Does local label bias consumer taste buds and preference? Evidence of a strawberry sensory experiment

Previous research mainly focuses on the impact of locality information/labels on consumer preference as a credence attribute that is not observable even after purchasing the products. We hypothesize that locality information on food may also influence consumer perception of the three types of attributes of food products: search (i.e., color, size, freshness, and shape), experience (i.e., flavor and texture), and other credence attributes (i.e., nutritional value). We conduct an experiment with a total of 100 participants. We combine the consumer sensory analysis with the CVM to determine the impact of locality information on consumers' perception of strawberry search, experience, and credence attributes, and how these three types of attributes affect consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) at different consumption stages. Results show that providing locality information affects the sensory attributes of color perceived by consumers. Color, size, and freshness have a significant impact on consumers' WTP before consumers taste the strawberries, while flavor and texture exhibit an influential impact on consumers' WTP after tasting. Locality information is not a significant factor in determining consumers' WTP before and after they taste the strawberries. However, for some consumers, it significantly affects their WTP if locality is perceived to be associated with improved nutritional quality and food safety comparing to people who perceive local food to be fresher.