Consumer Innovativeness in Food Industry: From Literature Review Some Indications for Business Practices

Abstract

Objectives. Through the analysis of literature, the evolution of consumer’s behaviour is traced, although with broad strokes, with the purpose of outlining the consumer innovativeness related to the sector, in anticipation of the imminent and relevant innovations in food field. Final objective is that of highlighting the principal trends which determine the modern consumer’s choices in food sphere.
Methodology. The explorative-type research is essentially based on a systematic analysis of literature in theme of bent to innovation in the consumer’s behaviour.
Findings. The trend which is changing the attitude to create innovative products in food field will be determined not only by the changes in the consumer’s behaviour but above all by the necessity of including such changes in the innovation process, realized by companies.
Research limits. The objective difficulty in the identification of a unanimous definition of innovation does not allow to be able to carry out such an empirical survey to measure the consumer innovativeness, especially in food field.
Practical implications. The deep changes intervened in the life system of consumers on the one hand, and the succeeding each other of events that have profoundly conditioned the agro-food sector on the other hand, have been subjects of studies to understand the new approach of consumers to the food offer, useful for the companies in the definition of product innovation politics.
Originality of the study. The limited literature in the field of consumer innovativeness, much more in the agro-food field, makes the present research original in its attempt of theoretical systematization of concept of bent to consumer’s innovation in food field.