COVID-19 and the Locavores: Investigating the drivers of US consumer preferences for apples

Abstract

This study provides insights and best-practice recommendations for marketing managers in the US food retail sector and the horticultural industry. An online survey distributed via a crowd sourcing platform in 2021 aimed to explore the factors that explained the intentions of US consumers to purchase locally grown apples. The Theory of Planned Behavior was used as a conceptual framework to shape the proposed model. The results emphasize the importance of behavioral, normative and control beliefs as important factors towards attitudes. Subjective norms and perceived behavioral control were also found to be key drivers in understanding behavioral intention. All concepts, with the exception of perceived behavioral control, were found to be significant behavioral predictors.