A study in the Consumer Behaviour Lab

Consumer perception and expectations of the range of salad greens on sale

The range of salad greens on sale has changed in recent years. It has become more diversified with the development of new products (baby greens, little gem, rocket, spinach, etc.). Purchases of traditional salads (lettuce, endive) are on the decline. The range of salads present on shelves is changing, with an increase in pre-packed products at the expense of whole-head and loose-leaf products. The fourth range market, after a long period of growth, seems to be stagnating. This study was requested by professionals in the salad greens sector who wanted to measure consumer perception of a changing salad section.

Gilles CHRISTY , CTIFL

Published 01/04/2023

Methodology and experimental design

The experiment was carried out in May and June 2021 in the Consumer Behaviour Lab located at the 'Maison des Fruits et Légumes' in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. This area is equipped with conventional fixtures and fittings used to display fruit and vegetables. It resembles a traditional sales outlet. This tool enables studies in experimental economics to be developed insofar as it allows the effects of a given change, (a new range, the display, etc.) to be assessed in a controlled environment (Denant-Boemont et al., 2008). By selecting real consumers and contextualising the participants' tasks in the supervised experiments (Harrison and List, 2004), this laboratory reproduces real-life food shopping situations on a reduced scale.

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