The 2010 ASHS Annual Conference

The aim of this study was to explore those factors and their importance that might have influence on consumers’ behavior when buying and consuming apples. Untrained consumer panels were organized where consumers were asked to rate the importance of twelve factors listed on a questionnaire (appearance, taste, cultivar name, origin, production method, growing area, sales place, price, advertisement, package size, labeling and season). Consumers were also asked about background information about themselves (age, gender, profession, annual household income, frequency of apple consuming, etc.). For the participants asked the taste seemed to be significantly the most important factor that influences their apple purchasing behavior. Price, fruit appearance, season and the growing area were also important but at a lower level. Further decreasing importance of the following attributes was seen: production method, sales place, name of the cultivar, labeling, origin and package size. Seemingly no special importance was given to the advertisement. No close correlation was found between annual household income and importance score given to apple price. Although very close relationship was not found between age and apple eating frequency, it was clear from the data that younger consumers eat apples more often than do older ones. The eating frequency of apples was not strongly influenced by the price. Consumers that eat apples daily or almost never gave the highest importance scores for apple price.