Generation Z Perceptions of Quality Certification: A Cross-National Study

This article explores Generation Z consumers' perceptions of quality certification. Specifically, it studies what 270 Generation Z university students perceive when they observe that fruit has a quality certification label, assessing nine statements on a Likert scale. The study was conducted through an online questionnaire with participants from Greece (n=87), Romania (n=86), and the Czech Republic (n=97). Analysis revealed that as concerns Generation Z consumers' perceptions of quality certification of fruits, the three higher overall (for all countries) mean scores were obtained for fruits having better taste (MS=4.22), being of superior quality (MS=4.20) and free of pesticides (MS=3.84). The Greek university students are the ones that have the least trust in the quality labeling and certifications. The results of the ANOVA analysis and post-hoc tests also indicated that there are significant differences among the three countries' Generation Z-ers. Implications for fruit marketing based on results are discussed.