Consumers' motivations for choosing alternative food retailing modes: Interviews at farmers' markets, truck stalls, and the farm in southern Alberta

Interviews were conducted at various alternative markets in Lethbridge and on Granville Island to discover consumers’ motivations for making shopping choices. Experience economy theory (Pine & Gilmore, 1998) and the new dominant logic for marketing theory (Vargo & Lusch, 2004) were utilized to guide the development of predictions. The study revealed that consumers considered the products more expensive but fresher and the atmosphere more appealing at farmers’ markets than at supermarkets or grocery stores. Moreover, consumers visited farmers’ markets because they wanted to support the local economy and protect the environment. Consumers shopping at truck stalls and the farm believed the markets or their products shared the benefits of freshness, healthiness, seasonality, tastiness, as well as the costs of high prices, limited selection, and an inconvenient shopping environment, with farmers’ markets. Consumers at truck stalls and the farm were concerned about the atmosphere, the local economy, and the environment as well.

Author

• Wang, Yuchen

• alternative markets
• Lethbridge
• Granville Island
• farmer's markets
• shopping choice motivations

Identifier

hdl:10133/3498

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:opus.uleth.ca:10133/3498