Labelling fish products to fulfil Norwegian consumers’ needs for information

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how Norwegian consumers consider information during making the decision to buy and consume fish products. Design/methodology/approach – Validated questionnaires, adapted based on a pre-study, were completed by Norwegian volunteers. Participants were randomly recruited by telephone and were at least 50 per cent responsible for the food in the household. The survey included questions about: first, use of and trust in information sources; second, use of and interest in information cues; third, objective and subjective knowledge; and fourth, fish consumption and buying behaviour. Findings – The results of this study (n=713) led to three consumer segments: “Label trusters” (40 per cent), “Info skippers” (19 per cent) and “Info seekers” (41 per cent) with significant (p<0.001) differences in use of and trust in information sources and reactions to information cues. Particular needs of these clusters regarding product labelling were identified. Social implications – Increased product visibility and simplified product packaging with selective and targeted information for each consumer group will lead to a better differentiation of fish products in a competitive market and hence to an increased consumption of health-promoting fish by the Norwegian population. Originality/value – This manuscript is one of the few that shows how particular types of labelling could be summarised, minimised or moved in order to reach potential consumers with a better presented product that carries information in more strategic placement than what one can find on current seafood packaging.