TY - JOUR
T1 - Thinking locally, acting locally? Conscious consumers and farmers' markets
AU - McEachern, Morven G.
AU - Warnaby, Gary
AU - Carrigan, Marylyn
AU - Szmigin, Isabelle
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2011 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2010/2/3
Y1 - 2010/2/3
N2 - The emergence of a more reflexive and discerning customer has created inter alia a demand for 'better' food (i.e. quality and 'authenticity') in terms of sourcing, processing, and specialist distribution/retailing. As a consequence, the food production/distribution industry is under pressure to change many of its practices. One manifestation is the emergence of farmers' markets and the associated emphasis on 'local' food. This paper aims to identify the extent to which 'conscious' consumers are committed to buying local foodstuffs and supporting local food producers, especially from farmers' markets. Given the exploratory nature of this research, a qualitative approach was undertaken using in-depth interviews with 'conscious' consumers. The results reveal that 'conscious' consumers recognise their own limitations (i.e. time, convenience, and price) but also demonstrate that integrating ethical considerations into their consumption behaviour is a complex and flexible task. A number of strategic actions for farmers' markets are proposed to help differentiate their provision, particularly in terms of capitalising on perceptions of authenticity and locality.
AB - The emergence of a more reflexive and discerning customer has created inter alia a demand for 'better' food (i.e. quality and 'authenticity') in terms of sourcing, processing, and specialist distribution/retailing. As a consequence, the food production/distribution industry is under pressure to change many of its practices. One manifestation is the emergence of farmers' markets and the associated emphasis on 'local' food. This paper aims to identify the extent to which 'conscious' consumers are committed to buying local foodstuffs and supporting local food producers, especially from farmers' markets. Given the exploratory nature of this research, a qualitative approach was undertaken using in-depth interviews with 'conscious' consumers. The results reveal that 'conscious' consumers recognise their own limitations (i.e. time, convenience, and price) but also demonstrate that integrating ethical considerations into their consumption behaviour is a complex and flexible task. A number of strategic actions for farmers' markets are proposed to help differentiate their provision, particularly in terms of capitalising on perceptions of authenticity and locality.
KW - Conscious consumers
KW - Ethics
KW - Farmers' markets
KW - Flexibility of consumption
KW - Local
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79957866509&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/02672570903512494
DO - 10.1080/02672570903512494
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:79957866509
VL - 26
SP - 395
EP - 412
JO - Journal of Marketing Management
JF - Journal of Marketing Management
SN - 0267-257X
IS - 5-6
ER -