How do consumers build their purchase preferences for olive oil?

Abstract

Refined olive oil (ROO) and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) categories differ in quality, composition and organoleptic properties. However, the gap of quality is not reflected in the purchase behaviour of Andalusian consumers. Our aim is to analyse how consumers build their purchasing preferences. A structural equation model based on Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) was built considering the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic attributes. The results show attitudes toward ROO and EVOO and explain the consumption of the latter. EVOO taste influence both attitudes and consumption, but Brand Equity does not impact on attitudes toward EVOO. Furthermore, EVOO perceived price does not influence attitudes toward ROO.