IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v15y2025i11p1162-d1666539.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Generational Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Antioxidant-Rich Pomegranates: Insights into Consumer Behavior and Market Potential

Author

Listed:
  • Anna Uliano

    (Department of Law, Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods, University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy)

  • Marco Lerro

    (Department of Law, Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods, University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy)

Abstract

This study investigates consumer preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for antioxidant-rich pomegranates, focusing on the roles of product attributes and generational differences. A survey of 3019 Italian consumers assessed consumption habits, perceived barriers, and WTP for antioxidant-enriched pomegranates. A Best–Worst Scaling (BWS) analysis was used to identify key product attributes, and generational segmentation highlighted differences in consumer behavior. The results reveal a strong preference for locally sourced pomegranates and a high valuation of health-related attributes, particularly antioxidant content. However, several consumption barriers emerged, including taste preferences, peeling difficulty, and limited product availability. While older generations, especially Baby Boomers, prioritize antioxidants for their health benefits, younger generations (Gen Z and Millennials) showed the highest WTP for antioxidant-enriched pomegranates, likely influenced by novelty seeking and engagement with food trends. These findings suggest that marketing strategies should emphasize both local origins and health benefits. From a policy perspective, supporting local agriculture and promoting the nutritional value of enriched foods could enhance consumer acceptance and expand the market potential.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Uliano & Marco Lerro, 2025. "Generational Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Antioxidant-Rich Pomegranates: Insights into Consumer Behavior and Market Potential," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-16, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:15:y:2025:i:11:p:1162-:d:1666539
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/11/1162/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/11/1162/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Anetta Barska & Julia Wojciechowska-Solis, 2020. "E-Consumers and Local Food Products: A Perspective for Developing Online Shopping for Local Goods in Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-17, June.
    2. Riccardo Vecchio & Gerarda Caso & Luigi Cembalo & Massimiliano Borrello, 2020. "Is respondents? inattention in online surveys a major issue for research?," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 22(1), pages 1-18.
    3. Sima Ghazanfari & Ali Firoozzare & Daniela Covino & Flavio Boccia & Nadia Palmieri, 2024. "Exploring Factors Influencing Consumers’ Willingness to Pay Healthy-Labeled Foods at a Premium Price," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-20, August.
    4. Valentina Maria Merlino & Alessandro Sciullo & Giacomo Pettenati & Francesco Sottile & Cristiana Peano & Stefano Massaglia, 2022. "“Local Production”: What Do Consumers Think?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-15, March.
    5. Kelvin J. Lancaster, 1966. "A New Approach to Consumer Theory," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 74(2), pages 132-132.
    6. Vecchio, Riccardo & Caso, Gerarda & Cembalo, Luigi & Borrello, Massimiliano, 2020. "Is respondents’ inattention in online surveys a major issue for research?," Economia agro-alimentare / Food Economy, Italian Society of Agri-food Economics/Società Italiana di Economia Agro-Alimentare (SIEA), vol. 22(01), March.
    7. Mathew T. Baker & Peng Lu & Jean A. Parrella & Holli R. Leggette, 2022. "Consumer Acceptance toward Functional Foods: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-40, January.
    8. Marco Lerro & Giuseppe Marotta & Concetta Nazzaro, 2020. "Measuring consumers’ preferences for craft beer attributes through Best-Worst Scaling," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 8(1), pages 1-13, December.
    9. Irene (Eirini) Kamenidou & Aikaterini Stavrianea & Evangelia-Zoi Bara, 2020. "Generational Differences toward Organic Food Behavior: Insights from Five Generational Cohorts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-25, March.
    10. Jawad Iqbal & Donglei Yu & Maria Zubair & Muhammad Imran Rasheed & Hafiz Muhammad Usman Khizar & Muhammad Imran, 2021. "Health Consciousness, Food Safety Concern, and Consumer Purchase Intentions Toward Organic Food: The Role of Consumer Involvement and Ecological Motives," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(2), pages 21582440211, May.
    11. Marcello Stanco & Marco Lerro & Giuseppe Marotta, 2020. "Consumers’ Preferences for Wine Attributes: A Best-Worst Scaling Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-11, April.
    12. Alice Stiletto & Samuele Trestini, 2021. "Factors behind consumers' choices for healthy fruits: a review of pomegranate and its food derivatives," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 9(1), pages 1-27, December.
    13. Dávid Szakos & László Ózsvári & Gyula Kasza, 2020. "Perception of Older Adults about Health-Related Functionality of Foods Compared with Other Age Groups," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-18, April.
    14. Md. Nekmahmud & Maria Fekete-Farkas, 2020. "Why Not Green Marketing? Determinates of Consumers’ Intention to Green Purchase Decision in a New Developing Nation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-31, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Magdalena Śmiglak-Krajewska & Julia Wojciechowska-Solis & Domenico Viti, 2020. "Consumers’ Purchasing Intentions on the Legume Market as Evidence of Sustainable Behaviour," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-20, September.
    2. Azucena Gracia & Miguel I. Gómez, 2020. "Food Sustainability and Waste Reduction in Spain: Consumer Preferences for Local, Suboptimal, And/Or Unwashed Fresh Food Products," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-15, May.
    3. Fabio A. Madau & Brunella Arru & Roberto Furesi & Paola Sau & Pietro Pulina, 2022. "Public perception of ecosystem and social services produced by Sardinia extensive dairy sheep farming systems," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 10(1), pages 1-42, December.
    4. Brunella Arru & Roberto Furesi & Pietro Pulina & Antonietta Bardi & Fabio A. Madau, 2025. "Perception of Ecosystem Services Provided by the Primary Sector in Floodplains: A Study of Sardinia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-25, January.
    5. Riccardo Vecchio & Eva Parga-Dans & Pablo Alonso González & Azzurra Annunziata, 2021. "Why consumers drink natural wine? Consumer perception and information about natural wine," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 9(1), pages 1-16, December.
    6. Ward, Clement E. & Lusk, Jayson L. & Dutton, Jennifer M., 2008. "Implicit Value of Retail Beef Product Attributes," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 33(3), pages 1-18.
    7. Reynolds, Travis & Kolodinsky, Jane & Murray, Byron, 2012. "Consumer preferences and willingness to pay for compact fluorescent lighting: Policy implications for energy efficiency promotion in Saint Lucia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 712-722.
    8. Czajkowski, Mikołaj & Zagórska, Katarzyna & Letki, Natalia & Tryjanowski, Piotr & Wąs, Adam, 2021. "Drivers of farmers’ willingness to adopt extensive farming practices in a globally important bird area," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    9. Canessa, Carolin & Venus, Terese E. & Wiesmeier, Miriam & Mennig, Philipp & Sauer, Johannes, 2023. "Incentives, Rewards or Both in Payments for Ecosystem Services: Drawing a Link Between Farmers' Preferences and Biodiversity Levels," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 213(C).
    10. Hyowon Kim & Dong Soo Kim & Greg M. Allenby, 2020. "Benefit Formation and Enhancement," Quantitative Marketing and Economics (QME), Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 419-468, December.
    11. Anderson, Simon P. & Foros, Øystein & Kind, Hans Jarle, 2012. "Product quality, competition, and multi-purchasing," Discussion Papers 2012/9, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Business and Management Science.
    12. Mika Kortelainen & Timo Kuosmanen, 2007. "Eco-efficiency analysis of consumer durables using absolute shadow prices," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 28(1), pages 57-69, October.
    13. Barnett, William A. & Serletis, Apostolos, 2008. "Consumer preferences and demand systems," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 147(2), pages 210-224, December.
    14. Mtimet, Nadhem & Ujiie, Kiyokazu & Kashiwagi, Kenichi & Zaibet, Lokman & Nagaki, Masakazu, 2011. "The effects of Information and Country of Origin on Japanese Olive Oil Consumer Selection," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 114642, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    15. Jitender Singh, 2016. "Quality of Public Goods, Public Policy and Human Development: A State-wise Analysis," Indian Journal of Human Development, , vol. 10(2), pages 215-235, August.
    16. Choi, Andy S., 2013. "Nonmarket values of major resources in the Korean DMZ areas: A test of distance decay," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 97-107.
    17. Doherty, Edel & Campbell, Danny, 2011. "Demand for improved food safety and quality: a cross-regional comparison," 85th Annual Conference, April 18-20, 2011, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 108791, Agricultural Economics Society.
    18. Schleich, Joachim & Faure, Corinne & Guetlein, Marie-Charlotte & Tu, Gengyang, 2020. "Conveyance, envy, and homeowner choice of appliances," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    19. Trojanek, Radoslaw & Huderek-Glapska, Sonia, 2018. "Measuring the noise cost of aviation – The association between the Limited Use Area around Warsaw Chopin Airport and property values," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 103-114.
    20. Veneziani, Mario & Sckokai, Paolo & Moro, Daniele, 2012. "Consumers’ willingness to pay for a functional food," 2012 First Congress, June 4-5, 2012, Trento, Italy 124101, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:15:y:2025:i:11:p:1162-:d:1666539. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.