Romanian Consumers Research Articles

Evaluating the Impact and Perception of Influencer Marketing Among Romanian Consumers—Insights from Quantitative Research

Currently, one of the most widely used marketing techniques is influencer marketing, but is its true impact on Romanians truly understood? This article aims to establish the perception of influencer marketing activities by Romanian consumers. A quantitative study was conducted, gathering 618 responses through an online questionnaire. It was found that 92% of the respondents made at least one purchase based on content creator recommendations, with Instagram being perceived as the most impactful platform for such campaigns. However, the success of these campaigns relies on several strategic elements. These include selecting content creators who align with the product or service being promoted and ensuring that the influencer’s audience demographics match the target audience. Companies must also prioritize transparency and the seamless integration of products into influencers’ daily lives, as well as considering factors like content type, the frequency of posts, and budget. The results indicate that well-structured influencer partnerships, particularly on Instagram, enhance consumer trust and enhance marketing impact. These insights offer valuable guidance for developing effective digital marketing strategies emphasizing to specific business needs.

Tackling Food Waste: An Exploratory Case Study on Consumer Behavior in Romania.

Data were collected through an online self-administered questionnaire, designed to investigate consumer behaviors related to the avoidance of FW. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed, and a linear regression model was developed to evaluate a composite index measuring Romanian consumers' behavior towards FW reduction. The resulting model identifies key predictors that drive concrete actions to minimize FW, including the desire to mitigate the environmental impact, household conversations about FW and strategies to reduce it, established food routines, the influence of one's social circle, individual ecological and social responsibility, and the effectiveness of awareness campaigns addressing the consequences of FW. Practical and social implications: The findings highlight the necessity of education and awareness initiatives to shift attitudes and behaviors concerning FW. Future research is warranted to deepen understanding and enhance interventions. This study represents a pioneering and innovative inquiry into FW behavior in Romania, filling a gap in the existing literature and contributing to the broader discourse on this pressing environmental issue.

Key Factors Influencing Consumer Choices in Wood-Based Recycled Products for Circular Construction Sector

This article explores the integration of wood recycling and reuse practices within construction and reconstruction processes, as highlighted in a wood products questionnaire. The aim of this study is to understand how the Romanian consumers perceive the circular economy in order to adopt responsible consumption models. The working instrument consisted of a questionnaire. The questionnaire was applied to 60.7% urban respondents and 39.3% rural ones and consisted of 23 items. The response rate was 68.5% for certain items (257 responses). In the first part, the integration of wood recycling and reuse practices within construction and reconstruction processes is examined. Emerging recycling techniques and demolition processes, particularly incorporating reused, reconditioned, and recycled wood in the construction industry, are evaluated. The economic and environmental implications of these practices are also examined, contributing to the discussion of eco-design policies, and construction waste management and standards. In the second part, insights are provided into how Romanian consumers’ knowledge of CE principles, information about product characteristics, and attitudes influence the demand for recycled wood products. The study concludes with recommendations for better promotion strategies of wood-based recycled products, aiming to increase awareness of its long-term environmental and socio-economic benefits. Additionally, it suggests the need for providing more information on the environmental benefits of wood-based recycled products, and for a more active engagement of stakeholders in the transition to a circular economy. The results serve as a basis for a better understanding of Romanian consumers’ adoption of sustainable consumption behavior in agreement with circular economy concepts and SDGs. While the majority of respondents generally shows openness to an eco-friendly product, mere promotion of these principles may not suffice to change entrenched behaviors and purchasing habits.

EXPLORING SUSTAINABLE CLOTHING CONSUMPTION IN ROMANIA: THE MIDDLE-INCOME CHALLENGE

Immense pressure is placed on the textile industry in middle-income countries like Romania, where natural resources are becoming increasingly scarce due to the growing demand for clothing fueled by excessive consumerism. The significant amount of clothing waste in Romania highlights the negative effects of fast fashion, despite growing public awareness of its environmental consequences. During these times it is important to advocate sustainable clothing consumption behaviors, like choosing recyclable clothes over new items or preferring sustainable clothing items over fast fashion. There is a need to shift consumers’ clothing consumption towards a more sustainable one. Promoting sustainable practices and economic growth in middle-income countries like Romania can reduce the negative impacts of excessive clothing consumption and decrease the burden on the textile industry. To enhance sustainable clothing consumption, it is important to apprehend the factors that predict consumers’ intentions to purchase sustainable clothing consumption. However, the literature provides limited research exploring the underlying factors that determine consumers’ intention to purchase sustainable clothing in middle-income countries. Moreover, the impact of consumers’ environmental awareness on their sustainable clothing purchase motivation is underexplored. To fill the research gap, this study intends to analyze the problem by providing an exploration of the sustainable consumption field through the development of a comprehensive framework that examines the behavioral factors influencing consumers in Romania to buy sustainable clothing. This study’s novelty integrates social value orientations with the theory of planned behavior and analyzes data from 1,018 Romanian respondents using statistical methods like partial least squares path modeling. The findings of the study reveal that altruistic values, social norms, and positive attitudes significantly impact Romanian consumers’ intentions to purchase sustainable clothing. These discoveries grant significant guidance for promoting sustainable clothing consumption and provide practical implications for the textile industry in middle-income countries like Romania when addressing clothing overconsumption.

Enhancing Romanian consumers' purchase intention of a new Kashkaval cheese with natural thyme flavor

The modern consumer increasingly prefers those products offering utility that are also healthy, safe, pleasant, and at a convenient price. Kashkavals, made of cow or sheep milk since olden times, pertain to this food category. Kashkavals are a type of semi-hard yellow cheese originally from Balkan countries, such as Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Kosovo, and Serbia, marked by various aromas, tastes, textures, flavors, and shapes depending on their geographical area. Kashkaval cheese producers are increasingly more interested in finding solutions from the dairy industry to prolong the shelf durability of the product, to improve its flavor and taste characteristics, while reducing the risks impeding product quality due to various types of bacteria and molds. A possible solution to reduce risks is to include essential oils in the milk used to produce Kashkaval cheese. If manufacturing such cheese does not involve significant technological challenges, a producer must identify clients' willingness to choose and purchase a product like Kashkaval cheese with a natural thyme flavor from essential oil.The aim of the research is to study the consumers' purchase intention towards Kashkaval cheese, by relying on the Stimulus-Organism Response model (SOR). Therefore, the authors develop a conceptual model based on the literature. The relations of the conceptual model are then empirically tested among 458 respondents from an emerging market. The conceptual model considers the price, as well as the utilitarian, hedonic, and authentic attributes of the Kashkaval cheese as stimuli, while the uniqueness and image are considered mental processes exerted by the organism. Finally, the impact of stimuli and the organism in generating consumer purchase intention (response) is further analyzed. Data are collected through a quantitative-based survey and later analyzed by using structural equation modeling with SmartPLS. The findings suggest that the purchase intention of Kashkaval cheese depends mainly on its image among consumers and its uniqueness. At the same time, its hedonic and utilitarian characteristics along with price and local/regional character of the thyme-flavored kashkaval decisively determine customer preference.

How can we halve food waste by 2030 in a consumerist world?

The United Nations’ target for halving Food Waste (FW) and the related actions required by the 2030 Agenda should be achieved in just six years, and there is a lot to be done. Considering that FW worldwide is causing 8% to 10% of GHG, the phenomenon has become a preoccupation for the European Union (EU). As a member state, Romania is aligned with the EU policy lines regarding environment and sustainable development. Bearing in mind the consumption-based economic model, the governmental approaches, and challenges regarding environmental and sustainable development issues, a robust civil society is needed to influence the adoption of efficacious and improved public policies regarding FW and to contribute to maintaining green topics on the public agenda. This paper aims to identify the factors that explain civil society's ability to influence public policies on FW and keep these green topics on the governmental agenda. In this sense, I have carried out a literature review to identify the current situation and the levers available to Romanian civil society and data analysis. Data was gathered via 11 semi-structured in-depth interviews with representatives of central public authorities, HoReCa, civil society, and Romanian consumers conducted in the spring of 2022 for my dissertation paper. The interviews revealed that civil society as a soft power can influence Romanian public policies regarding FW and has a crucial role in covering the critical areas of education, communication, awareness, and changing consumer behavior. Moreover, the data underlines that, second to the central authorities, civil society is the next stakeholder responsible for taking action to reduce FW. The development and evolution of a solid and vigilant civil society is essential for influencing the adoption of effective and improved public policies regarding FW and contributes to maintaining green topics on the public agenda to achieve the ambitious goals set by the international community, which aim at the well-being of people, and the Planet, but also of the future generations.

Exploring Sustainable Clothing Consumption in Middle-Income Countries: A case study of Romanian consumers

Abstract The overconsumption of consumers under today’s increasingly scarce natural resources has overwhelmed the textile industry in middle-income countries, such as Romania. It is becoming more and more essential to encourage sustainable clothing consumption behaviors, such as purchasing recyclable clothes. Notwithstanding, there is a limited number of studies trying to understand the intrinsic factors that motivate consumers’ purchase intention toward sustainable clothes in middle-income countries. Moreover, the effect of consumers’ environmental knowledge on determining their purchase intention of sustainable clothes remains understudied. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to make a significant contribution to the sustainable consumption literature by providing a consolidated framework that explores the behavioral factors inclining Romanian consumers’ purchase intention towards sustainable clothes. The foundation of this study combines consumers’ altruistic value orientations and the theory of planned behavior. The partial least squares path modeling procedure was used to analyze the data of 1,018 Romanian respondents. The findings of this study show that altruistic value orientation, subjective norms, and sustainable attitudes have a positive effect on Romanian consumers’ purchase intention of sustainable clothing. Thus, these insights provide essential practical implications of advocating for the consumption of sustainable clothes along with useful guidelines for practitioners in the textile industry among middle-income countries, especially in Romania, to reduce overconsumption.

Do Young Consumers Care about Antioxidant Benefits and Resveratrol and Caffeic Acid Consumption?

Resveratrol and caffeic acid are some of the most consumed antioxidants during the day, so their importance as sources and their benefits need to be evaluated and updated. This survey aimed not only to analyze whether young Romanian consumers are informed about the benefits of antioxidants in general, and resveratrol and caffeic acid in particular, but also to observe the degree of nutritional education of these participants. Young consumers know the concept of antioxidants relatively well; they managed to give examples of antioxidants and indicate their effects. The majority of those chosen drink wine and coffee, but many are unaware of their health advantages and antioxidant properties. Students are less familiar with the antioxidant chemicals resveratrol and caffeic acid. It is advised to have a thorough understanding of these significant antioxidants and their nutritional content as they are present in our regular diets, and further studies on different kinds of antioxidants are required to increase the awareness of people concerning their importance in daily life.

Which Values Matter Most to Romanian Consumers? Exploring the Impact of Green Attitudes and Communication on Buying Behavior

The increasing commitment to sustainable consumption has intensified the scholarly focus on the determinants of environmentally friendly consumer behavior. This investigation provides an insight into the intricate interplay between green consumer values, functional (FV), conditional (CV), social (SV), and emotional (EV), and their impact on buying behavior (BB). Using survey data, we scrutinized the mediating roles of attitudes toward purchasing green products (APGP) and receptivity to green communication (RGC). Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), the empirical analysis yielded a mix of supported and unsupported claims about the mediation effects on the relationship between consumer values and buying behavior. Direct effects of FV on BB were significant, but the indirect effect through APGP was not, suggesting that APGP does not mediate the relationship between FV and BB, and that consumers’ functional value perceptions influence their buying behavior independently of their attitudes toward green products. Both direct and indirect effects of EV and FV on BB through APGP and RGC were significant, suggesting partial mediation. The results suggest that APGP and RGC partially mediate the effects of EV and FV on BB but do not mediate the effects of CV and SV on BB. Comparing these findings with previous research, we observe some parallels and divergences. Our study confirms the significant direct effect of FV on buying behavior, consistent with previous studies that underscore the importance of tangible benefits in influencing consumer decisions. Furthermore, the significant direct and indirect effects of EV on BB and APGP in our results are consistent with previous research, suggesting that emotional factors play a decisive role in green purchasing behaviors. However, factors such as CV and SV were found to have no impact in our research compared to previous studies. These discrepancies suggest that while CV influences attitudes, it may not strongly influence purchasing behavior through the mediating constructs in our model. Furthermore, the results imply that social factors may influence attitudes but do not necessarily translate into actual purchasing behavior in our context. Our study also reveals that RGC plays a substantial role in influencing buying behavior, indicating a significant total effect greater than indicated in previous research. These insights illuminate the complex mechanisms by which consumer attitudes and communication receptivity shape eco-conscious purchasing choices. Theoretical contributions enrich the discourse on green consumer behavior, while practical implications guide marketers in crafting communication strategies that resonate with consumer values and attitudes, thus fostering sustainable consumption patterns.

What Links Retail to Modernity? The Future of Retail - Romanian Case Study A combined Analysis of Consumer Perceptions and AI Insights

This study examines the link between retail and modernity and bring as case study the Romanian perception of the future of the store. The research combines insights from secondary data consumer perception study with the potential applications of AI research. We explore convergences and divergences between AI-generated perspectives and actual consumer beliefs and expectations, focusing on technology integration, sustainability, and experiential retail. While both AI and the the consumer perception study highlight the importance of technology, the research reveals specific consumer concerns like affordability and cultural nuances that AI might not fully capture. The combined analysis offers valuable insights into Romanian consumer preferences and identifies potential future trends in the retail landscape. By acknowledging limitations like the scope of AI analysis and data source restrictions, we emphasize the need for further research integrating AI with diverse research methods for a comprehensive understanding of the future of retail in Romania.

Exploring Influencing Marketing—Consumer Insights and Creators’ Perspectives

Internet users consistently lean towards influencers who actively participate in their respective areas of interest, providing thorough information and genuine product reviews. These practices have the potential to positively influence the decision-making process related to purchasing. This study delves into the realm of influencer marketing, examining it from the viewpoints of both consumers and specialists. The study is based on the qualitative research, employing both individual in-depth interviews and a focus group. More precisely, the investigation included a series of six individual interviews with influencers from Romania and a focus group comprising eight participants to grasp their perceptions of influencer marketing campaigns. The findings underscore the importance of transparency and authenticity for content creators. Influencers tailor their content based on the platform they use, revealing an existing correlation among them, all while underscoring the significance of transparency and striving to maintain close connections with their followers. This study not only offers a fresh perspective on understanding consumers’ views regarding the activities of content creators in the online domain but also sheds light on influencers’ perspectives concerning collaborations, content creation, and their relationships within their community. Theoretical implications encompass the identification of novel behavioral traits among Romanian consumers regarding influencer marketing actions and contributes to a clearer understanding of the term influencer marketing.

The Impact of Public Policies and Civil Society on the Sustainable Behavior of Romanian Consumers of Electrical and Electronic Products

The negative impact of the waste generated by long-lasting products is a pressing issue for humanity. As such, socio-economic activities worldwide must be carried out according to sustainability principles, and governments have been increasingly pressured to develop laws and policies that protect the environment. The influence of civil society can boost the impact of public policies. For Romania, an emerging country, a well-developed legislation is needed, as well as the involvement of the administrative and civil sectors, not only in raising consumers’ awareness regarding the importance of recovering and recycling waste, but also in changing their purchasing behavior in the direction of ecological products. An empirical investigation was conducted to identify the direct and mediation effects of external factors on the behavior of electrical and electronic product consumers. Data were collected from 421 respondents and evaluated with latent variable analyses in the R statistical program. The originality of the study resides in articulating a novel relationship between recovery and recycling intentions and the preference for ecological products, enhancing understanding about sustainability in relation to electrical and electronic products. The link between recovering and recycling intentions and consumers’ preferences for ecological products was validated for the first time in our investigation. The study concludes that external factors have a meaningful direct and mediating effect on Romanian consumers’ green behavior.

Análise exploratória das causas do desperdício de alimentos em lares romenos

ABSTRACT: Reducing food waste became a priority in the past decades for the majority of nations around the world. But while the interest in this topic is high, not all countries, including Romania - our case study- accurately estimate household food waste quantities. Determining the reality of food waste at household levels is highly valuable because in the end, it can bring insight into what would be the best methods to reduce waste and optimize resource consumption. The current study determined the causes, quantities, and main components of food waste in Romanian households by applying and subsequently analyzing a food waste survey. Our purpose was to determine not only how much food Romanians throw away per week, but also what type of food. In addition, by studying the households’ consumption habits we identified the main behavioral triggers of food waste. By applying the survey to a relevant sample of our country’s population, we obtained a relatively accurate depiction of food waste attitudes among Romanian consumers and our paper can be a starting point in developing an educational tool aiming to reduce food waste in households. This type of study is important not only for informational reasons but also from a societal standpoint. As a complex community, part of larger international structures and agreements, (such as the European Union, the United Nations, or The Paris Agreement on Climate Change), Romania needs to align itself with the other partners in order to decrease the negative impact on the environment of food waste.

Advancing Sustainability

This research focuses on sustainable consumption and production (SCP) to balance economic growth with ecological preservation. It assesses Greek consumers' attitudes, satisfaction, and knowledge about green products through questionnaires, analyzing the interplay of these factors in consumer satisfaction and highlighting the role of awareness in the green market. The study also compares these findings with Romanian consumer behavior to understand cultural and socioeconomic influences. Results show that positive attitudes towards green products and access to information significantly enhance consumer satisfaction, a trend consistent across different cultures. However, a lack of sustainability knowledge among youth presents an educational opportunity. The study advocates for strategic educational efforts to support SCP, emphasizing the need for well-informed product design, fair pricing, and clear communication to promote sustainable consumer habits, contributing to the broader SCP discourse and guiding future sustainable economy policies.

CALITATEA FRUCTELOR UNOR SOIURI DE CIREȘ ÎN RAPORT CU CERINŢELE CONSUMATORULUI

The fruit quality is a complex of characteristics and traits, such as: fruit size, the content of sugar, acids, flesh consistence and succulence, flavour, etc. The objective of this study was to analyze fruit quality of sweet cherry cultivars in correlation with consumer preferences. The study was carried out at Genetic and Breeding Department of Research Institute of Fruit Growing Pitesti, Romania on 13 Romanian genotypes (‘Daria’, ‘Maria’, ‘Radu’, ‘Izverna’, ‘Tentant’, ‘Colina’, ‘Superb’, ‘Rubin’, ‘Simbol’, ‘Severin’, ‘H 04-4-38’, ‘H 06-3-77’, ‘H 06-11-57’) and 11 foreign cultivars (‘Kordia’, ‘Regina’, ‘Sweetheart’, ‘Karina’, ‘Vanda’, ‘Hertfort’, ‘Areko’, ‘Lapins’, ‘Penny’, ‘Folfer’, ‘Bigarreau Burlat’), in 2021 and 2022 years. The following determinations were carried out: fruit size by weighing, flesh firmness with penetrometer non-destructive Qualitest, soluble solids content with digital refractometer and pH with Hanna HI 84532 minititrator, such as sensory evaluation of fruits using a scale from 1 (very low) to 9 (very good). The results showed that the foreign cultivars were superior to the Romanian genotypes from the point of view of the size and fruits quality. Thus, on foreign cvs., the average fruit weight was 9.31 g, while on Romanian ones of 8.39 g. The soluble solids content of fruits was higher on foreign cvs. compared to the Romanian ones (15,59% Brix respectively 14.75% Brix). On the other hand, after the sensory evaluation of the fruits, the total score was slightly higher for the Romanian genotypes (51.20) compared to the foreign ones (51.08). For Romanian consumers the most important characteristics when choosing the cherry fruits are: taste - which must be sweet or medium sweet; size - which must be large and very large; colour – red and dark red; firmness – firm and very firm fruits. These results could be useful to breeders for selection the cultivars as genitors in controlled hybridization, to farmers for correct selection of cultivars on establishing new orchards, and to the fruit market for fresh consumption.

Screening and detection of antibiotic residues on broiler meat based on trade system variations, seasonal differences, and the impact on final consumer safety in Romania

IntroductionOne key factor contributing to microbial resistance is the deliberate and inappropriate use of antibiotics in human and animal health management. Recent studies point out various ways to tackle this controversy to mitigate the unnatural rapid evolution of pathogenic bacteria. Chicken meat remains at the top of Romanian consumers' preferences, being the most consumed type of meat, desired for its nutritional and dietetic attributes.MethodsThis research was conducted in 2022, aiming to evaluate the antibiotic residues (quinolones, aminoglycosides, tetracycline, and sulfonamides) in broiler chicken meat with various trade strategies [retail market (RM), n = 40, traditional market (TM), n = 185, and door-to-door vendors (DTD), n = 121] during two seasonal periods, spring (March–April) and summer (July–September). An efficient and precise protocol was employed for determining the meat organoleptic attributes, qualitative screening, and quantitative assay antibiotic of six antibiotics (enrofloxacin, marbofloxacin, streptomycin, oxytetracycline, doxycycline, and sulfamethoxazole), consumers' antibiotic exposure (estimated daily intake), and potential risk assessment (hazard quotient).ResultsThe antibiotic quality assessment revealed an overall antibiotic residue presence in groups TM (75%) and DTD (82%), while no antibiotic residues were detected in the RM group. Our results show that 32% (n = 110) of the total chicken meat samples were free of antibiotic residues, 4.5% (n = 16) contained antibiotic residues belonging to one class of antibiotics, 40% (n = 139) had two antibiotics groups, 22% (n = 77) had three antibiotics groups, and 1.5% of the chicken meat samples presented four groups of antibiotics.DiscussionDuring the spring season, the enrofloxacin antibiotic residue present in the meat samples was higher, showing an 84% presence in TM meat samples group when compared with the DTD meat sampled group (75%). The analysis data processing showed a strong correlation between the antibiotic residue's meat samples origin (trade market and door-to-door traded meat antibiotic residue variations) and seasonal variations. As a result of the hazard quotient assay, the meat antibiotic residue levels had subunit values, indicating the meat quality was proper for consumption. It is mandatory to strengthen the level of knowledge by continuously monitoring and providing updated information to each group of farmers to increase their understanding of and adherence to the proper handling of antibiotics when growing chickens. Regarding the use of prohibited growth-promoting antibiotics in chicken-rearing systems, local authorities should increase the guard level, at antibiotic supplier and end user levels.

The Romanian Consumers’ Perception Regarding the Immunization against the Coronavirus

Considering the different perceptions of the population on the efficiency and side-effects of the Corona vaccine the present study has in attention the perception of the Romanian population on the COVID-19 vaccines and the most important determinants of the consumer’s choice on vaccination. The study consists of analyzing data collected through a survey applied in the West Region of Romania. The collected responses are resumed to a set of constructs, obtained by running an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, part of them being used as dummy variables. Estimating a generalized linear ordinal regression model, the purpose of our study is to identify the drivers which influence the respondents’ perception regarding the efficiency and the side effects related to the COVID-19 vaccine. Our results confirm a significant influence of the respondents’ profile on their perception. Inter-personal relations and media channels seem to influence only the respondents’ perception of the efficiency of the COVID-19 vaccine. Our study emphasizes as well how important it is for people to get a better understanding of the COVID-19 virus, which helps to form their own opinion regarding the vaccine. On the other side, the results show how essential it is for the authorities to change their vision on pandemic information transparency. Otherwise, scenarios like mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 seem to make people even more reluctant. This research paper shows that Romanians are not sufficiently interested in vaccination, first of all because there is a lack of trust even among specialists, which determines a lack of trust among the population in the efficacy of the recommended immunization. Romanian people seem to be more interested in the side-effects of vaccination against COVID-19, rather than how efficient the vaccine is.

Behavioral Intentions to Use Energy Efficiency Smart Solutions under the Impact of Social Influence: An Extended TAM Approach

The role of social influence (SI) as a determining factor in accepting new technologies has been addressed in several studies using the initial or extended technology acceptance model (TAM). This research uses an adaptation of the extended technology acceptance model (TAM) to analyze the behavioral intention of Romanian consumers regarding the use of energy efficiency smart solutions (EESS) under the effect of social influence. Data were processed with the structural equation modeling technique (PLS-SEM). The sample consisted of 302 domestic electricity consumers in Romania. The study’s findings show that the respondents’ perceptions of the two social influence dimensions—network of friends, colleagues, or family (SI_FF); and public space (SI_PS)—and their effects on other conceptual model variables are significantly different. The main implications highlight that the proposed model addresses social influence on two levels (SI_FF and SI_PS), to highlight not only the differences in users’ perceptions, but also the main directions in which efforts to promote these technologies should be focused more intensively, in the context of implementing European policies regarding the reduction of energy consumption at the level of household consumers. An important component of the proposed model is the analysis of the role of hedonic motivation constructs, expected performance, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use in mediating the relationship between social influence and behavioral intention to use.

Organic Vegetable Chips: Exploring Romanian Consumers' Preferences in Relation to Socio-Demographic Factors.

In recent years, people have become increasingly interested in adopting a healthy diet, which also extends to healthy snacks, such as chips. Understanding the interplay of factors that influence the preference decisions concerning food products is very helpful in market segmentation for identifying specific groups of consumers with similar needs. This study aims to obtain a better understanding of Romanian consumers' preference for organic vegetable chips vs. classic potato chips. The research involved a transversal, cross-sectional, descriptive, exploratory, and correlational design. Data were collected based on a questionnaire (1060 participants) and processed with the SPSS 22 program, using the Pearson chi-square test and binary logistic regression as statistical procedures. Significant differences were found regarding the distribution of the respondents who prefer organic vegetable chips vs. classic potato chips based on socio-demographic characteristics. The results of the binary logistic regression analysis (χ2 = 102,906, df = 22, N = 909, p < 0.001) indicate that education level and frequency of consumption have a statistically significant impact on the preference for organic vegetable chips. The obtained results can contribute to a better understanding of Romanian consumers' preferences, acting as a knowledge stage in the adoption of a healthy eating style.

Adoption of Voluntary Measures for Reducing Electricity Consumption in the REPowerEU Plan Context: A Romanian Consumer Perspective

Adoption of Voluntary Measures for Reducing Electricity Consumption in the REPowerEU Plan Context: A Romanian Consumer Perspective