Country-of-origin and choice of food imports: an in-depth study of European distribution channel gatekeepers

Country-of-origin preferences of distribution channel gatekeepers when sourcing food imports were investigated using in-depth interviews in five European markets. Channel member perceptions of product-country image related more to specific issues of confidence and trust in integrity of production, certification and regulatory systems than to country image stereotypes. This study integrates these trust-determining factors with price-perceived value constructs in order to build a comprehensive model applicable to food channel gatekeepers.

[1]  L. Guerrero.  Marketing PDO (Products with Denominations of Origin) and PGI (Products with Geographical Identities) , 2001 .

[2]  Michel Laroche,et al.  The influence of country image structure on consumer evaluations of foreign products , 2005 .

[3]  Edward Toomer,et al.  Qualitative Methods in Management Research , 1989 .

[4]  K. B. Monroe.  Pricing: Making Profitable Decisions , 1990 .

[5]  J. Simon,et al.  Money Incentives and Family Size A Hypothetical-Question Study , 1974 .

[6]  D. DeJoy,et al.  Attitudes and Beliefs , 1999 .

[7]  W. Bilkey,et al.  Country-of-Origin Effects on Product Evaluations , 1982 .

[8]  David Marshall,et al.  Food Choice and the Consumer , 1995 .

[9]  J. Gnoth.  Leveraging export brands through a tourism destination brand , 2002 .

[10]  G. Ger,et al.  Product-Country Images: Towards a Contextualized Approach , 1998 .

[11]  Edward W. Cundiff,et al.  Assessing the Quality of Industrial Products , 1978 .

[12]  A. Cardello.  The role of the human senses in food acceptance , 1996 .

[13]  D. Sarel,et al.  Consumer (Mis)Perceptions and usage of Third Party Certification Marks, 1972 and 1980: Did Public Policy have an Impact? , 1981 .

[14]  D. Mather,et al.  Impact of genetic modification on country image of imported food products in European markets: Perceptions of channel members , 2005 .

[15]  N. Denzin,et al.  Handbook of Qualitative Research , 1994 .

[16]  Johny K. Johansson,et al.  Image Variables in Multi-Attribute Product Evaluations: Country-of-Origin Effects , 1984 .

[17]  John P. Robinson,et al.  Questions and answers in attitude surveys , 1982 .

[18]  P. Slovic.  Perception of risk. , 1987, Science.

[19]  Caroline Keown,et al.  Purchasing behaviour in the Northern Ireland wine market , 1995 .

[20]  Håkan Håkansson,et al.  Supplier Selection in an International Environment—An Experimental Study , 1975 .

[21]  G. Hampton.  Perceived Risk in Buying Products Made Abroad by American Firms , 1977 .

[22]  S. Andaleeb.  Country-of-Origin Effects , 1995 .

[23]  N. Morgan,et al.  New Zealand, 100% Pure. The creation of a powerful niche destination brand , 2002 .

[24]  Peeter W. J. Verlegh,et al.  A review and meta-analysis of country-of-origin research , 1999 .

[25]  Nazlin Imram,et al.  The role of visual cues in consumer perception and acceptance of a food product , 1999 .

[26]  Gary S. Insch.  The Impact of Country-of-Origin Effects on Industrial Buyers' Perceptions of Product Quality (1) , 2003 .

[27]  R. Fisher.  Social Desirability Bias and the Validity of Indirect Questioning , 1993 .

[28]  J. Dawson,et al.  The Sourcing of Retailer Brand Food Products by a UK Retailer , 1992 .

[29]  A. Krystallis,et al.  Quality labels as a marketing advantage , 2003 .

[30]  Peter McGoldrick,et al.  Factors Influencing The Choice of a Supplier by Grocery Distributors , 1983 .

[31]  Peeter W. J. Verlegh,et al.  The Origin of the Spices: The Impact of Geographic Product Origin on Consumer Decision Making , 2001 .

[32]  Aki. Nagashima,et al.  A Comparative “Made In” Product Image Survey among Japanese Businessmen , 1977 .

[33]  M. Baker,et al.  Country of origin effects: a literature review , 1998 .

[34]  L. Amine.  Country-of-origin, animosity and consumer response: Marketing implications of anti-Americanism and Francophobia , 2008 .

[35]  R. Shepherd,et al.  Attitudes and beliefs in food habits. , 1996 .

[36]  Nicolas Papadopoulos,et al.  Country equity and country branding: Problems and prospects , 2002 .

[37]  R. Merton,et al.  The Focused Interview: A Manual of Problems and Procedures , 1990 .

[38]  C. Lamb,et al.  The impact of selected environmental forces upon consumers' willingness to buy foreign products , 1983 .

[39]  Matthew B. Miles,et al.  Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook , 1994 .

[40]  J. Hulland,et al.  Country-of-Origin Effects on Sellers’ Price Premiums in Competitive Philippine Markets , 1996 .

[41]  S. O. Olsen,et al.  Multientity Scaling and the Consistency of Country-of-Origin Attitudes , 2002 .

[42]  Ton Bührs,et al.  Environmental Policy in New Zealand: The Politics of Clean and Green? , 1993 .

[43]  C. Han,et al.  Testing the Role of Country Image in Consumer Choice Behaviour , 1990 .

[44]  Vern Terpstra,et al.  Country-of-Origin Effects for Uni-National and Bi-National Products , 1988 .

[45]  A. Strauss,et al.  The Discovery of Grounded Theory , 1967 .

[46]  R. Teas,et al.  Perceived Value: Mediating Role of Perceived Risk , 2001 .

[47]  C. Min Han,et al.  Country Image: Halo or Summary Construct? , 1989 .

[48]  Ikujiro Nonaka,et al.  Assessing the Impact of Country of Origin on Product Evaluations: A New Methodological Perspective , 1985 .

[49]  J. Liefeld.  Consumer knowledge and use of country-of-origin information at the point of purchase , 2004 .

[50]  Gnliz Ger,et al.  Experiential Nature of Product-Place Images: Image as a Narrative , 1999 .

[51]  Ulf Johansson,et al.  Food retail buying processes – a study of UK, Italy and Sweden , 2002 .

[52]  Wim Verbeke,et al.  Consumer Attitude to Beef Quality Labeling and Associations with Beef Quality Labels , 1999 .

[53]  Nicolas Papadopoulos,et al.  Product-Country Images: Impact and Role in International Marketing , 1993 .

[54]  P. Kotler,et al.  Country as brand, product, and beyond: A place marketing and brand management perspective , 2002 .

[55]  J. Creswell,et al.  Determining Validity in Qualitative Inquiry , 2000 .

[56]  V. Zeithaml.  Consumer Perceptions of Price, Quality, and Value: A Means-End Model and Synthesis of Evidence: , 1988 .

[57]  Bernd H. Schmitt,et al.  Foreign Branding and Its Effects on Product Perceptions and Attitudes , 1994 .

[58]  B. Sternquist.  Gatekeepers of Consumer Choice , 1994 .

[59]  S. Kvale.  Interviews : an introduction to qualitative research interviewing , 1996 .

[60]  S. Beatty,et al.  Impulse buying: Modeling its precursors , 1998 .

[61]  Math J. J. M. Candel,et al.  Quality labeling as instrument to create product equity: The case of IKB in the Netherlands. , 1997 .

[62]  J. Sheth.  A Model of Industrial Buyer Behavior , 1973 .

[63]  R. Skaggs,et al.  Product‐country images and international food marketing: Relationships and research needs , 1996 .

[64]  Food retailers' buying behaviour: An analysis in 16 European countries , 2001 .

[65]  Melanie Wallendorf,et al.  Market-Oriented Ethnography: Interpretation Building and Marketing Strategy Formulation , 1994 .

[66]  Assessing the Quality of Industrial Products , 1978 .

[67]  Israel D. Nebenzahl,et al.  Towards a Theory of Country Image Effect on Product Evaluation , 1997 .

[68]  R. Nayga.  Nutrition Knowledge, Gender, and Food Label Use , 2000 .

[69]  Grant Mccracken.  The long interview , 1988 .

[70]  M. Roth,et al.  Matching Product Catgeory and Country Image Perceptions: A Framework for Managing Country-of-Origin Effects , 1992 .

[71]  H. Phillips,et al.  How Customers Actually Shop: Customer Interaction with the Point of Sale , 1993 .

[72]  Dennis W. Rook.  The Buying Impulse , 1987 .

[73]  M. Patton,et al.  Qualitative evaluation and research methods , 1992 .

[74]  A. Worsley,et al.  Consumers' attitudes towards imported food products , 1998 .

[75]  R. Hoffmann,et al.  Country of origin – a consumer perception perspective of fresh meat , 2000 .

[76]  P. Atkinson,et al.  Making sense of qualitative data , 1996 .