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Sustainable Retailing – Influencing Consumer Behaviour on Food Waste

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  • C. William Young
  • Sally V. Russell
  • Cheryl A. Robinson
  • Phani Kumar Chintakayala

Abstract

The aim of this research was to examine the influence of a UK national retailer on its customers' food waste behaviour. Using six communication channels (in‐store magazine, e‐newsletter, Facebook site, product stickers and in‐store demonstrations), Asda presented standard food waste reduction messages to its customers during two time limited periods in 2014 and 2015. Six national surveys over 21 months tracked customers' self‐reported food waste. Our results showed that the combined communication channels and repeated messages over time had a significant effect on reducing food waste of customers. Surprisingly, customers who said they did not recall seeing the messages also reduced their food waste, showing the wider influence of interventions. Those who saw a food waste reduction message saved an estimated £81 annually from reducing food waste. The main conclusion of this paper is that retailers can influence the pro‐environmental behaviour of customers using conventional communication channels; however, repeat messages are needed in order to have a long‐term impact. © 2017 The Authors. Business Strategy and the Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Suggested Citation

  • C. William Young & Sally V. Russell & Cheryl A. Robinson & Phani Kumar Chintakayala, 2018. "Sustainable Retailing – Influencing Consumer Behaviour on Food Waste," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(1), pages 1-15, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:27:y:2018:i:1:p:1-15
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.1966
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    1. Elnur Nabivi, 2020. "Implementation of Green Marketing Concept Through Social Media Activities: A Systematic Literature Review," Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, vol. 2(11), pages 55-67.
    2. Aschemann-Witzel, Jessica & de Hooge, Ilona E. & Almli, Valérie L., 2021. "My style, my food, my waste! Consumer food waste-related lifestyle segments," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    3. Izabela Karolina Horoś & Tonia Ruppenthal, 2021. "Avoidance of Food Waste from a Grocery Retail Store Owner’s Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-22, January.
    4. Talwar, Shalini & Kaur, Puneet & Kumar, Sushant & Salo, Jari & Dhir, Amandeep, 2022. "The balancing act: How do moral norms and anticipated pride drive food waste/reduction behaviour?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    5. Aoife Brennan & Sarah Browne, 2021. "Food Waste and Nutrition Quality in the Context of Public Health: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-26, May.
    6. Zheng, Qiujie & Gao, Zhifeng & Berry, Kevin, 2023. "Factors affecting household food waste behavior during COVID-19: Shopping behavior, cooking behavior, food security, and household characteristics," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335672, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Carmen Bălan, 2020. "How Does Retail Engage Consumers in Sustainable Consumption? A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-25, December.
    8. Maria-Georgeta Moldovan & Dan-Cristian Dabija & Liana Stanca & Cristina Bianca Pocol, 2024. "A Qualitative Study on the Consumer Behaviour Related to Food Waste: Romanian Perspectives through Word Cloud and Sentiment Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-27, May.
    9. Clara Cicatiello & Emanuele Blasi & Claudia Giordano & Angelo Martella & Silvio Franco, 2020. "“If only I Could Decide”: Opinions of Food Category Managers on in-Store Food Waste," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-19, October.
    10. Ulrich Jürgens, 2023. "Does Food Shopping Behaviour Determine Food Waste Vulnerability in Private Households? Quantitative Analysis on Case Studies from Germany," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-26, March.
    11. Raphaëlle Stewart & Monia Niero, 2018. "Circular economy in corporate sustainability strategies: A review of corporate sustainability reports in the fast‐moving consumer goods sector," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(7), pages 1005-1022, November.
    12. Stephanie Marwood & Noreen Byrne & Olive McCarthy & Ciara Heavin & Peter Barlow, 2023. "Examining the Relationship between Consumers’ Food-Related Actions, Wider Pro-Environmental Behaviours, and Food Waste Frequency: A Case Study of the More Conscious Consumer," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-30, February.
    13. Hannah Barker & Peter J. Shaw & Beth Richards & Zoe Clegg & Dianna Smith, 2021. "What Nudge Techniques Work for Food Waste Behaviour Change at the Consumer Level? A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-18, October.
    14. Prakash Singh & Lokesh Arora & Abdulaziz Choudhry, 2022. "Consumer Behavior in the Service Industry: An Integrative Literature Review and Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-30, December.
    15. Regina Frei & Lisa Jack & Sally‐Ann Krzyzaniak, 2020. "Sustainable reverse supply chains and circular economy in multichannel retail returns," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(5), pages 1925-1940, July.
    16. Felipe Caro & A. Gürhan Kök & Victor Martínez-de-Albéniz, 2020. "The Future of Retail Operations," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 22(1), pages 47-58, January.

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