Consumer Preferences for Horticultural Products

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Horticultural Economics, Policy, Business Management and Marketing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 2513

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Rural Management and Innovation, Faculty of Agricultural Science, University of Chile, Av. Santa Rosa 11315, La Pintana, Santiago, Chile
Interests: consumer behavior; horticultural products; fruit products; segmentation; preferences; innovation; value chain; marketing channels; advertising; agribusiness

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Guest Editor
Facultad de Ciencias Agronomicas, Universidad de Chile, Santa Rosa 11315, La Pintana, Santiago, Chile
Interests: horticultural products; fruit products; innovation; fruit

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Guest Editor
Facultad de Economía y Negocios, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3465548, Chile
Interests: consumers; families; satisfaction; food

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Knowledge of the consumption of fresh or processed fruits and vegetables is fundamental for designing and implementing business and marketing strategies. Consumer demand is increasing daily, and therefore, so is that of commercial agents involved in the fruit and vegetable business. This means that agricultural companies and marketers involved in the sale of fruits and vegetables must significantly improve their products by diversifying their offerings. Specifically, new species and varieties, sales formats, perceived quality, safety, packaging, commercial logistics, and certifications (organic, sustainability, water footprint, carbon footprint, etc.) are key to achieving competitive fruit and vegetable marketing.

In this context, increasingly detailed research on aspects of consumer behavior is required to provide high-quality information on willingness to pay, attitudes, lifestyles, preferences, level of involvement with a product, loyalty, brand building, etc., at the consumer level. Information is also needed regarding purchasing decision-making processes, point-of-sale characteristics, analysis of in-person and virtual sales agents involved in the sale of fruits and vegetables, and public and private fruit and vegetable promotion and advertising strategies. In this regard, statistical (multivariate analysis) and mathematical models that explain consumer behavior, as well as market etc., are necessary to improve the marketing strategies and tactics used for marketing fruits and vegetables.

This Special Issue will provide highly relevant analyses for decision-makers in agricultural companies involved in fruit and vegetable value chains that need to develop efficient marketing strategies.

Dr. Marcos Germán Mora González
Dr. María Loreto Prat del Río
Dr. German Enrique Lobos
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • preferences
  • fruits
  • vegetables
  • consumer behavior
  • optimization
  • behavioral patterns
  • attitudes
  • lifestyles
  • purchase decisions
  • involvement
  • ethnocentrism
  • safety
  • perceived quality
  • loyalty
  • willingness to pay
  • point of sale

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 745 KB  
Article
Quality Expectations and Willingness to Pay of German, Italian, and Turkish Strawberry Consumers
by Eda Yaşa Özeltürkay, Stefano Predieri, Chiara Medoro, Edoardo Gatti, Marta Cianciabella, Giulia Maria Daniele, Luca Mazzoni, Saila Karhu, Terhi Latvala, Ebru Kafkas, Duygu Ayvaz Sönmez, Klaus Olbricht and Bruno Mezzetti
Horticulturae 2026, 12(4), 451; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12040451 - 5 Apr 2026
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Abstract
This study investigated consumer expectations and perceived quality of strawberries across different geographical contexts to identify the main drivers of purchasing behavior within a cross-country framework. An online survey was conducted among consumers in Italy, Germany, and Turkey to explore consumption habits, purchasing [...] Read more.
This study investigated consumer expectations and perceived quality of strawberries across different geographical contexts to identify the main drivers of purchasing behavior within a cross-country framework. An online survey was conducted among consumers in Italy, Germany, and Turkey to explore consumption habits, purchasing channels, sensory expectations, product perceptions, and willingness to pay (WTP) for specific product attributes. Results confirmed a high level of consumer appreciation for strawberries across all countries, primarily driven by their sensory characteristics. However, purchasing behavior and consumption patterns were strongly influenced by cultural and market-related factors. Visual attributes were confirmed to be key cues guiding product choice; however, label indications related to sensory traits and functional properties exerted a greater influence. Flavor, firmness, and overall taste balance represented critical determinants of consumer satisfaction. Differences across demographic groups were also observed, with younger and male consumers reporting lower levels of satisfaction with key sensory attributes, including juiciness, aroma, and freshness. Cross-country comparisons revealed heterogeneous WTP patterns, with Turkish consumers showing a greater propensity to pay premium prices for quality-related, local, organic, and environmentally friendly attributes compared with German and Italian consumers. Overall, the findings highlight the combined influence of sensory quality, cultural context, and sociodemographic characteristics in shaping strawberry perception and purchasing behavior. These insights may support breeders, producers, and retailers in developing targeted product strategies and market positioning across different geographical areas and consumer segments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Consumer Preferences for Horticultural Products)
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22 pages, 8299 KB  
Article
Consumer Perception and Market Trends Along the Carrot Value Chain for Value-Added Applications
by Paola Andrea Ospina-Sánchez, Joaquín Guillermo Ramírez-Gil, Silvia Liliana Ceballos-Ramírez, Claudia Elena Lukau-Quintero, Jenny Milena Moreno-Rodríguez and Juan Camilo Henao-Rojas
Horticulturae 2026, 12(2), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12020157 - 29 Jan 2026
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Abstract
Carrots, rich in carotenoids and other bioactive compounds, are a promising raw material for value-added applications such as nutricosmetics. Nutricosmetics represent a rapidly expanding segment of the beauty and wellness industry, driven by rising consumer interest in natural ingredients and health-focused products. However, [...] Read more.
Carrots, rich in carotenoids and other bioactive compounds, are a promising raw material for value-added applications such as nutricosmetics. Nutricosmetics represent a rapidly expanding segment of the beauty and wellness industry, driven by rising consumer interest in natural ingredients and health-focused products. However, the use of carrots as bio-ingredients in nutricosmetics remains limited due to a disconnect between production systems, scientific research, and market expectations. This study integrates bibliometric, social media, consumer-survey, market-trend, and foreign-trade analyses to identify the key gaps hindering the valorization of carrots within this industry. A systematic literature analysis showed a strong emphasis on postharvest quality and bioactive characterization (approximately 70% of the dominant thematic focus), with minimal attention to commercialization or circular-economy frameworks (less than 5%). Social media results revealed that public discourse is dominated by culinary and gardening themes (around 82% of extracted mentions), with very limited awareness of cosmetic or wellness applications (below 10%). Google Trends demonstrated moderate global growth in interest in nutricosmetics (approximately 28% increase over the analyzed period), with higher activity concentrated in Spanish-speaking countries (about 63% of the top interest locations). Consumer surveys in Colombia (n = 191) indicated that 70.16% of respondents were unfamiliar with the term “nutricosmetics,” though 54.45% reported consuming such products once definitions were provided, revealing a latent market potential. Trade analysis highlighted Colombia’s dependence on high-value imported ingredients, despite existing capacity to export value-added goods. Together, these findings reveal structural gaps between research, industry, and consumer awareness, offering a roadmap for positioning carrots as a viable ingredient for value-added applications in the nutricosmetics sector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Consumer Preferences for Horticultural Products)
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