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Premium fuels in the Portuguese retail market : determinants of consumer preference and willingness to pay

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Resumo:Since the implementation of the simple fuel law in April 2015 where all fuel retail operators were required to sell Simple Fuels (SF) (Liquid Fuels according to the basic refining specification and without additional additives) at fuel retail stations that demand for Premium Fuels (PMF) has progressively increased, as well as the average price differential between SF and PMF. The main objective of this dissertation is to expand the current understanding of which factors affect the choices of Portuguese drivers for PMF and their Willingness to Pay (WP). An online survey was conducted. Results show that consumer choices for PMF are quality oriented and that quality is evaluated through the brand credibility, although consumers consider the Oil Companies (OC) PMF more credible than the Hypermarket Chains. Not only is brand credibility a predictor of frequency of purchase, but it also influences WTP, nevertheless it depends on the context in which the choice is made, since consumers prefer OC branded PMF and are willing to pay a higher price for their PMF. Frequency of purchase and WTP are also strongly related to knowledge of PMF, moreover consumers who have higher knowledge of PMF are willing to pay up to 5 cents/L more. Consumer knowledge of PMF has a moderating effect between quality consciousness and frequency of PMF purchase. Sociodemographic data do not influence either frequency of purchase or WTP. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Autores principais:Pinto, João Carlos Marques Albuquerque
Assunto:Premium fuels Additive fuels Fuel retail market Simple fuels Consumer preferences Fuel retail operators Fuels Liquid fuels Combustíveis premium Combustíveis aditivados Mercado de retalho de combustíveis Preferências do consumidor Operadores de retalho de combustíveis Combustíveis Combustíveis líquidos
Ano:2022
País:Portugal
Tipo de documento:dissertação de mestrado
Tipo de acesso:acesso aberto
Instituição associada:Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Idioma:inglês
Origem:Veritati - Repositório Institucional da Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Descrição
Resumo:Since the implementation of the simple fuel law in April 2015 where all fuel retail operators were required to sell Simple Fuels (SF) (Liquid Fuels according to the basic refining specification and without additional additives) at fuel retail stations that demand for Premium Fuels (PMF) has progressively increased, as well as the average price differential between SF and PMF. The main objective of this dissertation is to expand the current understanding of which factors affect the choices of Portuguese drivers for PMF and their Willingness to Pay (WP). An online survey was conducted. Results show that consumer choices for PMF are quality oriented and that quality is evaluated through the brand credibility, although consumers consider the Oil Companies (OC) PMF more credible than the Hypermarket Chains. Not only is brand credibility a predictor of frequency of purchase, but it also influences WTP, nevertheless it depends on the context in which the choice is made, since consumers prefer OC branded PMF and are willing to pay a higher price for their PMF. Frequency of purchase and WTP are also strongly related to knowledge of PMF, moreover consumers who have higher knowledge of PMF are willing to pay up to 5 cents/L more. Consumer knowledge of PMF has a moderating effect between quality consciousness and frequency of PMF purchase. Sociodemographic data do not influence either frequency of purchase or WTP. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.