Publicação
The influence of gluten-free labels on consumer perception and purchasing behavior : a consumer study in germanfood retail.
| Resumo: | This master thesis investigates how gluten-free labeling in German retail stores influences consumer perceptions and purchasing behavior across different consumer groups. From a niche label addressing medical needs, gluten-free labels have evolved into an established feature of mainstream food retail, shaping how consumers evaluate products and make purchasing decisions. Based on heuristic-systematic processing theory, such labels can function as both heuristic cues and safety signals, shaping consumer judgments. However, existing research often adopts a homogeneous view of consumers, overlooking differences in label interpretation across groups. Against this background, this study explores whether and to what extent differences between consumer groups can be identified regarding willingness to pay, perceived healthiness, label importance, and the difficulty of finding gluten-free products.A quantitative online survey was conducted among consumers in Germany (N = 178), distinguishing between celiac-diagnosed, gluten-intolerant, caregivers, and general consumers.The results of the ANOVA analyses indicate significant differences between consumer groupsacross all key dimensions. Willingness to pay shows only limited variation and does not represent a key driver of regular purchase behavior. Perceived healthiness is highest among gluten-intolerant consumers, label importance is most pronounced among celiac-diagnosed consumers and caregivers. Perceived difficulty in finding gluten-free products is higher among celiac-diagnosed and gluten-intolerant consumers.The results of the study show that gluten-free labeling does not have a uniform effect but rather depends heavily on the specific consumer group. For German retailers, this implies the need for a communication strategy tailored to specific target groups, as well as improved visibility and accessibility of gluten-free products. |
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| Autores principais: | Hauck, Felix |
| Assunto: | Gluten-free labeling Consumer segmentation Heuristic-systematic processing theory Retail stores in Germany Rotulagem “gluten-free” Segmentação de consumidores Teoria do processamento heurístico-sistemático Retalho alimentar na Alemanha |
| Ano: | 2026 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso embargado |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade Católica Portuguesa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Veritati - Repositório Institucional da Universidade Católica Portuguesa |
| Resumo: | This master thesis investigates how gluten-free labeling in German retail stores influences consumer perceptions and purchasing behavior across different consumer groups. From a niche label addressing medical needs, gluten-free labels have evolved into an established feature of mainstream food retail, shaping how consumers evaluate products and make purchasing decisions. Based on heuristic-systematic processing theory, such labels can function as both heuristic cues and safety signals, shaping consumer judgments. However, existing research often adopts a homogeneous view of consumers, overlooking differences in label interpretation across groups. Against this background, this study explores whether and to what extent differences between consumer groups can be identified regarding willingness to pay, perceived healthiness, label importance, and the difficulty of finding gluten-free products.A quantitative online survey was conducted among consumers in Germany (N = 178), distinguishing between celiac-diagnosed, gluten-intolerant, caregivers, and general consumers.The results of the ANOVA analyses indicate significant differences between consumer groupsacross all key dimensions. Willingness to pay shows only limited variation and does not represent a key driver of regular purchase behavior. Perceived healthiness is highest among gluten-intolerant consumers, label importance is most pronounced among celiac-diagnosed consumers and caregivers. Perceived difficulty in finding gluten-free products is higher among celiac-diagnosed and gluten-intolerant consumers.The results of the study show that gluten-free labeling does not have a uniform effect but rather depends heavily on the specific consumer group. For German retailers, this implies the need for a communication strategy tailored to specific target groups, as well as improved visibility and accessibility of gluten-free products. |
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