Consumer Demand Research Articles

Research on Factors of Influencing Consumer Behavior Patterns in the Food Service Industry

This article provides a comprehensive review of the literature on consumer behavior in the food and beverage industry, with the aim of summarizing and analyzing the factors that influence consumer behavior patterns and providing certain improvement measures for food and beverage industry enterprises. The food and beverage industry is an important part of the economy, so its consumer behavior patterns have a wide-ranging impact on social and economic development. This review mainly includes the factors that influence consumer behavior and their operating modes. Firstly, this paper explores the psychological motives of consumers to a certain extent, mainly divided into brand identification and demand, emphasizing the important roles of brand identification and consumer demand. Secondly, this paper analyzes the factors that influence consumer behavior, mainly including price-performance ratio, consumption experience, marketing strategies, brand image, and product variety, and explains the operating modes and underlying reasons of each factor. Finally, by summarizing consumer behavior patterns and providing some suggestions for the development of the food and beverage industry, this paper offers a forecast for the industry's development. These suggestions mainly include the creation of a brand image and the emphasis on consumption experience.

Post-Pandemic Growth of E-Commerce Platforms: A Case Study on Taobaos Strategic Success in China

This study analyzes the reasons for the continued growth of the Taobao platform after the pandemic to reveal the key factors that enable e-commerce platforms to maintain competitiveness in a dynamic market environment. Through a case study of Taobao, it is found that its success not only relies on innovative marketing methods such as the Double Eleven shopping festival and live streaming but also on efficient supply chain management and personalized user experience. This study points out that Taobao has built a strong market advantage through the interactivity of social e-commerce and the optimization of the supply chain, successfully meeting the demand of consumers for online shopping after the pandemic. This study provides valuable practical experience for other e-commerce platforms, emphasizing that focusing on user experience, adopting innovative promotional strategies, and optimizing supply chain management are effective ways to improve market performance. These findings are of great practical significance for the continued development of the e-commerce sector.

Applications and Challenges of Warehouse Optimization Technology in E-commerce Platforms under the Background Big Data

With the rapid growth of e-commerce, warehouse management has become a crucial component in ensuring operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Integrating big data into e-commerce warehousing has significantly influenced logistics by providing valuable insights into consumer behavior, inventory turnover, and supply chain performance. Warehouses can make better use of space, get orders filled faster, and get more accurate information with the help of technologies like automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), inventory forecasting models, real-time tracking with the Internet of Things (IoT), and AI-driven order picking. However, the adoption of these optimization technologies is not without challenges. Successful implementation requires addressing issues related to data quality and integration, high initial costs, workforce adaptation, and data security. By addressing these obstacles, e-commerce platforms can leverage warehouse optimization to reduce costs, improve operational efficiency, and meet increasing consumer demands in a competitive market. This passage will focus on the applications of optimization technology in warehouses based on a big data background and the challenges it will face in the optimization process.

E-commerce Enterprise's Supply Chain Green Transformation Strategy

With the increasing awareness of social environmental protection and the widespread concept of sustainable development, enterprises gradually realize the importance of environmental responsibility in the process of operation. For e-commerce enterprises, their green transformation in supply chain management has become an inevitable trend. Especially in the modern consumption model, e-commerce enterprises not only need to improve operational efficiency and customer satisfaction but also must actively respond to increasingly stringent environmental regulations and consumer demand for green products. Therefore, promoting the green transformation of the supply chain not only helps to reduce the environmental impact but also enhances the social image of the enterprise and enhances the competitiveness of the brand. Taking e-commerce enterprises as the research object, this paper systematically combs the core issues of green transformation of the supply chain, including specific challenges such as cost problems, shortage of technology and talents, and changes in policies and regulations. In view of these problems, optimization strategies are put forward from the aspects of reducing cost, introducing technology and talents, and coping with policy changes. This paper aims to provide scientific reference suggestions for the green supply chain transformation of e-commerce enterprises to help them achieve sustainable development goals.

Resilience and Coping Strategies during COVID-19: Perspectives from Agricultural Enterprise Farmers

COVID-19 posed threats to Thailand, particularly affecting agricultural enterprises. This study examines coping strategies of the Khok Sawang Agricultural Enterprise (KSAE) in Khon Kaen province in response to disturbances of the COVID-19 pandemic. A purposive sample of 75 members from the KSAE was analyzed using a mixed-methods approach. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Quantitative data were computed using SPSS, qualitative insights were derived through thematic analysis. The findings indicate that respondents faced considerable challenges across four domains: production and trade, food security, health, and income. Specifically, 86.7% reported income losses, 82.7% indicated increased mental health stress, and 70% reported reduced access to healthcare services. Market pressures, rising production costs, and decreased consumer demand collectively resulted in a 30% decline in production. To cope with these disruptions, respondents adopted diverse coping strategies. In terms of production, farmers reduced working hours, implemented daily wage cuts, and adopted digital platforms to facilitate direct sales. Health-related strategies included engagement in vaccination schemes and enhancing social networks to provide emotional support. This study underscores the resilience in navigating the extensive disturbances of COVID-19. It emphasizes the need for integrated policy frameworks that enhance farmers’ resilience to deal with future crises.

Este Lauder's Marketing Strategy for Its Beauty Products in the Chinese Market

The beauty and cosmetics industry is growing rapidly, with China emerging as one of the most important markets due to rising consumer demand and digital commerce. This article examines Este Lauder Companies' strategic adjustments to the Chinese market, focusing on the three marketing strategies of localization, digital marketing, and consumer engagement. Using secondary data from industry reports and academic studies, the study analyzes how Este Lauder Companies has adapted its products to Chinese cultural preferences, such as products with a focus on skincare and holiday-themed packaging. The company's digital strategy, including collaborations with influencers and participation in e-commerce events such as Singles' Day, has increased brand awareness and consumer trust. In addition, personalized interactions through loyalty programs and virtual consultations have helped build long-term customer relationships. However, the brand faces challenges from domestic competitors and changing consumer expectations for sustainability. This study provides insights into how global luxury brands can balance localization with brand consistency to succeed in competitive and culturally diverse markets.

Accessibility Analysis and Site Selection Suggestions for Cultural Complexes in Nanjing

In recent years, with the increase of urban cultural consumption demand, cultural complexes, the role of cultural complexes, notably bookstores, have become increasingly significant. In this study, we took the 11th district of Nanjing as the research object and selected the cultural complex represented by bookstores in Nanjing to study and analyze their distribution and accessibility. First, the study collected data on the location, transportation network, and population density of bookstores in Nanjing. Then, a comprehensive evaluation system was constructed to evaluate the impact of different modes of transportation on the accessibility of bookstores. By using the spatial analysis method, this study quantitatively evaluated the spatial distribution pattern, service scope and service equity of Nanjing bookstores. The results show that the distribution of bookstores in Nanjing shows a similar imbalance with the distribution of population density, in which the accessibility of the central area of the city is relatively high, while the peripheral area is low. In particular, the issue of accessibility equity for children is particularly prominent. Based on the above findings, this paper proposes targeted suggestions and improvement strategies for bookstore site selection, aiming to provide a scientific basis and practical guidance for government decision-makers, urban planners and bookstore operators.

EXPRESS: When a Mighty Competitor Comes to Town, Can Adjusting Product Variety Shield Incumbent Stores from Sales Loss? Insights from Retail Collocation, Category, and Pre-Existing Competition

When a competitor enters a market, incumbent retail stores often adjust their product variety to maintain sales. However, no empirical evidence has been provided in the literature to justify the value of such product variety adjustments after a rival’s entry. One difficulty is that the change in consumer demand due to rival’s entry and changes in product variety simultaneously affect incumbents’ sales. When changes in sales at incumbent stores are observed after rivals’ entries, it is unclear whether the sales changes result from product variety adjustments or changes in consumer demand directly resulting from the entry. Even if adjusting product variety can potentially mitigate sales loss due to rivals’ entries, it is unclear whether such product variety adjustments provide a universal solution to all incumbent stores. This paper applies the difference-in-difference research design to develop a system of equations for product variety and sales at incumbent stores after rivals’ entries by exploiting the entries of warehouse clubs. The findings reveal that, on average, product variety at incumbent stores increased after the entries. This increased product variety mitigates the sales decreases caused by the entries with a diminishing return. After the entry of a warehouse club store, incumbent stores collocated with the new store have less sales loss than the non-collocated stores due to the trade-off between the substitution and agglomeration effects. Product variety adjustments at collocated incumbent stores experience greater sales benefits than non-collocated stores. Moreover, the sales loss that was mitigated by increased product variety at incumbent stores within the retail category of entrants is larger than others after the entry of a warehouse club store. Interestingly, the mitigation effect is not significant for certain incumbents, such as convenience and drug stores, which belong to different retail categories from entrants. This study also explores the heterogeneous effects by investigating pre-existing competition and different warehouse club chains. The empirical findings offer valuable insights to managers of incumbent stores on how to adjust product variety to reduce sales loss resulting from a rival’s entry.

What Happens Behind Closed Doors? Investigating Care Practices in Nursing Home and Assisted Living Memory Care Units

Abstract In the United States, long-term care providers such as nursing homes and assisted living communities are meeting consumer demand through housing and care options designed to support the growing population of people living with dementia. One approach to providing dementia care is the development of “memory care units” within existing nursing homes and assisted livings. Memory care units provide a setting more tailored to the cognitive and functional abilities of these individuals. There is emerging evidence about the optimum strategies for memory care environments; however, little is known about the implementation, prevalence, and quality of practice- and environment-based strategies in memory care units. This article provides insight into the prevalence of memory care unit practices using data from Ohio. The analysis points to policy and practice opportunities to address the quality of life and care for people living with dementia.

Assessing the product attributes of Iranian localized frozen dumpling dough incorporated with fish paste

In this study, the properties of frozen dumpling dough produced by replacing 0% (Control), 10% (T1), and 20%(T2) of wheat flour with Hypophthalmichthys molitrix paste were evaluated through chemical, microbiological, and sensory tests. The dumplings were stored at – 18 °C for 3 months, and assessments were conducted in triplicate every 30 days. The pH, total ash, acid insoluble ash, and salt percentage did not significantly differ between the samples (P > 0.05); however, the samples' moisture, crude protein, crude lipid, peroxide, contents did significantly differ (P < 0.05). There was a noticeable variation (P < 0.05) in the overall counts of yeast and mold in the samples. Discriminant Analysis (DA) and Product Characterization analysis indicated that replacing 20% FP and storing for 90 days did not meet consumer demand. The chemical and sensory characteristics of dumplings stored at – 18 °C for 60 days post-production showed that wheat flour can be replaced with 10% silver carp paste.

Analysing Consumer Behaviour and Demand Dynamics of Poultry Based Fast Food in Faisalabad, Pakistan

Analysing Consumer Behaviour and Demand Dynamics of Poultry Based Fast Food in Faisalabad, Pakistan

Financial Strategies Driving Market Performance During Recession in Nigerian Manufacturing Firms

This study examines the interplay between leverage, dividend policy, and market performance in Nigeria’s manufacturing sector during the economic downturn of 2016–2020. Drawing on signaling and trade-off theories, we investigate how firms balanced leverage and dividend payouts to sustain performance amidst macroeconomic shocks, including currency depreciation, inflation, and weakened consumer demand. Using panel data from 26 Nigerian Stock Exchange-listed firms, the study applies pooled ordinary least squares (POLS) and fixed-effect models (FEM) to analyze the direct and interactive effects of leverage and dividend policy on market performance, controlling for profitability, firm size, and taxation. The findings reveal that leverage generally exerts a negative effect on firm value, particularly long-term debt, which increases financial distress risks. However, the interaction between leverage and dividend payouts positively moderates this relationship, suggesting that firms use dividends strategically to signal stability and mitigate leverage-related risks. Profitability emerges as a key determinant of firm value, while short-term debt provides operational flexibility, and taxation imposes significant financial strain. Larger firms demonstrate greater resilience, benefiting from scale economies and diversified funding sources. This research highlights the importance of an integrative financial strategy during periods of economic uncertainty, emphasizing the complementary roles of leverage and dividend policy in enhancing firm value. The findings offer critical insights for policymakers and corporate managers in emerging markets, advocating for tax reforms and prudent financial management to improve business resilience. By addressing gaps in the literature, this study contributes to the understanding of financial decision-making in developing economies.

The economic benefits, energy use efficiency, and carbon footprint of fragrant super rice and nonfragrant super rice under different planting methods and nitrogen levels.

The objective of this study was to investigate the input and output of energy, carbon input and sequestration, and economic benefits of fragrant and nonfragrant rice under different crop management practices, with the aim of providing theoretical guidance for sustainable rice production. Two high-yield and popular rice varieties, Yuxiangyouzhan and Jiyou615, were grown under three nitrogen fertilizer levels (0, 150, and 220 kg ha-1) and three planting methods (manual transplanting, mechanical transplanting, and mechanical direct seeding) during 2018 and 2019. The results showed that the economic, energy, and carbon benefits of the different rice varieties varied in response to the different fertilizations and planting methods. The average energy outputs of Yuxiangyouzhan and Jiyou615 were 214 423.26 and 218 474.90 MJ ha-1, respectively. The mean harvest index and mean energy use efficiency of Jiyou615 were slightly greater, at 4.21% and 3.93%, respectively, than those of Yuxiangyouzhan, while the mean carbon input-sequestration ratio of Yuxiangyouzhan was slightly greater, at 1.79%, than that of Jiyou615. Yuxiangyouzhan had a significantly greater mean benefit-cost ratio (5.76%) than Jiyou615. In addition, Yuxiangyouzhan had a significantly greater mean nominal economic return on energy input (12.21%), nominal economic return on energy output (13.20%), nominal economic return on carbon input (12.65%), and nominal economic return on carbon sequestration (11.31%) than Jiyou615. The results suggest that suitable high-yield and high-quality varieties with better consumer demand and the synergistic effect of variety and crop management in sustainable rice production are highly meaningful. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Reinforcement learning versus data-driven dynamic programming: a comparison for finite horizon dynamic pricing markets

Abstract Revenue management (RM) plays a vital role to optimize sales processes in real-life applications under incomplete information. The prediction of consumer demand and the anticipation of price reactions of competitors became key factors in RM to be able to apply classical dynamic programming (DP) methods for expected long-term reward maximization. Modern model-free deep Reinforcement Learning (RL) approaches are able to derive optimized policies without explicit estimations of underlying model dynamics. However, RL algorithms typically require either vast amounts of training data or a suitable synthetic model to be trained on. As existing studies focus on one group of algorithms only, the relation between established DP approaches and new RL techniques is opaque. To address this issue, in this paper, we use a dynamic pricing framework for an airline ticket market to compare state-of-the-art RL algorithms and data-driven versions of classic DP methods regarding (i) performance and (ii) required data to each other. For the DP techniques, we use estimations of market dynamics to be able to compare their performance and data consumption against RL methods. The numerical results of our experiments, which include monopoly as well as duopoly markets, allow to study how the different approaches’ performances relate to each other in exemplary settings. In both setups, we find that with few data (about 10 episodes) fitted DP methods were highly competitive; with medium amounts of data (about 100 episodes) DP methods got outperformed by RL, where PPO provided the best results. Given large amounts of training data (about 1000 episodes), the best RL algorithms, i.e., TD3, DDPG, PPO, and SAC, performed similarly achieving about 90% and more of the optimal solution.

Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus: An Overview of the Viability in Fruit and Vegetable Juices and Their Potential Effects on Human Health.

Consumer demand for health-enhancing foods is growing, with plant-based probiotic foods gaining prominence. Fruit and vegetable juices offer promising matrices for delivering probiotic strains due to their rich bioactive compound content, which holds nutritional and technological significance. Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus is commonly employed in viability studies, offering both technological benefits and potential health advantages for consumers. The main databases were searched to bring together a compilation of studies that assessed the feasibility and technological parameters of fruit and vegetable juices enriched with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus. In addition, this review aims to analyze promising points, gaps, and challenges in the development of these products, such as the relationship between the technological aspect of manufacturing this type of food and impacts on human health. The strain most used in the studies was Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG. More than half of the formulations maintained viability above 8 log CFU/mL. Low pH, high dissolved oxygen concentrations, and low free amino acid concentrations can all be obstacles to preserving viability in fruit and vegetable juices. Various techniques, including microencapsulation, prebiotic supplementation, and pH adjustments, have been employed by researchers to achieve more favorable results. Despite numerous meta-analyses on supplementation alone, human studies on the consumption of probiotic-enriched juices remain scarce, which highlight the need for more research.

Comparative gametogenesis and genomic signatures associated with pollen sterility in the seedless mutant of grapevine

BackgroundSeedless grapes are in high demand for fresh and dry fruit consumption. Seedlessness in grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) is triggered by two different mechanisms: stenospermocarpy and parthenocarpy. However, the key regulators of seed development and their targets in grapes are not well characterized. The present study used the seeded grape hybrid ARI 516 and its seedless mutant to understand the molecular mechanisms controlling the seedless phenotype in grapes.ResultsGametogenesis studies demonstrated that the seedless mutant exhibits pollen sterility due to abnormal pollen morphology, significantly low viability, and a complete lack of germination ability. The macrogametophyte in the seedless mutant was significantly smaller than in ARI 516. Transcriptomic comparisons were performed during three developmental stages, including pre-flowering stage E-L 15, anthesis stage E-L 23, and berry formation E-L 31, to study altered developmental processes in the seedless mutant and ARI 516. Genes downregulated in the seedless mutant were enriched in the male gametophyte development-related pathways, which may cause pollen sterility. The RNAseq results were validated by qRT-PCR. Genome sequence data was also used to identify induced mutations in the seedless mutant, which revealed three homozygous and 25 heterozygous InDels in the genes related to male gametophyte development. RNAseq and genome sequencing data collectively indicate parthenocarpic seedless phenotype due to aberrant developmental and physiological processes involved in pollen formation, maturation and germination in the seedless mutant of ARI 516.ConclusionThe study showed the downregulation of transcription factors and their target genes involved in cell division, gibberellin biosynthesis and signalling, cell wall development, organization, and pollen germination. This study represents a comprehensive attempt to identify putative candidate genes associated with parthenocarpic pollen sterility in grapes using genomic approaches.

The Role of Functional Beverages in Mitigating Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Focus on Their Antidiabetic and Hypolipidemic Properties

The incidence and mortality rates of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are constantly increasing. Among the main risk factors, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia, which are equally widespread pathological conditions, stand out. Current preventive strategies are based on physical activity and a healthy, balanced diet. Primary therapies, on the other hand, are based on the administration of hypoglycaemic and cholesterol-lowering drugs. Given the increasing consumer demand for food products with healthy properties, functional beverages may represent a breakthrough in this field. Through a careful analysis of studies conducted over the past seven years, it has emerged that herbal teas, fruit and vegetable drinks, as well as milk- and plant-based beverages, can mitigate these two critical CVD risk factors, often linked to the presence of specific polyphenols or fermentation processes. The selection of in vivo, in vitro and clinical trials revealed the ability of such drinks to reduce the enzymatic activity of α-glucosidase and α-amylase, as well as to decrease circulating lipid levels, properties that were surprisingly also exhibited by beverages derived from food waste. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the possibility of employing these drinks as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia in order to reduce two potential CVD risk factors.

Indian Organic Food Industry Analysis and its Potential to Reach Global Market

India’s organic food industry is assured of significant growth, driven by the rich agricultural heritage and increasing consumer demand for healthier and sustainable food options. This provides a comprehensive analysis of the Indian organic food sector, focusing on its financial potential to penetrate global markets. The research examines key factors such as sustainability benefits and market dynamics shaping the industry’s trajectory. It offers recommendations for stakeholders aiming to harness India’s full potential to reach the global organic food market. Through strategic investments and initiatives, India can position itself as a leader in organic products, contributing to both economic growth and sustainable agricultural practices. The Indian organic food industry has emerged as a significant player in the global market, fuelled by growing consumer awareness and preferences for healthier and sustainable food options. This article gives a comprehensive analysis of the financial potential of the Indian organic food industry to penetrate and thrive in global markets. The findings of this study provide valuable insights, offering a roadmap for harnessing the financial potential of the Indian organic food industry to achieve sustainable growth and global competitiveness.

The State of poultry industry in Belarus at the present stage

According to analysts, due to increased consumer demand, from the beginning of the 21st century, poultry production will increase many times by 2030. The planned regulated economy of Belarus, strict adherence to technological norms and rules, uninterrupted supply of poultry with complete feed and high personal responsibility of labor collectives have made it possible to achieve high levels of egg and poultry meat production. The share of the meat market in Belarus is 39.0% owned by poultry products, which have displaced such industries as pig breeding, horse breeding and sheep breeding. With a relatively low number of farm birds of 49.9 million birds, it became possible to achieve the following high results. Meat production per capita in 2023 was 139 kg, with consumption of 101 kg, i.e. an additional 27.3% of meat was produced. At the same time, of the indicated volume, 54.5 kg is poultry meat. The annual overproduction of meat at the level of 20-30% allows us to have additional profits from its sale in markets near and far abroad. A similar situation is developing in egg poultry farming. Over the past year, the production of edible eggs per capita in Belarus amounted to 375 pieces, but their consumption does not exceed 272 pieces. Additional produced products in the amount of 27.5% were sold, first of all, to the market of the Russian Federation, and then to China and other countries. The selection of countries for poultry exports was primarily based on statistical information on per capita production levels. Thus, timely analysis of statistical information makes it possible to regulate investments and predict the profitability of the production of eggs and poultry meat and, if necessary, promptly provide producers with new sales markets without allowing excessive overproduction of livestock (poultry) products.

How Criteria Weights Influence Performance in Evaluating Logistic Productivity: An Application in the Emerging Markets Logistics Index

Purpose: The differences between the criteria affecting the logistics performance of countries and their importance levels are meaningful in terms of policy development processes. It has been determined that the criteria are weighted equally in the emerging markets logistics index. For this reason, the study reweighted the criteria of the Emerging Markets Logistics Index and investigated the effects of weighting on the ranking. In this respect, the study aims to make the index more objective. Methodology: In the study, Multi-Criteria Decision Making methods were utilized. Within this context, MEREC (Method Based on the Removal Effects of Criteria) was used to determine the criteria weights, while MABAC (Multi Attributive Border Approximation Area Comparison) and MAIRCA (Multi Attributive Ideal Real Comparative Analysis) methods were preferred to rank the alternatives. Findings: In the study, it was concluded that the weighted values of the criteria are more consistent with the literature. Additionally, the new weights obtained have an effect on the ranking values of the countries. Orginality: It is important that emerging markets provide an opportunity to develop infrastructure to increase logistics productivity and provide a platform for the implementation of new technologies in logistics operations. Furthermore, these markets enable the diversification and development of logistics services through the expanding consumer demand. This study differs from other studies in the literature because it preferred the Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index (AEMLI) instead of the Logistic Performance Index (LPI) and used MEREC-based MABAC-MAIRCA methods.