetermDCEisusedac- cording to the nomenclature for stated preference methods proposed by Carson & Louviere (2011). We demon- strate the potential of this approach with a case study of the Swiss wood market. The DCE was conducted with roundwood suppliers to quantify the decision model of the supplying agents. We present two approaches, la- tent class analysis and hierarchical Bayes, to evaluate the DCE data and show advantages and disadvantages of each approach to parameterize the model. The decision model is based on random utility theory and there- fore contains a deterministic component, namely utility obtained through the DCE, and a random component accounting for non-measurable factors of an individual's decision. We present a method to estimate the prob- ability distribution of this random component and analyze its influence on the simulation results.

Chinese beef imports have been increasing in recent years. At the same time, Chinese public sentiment toward foreign countries, including those who export beef to China, has been changing. Therefore, this research uses a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to investigate the role of ethnocentrism, country image, and product image on consumer willingness to pay for country‐of‐origin labeled beef. Results indicate, on average, Chinese consumers prefer domestic beef most, and value beef from Australia and the US somewhat similarly. Their willingness to pay varies based on their perceived image of the country that the beef originates from and based on their perception of the safety of the beef, that is, product image. The more ethnocentric consumers are, the more they prefer domestic beef and discount foreign beef. Importantly, the effects of ethnocentrism, country image, and product image are stronger on the willingness to pay for domestic beef than for imported beef. More generally, findings indicate that controlling for ethnocentrism, country image, and product image contributes to understanding consumer willingness to pay for products originating from foreign countries. Overall, findings suggest that stronger ethnocentric tendencies lead to lower willingness to pay for imported beef (with some exceptions), and positive country image and product image increase the willingness to pay for imported beef. Thus, it is important to consider these constructs when estimating consumer willingness to pay for imported products, especially for countries where public sentiment toward exporting countries may be prone to change in a dynamic global environment.

IntroductionTelehealth service provision and uptake has rapidly increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing healthcare to be delivered safely and reducing non-essential face-to-face (F2F) contact. In Australia, the expansion of subsidisation...

It is forecast by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) that e-commerce channels will be one of the fastest-growing marketing strategies underpinning the growth of beef consumption in the coming years (MLA 2016). The boom of e-commerce in retail has progressively induced traditional retailers to initiate new strategies, such as adding online marketing channels to meet the challenges brought out by the success of e-commerce. The new development has been built up by practitioners from both traditional retailers and pure-play e-commerce businesses that have migrated into omni-channel (OC) retailing, which is where their physical stores and online channels have been integrated to the extent that the distinction between offline and online is vanishing. In an OC system, the customer is expected to have a seamless shopping experience between different channels, which requires higher levels of logistics service, and more agile and dynamic omni-channel supply chains. With China having the most internet users in the world, it has the largest, fastest-growing and most innovative retail e-commerce market in the world, and Chinese consumers are world leaders in online shopping generally and online grocery shopping specifically.This project investigated how Australian beef could be sold into the Chinese market via e-commerce and how this avenue could play an increasingly important role for the marketing of beef. Thus, this study aimed to explore current Australia-China beef e-commerce supply chains (ACBESCs) that are used to distribute Australian imported beef products into China’s markets, as well as Chinese consumer reactions towards Australian beef products selling via the different ACBESCs. The study focused on three main issues: 1) the structures and strategies used by current ACBESCs; 2) Chinese consumer preferences and willingness to pay for different ACBESCs attributes; and 3) Chinese consumers’ shopping behaviour and attitudes toward Australian beef products.In order to understand the structures and strategies used by different ACBESC stakeholders, semi-structured interviews were employed with actors in the supply chains to investigate current online and offline configurations, distribution network design, fulfilment strategy, delivery service, return management, assortment issues, and traceability issues. Qualitative data analysis methods were used to analyse the interview data and to determine the themes. The result of the qualitative data analysis showed that there are four types of ACBESC: two pure-play e-commerce supply chains, and two omni-channel supply chains. Within each type, the online and offline configuration, distribution network design, assortment issue, traceability issues and ACBESC fulfilment strategies applied by the actors were described.The consumer study consisted of two parts. The first part employed a discrete choice experiment (DCE) method to investigate Chinese consumer preferences and their willingness to pay (WTP) for certain ACBESC attributes. A DCE questionnaire survey was conducted in four first-tier cities of China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen). A total of 1003 questionnaires was collected from four cities; 872 valid questionnaires were extracted and analysed using the multinomial logit model (MNL), random parameter logit model (RPL), and latent class model (LCM). The analysis revealed that consumers in China’s first-tier cities mostly prefer to purchase Australian beef products via omni-channel offline shops. This preference was followed by the omni-channel phone app, and self-operated pure-play e-commerce retail shops (conventional e-commerce businesses that only have online channels).Regarding the back-end supply chain, Chinese consumers mostly prefer the product to be originally cut and packaged in Australia with an Australian brand. Regarding traceability information, products with either the MLA True Aussie Beef logo or QR code providing traceability information are much preferred than products without. The MLA True Aussie Beef logo is preferred over the QR code. Chinese consumers in first-tier cities are ready to pay a premium for product selling via omni-channel offline stores and phone apps, and via self-operated e-commerce retailers. They are also willing to pay a premium for the product with an Australian brand that is originally produced and packaged in Australia, as well as products with QR code and MLA True Aussie beef logo providing traceability information.The second part of the consumer study investigated Chinese consumer preferences for beef product-related attributes, including their preferred beef-producing methods, cooking methods, country of origin, shopping channels and trust of different e-commerce-related channels. This part’s questionnaire was combined with the DCE questionnaire to create a single questionnaire, from which 819 valid questionnaires out of 1003 were extracted. Also, online consumers’ comments from several large e-commerce platforms were collected and analysed. The main themes and concepts in the comments were identified.Overall, these integrated findings from the ACBESCs actors and the Chinese consumers provide a reference for and enhanced understanding of the current fresh produce e-commerce and omni-channel landscape in China. Finally, the findings enable recommendations to be made to the Australian beef industry as to how to move forward in terms of providing a better service and added value for Chinese consumers.

Introduction Internationally, teledermoscopy has been found to have clinical and economic efficacy. This study aims to identify the attributes of a mobile teledermoscopy service that consumers prefer. This preliminary study was set within a broader randomised control trial (RCT) investigating the effectiveness of direct to consumer mobile teledermoscopy. Methods We undertook a discrete choice experiment (DCE). The DCE comprised 24 choice sets, divided into in two blocks of 12. For each choice set, respondents were asked to make discrete choices between two opt-out choices and two skin cancer screening service options described by seven attributes. A mixed logit model was used to estimate preferences for skin cancer screening services. Consumer preferences weights were used to calculate marginal willingness-to-pay (WTP) for skin cancer screening services. Results The DCE was completed by 113 consumer respondents. Consumers’ preference for dermatologist involvement in their diagnosis, increased accuracy, and reduced excisions were all statistically significant in driving choice between service models. Consumers preferred having a professional involved in their skin cancer screening, rather than performing a self-examination. Consumers were only WTP $1.18 to change from a GP visit to mobile teledermoscopy (diagnosis using a phone camera). However, they were WTP $43 to have their results reviewed by a dermatologist rather than a GP, and $117 to increase the chance of detecting a melanoma if it was present from 65-75% to 95%. Conclusion Skin cancer screening services which are delivered by health professionals, rather than skin self-examination, are preferred by consumers. Consumers were willing to pay for their preferred skin cancer screening method, especially if a dermatologist was involved.

While consumption of content in offline formats continues to decline, many providers are still struggling to monetize their content online, because consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for content in online formats is low. The availability of free content on the Internet is often considered the primary reason for this issue. However, we hold that the lower WTP is also related to a lower appraisal of online formats per se. Using a conjoint analysis and the example of newspaper subscriptions, we explore differences in consumer preferences and WTP between offline and online formats. Our results show that after price, format is the second-most important attribute of a newspaper subscription. While consumers still prefer the printed newspaper to any online format, WTP differs across online formats and is strongly associated with device ownership. Our study provides a novel understanding of the previously neglected factor content format and its importance for content providers.