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Copyright of Journal fuer Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• Focus group discussions reveal consumer attitudes about sorting plastic waste. • Information and financial incentives are the most important motivation factors. • Uncertainty and confusion hinder consumers from separating waste correctly. • Different structural waste regulations in Germany are reported as problematic. • The Internet and social media are the preferred ways to obtain information. Despite international efforts to foster the circular economy, plastic waste remains a major environmental problem. In the circular economy, the success of a waste management system depends, inter alia, on consumers properly sorting their plastic waste. Yet mis-sorting of plastic food packaging waste happens routinely. We sought to find out why and to outline the ways consumers prefer to receive information about waste sorting procedures. Tailoring information to consumer preferences can improve the effectiveness of waste management policy. Using the Motivation Opportunity Ability (MOA) framework to explain consumer behaviour, we conducted focus group discussions in two German cities. Our findings suggest that more accurate information and financial incentives best motivate consumers to sort waste correctly. Uncertainty and confusion over the packaging material are the most severe hindrances to correct sorting behaviour. The Internet and social media are preferred most for acquiring information on how to sort plastic food packaging correctly. Policymakers can use our results to adjust packaging and waste management regulations to help eliminate confusion among consumers and to facilitate their recycling intentions. Food industry practitioners and company decision makers can use our results to adjust their plastic packaging features to better match consumer preferences for easily recyclable waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Getting consumers to adopt infection prevention measures is important for society to overcome the coronavirus pandemic. This research adopts a moral decoupling perspective to examine how consumers in Germany respond to perceived transgressions of COVID-19 infection prevention regulations. Focusing on two nonpharmaceutical measures (mask wearing, social distancing) as well as a pharmaceutical one (vaccination), two empirical studies indicate that transgression relevance influences intention to adopt the measure (in parallel) through judgment of performance and judgment of morality. Type of transgression moderates the effect of transgression relevance on morality, but not on performance. In addition, effects weaken as a person's fear of infection increases. Effects are robust, though, when controlling for moral decoupling and moral delegation (Study 1), and additionally for psychological reactance and political orientation (Study 2). Implications for research and practice evolve around new insights into how to get consumers to adopt infection prevention measures more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marketing industry, market and media research still tend to underestimate the consequences of demographic change for the consumer behavior of society as a whole. Older people aged 60 and older are not only the largest population segment in present-day Germany, but also have considerable and constantly increasing market power. Based on survey results from the Allensbach Institute for Demoscopy, it is shown that the aging of society does not necessarily have to be accompanied by an “aging” of the markets, but that it leads to characteristic and sometimes surprising changes in the focus of consumer interest [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing future trends in retailing and e-commerce immensely. Recent research revealed a considerable increase in online grocery shopping (OGS) since the COVID-19 pandemic started. In addition, current statistics indicate a steady increase in OGS over the coming years. Despite this, less is known about whether consumers' behavior is evolving to a 'new normal' or returning to 'old habits' after pandemic restrictions are withdrawn. To address this research gap, we operationalize and empirically analyze offline and online purchasing behavior before, during, and after pandemic restrictions. To this end, we use an extensive household panel dataset of 17,766 households reporting their purchases before, during and after the first lockdown in Germany in 2020. Our findings on offline purchase patterns show that while more than 10% of the consumers avoided brick-and-mortar retail during the lockdown, almost all of them returned afterwards. Looking at online purchase patterns, we find high volatility in OGS for both separate and combined purchase patterns. The combined analysis of purchase patterns (online and offline), reveal that households that avoided brick-and-mortar stores during the lockdown did not switch (completely) to the online channel. Based on our findings that consumers are still in reach of brick-and-mortar retailers we suggest offline retailers act now to retain their customers, e.g., by offering competitive benefits in their stores. OGS operators should urgently analyze the customer churn revealed in this analysis and derive measures to retain them. They do not seem to have succeeded in retaining their customers and keeping them loyal to the online channel during the entire observation period. Even worse, they also failed to convince consumers to use OGS who stayed at home due to the lockdown. The fact that a total of 96.75% of the observed consumers did not practice OGS at all shows that OGS in Germany was in 2020 still in its infancy. However, as current statistics forecast a further substantial increase in OGS over the coming years, our results are increasingly relevant for brand managers, brick-and-mortar retailers and OGS providers in Germany and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gruntkowski and Martinez examined the impact of factors such as perceived risk and perceived usefulness on German consumers' intention to purchase groceries online once the COVID-19 pandemic had subsided. They also compared consumer perceptions before and during the COVID-19 outbreak. This comment shows that Gruntkowski and Martinez's research suffers from a number of problems, the most important of which is the use of an unrepresentative sample. They should therefore have refrained from generalizing their findings to the German population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) have been implemented globally to reduce the burden of cardiometabolic diseases by disincentivizing consumption through increased prices (e.g., 1 peso/litre tax in Mexico) or incentivizing industry reformulation to reduce SSB sugar content (e.g., tiered structure of the United Kingdom [UK] Soft Drinks Industry Levy [SDIL]). In Germany, where no tax on SSBs is enacted, the health and economic impact of SSB taxation using the experience from internationally implemented tax designs has not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to estimate the health and economic impact of national SSBs taxation scenarios in Germany. Methods and findings: In this modelling study, we evaluated a 20% ad valorem SSB tax with/without taxation of fruit juice (based on implemented SSB taxes and recommendations) and a tiered tax (based on the UK SDIL) in the German adult population aged 30 to 90 years from 2023 to 2043. We developed a microsimulation model (IMPACTNCD Germany) that captures the demographics, risk factor profile and epidemiology of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke in the German population using the best available evidence and national data. For each scenario, we estimated changes in sugar consumption and associated weight change. Resulting cases of cardiometabolic disease prevented/postponed and related quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and economic impacts from healthcare (medical costs) and societal (medical, patient time, and productivity costs) perspectives were estimated using national cost and health utility data. Additionally, we assessed structural uncertainty regarding direct, body mass index (BMI)-independent cardiometabolic effects of SSBs and cross-validated results with an independently developed cohort model (PRIMEtime). We found that SSB taxation could reduce sugar intake in the German adult population by 1 g/day (95%-uncertainty interval [0.05, 1.65]) for a 20% ad valorem tax on SSBs leading to reduced consumption through increased prices (pass-through of 82%) and 2.34 g/day (95%-UI [2.32, 2.36]) for a tiered tax on SSBs leading to 30% reduction in SSB sugar content via reformulation. Through reductions in obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD), 106,000 (95%-UI [57,200, 153,200]) QALYs could be gained with a 20% ad valorem tax and 192,300 (95%-UI [130,100, 254,200]) QALYs with a tiered tax. Respectively, €9.6 billion (95%-UI [4.7, 15.3]) and €16.0 billion (95%-UI [8.1, 25.5]) costs could be saved from a societal perspective over 20 years. Impacts of the 20% ad valorem tax were larger when additionally taxing fruit juice (252,400 QALYs gained, 95%-UI [176,700, 325,800]; €11.8 billion costs saved, 95%-UI [€6.7, €17.9]), but impacts of all scenarios were reduced when excluding direct health effects of SSBs. Cross-validation with PRIMEtime showed similar results. Limitations include remaining uncertainties in the economic and epidemiological evidence and a lack of product-level data. Conclusions: In this study, we found that SSB taxation in Germany could help to reduce the national burden of noncommunicable diseases and save a substantial amount of societal costs. A tiered tax designed to incentivize reformulation of SSBs towards less sugar might have a larger population-level health and economic impact than an ad valorem tax that incentivizes consumer behaviour change only through increased prices. In a modeling study, Karl MF Emmert-Fees and team estimate the health and economic impact of national sugar-sweetened beverages taxation scenarios in Germany. Author summary: Why was this study done?: Taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and implemented in many jurisdictions globally, aims to reduce the noncommunicable disease burden by disincentivizing consumption through increased consumer prices or incentivizing industry reformulation to reduce SSB sugar content. No tax on SSBs is currently enacted in Germany and the national government is preparing a new national strategy on food seeking evidence-based recommendations to establish policy priorities until 2050. In Germany, the potential long-term health and economic impacts of SSB taxation have not been evaluated. What did the researchers do and find?: We developed and validated a microsimulation model based on national data and international evidence to model the impact of SSB taxation on dietary exposure of added sugar from beverages, body mass index (BMI), cardiometabolic diseases, and related economic costs. We evaluated 3 SSB taxation scenarios in Germany with the simulation model: (1) 20% ad valorem tax on SSBs; (2) extended 20% ad valorem tax on SSBs and fruit juice; (3) tiered tax leading to reformulation of SSBs towards 30% lower sugar content. Taxation of SSBs in Germany could prevent or postpone 132,100 to 244,100 cases of type 2 diabetes, gain 106,000 to 192,300 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and save €10.8 to €16.0 billion in societal cost from 2023 to 2043 with the highest impacts estimated for tiered taxation. The absolute long-term health impacts are largely dependent on the relevance of direct, BMI-independent cardiometabolic effects of SSBs. What do these findings mean?: All modelled SSB taxation scenarios are likely to improve population health and reduce societal costs in Germany by preventing cardiometabolic disease. Considering all sources of uncertainty, we find that modelled SSB taxation scenarios that lead to reformulation towards less sugar might have a larger population-level health and economic impact than those that incentivize consumer behaviour change only through increased prices. From a public health perspective, taxation of SSBs should be considered as a policy option for German decision-makers to reduce consumption of added sugar and improve population health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Respiratory diseases (RD) can challenge healthcare systems around the globe. Natural health products (NHPs) are popular complementary and alternative medicine options for health issues concerning non-fatal RD. Little is known about the characteristics of the users of RD-NHPs and about their NHP consumption behavior during the Covid-19 pandemic in Germany. Methods: A representative online survey was conducted in Germany in 2022. 1707 participants were classified based on having used NHPs for RD within the previous 12 months, having used NHPs but not for RD within the previous 12 months and not having used NHPs. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods as well as a multinomial logistic regression model. Results: Users of RD-NHPs within the previous 12 months were more likely to be employed and to consult pharmacists more often for non-fatal health issues than individuals who did not take RD-NHPs. RD-NHP users were more likely to suffer from a Covid-19 infection and to have children living in the same household than other NHP users. Compared to non-NHP users, RD-NHP users were more likely to be female, highly educated and have stronger openness-to-change value orientations. Vaccination-related behavior was no indicator of RD-NHP usage. Most RD-NHP users took NHPs in self-medication. Few reported informing their practitioner about their self-medication. Drugstores were the most visited supply source for NHPs during the pandemic, followed by pharmacies. Common information sources regarding NHPs were the products themselves and pharmacists. Conclusion: This study emphasized the important role of NHPs as a popular prevention and treatment option for RD. RD-NHPs were more likely used by individuals who were employed, who suffered from a RD and who consult pharmacists for non-fatal health issues. The importance of product information and pharmacies as information sources should be considered to make communication strategies about safe self-medication options with RD-NHPs more effective, which could help to reduce the burden of health facilities regarding non-fatal RD. To improve and develop future pandemic-control strategies, health professionals and policy makers should consider NHP usage behavior and provide critical information about chances and risks of self-medicated NHP consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of BIT: Banking & Information Technology is the property of ibi Research GmbH an der Universitaet Regensburg and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Professional team sport brands are increasingly striving to conquer markets abroad. However, little is known about promising brand positioning strategies in international markets. In the context of U.S. team sport brands' efforts to attract satellite fans in two different target markets (i.e., Germany and China), this research uses three experimental online studies to test the relative effects of two foreign brand positioning strategies (purely foreign vs. locally integrated foreign) on satellite fans' attitudes toward the strategy and brand interaction intentions. Findings suggest that fans' responses depend on the target market. While German fans respond more favorably to purely foreign brand positioning, Chinese fans prefer local adaptations of the U.S. brands to Chinese customs. These diverse effects can be explained by different underlying mechanisms: purely foreign brand positioning increases perceptions of authenticity among German fans, while locally integrated foreign brand positioning increases perceived customer orientation and pride among Chinese fans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of BIT: Banking & Information Technology is the property of ibi Research GmbH an der Universitaet Regensburg and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

With global geopolitical changes, marketers have increasingly employed advertisements featuring ethnic and religious minority endorsers. Researchers have examined the effects of this practice, where endorsers' ethnicity and religious associations are interlinked. The present research disentangles the potential effects of these two factors and tests their underlying mechanism. Study 1 (N=336) shows that the endorser's belongingness to a religious minority group negatively affects attitudinal and behavioral consumer responses. Furthermore, the results indicate that sociomoral disgust mediates the effects of religion on consumer responses. Study 2 (N=306) supports a moderated mediation model where religious and ethnic identity moderates the indirect effect of ads featuring a religious minority endorser. Additionally, weaker effects for consumers' ethnic identity moderating the indirect effect of ads featuring ethnic minority endorsers were found. The results indicate a strong category dominance of religion for the evaluation of ethnic and religious minority endorsers. The findings theoretically contribute to our understanding of the diverse effects of featuring religious and ethnic minority endorsers in advertisements. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the relationship between consumers' evaluation on sustainable development goal (SDG)-related characteristics and the actual payment for these values, while revealing effective governmental policies and business activities to enhance sustainable consumption. Using survey data from the USA, Germany, and Japan, the following results were obtained. First, the relative importance of the core element is 35–41% and that of the elements related to SDGs 8, 9, 12, and 13 dominates 52–58% of the overall product value. Second, effective approaches to enhance sustainable consumption differ among product characteristics. Third, lifestyle influences only the long-term and the medium-term goods. Fourth, while consumers rely on their experience in the choice of short-term goods, they make more deliberate decisions considering their condition factors for the medium-term and long-term goods. Based on these results, some practical implications were derived. First, active advertisement emphasizing the importance of economic aspects and actions for economic goals could be effective. Second, describing the idea that underlies the concept of SDGs could be effective rather than emphasizing each SDG. Third, incentive schemes focusing on daily goods rather than durable goods could enhance sustainable consumption further, as consumers still exhibit limited concern for daily goods. (JEL codes: D12; M20; M30; Q01; Q56; and Q58) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to an increasing demand, companies have started producing recycled products. However, little is known about the specific purchase behavior. Hence, this study analyses the factors influencing purchase intention for recycled products including differences related to different types of products and between Germany and South Africa. A quantitative study in Germany (n = 603) and South Africa (n = 692). shows that purchase intention is significantly higher in South Africa. The influencing factors (individual, product, and context related constructs) are the same in both countries, but they differ regarding their strength. Thus, the factor "attitude/environmental concern" has the strongest influence in South Africa, while it is "value/accessibility" in Germany. Furthermore, purchase intention for mobile phones is generally smaller than for t‐shirts and toilet paper. Purchase intention for recycled t‐shirts is significantly higher in South Africa than in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the examination of a values–beliefs–norms (VBN) model, modified by climate change risk perception, in France, Germany, and Spain, to investigate consumers' intentions to purchase personal and house care products that are going to contain innovative ingredients made from recycled CO2. Electronic interviews were undertaken by a research agency on stratified (gender and age) samples in each country. Solely biospheric values indicated a statistically significant and positive causal relationship with risk perception. Risk perception provided the strongest of all impacts on awareness of consequences. Awareness of consequences affected the ascription of responsibility, and ascription of responsibility affected personal norms, which in turn generated consumption intentions. VBN was found powerful in explaining 58%, 60.2%, and 43.3% of the variance in intentions to buy CPGs with green chemical ingredients in French, German, and Spanish consumers, respectively. Moderation analysis indicated that the relationship between personal norms and consumption intentions is stronger in France and Germany than in Spain. Theoretical and practical implications are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalization and digital technologies have risen sharply in commerce in form of online offers and advice, even in formerly less technology-based sectors. By using the example of flower shops, the aim of this study is to find out whether customers perceive digital offers to be generally useful or necessary, or if local service is still sufficient. To answer this question, a quantitative survey was conducted in selected flower shops in Germany. 82 customers took part. Although most customers have not yet resorted to an online offering when buying flowers, over 66% of respondents are generally in favor of digital offers in the floristry industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Contactless shopping concepts meet the needs of those consumers who want to minimise social interactions, especially due to COVID-19; they also offer added value by combining the advantages of traditional shopping with digital features that stem from online shopping. The development of digitalised retail concepts has been made possible through digitisation and the use of new technologies. To date, the concepts have been created with various formats through the application of the most advanced Industry 4.0 technologies. This paper aims to provide a deepened understanding of the latest trends and draws attention to the various classes, including shopping functionalities and features. Design/methodology/approach: This paper performs a review of current disruptive and new business retail concepts within the grocery retail industry in Germany. Therefore, a secondary research methodology and observations were performed to create an overview and a categorization. This categorization has been used to identify the related cases. Findings: The results add to the literature as follows. First, a matching of contactless shopping to innovative business models is made. Second, a status-quo analysis of contactless shopping solutions in Germany is carried out with defined set of criteria. This study created a list of all major available contactless shopping solutions. Third, this study examines two new business models, namely, automated vending machines and walk-in stores, which meet the changes in consumer behaviour and needs in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Originality/value: This paper provides a deeper understanding of the latest trends within the retail industry and draws attention to disruptive business models as well as the functionalities and features of shopping solutions. New store concepts launched during the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in unique selling propositions of 24-h everyday shopping and contactless shopping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing scholarship on the early modern consumer revolution postulates a dichotomy between the classic pioneering countries of England and the Netherlands and the remaining parts of Europe, which were more stagnant. We contribute to this literature by analysing probate inventories in a rural area in north‐western Germany. We show that a closer look at these spaces, which had an intermediate level of development and integration into global markets, reveals a more gradual development and a discernible market evolution. Sumptuary laws may have somewhat slowed down the change in material culture in German regions, but the presence of towns and the proximity to the Netherlands had noticeably positive effects on consumer behaviour. The proto‐industrial orientation of local economies proved to be particularly important, as it led to the granting of access to global markets, in addition to greater availability of cash. We observe a delayed diffusion of the new consumer culture in intermediate European regions and argue for a more gradual view of the European consumer revolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes whether green nudges - displaying nature pictures or providing information on other people's behavior before the consumer makes a choice - can promote more environmentally friendly food choices. Based on data from an online, discrete choice experiment conducted in Germany, in which randomly selected groups of participants were shown either one of the nudges (treatment groups) or no nudge (control group), the study finds that green nudges increase individuals' willingness to pay more for products that have ecology and animal welfare labels. However, consumers in one of the treatment groups were willing to pay more for meat rather than the meat alternative, indicating that nudges can have an effect opposite from that intended. Future research should investigate the impact of these relatively cheap interventions with a representative sample and in a field setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The recently published first Life-LCA case study of a human being (0–49 years) did not use primary data for the "childhood and youth stage" (0–17 years). Consumption was assumed to contribute 50% of the calculated 48th baseline year. This led to uncertainties as consumer behavior changes from birth to adulthood. Furthermore, transport emissions and environmental impacts before birth were neglected. Therefore, this paper analyzes the prenatal and infancy phase (0–3 years) to develop the Life-LCA method and database further and evaluate generic assumptions. Methods: The Life-LCA method sets the reporting unit to newly defined prenatal and infancy phases. The reporting flow describes the range of all consumed products attributable to an infant. Primary data was collected with a sample of three study objects—a pregnant mother, a newborn baby, and a 3-year-old infant—living in Germany. The following environmental impact assessment categories are considered: climate change (GWP), acidification (AP), eutrophication (EP), and photochemical ozone creation (POCP). Results and discussion: Prenatal and infancy phase burdens account for a GWP of 4,011 kg CO2-eq., an AP of 22.3 kg SO2-eq., an EP of 10.7 kg PO4-eq., and a POCP of 1.7 kg C2H4-eq. The share of the prenatal phase is around 15–20% for all impact categories. Transport is a hotspot for GWP (30–60%) and POCP (45–70%) in both phases. AP (50%) and EP (45–50%) are dominated by food products, mainly meat (45%) and dairy products (35%). For the prenatal phase, energy and water consumption at birth rank third in GWP (8%). Diapers account for 6% (GWP) of the environmental burden in the infancy phase. Assumptions made in the first Life-LCA study connect closely with the values calculated for the first three years of infancy. A remaining challenge is allocating the impacts between infants and parents and developing a methodology for assessing data quality. Conclusion: Focusing on two new life phases has led to the subdivision of the "childhood and youth stage" and an extension of the system boundaries. The results' uncertainty was reduced by developing a new set of specific datasets focusing on several study objects. The case study results show the importance of primary data collection for evaluating generic assumptions. Additional studies on childhood and adolescence from 3 to 17 years are suggested for a robust assessment of the complete "childhood and youth stage." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines the gap between attitude and behavior regarding the purchase of natural cosmetics among young adults in Germany. It is found that attitude significantly influences purchasing behavior, but other factors such as manufacturer transparency and social norms also play a role. The results show that manufacturing companies can reduce the gap between attitude and behavior by considering these factors. The study emphasizes the importance of environmental knowledge and social norms in the decision to purchase natural cosmetics. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the interplay between consumption and depression through a cross-cultural study conducted in Brazil and Germany. Design/methodology/approach: Data collection was conducted through an online survey. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to assess depression levels from a sample of 1,627 respondents (759 Germans and 868 Brazilians). Descriptive statistics, multiple linear regression and Mann–Whitney U tests were applied. Findings: Cultural characteristics are relevant in the consumption-depression interplay. The authors identified marketplace resources and stressors consisting of products categories that influence the depression level of the depressed consumer. Additionally, individuals with some level of depression presented different consumption habits than those without. A table summarizing the findings is presented at the end of the paper. Research limitations/implications: Work limitations refer to the consumption categories analyzed and the large share of students in the sample. Practical implications: Marketplace measures have an active role in mitigating or increasing depression levels. Thus, consumption can also be used as a transformative tool to benefit the lives of depressive individuals. Some suggestions are presented. Social implications: This study contributes to the discussion that consumption impacts the daily lives of people with depression and provides recommendations on how to adapt consumption habits to help depressive individuals optimize their quality of life and well-being. Originality/value: This paper contributes empirically and theoretically to the discussion of mental health and consumption and introduces innovative consumption categories (from daily life) that are incipient in previous literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of ifo Dresden Berichtet: Ueber Konjunktur, Struktur, Wirtschaftspolitik is the property of ifo Institute for Economic Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Online grocery shopping in Germany has shown a strong growth in the past years and is expected to further develop in the future, especially through the influence of COVID-19. The main purpose of this study was to examine six theoretical customer-oriented factors and their influence on consumer online grocery purchase intentions. Additionally, this study compares consumer perceptions before and since the COVID-19 outbreak. Since the health crisis is very recent, the research on its impact on online grocery purchasing behavior is limited. A total of 402 valid questionnaires were collected in Germany. The data were analyzed using the software SPSS IBM 28. The results indicate that perceived risk still has a negative influence on purchase intentions, thus remaining relevant in online grocery shopping. However, the consumers' perceived risk is considered lower compared to the pre-COVID-19 scenario. Moreover, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived trust, convenience, as well as situational factors were found to have a positive relationship with purchase intention, both before the COVID-19 crisis and since then. The COVID-19 pandemic shows a strong reduction in perceived risk, while the remaining characteristics increase at moderate levels. Online grocery businesses could use the insights of this study to reduce perceived risks as well as successfully communicate the benefits of online shopping to consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The literature to-date has focused on dimensions of emotions based on emotions' affective state (captured by valence, arousal and dominance, PAD). However, it has ignored that emotional reactions also depend on emotions' functionality in serving to solve recurrent adaptive problems related to survival and reproduction. Evolutionary psychology suggests that relationships with others are the key that helps individuals reach both goals. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize, measure and validate the temperature dimension of emotions that underlies such human relationships, as suggested by frequent verbalization of emotional states via temperature-related terms ("cold fear" and "warm love"). Design/methodology/approach: Across three studies (nStudy1a = 71; nStudy1b = 33; and nStudy2 = 317) based on samples from two countries (Germany and the USA) and using two different methods (semantic and visual), the temperature dimension of emotions is conceptualized and measured. Across a wide spectrum of emotions, factor analyses uncover temperature as an emotional dimension distinct from PAD and assess the dimension's face, discriminant, convergent, nomological and criterion validity. Findings: Emotional temperature is a bipolar dimension of an affective state that underlies human relationships, ranging from cold to warm, such that social closeness is linked to emotional warmth and social distance to emotional coldness. Emotional temperature is uncovered as a dimension distinct from PAD, that is, it is correlated with but separate from PAD. Research limitations/implications: In this research, a portfolio of 17 basic emotions relevant in everyday consumption contexts was examined. Future research could further refine the emotional temperature dimension by analyzing more complex emotions and their position on the temperature map. In general, this paper sets the stage for additional work examining emotional temperature and its effects on consumer behavior. Practical implications: The results have strategic implications for marketers on which emotions to select for campaigns, depending on factors like the climate or season. Social implications: This research provides a better foundation upon which to understand the effect of emotions that invoke warmth or coldness. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this research is the first to conceptualize, measure and comprehensively validate the temperature dimension of emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change, environmental concerns, scarcity of resources and dependence on energy cause the automotive industries to do sustainable developments. İn this regard, the adoption of new energy vehicles is key to environmental problems. The objective of this study is twofold, to understand consumer's intentions regarding electric vehicles (EV) adoption and secondly to compare these results for developing and industrialized/developed "Western" countries, Turkey, and Germany. An empirical study was carried out with 557 potential consumers in Turkey and 513 in Germany and structural equation analysis was performed with AMOS. An integrated model based on Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is applied as the research framework. The paper confirms the underlying assumptions of TAM in the context of EV. Perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) positively influence the behavioral intention to use EVs. TAM constructs were found to be statistically significant. The results showed that participants' technology acceptance attitudes differed by country. Behavioral usage intentions of participants living in Germany are higher than those in Turkey. Based on the empirical results, the formulation of marketing strategies to promote EV and suggestions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why do consumers make different decisions even when socioeconomic conditions are similar? The present article examines the effects of human values—as formulations of motivational goals—on the decision to purchase electricity storage for a photovoltaic system, a phenomenon hardly explored in prior research regarding high‐priced household investments. About 50 percent of photovoltaic‐system owners in Germany are also owners of an electricity storage. This study aims to explore the more deeply rooted motivational factors behind these different decisions to extend our understanding of consumers' decision‐making processes regarding energy‐efficiency investments. It is based on an online survey of 460 owners of residential photovoltaic systems in Germany in 2019 and focuses on the interplay between higher‐order values, purchase decisions, perceived risk, and environmental concern. The analysis of the higher‐order values showed direct effects of conservation and self‐transcendence and indirect effects of openness to change and self‐enhancement, both mediated by perceived risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal welfare (AW) is a growing concern for consumers in Germany; however, not all consumers regularly purchase products that have been produced according to high AW standards. The goal of the present study is to test the effect of a multilayered nudge to increase the availability and improve the visibility of AW products in a 3D online virtual supermarket (VS). The nudge included a shelf with AW products (referred to as AW shelf) which was made visible through banners and footsteps on the floor of the VS. The sample of this pre-registered experiment consisted of n = 374 German consumers who regularly purchase meat, milk, and eggs. The results demonstrated that the multilayered nudge was highly effective: the percentage of AW products purchased in the nudging condition was almost twice as high as in the control group. Furthermore, we investigated variables that mediate (ease of finding AW products in the VS) and moderate (price sensitivity) the effectiveness of the multilayered nudge, but no evidence for an effect was obtained. We conclude that multilayered nudges may be a promising tool to increase consumers' AW product purchases. More research is needed to replicate this finding with a field study in a real supermarket. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transitioning to a bio-based economy is widely perceived as a necessary way to tackle climate change and other key environmental challenges. Given the major socio-economic consequences that such a transition entails for people's everyday lives, it is crucial to take account of citizens' perceptions and levels of acceptance of these changes. This study applies a holistic approach to gain an understanding of how citizens in Germany assess possible developments associated with transitioning to a bioeconomy. We developed three future scenarios modelling the impacts on people's day-to-day lives of adopting different elements of a bioeconomy and of replacing fossil resources with biogenic resources to a lesser or greater extent by 2050. German citizens were asked to evaluate the different scenarios through a quantitative online survey. Although the respondents largely preferred the scenario of "Bioeconomy Change" entailing the most substantial changes in resource use, many also expressed concerns about the possible negative socio-economic effects of this scenario, including fears of increased product prices, declining living standards, and greater social injustice. The results show that younger people and women are more in favour of changes towards a bioeconomy than men and older people. Since the acceptance of bio-technical innovations increases with greater knowledge about such innovations and their usefulness, the transformation process must make use of sound communication strategies that involve all societal groups by engaging them in constructive dialogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of the waste of electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) collection masses in relation to the amounts placed on the market shows comparably low rates of about 43 to 45% in Germany for the last years. Since a minimum collection rate of 65% has to be achieved from 2019 onward, it is important to ask how the current low rates can be explained. In light of these low rates, the disposal behavior of consumers might play a significant role which is examined in this study. A survey was conducted at the end of February 2018 to assess the consumers' behavior concerning the individual disposal of WEEE. The residents' knowledge about the known return possibilities and the collection systems for WEEE were investigated and if disposal routes differ for large and for small devices. On top of that regional differences in disposal behavior within Germany were considered to explain in all the existing deficits in the collection rate. The consumer survey showed that predominantly regular routes for the disposal of WEEE are used and relevant quantities are not only physically "lost," but that there are also significant deficits in the monitoring itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To combat the spread of SARS-CoV-2, CrossFit® training centers, and fitness studios were closed during the first lockdown in Germany from mid-March until June 2020, and as a result, CrossFit® (CFA) or weightlifting athletes (WLA) faced a major challenge for the first time. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of the first lockdown on the training behavior and to analyze the way the athletes dealt with the new situation. In detail, we focus on habits of purchase and examine the acceptance of digital sports offers between CFA and WLA in response to the restrictions of the nationwide lockdown. Methods: An online survey was used to characterize the purchasing behavior and use of digital sports offers of CFA and WLA. In total, 484 volunteers (192 women, 290 men, 2 diverse) responded to the online questionary, allowing us to identify changes in training behavior and differences between the sports disciplines. Results: Our data shows both CFA and WLA purchase new equipment for a home gym and the use of digital sports increased significantly across all age groups. A comparison during the lockdown even showed that within the CFA, one group (n = 142) reported losing 5 kg or more of body mass, while the value of the WLA remained constant. On the one hand, the results indicate that despite the restrictions during the lockdown, CFA were may able to enhance health aspects by improving their body composition. On the other hand, this study shows that the training habits of both groups of athletes have changed significantly with the use of digital sports offers. Conclusions: We suppose that the great openness and the expansion of online sports offers during the first lockdown may change the sports industry in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does corporate social irresponsibility affect a brand during a worldwide health crisis? This study investigates how Adidas' announcement to withhold rent payments in Germany and the ensuing public criticism impacted its brand metrics. Nationally representative survey data on sentiment, reputation, purchase intent, and behavior for five major sporting goods manufacturers spanning 1,096 continuous days is combined with Google Trends and stock price data to estimate the causal impact of Adidas' social irresponsibility using a series of Bayesian structural time-series models. Adidas took a significant initial hit in sentiment and reputation immediately and months after the scandal. However, purchase intentions, consumer behavior, and stock prices indicate that the company continued to be a preferred brand. Findings suggest that the pandemic affected the outcome of Adidas' behavior in two ways. While the initial impact was likely amplified by the heightened public attention to corporate behavior during the crisis, lower-funnel and long-term effects might have been mitigated by the rapid development of the pandemic that caused public attention to shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study relates consumer behaviour with social disruption theory by identifying the antecedents of anxiety related to grocery shopping. Our research design integrates cognitive, behavioural, self-identity, emotional components in disruptive situations. This study presents a conceptual framework focusing on the cognitive and behavioural antecedents of anxiety relating to grocery shopping in disruptive situations. The conceptual model was validated by fitting a SEM with the FIMIX-PLS algorithm to 228 responses obtained an online questionnaire in Brazil and Germany. Two distinct segments of consumers-- concerned and scared consumers--differing by their perceived vulnerability are identified. Concerned consumers are characterized by a strong relation of personal concerns to anxiety. The empirical contribution roots in the identification of two types of customers with respect to concerns and anxiety: (i) the concerned because of their situational awareness and (ii) those with more pressing problems. Thus, our study contributes to consumer behaviour and social disruption theory by clarifying and quantifying the impact of the antecedents of anxiety related to grocery shopping in crises. The resulting data from survey responses are cross-sectional, which means it cannot provide evidence of temporal sequence. Retailers benefit from actively shaping consumers' emotional experiences through measures. The perceived consumers' need for coping strategies to reduce their anxiety (e.g., shopping in less frequented stores) can thereby be eliminated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food price inflation in 2022 has put considerable pressure on some consumers, leading to changes in their food choice and consumption behavior. To gain a better understanding of consumers' responses to rising food prices, we conducted an online survey among 1000 consumers in Germany, in which they were asked to self-report the extent of their changes during a period from the beginning of 2022 to November 2022. A principal component analysis was conducted to summarize the queried items into three factors, which were subsequently used for a cluster analysis. The emerging clusters were characterized in terms of sociodemographic as well as psychographic variables, namely locus of control, life satisfaction, optimism, pessimism, human values, and food values. The segment that appears to be most affected by rising food prices consists of about 28% of the sample's respondents and is characterized by a strong engagement in saving behaviors. These consumers are less satisfied with their lives and more pessimistic, corresponding to their lower incomes and lower likelihood to be fully employed. Communication and policy measures need to be designed in a way that these consumers regain stability and become more confident about the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total diet studies (TDS) and food monitoring programmes are different approaches for collecting occurrence data on substances in food. This case study evaluated the practical applicability of TDS data (BfR MEAL Study) and monitoring data for the assessment of long-term cadmium exposure in children in Germany. Cadmium data from both programmes were combined with food consumption data from the KiESEL study. Uncertainties associated with both assessments were systematically described. Using monitoring data resulted in cadmium intakes approximately 3 times higher than the use of BfR MEAL Study data. Incomplete data and neglect of market shares and consumption weights were considered by conservative data adjustments to the monitoring data and mainly explain the higher estimates. Fewer data adjustments were necessary for BfR MEAL Study data, which covered almost the entire diet and considered consumer behaviour during sample collection and sample preparation. In sum, the use of the BfR MEAL Study data resulted in less uncertainty and more reliable exposure estimates for chronic assessments over the entire diet. However, description of variability and upper tails of substance distributions in food remain essential features of monitoring data. The integration of both programmes into a complementary system further improves food safety. • Food monitoring overestimated cadmium intake, while TDS led to more reliable exposure estimates. • TDS data required less data processing, resulting in lower uncertainty. • Food monitoring provided incomplete and less representative coverage of diet. • Food monitoring can contribute information on variability to exposure scenarios. • Combining TDS and food monitoring in a common system improves food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus pandemic has changed retailers' proceedings, consumers' buying behavior, and the perception of space within the aisles. In a grounded theory–building procedure, the study questions the relationships of consumers' perceived risk, adapted behaviors, and emotional self-regulation. Only a few studies have focused on customer behavior in such disruptive situations. They generally take a unidirectional perspective and explain panic buying and stockpiling by considering buying behavior as only a reaction to panic and uncertainty. We conducted 18 qualitative interviews in Brazil and Germany to gain insight into changes in buying behavior and consumers' feelings on the changed circumstances, which provided a bidirectional perspective on perceived risk, adapted buying behavior, and emotional self-regulation. We attempt to explain changed buying behavior as well as differing behaviors and motives in Brazil and Germany during the crisis. Critical reflection on media reports about panic buying and hoarding as well as on self-observed situations in local stores affords a better assessment of the overall situation and risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Filling a gap in extant research regarding the measurement of an export country's environmental image and investigating its importance for consumers' evaluation of an environmentally differentiated imported product. Design/methodology/approach: Online surveys carried out in Denmark (Study 1), Germany and France (Study 2; N˜500 from each country). In Study 1, we develop an environmental country image instrument and investigate its nomological validity vis-à-vis other country image constructs and Danish consumers' evaluation of organic milk from Germany. In Study 2, we validate the instrument with consumers from Germany and France, evaluating organic milk from Denmark. Findings: Consumers differentiate between a country's environmental image and its general and production-related images. The country's environmental image is important to consumers' evaluation of an environmentally differentiated product from the country. Specifically, we find that a country's environmental image strongly influences its product-specific images and, through these, the consumer's evaluation of an organic food product from the country. Practical implications: Consumers' use of a country's environmental image as a cue to the credibility of environmental claims gives competitive advantages to exporters from countries with a favorable environmental image, while exporters from countries with an unfavorable environmental image need measures to compensate. Companies and countries should monitor how the environmental image of their country evolves in important markets and be ready to act when facing damages to their country's environmental image. Originality/value: This article is the first to propose a measure of environmental country image and to document that consumers use the environmental image of an exporting country to assess environmental claims on imported products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Sponsorships involving foreign brands are ubiquitous, but those involving a company from an animosity-evoking country can adversely affect rather than enhance domestic consumers' attitude towards the brand. This paper explains the mechanisms by which brand denigration occurs, introducing and validating a model of the animosity transfer process as well as considering if various framing and timing strategies attenuate or lead to adverse consumer responses. Design/methodology/approach: Study 1 tests the animosity transfer model, utilizing a scenario in which English consumers respond to a German brand sponsoring the England soccer team. Study 2 assesses the generalizability of the model in the context of Indian consumers' responses to sponsorship of their cricket team by a Chinese company, and the extent to which an honest framing of the sponsorship choice through the announcement affects outcomes. Study 3 returns to an England–Germany country dyad, testing whether priming consumers with information about the sponsorship prior to a full announcement, attenuates or intensifies the impact of animosity on the studied outcomes. Findings: The three studies demonstrate that when consumers learn of a sponsorship, it triggers an evaluation process in which the agonistic emotion (anger) they feel plays a pivotal role. More intense emotional appraisals weaken perceptions of sponsor-sponsee congruence, which together act as consecutive process variables mediating the relationship between animosity and sponsorship outcomes. Framing the sponsorship announcement with an honest justification for the partnership can improve outcomes but not amongst those with the highest animosity. Providing consumers with an advanced warning (preannouncement) of the sponsorship also amplifies consumers' unfavorable evaluations showcasing how difficult animosity is to manage in this context. Originality/value: The animosity transfer model aids understanding of the mechanisms by which animosity affects brand attitude for foreign (out-group) sponsors. It identifies how animosity generates agonistic emotions and in turn weakens perceived fit between the sponsor and sponsee, leading to adverse consumer responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The promotion of meat substitutes to reduce meat intake is a promising way to reduce the environmental and public health externalities of meat consumption while preserving the important role of taste and texture in meat products. However, the market for meat substitutes is developing more slowly than expected. Therefore, we analyze the factors associated with the heterogeneity in meat substitute consumption in Germany, a country where meat traditionally plays an important role. We use revealed preference data on meat substitute sales from 1025 individual retailers, sociodemographic data, and election results from 92 regions in Germany over the period 2017-2021, to analyze whether differences in meat substitute consumption are associated with consumers' political orientation (liberal/left or conservative/right) and socio-demographic variables. We also investigate whether election results for parties with stronger climate protection goals are associated with meat substitute consumption. Our results show that meat substitute consumption varies significantly across Germany and that this is related to differences in socio-demographic characteristics and voting behavior across regions. Voting for the Green Party and parties with strong climate protection ambitions is positively related to the market share of meat substitutes. In contrast, voting for Germany's most conservative party, which has the lowest ambitions in terms of climate protection targets, is associated with lower meat substitute consumption. Therefore, manufacturers could develop tailored marketing strategies that specifically target these voter groups in order to increase the market share of meat substitutes as alternatives to meat products., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

No study has yet investigated how the second coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown has impacted the consumption of psychiatric medications in Germany. Therefore, the goal of this study was to analyze weekly pharmacy purchases of psychiatric drugs from wholesalers in this country in 2019 and 2020 using data from the IMS RPM® (Regional Pharmaceutical Market) Weekly Database. The outcome was the number of pharmacy purchases of psychiatric drugs per week from wholesalers between Calendar Week 2 and Calendar Week 52 in 2019 and 2020. Calendar Weeks 12 and 51 in 2020 corresponded to the days prior to the first and second German COVID-19 lockdowns, respectively. Descriptively, compared with 2019, the number of weekly pharmacy purchases of psychiatric drugs increased by 32% between Calendar Weeks 2–11 and Calendar Week 12 in 2020, while there was a 9% increase between Calendar Weeks 13–50 and Calendar Week 51 that same year. Overall, the relative increase in the weekly pharmacy purchases of psychiatric drugs from wholesalers was less pronounced before the second COVID-19 lockdown in Germany than before the first. Further studies are warranted to identify factors (e.g., decreases in panic buying) that may have contributed to this decreasing trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A spatial concentration of basic services can be observed in many European regions. This concentration is a result of the interaction between socio-economic and demographic processes. Rural regions in Germany are particularly affected by concentration processes and the thinning-out of services. Even though this topic is covered and debated in media, among policy makers and regional scientists, few reliable data exist on the dimensions and consequences of these processes. Food retailing is one subject area wherein a spatial concentration can be observed and its consequences have a direct impact. Different aspects of the spatial concentration processes in food retailing are the core of this article, which aims to address the following questions: Can spatial food deserts (regions with limited access to affordable and nutritious food) be identified in rural Germany, and, if yes, which part of the population seems to be particularly affected by insufficient access to food? Food deserts are approached at the macro level utilising a distance-based concept building on a GIS accessibility model. Thus, the focus is on the analysis of the potential general spatial existence of food deserts, not on individual consumer perspectives, behaviours, capabilities, or consequences. The results of the analysis reveal that in Germany, transportation availability is a decisive factor determining if one lives in a food desert or not. Furthermore, living in a food desert is more of an individual experience that depends on individual living conditions and capabilities than a spatial distinct phenomenon. However, as the accessibility to food retail stores is comparatively worse in connected parts of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Brandenburg, Rhineland-Palatinate and the north of Saxony-Anhalt, less mobile people living in these areas are more likely to experience food desert. • The paper links the German basic services discourse with the food desert discourse. • In Germany, living in a food desert is more of an individual experience than a spatial distinct phenomenon. • Mobility is the deceisive factor determining if one lives in a food desert or not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent months, many economic studies have emerged in the economic slowdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Economists have analysed a great many socio-economic phenomena,from the slowdown in GDP dynamics tochanges in consumer behaviour. There is a research gap that the research presented here aims to fill. Itfocuses on the issue of changes in fiscal, investment and export multipliers during the COVID-19 pandemic, attempting to show how the autonomous spending multipliers have changed because of the ongoing COVID- 19 pandemic. The research results can provideinsight into how GDP and Gross Value Added have changed because of changes in government, private investment and export expenditure. The research reveals that the values of the multipliers of autonomous expenditure have increasedduring the pandemic. On this basis, it can be concluded the multipliers became safety buffers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in their value meant that the economic slowdown came about due to the decline in autonomous spending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]