Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-21-2018
Abstract
Despite the growing interest of producers and consumers toward grass-fed, local, and organic beef, the supply chain for these products to reach consumers is not always clear-cut. Among the available options are direct-to-consumers and the conventional food supply chain. Although consumers may pay a premium for beef differentiated by quality attributes, the willingness to pay (WTP) difference across point-of-sales is unclear. In this study, we contrast the WTPs for conventional, grass-fed, local, and organic beef by brick-and-mortar supermarkets (B&Ms), farmers’ markets, and via online stores. We conduct a choice experiment with a nationwide online sample of American consumers. The findings indicate that compared to B&Ms, more consumers are reluctant to purchase beef from farmers’ markets and online outlets. Moreover, the WTP for quality-differentiated attributes varies significantly by the point-of-sales. For most consumers, the downside of online or farmers’ markets outweighs the upside of the quality-differentiated attributes sold in those venues.
Recommended Citation
Lim, K.H.; Vassalos, M.; Reed, M. Point-of-Sale Specific Willingness to Pay for Quality-Differentiated Beef. Sustainability 2018, 10, 2560. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10072560