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This paper examines the social construction of house size expectations in two national panel datasets: German Socio Economic Panel Study (GSOEP) and the British Household Panel Study (BHPS). More specifically, it tests the aspiration spiral theory and positional good theory using data on housing/life satisfaction and house size judgements. In both countries, it finds substantial evidence that the current space expectations of individuals who have 'upsized' depends on the level of living space they experienced in the past year. For downsizers, however, the evidence in support of the aspiration spiral theory is weaker. In terms of the positional good theory, this paper finds no consistent evidence that an individual's space expectations are influenced by those around them. In both countries, the paper tests for two reference groups – the average level of living space in the region, and the mean size of the largest decile of houses in the region – and neither are found to be significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannibalisation and trial are both potential consequences of line extension strategies with, normally, the former to be controlled and the latter encouraged. Both stem from the familiarity of the parent brand, the main driver of line extension strategy. For a brand manager, considering the launch of a new line, these two effects create tensions; how can trial be maximised whilst parental share loss is minimised? We examine these two effects in different line extensions in the UK and Germany to understand how trial and cannibalisation interact to affect the success of a line extension. Our empirical research analyses the purchase patterns of buyers of a new line, before and after the launch of the extension, and compares these with the level of cannibalisation. Our aim is to understand the dynamics of consumer response to the new line. The household panel data analysis of fmcg purchases shows that line extension buyers are disproportionate purchasers of the parent brand, both before and after the launch. However these measures of cross-purchase correlate only weakly with the level of cannibalisation (rho = .42 before, .43 after). Whilst a line extension clearly encourages purchase of the new line by purchasers of the existing parent, this leads to additional portfolio purchasing as often as substitution. This provides some proof of the efficacy of line extension strategies in expanding brand sales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Beef products scrutinized due to high degree of greenhouse gas emissions. • Understanding preferences is relevant in the light of changing market demand. • Choice experiments in Germany and UK reveal heterogeneous preferences. • Meat eaters differ in their preference for country-of-origin and price sensitivity. • Flexitarians prefer either higher quality or low-priced beef. In light of increasing evidence of climate change and the related negative effects for the environment, consumers are slowly changing their eating habits not only towards healthier, but also towards more sustainable diets. A key factor of more sustainable diets is the reduction of meat consumption. A large share of consumers follows this advice, thus adopting a flexitarian diet. This trend has led to an observable change in market demand for meat products and product offerings that meat producers are competing with. Beef is characterized by high greenhouse gas emissions, hence, it does not fare well from a sustainability perspective. To understand consumer preferences for beef, we conduct choice experiments in Germany (n = 621) and the UK (n = 625) across meat eaters and meat reducers. We highlight segment-specific preferences across different levels of meat consumption using latent class choice analysis. Results show that beef preferences are heterogeneous; while meat-eaters prevail they differ in their preferences for price and country-of-origin. Flexitarian consumers' preferences differ; while some segments prefer gourmet beef, most flexitarian segments are value-seekers. Our results contribute to the literature on the diversity in flexitarian consumption by providing a more nuanced picture of consumers' preferences for beef products. In addition, our results provide relevant insights for practitioners in the beef value chain in order to design target-oriented products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]