Consumer acceptance of high pressure processed beef-based chilled ready meals: The mediating role of food-related lifestyle factors

The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of high pressure processing (HPP) on consumer acceptance for chilled ready meals manufactured using a low-value beef cut. Three hundred consumers evaluated chilled ready meals subjected to 4 pressure treatments and a non-treated control monadically on a 9-point scale for liking for beef tenderness and juiciness, overall flavour, overall liking, and purchase intent. Data were also collected on consumers' food consumption patterns, their attitudes towards food by means of the reduced food-related lifestyle (FRL) instrument, and socio-demographics. The results indicated that a pressure treatment of 200 MPa was acceptable to most consumers. K-means cluster analysis identified 4 consumer groups with similar preferences, and the optimal pressure treatments acceptable to specific consumer groups were identified for those firms that would wish to target attitudinally differentiated consumer segments

La inclusió a l'aula a través de l'aprenentatge cooperatiu i "l'emoció de conèixer" : anàlisi de la incidència de les estructures cooperatives d'aprenentatge i del projecte amb "l'emoció de conèixer” a partir de dos anàlisi de casos

Aquest document vol exemplificar com mitjançant l’aplicació d’estratègies metodològiques inclusives concretes es pot millorar la situació d’inclusió de dos infants en les seves aules ordinàries. Per tal de dur a terme aquest objectiu el que es fa és oferir una proposta d’innovació didàctica a partir d’estructures cooperatives d’aprenentatge i de l’estratègia metodològica “L’emoció de conèixer” perquè aquests infants augmentin en presència, participació i progrés per acabar sent inclosos significativament dins dels seus grups-classe. Paral·lelament s’analitza la incidència sobre els dos infants de les propostes que s’han dut a la pràctica per valorar-ne el grau d’efectivitat en relació a la millora de la inclusió.

Sistema electrónico de calibración de fruta por diámetro

En la actualidad, las cooperativas recolectan, seleccionan, tratan y separan la fruta según su calibre (peso, diámetro máximo, medio y/o mínimo) para que esta llegue al consumidor final según la categoría (calibre). Para poder competir en un mercado cada vez más exigente en calidad y precios, se requieren sistemas de clasificación automáticos que nos permitan obtener óptimos resultados con altos niveles de producción y productividad. Para realizar estas tareas existen calibradoras industriales que pesan la fruta mediante células de carga y con el peso obtenido las clasifican asignando las piezas a su salida correspondiente (mesa de confección) a través de un sistema de electroimanes. Desafortunadamente el proceso de calibración de la fruta por peso no es en absoluto fiable ya que en este proceso no se considera el grosor de la piel, contenido de agua, de azúcar u otros factores altamente relevantes que influyen considerablemente en los resultados finales. El objeto de este proyecto es el de evolucionar las existentes calibradoras de fruta instalando un sistema industrial de visión artificial (rápido y robusto) que trabaje en un rango de espectro Infrarrojo (mayor fiabilidad) proporcionando óptimos resultados finales en la clasificación de las frutas, verduras y hortalizas. De este modo, el presente proyecto ofrece la oportunidad de mejorar el rendimiento de la línea de clasificación de frutas, aumentando la velocidad, disminuyendo pérdidas en tiempo y error humano y mejorando indiscutiblemente la calidad del producto final deseada por los consumidores.

Tourism destination zoning in rural regions: a consumer-based approach in Terres de l’Ebre

This document puts into question the conventional way of delineating tourism destinations. It intends to show a model of spatial analysis, to find new interpretations of the reality, more balanced and more optimized, in comparison with other territorial views most of them based on administrative boundaries. This paper portrays a methodological exercise that aims to structure tourism geographies into new tourism areas on the basis of visitor’s consumption patterns, which would be better fitted to the needs of tourist demand

El "teenage consumer" a la Gran Bretanya de postguerra.

El final de la segona guerra mundial va marcar el principi d’un nou context internacional on els Estats Units i la URSS, cada un amb el seu sistema econòmic, es varen convertir en les dues potències mundials en lluita per l’hegemonia mundial. Al bloc occidental els Estats Units varen començar a exercir la seva influència per a estendre un model de societat basat en el consum que es convertirà en el model predominant durant tot el segle XX. Fora dels Estats Units el primer en començar a adoptar aquest mode de vida basat principalment en el consum va ser el teenage consumer britànic. Aquest tipus d’individu altament americanitzat que va sorgir al Regne Unit de postguerra es convertiria en un signe dels canvis que encara havien de venir. Aquest treball pretén definir la figura del teenage consumer, analitzar les causes del seu sorgiment, les seves característiques, els seus hàbits de consum i com va contribuir a la creació de la societat de consum.

Spanish E-Consumer Segmentation and Positioning in Virtual Supermarkets Sector

This article analyses different factors that influence the purchasing behaviour of online supermarket customers. These factors are related to both the appearance of the website as well as the processes that take place when making the purchase. Based on these analyses, the various groups of consumers with homogenous behaviour are studied and positioned according to their attitudes. The analysis also allows the quality of the service offered by this kind of establishment to be defined, as well as the main dimensions in which it develops. In the conclusions, factors which should influence the manager of an online supermarket to improve the quality of its service are given

Going with the consumer towards the social Web environment : a review of extant knowledge

The social Web environment cannot be explained without taking into account the use made by consumers of the web technologies in the field of e-commerce. Starting with a systematic background of the growing body of research on marketing and consumer behaviour on the Web; this article presents a critical review of the main contributions on this theme, integrating also the research field of consumer behaviour in the social Web environment. It concludes with some managerial guidelines for successful use of the social Web in the commercial activities and in the establishment of fruitful relationships between the consumers and the brand.

Competitive positioning of Spanish agricultural cooperatives

Cooperatives are the basis of the social economy in many agricultural sectors. The present research work investigates the management situation of the olive oil cooperatives in Catalonia. The study identifies a typology of cooperatives based on their attitudes towards to the sector. A positioning map of the different types of cooperatives is then established on the basis of their characteristics. The study concludes with important managerial aspects of olive oil cooperatives in Catalonia.

Forecasting tourism demand using consumer expectations

Abstract Purpose- There is a lack of studies on tourism demand forecasting that use non-linear models. The aim of this paper is to introduce consumer expectations in time-series models in order to analyse their usefulness to forecast tourism demand. Design/methodology/approach- The paper focuses on forecasting tourism demand in Catalonia for the four main visitor markets (France, the UK, Germany and Italy) combining qualitative information with quantitative models: autoregressive (AR), autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), self-exciting threshold autoregressions (SETAR) and Markov switching regime (MKTAR) models. The forecasting performance of the different models is evaluated for different time horizons (one, two, three, six and 12 months). Findings- Although some differences are found between the results obtained for the different countries, when comparing the forecasting accuracy of the different techniques, ARIMA and Markov switching regime models outperform the rest of the models. In all cases, forecasts of arrivals show lower root mean square errors (RMSE) than forecasts of overnight stays. It is found that models with consumer expectations do not outperform benchmark models. These results are extensive to all time horizons analysed. Research limitations/implications- This study encourages the use of qualitative information and more advanced econometric techniques in order to improve tourism demand forecasting. Originality/value- This is the first study on tourism demand focusing specifically on Catalonia. To date, there have been no studies on tourism demand forecasting that use non-linear models such as self-exciting threshold autoregressions (SETAR) and Markov switching regime (MKTAR) models. This paper fills this gap and analyses forecasting performance at a regional level. Keywords Tourism, Forecasting, Consumers, Spain, Demand management Paper type Research paper

Platform pricing and consumer foresight: The case of airports

Airports have become platforms that derive revenues from both aeronautical and commercial activities. The demand for these services is characterized by a one-way complementarity in that only air travelers can purchase retail goods at the airport terminals. We analyze a model of optimal airport behavior in which this one-way complementarity is subject to consumer foresight, i.e., consumers may not anticipate in full the ex post retail surplus when purchasing a flight ticket. An airport sets landing fees, and, in addition, also chooses the retail market structure by selecting the number of retail concessions to be awarded. We find that, with perfectly myopic consumers, the airport chooses to attract more passengers via low landing fees, and also sets the minimum possible number of retailers in order to increase the concessions’ revenues, from which it obtains the largest share of profits. However, even a very small amount of anticipation of the consumer surplus from retail activities changes significantly the airport’s choices: the optimal airport policy is dependent on the degree of differentiation in the retail market. When consumers instead have perfect foresight, the airport establishes a very competitive retail market, where consumers enjoy a large surplus. This attracts passengers and it is exploited by the airport by charging higher landing fees, which then constitute the largest share of its profits. Overall, the airport’s profits are maximal when consumers have perfect foresight. Keywords: two-sided markets, platform pricing, one-way demand complementarity, consumer foresight. JEL classification: L1, L2, L93.

Playing cat and mouse : consumer empowerment and marketing interaction on the net

Peer-reviewed

El Gestor del patrimoni cultural com a generador de dinàmiques econòmiques, responsables i cooperatives en el territori a partir de la recuperació d’oficis: estudi de cas: el gestor del patrimoni cultural en el projecte Carbó d’Ardenya i Gavarres (2013-2014)

L’objectiu general d’aquest treball és definir les competències i limitacions del perfil del gestor del patrimoni cultural en el context de nous projectes de gestió del patrimoni que tenen l’objectiu de dinamitzar econòmica i socialment el territori. Per a fer-ho es parteix de l’avaluació del paper del gestor patrimonial en un projecte concret de recuperació d’oficis

The use of non-animal alternatives in the safety evaluations of cosmetics ingredients by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS)

In Europe, the safety evaluation of cosmetics is based on the safety evaluation of each individual ingredient. Article 3 of the Cosmetics Regulation specifies that a cosmetic product made available on the market is to be safe for human health when used normally or under reasonably foreseeable conditions. For substances that cause some concern with respect to human health (e.g. colorants, preservatives, UV-filters), safety is evaluated at the Commission level by a scientific committee, presently called the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). According to the Cosmetics Regulations, in the EU, the marketing of cosmetics products and their ingredients that have been tested on animals for most of their human health effects, including acute toxicity, is prohibited. Nevertheless, any study dating from before this prohibition took effect is accepted for the safety assessment of cosmetics ingredients. The in vitro methods reported in the dossiers summited to the SCCS are here evaluated from the published reports issued by the scientific committee of the Directorate General of Health and Consumers (DG SANCO); responsible for the safety of cosmetics ingredients. The number of studies submitted to the SCCS that do not involve animals is still low and in general the safety of cosmetics ingredients is based on in vivo studies performed before the prohibition.

Informed recommender: basing recommendations on consumer product reviews

Recommender systems attempt to predict items in which a user might be interested, given some information about the user's and items' profiles. Most existing recommender systems use content-based or collaborative filtering methods or hybrid methods that combine both techniques (see the sidebar for more details). We created Informed Recommender to address the problem of using consumer opinion about products, expressed online in free-form text, to generate product recommendations. Informed recommender uses prioritized consumer product reviews to make recommendations. Using text-mining techniques, it maps each piece of each review comment automatically into an ontology