Are discounts useful in promoting suboptimal foods for sustainable consumption and production? The interaction effects of original prices, discount presentation modes, and product types

Though price discounting is becoming a common strategy to avoid food waste at the retail stage by inducing consumers to consider and purchase suboptimal foods, not all consumers accept and generate positive attitudes toward such products. This study builds on the findings in the literature and further explores which variables of discounts have interaction effects on suboptimal food purchases. Using a full factorial between-subjects experiment design, 624 valid sample data via situational questionnaires are collected for analysis and hypotheses testing. Our results show that the original price and discount presentation modes have interaction effects on consumer perceptions. The higher the original price of the suboptimal foods, the greater the positive attitude caused by the discount price on the label. Product types, ethical or not, are important variables in attitude toward and intention to choose suboptimal foods. If consumers are told that the suboptimal foods are ethical product types, their willingness to purchase improves. In addition, familiarity with expiration date-based pricing practices has significant moderating and direct effects. Different dimensions of price involvement, which is a kind of personality trait, lead to different consumer perspectives. The fresh insights and marketing implications generated from the findings of this study should form the basis for future studies and managerial decisions.