WHAT DETERMINES THE USE OF BRANDS AND SEALS OF APPROVAL AS EXTRINSIC QUALITY CUES IN CONSUMERS’ PORK PURCHASE DECISION?

In today’s saturated food markets with increasingly homogeneous products food quality provides an opportunity for product differentiation. We want to answer the question what determines the use of extrinsic quality cues (brands, seals of approval) in consumers’ pork purchase decision. Therefore, we accomplished a consumer survey (n=767) at different German retailers. The results show that consumers’ pork purchase at small supermarkets, use of household leaflets to make purchase decisions and modest income level determines the use of seals of approval. Consumers who buy pork at small supermarkets and discounters, and who use household leaflets use brands.