Preferences for Berries Among Consumers

in Southern Chile: Blueberries Are Produced

but Are They Consumed?
Berta Schnettler, Horacio Miranda, José Sepúlveda, Marianela Denegri, Marcos Mora, and Germán Lobos

Abstract: Blueberry plantations in Chile are oriented exclusively towards exports to northern hemisphere countries;
however, this fruit has recently been introduced into the domestic market due to the increased supply and a fall in
export market prices. Based on the previously mentioned, the objectives of the present study were to evaluate consumer
preferences for 3 species of berries (blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries), sold loose (unpackaged) as opposed to
packaged and branded, at different prices, in one of the principal blueberry producing areas of Chile; and to distinguish
consumer segments by their preferences. To do this a survey was applied to 400 people in the Araucanı́a Region of
southern Chile, who were responsible for purchasing fruit for their households. Conjoint analysis showed a preference for
raspberries and strawberries over blueberries, packaged and branded, at the lowest price. Total of 2 principal segments were
distinguished by cluster analysis: “price sensitive” (42.7%), who preferred strawberries, and “sensitive to species of berry”
(47.5%), who preferred raspberries and strawberries. The segments presented different profiles in their demographic
make-up and fruit consumption behavior. Strategies are discussed that might reverse the low acceptance of blueberries in
the Chilean domestic market.
Keywords: blueberry, brand name, consumer behavior, fruit consumption, market segments

Practical Application: This study presents information on the introduction of new fresh foods into the market.

Introduction phenolic compounds in these berries (Häkkinen and Törrönen

S: Sensory & Food

The world import market for fresh fruit from Mediterranean 2000, Rimando and others 2004). Blueberry extracts ameliorate
age-related declines in neuronal and cognitive function, common
Quality

climates increased by 7.3% in volume and 34.6% in value be-

tween 2005 and 2009. The greatest volume growth in this market in disorders such as Alzheimer’s (Youdim and others 2000).
occurred in blueberries (Vaccinum corymbosum L.) with 44% over Blueberries have the highest antioxidant capacity among berry
the period (Bravo 2011). fruits (Kalt and others 1999), one of the major reasons for their
As with other fruits and vegetables, berries are important dietary increasing popularity in the human diet (Seeram and others 2006).
sources of fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. They also According to FAO figures (FAO 2011), United States and
contain a vast number of other phytochemicals for which there are Canada are the principal blueberry producing and importing
no known deficiency conditions but that may have marked bioac- countries. Although Canada is also the leading exporter, the
tivities in mammalian cells with potential health benefits. These second place is held by Chile (over United States) with 34707 tons
include effects on oxidative damage, detoxification enzymes, the exported in 2008. The first blueberry plantations were established
immune system, blood pressure, platelet aggregation, and anti- in Chile in the mid-1980s, oriented exclusively toward exports to
inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral responses (Duthie and northern hemisphere countries during the counter-season. The
others 2003). Blueberries are an excellent source of phytochemi- high demand for blueberries in the North American market and
cals that are believed to have significant biological activity (Schmidt the spread of consumption to other northern hemisphere markets,
and others 2005). Antioxidative and anticarcinogenic effects in together with the high profit margins of cultivation, led to a great
vitro of Vaccinium genus berries are partly proposed to be due to expansion in the area planted in Chile, and consequently to a
large increase in the volumes exported—from 25721 tons in 2006
to 55203 tons in 2010. The rising trend in Chilean export sup-
ply, and the increase in exports from other southern hemisphere
MS 20110472 Submitted 4/12/2011, Accepted 6/23/2011 Authors Schnet-
tler and Miranda are with Dept. of Agricultural and Livestock Production, Fac- countries (for example, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, and
ulty of Farming, Livestock and Forestry Sciences and authors Sepúlveda and South Africa), which compete with Chile, produced a progressive
Denegri are with Dept. of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Humanities, Univ. de reduction in the export price from US$ 8.50 to US$ 5.45/kg
La Frontera, Casilla 54-D, Temuco, Chile. Author Mora is with Dept. of Agrarian FOB between 2006 and 2010 (Bravo 2011). This situation,
Economy, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, Univ. de Chile, Casilla 1004, Santiago,
Chile. Author Lobos is with School of Commercial Engineering, Faculty of Enterprise
together with the fall in the exchange rate from Ch$ 691.54/US$
Sciences, Univ. de Talca, Casilla 721, Talca, Chile. Direct inquiries to author Schnettler in 2003 to Ch$ 510.38/US$ in 2010 (Banco Central de Chile
(E-mail: bschnett@ufro.cl). 2011), motivated the sale of blueberries in the Chilean domestic
market as from 2008. Since their introduction, blueberries have

C 2011 Institute of Food Technologists

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S458 Journal of Food Science r Vol. 76, Nr. 7, 2011 doi: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2011.02334.x
Further reproduction without permission is prohibited
Preferences for berries in Chile . . .

been offered for sale both by street-sellers and in supermarkets. for their households in Temuco (Araucanı́a Region, 38◦ 45 S,
The street-sellers sell blueberries loose by weight, while in super- 73◦ 03 W), Chile. The number of people surveyed was obtained
markets the fruit is packaged under the brands of the country’s using the simple random sample formula for non finite popula-
principal berry exporting companies. tions (N > 100000; Temuco: 245347 inhabitants, Census 2002),
When the quality of a product is difficult to determine in the considering 95% confidence and 5% estimated error with p and q
store, as is the case with foods, consumers rely more heavily on 0.5 (Fernández 2002).
extrinsic quality cues such as brand, packaging, and price (Bredahl
2004). A brand helps signal to consumers the level of quality Information collection instrument
inherent in a product (Keller 2003). Furthermore, consumers The questionnaire used contained closed questions about habits
perceive branded products as being more reliable, of higher quality, of fruit consumption and purchase of fruit for the household:
and having less chance of not coming up to their expectations consumption frequency, trend in consumption in the last 3 y, ex-
than products that are not branded. Keller (2003) suggests that pected consumption in the next 3 y and influences affecting the
brands reduce the risks that consumers face when they purchase purchase decision. Two questions were also included relating to
a product. However, new and unfamiliar brands reduce risk less knowledge of the characteristics of fruits. The first asked whether
than tried and trusted brand names. Varela and others (2010) the respondent knew the nutritional characteristics of the fruit
found that brand and package information had a large impact on that he/she consumed. The second required the respondent to
consumers’ preference only for well-recognized brands. Previous indicate whether the following statement was true or false: fruits
research suggests that brands are particularly important for food contain a small quantity of antioxidants. With respect to blueberry
items because food purchasing decisions are made frequently, and consumption, respondents were asked whether they purchased
often under time pressure (Bredahl 2004). Branding may be one blueberries for consumption in their households, and if the an-
important way to add value to the food product, to differentiate it, swer was no, they were asked the reason. They were also asked to
and to escape price competition (Steenkamp 1997). Nevertheless, give the monthly spending of the household on food and on fruit.
most fresh food products are still sold unbranded and are largely Classification questions were included to establish gender, age,
treated as commodity items (Nijssen and Van Trijp 1998). Empir- family size, zone of residence, occupation, and level of education
ical research into the determinants of consumer franchise through of the head of the household, and ownership of 10 domestic goods.
the branding of fresh food products is still relatively scarce (Nijssen The combination of these 2 latter variables in a matrix allows the
and Van Trijp 1998). The principal research done in this area in- socio-economic level to be determined, classified as ABC1 (high
cludes studies of meat (Nijssen and Van Trijp 1998; Bredahl 2004; and upper middle), C2 (middle-middle), C3 (lower middle), D
Reicks and others 2008; Froehlich and others 2009), vegetables, (low), and E (very low). These variables, conceptually, are related
and fruit (Nijssen and Van Trijp 1998; Sulé and others 2002; with income, cultural level, and with the stock of wealth accumu-
Behe 2006, Mora and others 2011), all in developed countries. lated by the family group, allowing a simple but adequate estimate
Based on the previously mentioned information, the objectives to be made of the socio-economic level of Chilean households
of the present study were to evaluate consumer preferences for (Adimark 2004).
three species of berries (blueberries, strawberries, and raspber-

S: Sensory & Food

A CA was employed to determine the acceptance of different
ries), sold loose as opposed to packaged and branded, at different species of berries. This is a decompositional method that allows the
prices in the Araucanı́a Region Chile, and to distinguish consumer

Quality
relative importance of the attributes of a product to be estimated, as
segments by their preferences. The Araucanı́a Region is the third well as the part worth utility values for each level of an attribute.
most important blueberry exporting zone in Chile (Bravo 2011). The estimated part worth utility indicates how influential each
Although the consumption of blueberries not only competes with level of an attribute is in the formation of consumer preferences
the other berries but with all the other fruits offered in formal and for a particular combination, i.e. they represent the degree of pref-
informal commerce, in this investigation the choice was made to erence for each level of an attribute (Hair and others 1999). Table 1
study acceptance of the blueberry with respect to the other berries shows the attributes and levels defined in the study. The levels es-
because they are available for sale at the same time, are the only tablished for the attribute “specie of berry” corresponded to the
3 species offered both in bulk and packaged and with a brand in berries on sale during the period when blueberries are on sale in
the Temuco market, and are produced in the region unlike oth- the city of Temuco. Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are
ers such as peaches, apricots, watermelons, melons, which due to placed side by side both in the fruits sections of supermarkets and
climatic conditions are produced in the central zone of Chile and by the street-sellers. For the attribute “form of presentation for
not in the south. Nevertheless, future studies will have to evaluate sale,” we used packaging bearing the brand of one of the prin-
the preferences towards blueberries and species of fruits other than cipal berry exporting companies in Chile (Hortifrut), and loose
berries. (unpackaged), since these are the 2 forms of presentation in which
To satisfy the main aim of this investigation, a conjoint analysis the berries studied are sold in the city. The price levels were
(CA) was used. This methodology has been widely used to evaluate
consumer preferences and purchase intent for various food prod-
ucts. Some recent studies that have used a CA include Campbell Table 1–Design of the conjoint experiment.
and others (2004) on mandarin oranges, Behe (2006) on asparagus Attribute Level
and Kimura and others (2011) on fermented soy product.
Specie of Berry Raspberry
Strawberry
Materials and Methods Blueberry
Form of presentation for sale Packaged with brand name (Hortifrut)
Sample Loose (unpackaged)
A personal survey was carried out on a sample of 400 peo- Price Low (US$ 1.76/kg)
High (US$ 3.53/kg)
ple, aged over 18 y, who were responsible for buying fruit

Vol. 76, Nr. 7, 2011 r Journal of Food Science S459

 Preferences for berries in Chile . . .

established on the basis of the average market price in Temuco Faculty of Farming, Livestock and Forestry Sciences of the Univ.
at the moment of the survey (US$ 2.64/kg), which was in- de La Frontera.
creased or reduced by approximately 33% to reflect the high-
est and lowest prices at which the berries studied were offered Statistical analysis
for sale. The national currency values (Chilean pesos) were con- CA was carried out by means of the TRANSREG procedure of
verted to dollars using the average 2010 value (Ch$510.25/US$). SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, N.C., U.S.A.). The relative impor-
It should be pointed out that both, the product in bulk as well tance that consumers gave to the different attributes and the utility
as packaged berries, are sold by weight in the Temuco mar- values obtained for each level of the selected factors were deter-
ket. From these attributes and levels, a total of 12 combinations mined. A hierarchical cluster analysis was chosen to determine
(3 × 2 × 2) were obtained; however, to facilitate the response consumer segments according to the importance of the attributes
of respondents it was decided to use a fractional factorial de- and partial utility scores of the levels of the attributes. Ward’s
sign obtained using the orthoplan option of SPSS (Hair and procedure, which calculates the squared Euclidean distance, was
others 1999). This allowed the number of stimuli to be reduced to carried out with the CLUSTER procedure of SAS. The number
8 with 1 specification for each attribute. Each participant ranked of clusters was taken on the basis of the R2 obtained and from
8 cards from most to least preferred, on a scale of 1 to 8, where a strong increase produced in the Cubic Criterion of Clustering
1 = most preferred; 8 = least preferred. and Pseudo-F values. To describe the segments, a Chi-square test
was applied for the discrete variables and a one-factor analysis of
Procedure variance (ANOVA) for the continuous variables (99% and 95%
The survey was applied during January and March 2010, which confidence level). The continuous variables in which the Lev-
is when blueberries are on sale in the local market. The survey ene’s statistic indicated homogeneous variances, and for which
was applied personally by 2 previously trained surveyors in areas the ANOVA resulted in significant differences, were subjected to
with a high flow of persons in Temuco city. The surveyor inter- Tukey’s Multiple Comparisons test. The continuous variables in
cepted people in the street, explained to them the objectives of the which the Levene’s statistic indicated nonhomogeneous variances,
survey and the strictly confidential treatment of the information and for which the ANOVA resulted in significant differences were
obtained, and then asked if they were prepared to answer the ques- subjected to Dunnett’s T3 Multiple Comparisons test.
tionnaire. Prior to the application of the survey, the questionnaire
was validated by a preliminary test with 10% of the survey sample. Results
The preliminary test was done using the same method of address- Table 2 presents a description of the sample. A total of
ing the participants as in the final survey. As the validation of the 264 women and 136 men were interviewed. The largest pro-
instrument was satisfactory, no changes were required in either the portion of the sample consisted of people aged between 35 and 54
questionnaire or the interview procedure. The participants signed y (46.2%), resident in urban zones (95%), with family groups con-
informed consent statements before responding. The execution sisting of 3 to 4 people (51%; average: 3.70; SD: 1.40; maximum:
of the study was approved by the Bio-ethics Committee of the 10; minimum: 1), employed (66.7%), with complete secondary
education (33%), belonging to the middle-middle socioeconomic
S: Sensory & Food

level (34.5%). The largest proportion of the sample indicated that

Table 2–Characteristics (number and percentage) of the sample. fruit is eaten daily in their households, that fruit consumption has
Quality

Temuco, Chile. March 2010. remained constant in the last 3 y, and that it will continue so in
Sample Number % the next 3 y. The purchase decision with respect to choice of
Female 264 66.0 fruit depends principally on the preferences of the family group
Male 136 34.0 and the person making the purchase. The greatest proportion of
<35 y 153 38.2 respondents indicated that they knew “very little” or “only in
35 to 54 y 185 46.2 general terms” about the nutritional characteristics of the fruit
55 y or older 62 15.5
Urban 380 95.0
consumed. Over 50% of the sample gave an incorrect answer with
Rural 20 5.0 respect to the statement referring to the antioxidant content of the
Family with 1 to 2 members 86 21.5 fruit. There was a predominance of people who had not bought
3 to 4 members 204 51.0 blueberries for their households, principally because they are not
5 members or more 110 27.5 familiar with the fruit or because it is more expensive than other
Independent worker 52 13.0
Businessperson 29 7.2 fruits (Table 3).
Private-sector worker 182 45.5 Given the low proportion of participants in the survey that said
Public-sector worker 85 21.2 they buy berries for their home, the decision was made to charac-
Retired 43 10.8 terize these people. The association between categorical variables
Unemployed 3 0.8
Other 6 1.5
related with berries purchase was analyzed by means chi squared
Incomplete elementary 10 2.5 test including continuity yates correction to 2 × 2 contingency
Complete elementary 25 6.2 tables. The equal proportion test between the purchase and non-
Incomplete high school 32 8.0 purchase of berries was done through the binomial nonparametric
Complete high school 132 33.0 test. From this it was established that the people who buy blueber-
Incomplete technical college 40 10.0
Complete technical college or incomplete university 88 22.0 ries (18.5% of the sample) to a greater extent are between 35 and
Complete university or more 73 18.3 54 y of age (59.5%, P = 0.034), belong to families with 5 or more
ABC1 (high and upper middle) 112 28.0 members (44.6%, P = 0.001), the head of the household is in
C2 (middle-middle) 138 34.5 business (23%, P = 0.000), they have complete university studies
C3(lower middle) 100 25.0
D (low) 50 12.5
or more (33.8%, P = 0.010) and belong to the socioeconomic
group with the highest income (44.6%, P = 0.005). In addition,

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Preferences for berries in Chile . . .

they consume fruit daily to a greater extent (83.8%, P = 0.032), size of family group, education, trend in fruit consumption in the
they will try to increase their consumption of fruits in next the 3 y last 3 y, and expected consumption for the next 3 y (P ≤ 0.05)
(43.2%, P = 0.009) and correctly answered the question referring (Table 5). The composition of each group is detailed subsequently.
to the antioxidant content of fruits (68.9%, P = 0.017).
In the total sample, the results of the CA indicate that the con- Price sensitive
sumer’s choice is dominated by the species of berry and the price. (Group 1, n = 171, 42.7% of the sample): This group assigned
The presence or absence of packaging and a brand are of little greater importance to the price (66.5%) and showed the greatest
importance in the purchase decision. Consumers displayed a pref- preference for low price, both significantly higher than in the
erence for raspberries and strawberries, and lower preference for, other groups (P ≤ 0.001) (Table 4). With respect to the species
or rejection of, blueberries. At the same time there was evidence of berry, the consumers in this groups preferred strawberries. The
of a preference for packaged and branded berries, at the lowest “price sensitive” group presented the highest proportion of people
price (Table 4). belonging to families with 5 or more members (34.5%), who had
Using cluster analysis three groups of consumers could be dis- increased the consumption of fruit in the household in the last
tinguished, presenting statistically significant differences in: the 3 y (45%), planned to continue increasing consumption in the
importance of the attributes; preferences for all attribute levels next 3 y (38.6%), and who buy blueberries for the household
(P ≤ 0.001); and monthly spending on the purchase of food and (24%) (Table 5).
fruits (P ≤ 0.05) (Table 4). In addition, the groups presented sig-
nificant differences in the purchase of blueberries (P ≤ 0.001), Sensitive to species of berry
(Group 2, n = 190, 47.5%): the purchase decision of these
Table 3– Fruit consumption and purchasing habits (number and consumers was dominated by the species of berry (77.2%)
percentage) of the sample. Temuco, Chile. March 2010. with preference for raspberries and strawberries, significantly
Number %
higher than the other groups (P ≤ 0.001). This group pre-
sented the greatest rejection of blueberries (Table 4). The
Frequency of fruit Daily 281 70.2 “sensitive to species of berry” group presented the greatest pro-
consumption at home
2 to 3 times per week 103 25.8
portion of people who had reduced fruit consumption in their
1 time per week 11 2.8 households in the last 3 y (14.7%), who planned to maintain fruit
Occasionally 5 1.2 consumption constant in the next 3 y (69.5%) and who do not
Tendency to consume fruit It has remained 212 53.0 buy blueberries for their households (88.9%) (Table 5).
at home in the last 3 y constant
It has increased 145 36.2
It has increased 43 10.8 Sensitive to packaging and brand
Tendency to consume fruit It will remain 254 63.5 (Group 3, n = 39, 9.8%): the most important attribute in the
at home in the next 3 y constant purchase decision was the species of berry, but this group is note-
It is going to increase 128 32.0 worthy for assigning the greatest importance to the existence of
It is going to decrease 18 4.5
packaging and brand (36.8%), significantly higher than the other

S: Sensory & Food

Influences on the decision Personal preferences 129 32,2
to purchase fruit for the groups (P ≤ 0.001). These consumers tended to prefer strawberries

Quality
home over raspberries and blueberries. This group presented amounts
Family preferences 171 42,8 of monthly spending on food and fruits which were significantly
Children’s preferences 58 14,5 higher than the “sensitive to species of berry” group (Table 4). The
Friends’ opinions 2 0,5
Publicity 2 0,5 “sensitive to packaging and brand” group presented a higher pro-
Sale at the point of 37 9,2 portion of persons with incomplete secondary education (17.9%)
purchase and complete university or higher education (38.5%), and who
Other 1 0,2 buy blueberries (30.8%) ( Table 5).
Knowledge of the No 38 9,5
nutritional characteristics
The consumers of the 3 segments identified, preferred packaged
of fruit and branded fruit over loose product. The strongest preference for
Very little 151 37,8 branded berries was shown by the “sensitive to packaging and
Only in general terms 169 42,2 brand” group, significantly higher than the other groups (P ≤
Yes 42 10,5 0.001).
Fruits have low amounts of Correct answer 178 44.5
antioxidants (true or false)
Incorrect answer 222 55.5 Discussion
Purchase blueberries for the Yes 74 18.5 The present study focuses on evaluating the preferences of con-
home sumers for 3 species of berries—blueberries, strawberries, and
No 326 81.5
Reasons to explain the Does not know about 122 37.5
raspberries—sold with or without packaging/branding at differ-
nonpurchase of them ent prices in southern Chile, where blueberry plantations have
blueberries been oriented almost exclusively towards export. In this context,
They are not sold 36 10.9 the results of this study indicate that a low proportion of partici-
where fruit is pants buy blueberries for home consumption; a higher proportion
purchased
It is expensive 123 37.8 are people who are middle-aged, have big families, with heads
compared to other of the household being in business, with greater education and
fruits income and who are better educated regarding fruit consumption.
Family does not like 41 12.6 The overall results of the CA indicate that the importance of
them
Other 4 1.2
the species of berry is similar to that of price in the purchase deci-
sion, and much greater than that of the existence of packaging and

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 Preferences for berries in Chile . . .

brand. Nevertheless, the use of cluster analysis enabled 3 groups health benefits have been proven, such as effects on detoxification
of consumers to be distinguished, who assigned different impor- enzymes, the immune system, blood pressure, platelet aggrega-
tance to the attributes studied. The principal groups were of con- tion, antiinflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral responses (Duthie
sumers who were “sensitive to species of berry” (47.5%) and “price and others 2003), antioxidative and anticarcinogenic effects (Kalt
sensitive” (42.7%). The minority segment was of consumers who and others 1999, Häkkinen and Törrönen 2000, Rimando and
were “sensitive to packaging and brand” (9.8%). However, the others 2004), amelioration of age-related declines in neuronal and
choice has been made not to discuss the results referring to the cognitive function (Youdim and others 2000). However, to en-
latter group (n = 39) because it is considered risky to draw con- courage a trend towards healthier eating habits in the population,
clusions based on segments with such a low number of consumers consumers need to be aware of these facts; this is not the case, at
(McEwan 1997). In context, it may be noted that the most im- least in a developing country like Chile. Considering the compo-
portant differences in the preferences of the segments was shown sition of the sample of participants that buys blueberries for their
in the preferred species of berry. Thus while the “price sensitive” home, the publicity campaigns about the beneficial effects of fruit
segment preferred strawberries over the other berries, the “sensi- and blueberries must be focused towards or reinforced in people
tive to species of berry” group showed a preference for strawber- under of 35 y and over 55 y, without university studies, of average
ries and raspberries. The lower preference for blueberries in both and low socioeconomic strata, and whose consumption of fruits is
segments and the whole sample is congruent with the high pro- less than what is recommended.
portion of people who do not buy blueberries for their households The great importance of the price for the whole sample and
(81.5% of the whole sample) and the motives explaining why they for the “price sensitive” segment reflects the importance of this
do not buy them. It is a fact that blueberries are sold in the Chilean attribute in the purchase decision for berries, confirming that
market at relatively high prices compared to other fruits (including price is an important factor influencing food choice (Jomori
other berries such as strawberries and raspberries), and that they and others 2008) and fruit choice (Czernyszewics 2008; Mora
are still unknown to a large part of the sample. Nevertheless, it is and others 2011). This result agrees with that obtained by Behe
possible to suggest that the poor understanding of blueberries is (2006) in evaluating the importance of different attributes in
more important that the price in the low preference detected in the choice of asparagus among consumers in United States, where
this study. Indeed, in the conjoint design used, the 3 berries were price had a relative importance of 42%. In parallel, the preference
offered at the same price levels, it being remarkable that the low of the participants in this research for low priced berries agrees
price (US$ 1.76/kg) was significantly below the lowest price at with studies that conclude that consumers respond positively to
which blueberries were being offered at the time of the survey. a reduction in the price of fruits, in both developed and devel-
That this should have generated a positive response in the choice oping countries (Durham and Eales 2010; Moreira and Monteiro
of the blueberry could have brought about a greater rejection in 2010). This further implies that the participants in the study do
consumers towards a little known and suspiciously cheap fruit, not use price as an indicator of the quality of the product, unlike
thereby avoiding the risk of dissatisfaction. the findings reported by Mora and others (2011) in a study of the
Considering that the majority of the sample knows little or importance of different attributes in the purchase of peaches in
nothing about the nutritional characteristics of fruits, and that Spain.
S: Sensory & Food

more than 50% do not know that fruits contain antioxidants, there The low importance assigned by the participants in this study
is a need to intensify information campaigns on the benefits associ- to the existence of packaging and a brand contrasts with the re-
Quality

ated with the consumption of fruit and berries, and especially blue- sults of the research done by Behe (2006), in which the brand
berries. In this respect, many research studies have demonstrated was the second-most important attribute in the choice of aspara-
that fruits contain various components with antioxidant activ- gus, after price, with 29.9%. This fact is probably related to the
ity, which are responsible for their beneficial health effects (Pereira scarce presence of branded products in the fresh products mar-
and others 2010). Particularly in the case of blueberries, significant ket in a developing country like Chile. Nevertheless, the general

Table 4– Distribution and relative importance for the 3 clusters and overall sample based on preferences for berries and monthly
expenditure on food and fruit.
Attribute and levels Total sample (n = 400) Group 1 (n = 171) Group 2 (n = 190) Group 3 (n = 39) F P-value
Berry
RaspberryA 0.92 –0.21b 1.80a –0.89b 68.157 0.000
StrawberryA 1.28 0.34b 1.82a 1.21ab 25.299 0.000
BlueberryA –2.21 –0.88a –3.66b –0.43a 267.599 0.000
Relative importance (%)A 44.3 21.5c 77.2a 45.9b 466.542 0.000
Brand
With brandB 0.49 0.06b 0.34b 1.97a 87.436 0.000
Without brandB –0.49 –0.06a –0.34a –1.97b 18.818 0.000
Relative importance (%)A 12.4 12.0b 8.7b 36.8a 82.155 0.000
Price
LowA 1.71 2.97a 0.71b 0.78b 526.654 0.000
HighA –1.71 –2.97b –0.71a –0.78a 534.529 0.000
Relative importance (%)A 43.3 66.5a 14.1b 17.3b 414.526 0.000
Monthly expenditure on food (US$)B 209.29 212.43ab 198.77b 246.74a 3.480 0.032
Monthly expenditure on fruit (US$)A 44.47 45.68ab 40.76b 57.19a 5.599 0.004
RMSE = 2.20; R2 = 0.62
A
Different letters in the line indicate significant differences according to Dunnett’s T3 multiple comparison test (P ≤ 0.05). “a” is significantly higher than “b.” “b” is significantly
higher than “c.”
B
Different letters in the line indicate significant differences according to Tukey multiple comparison test (P ≤ 0.05). “a” is significantly higher than “b.” “b” is significantly higher
than “c.”

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Preferences for berries in Chile . . .

preference for packaged and branded berries would support the This is related with the larger proportion of people in the “price
suggestion that the participants perceived the branded product as sensitive” segment, who have increased their fruit consumption in
being of better quality (Sulé and others 2002; Keller 2003; Bredahl the last 3 y and who also plan to continue increasing it in future. If
2004; Mora and others 2011), reducing the risk of making a bad to this is added the greater presence in this group of people who
choice in a product whose quality is difficult to determine in the buy blueberries, it may be suggested that the consumption of this
store (Keller 2003; Bredahl 2004). Thus, despite the lesser impor- berry might increase in this segment if the product were offered at
tance of the brand in the purchase choice, it may be suggested that a lower price. The situation is different with the “sensitive to the
the development of brands for fruits would add value and differen- species of berry” group, which is a less attractive segment because
tiate the product (Steenkamp 1997), determining the preference there is a greater proportion of people who have reduced their fruit
of the Chilean consumer. One aspect to be noted is the scant consumption recently and do not plan any increase in the future.
knowledge and zero promotion of the brands of berries available At the same time, it may be suggested that this group is less recep-
in the domestic market (brands of export-oriented companies), tive to new foods since it presents a low proportion of people who
which may in part explain the low importance of this attribute in buy blueberries, and records the lowest preference for this berry
consumer choice. The benefits of the use of new and unfamiliar according to the results of the CA. Although this result might
brand names are indeed less than those derived from trusted brand be attributable to the existence of food neophobia—the tendency
names (Varela and others 2010). It is therefore necessary to pub- towards an initial rejection of or unwillingness to eat novel foods
licize and market the brand to ensure success in the introduction (Pliner and Hobden 1992) —further research is required to go
of a branded fresh product into the market (Nijssen and Van Trijp more deeply into this area. Specifically, research is required as to
1998). whether the poor acceptance of blueberries is due to: a lack of
The consumer segments identified in this study presented differ- knowledge and publicity about its nutritional characteristics; as-
ent profiles, both demographic and in fruit consumption behavior, pects associated with Chilean food culture; or neophobic behavior
congruent with the results obtained by Czernyszewics (2008) in in food consumption.
the study of preferences for apples in Poland, and by Gao and Finally, the principal limitation of the study is that the sample is
others (2011) who investigated preferences for citrus fruit in the not representative of the country’s population distribution. How-
United States. The greatest proportion of people belonging to ever, it should be stressed that the sample consisted of people who
families with 5 or more members in the “price sensitive” group were responsible for buying fruit for their households, which is
agree with the findings of Baltas and Doyle (1998), that consumers congruent with the higher proportion of women surveyed. This
who buy high quantities of a product are more likely to prefer more reflects the fact that in Chile women are more likely to purchase
economic alternatives, since this translates into a significant saving. food than are men, just as in developed countries.
Table 5– Demographic and fruit consumption behavior charac-
teristics with significant differences in the groups of buyers iden-
Conclusions
tified by cluster analysis in Temuco. Chile. March 2010. In the Araucanı́a Region, Chile, an important zone for the
production of blueberries for export, this berry is still little known
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3
(n = 171) (n = 190) (n = 39) and poorly accepted among consumers. The people responsible

S: Sensory & Food

Characteristic
for purchasing fruit for their households, when faced with a choice
Family Size P = 0.042
between 3 species of berries, prefer raspberries and strawberries

Quality
1 to 2 members 18.1 25.8 15.4
3 to 4 members 47.4 52.1 61.5 over blueberries.
5 members or more 34.5 22.1 23.1 Total of 2 principal consumer segments were distinguished with
Education P = 0.017 different profiles: demographic and in fruit consumption. Al-
Incomplete elementary 2.3 2.1 5.1 though 1 segment was more price sensitive and the other more
Complete elementary 5.3 7.9 2.6 sensitive to species of berry, the least preferred berry in each case
Incomplete high school 7.6 6.3 17.9
Complete high school 34.5 34.2 20.5
was the blueberry. Consumers respond positively to packaged and
Incomplete technical 10.5 10.5 5.1 branded berries at a low price.
college
Complete technical 24.6 22.1 10.3 Acknowledgments:
college or incomplete The results presented correspond to Fondecyt Project 1100611.
university
Complete university or 15.2 16.8 38.5 References
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