Willingness to Pay for Optimal ‘Anjou’ Pear Quality

Abstract

In light of increasing consumer demand for optimal fresh fruit quality, experience attributes are crucial to ensure repeated purchases and price premiums. Challenges in offering consistent quality throughout the marketing year make ‘Anjou’ pears an interesting case in which to analyze the effects of experience quality attributes on willingness to pay. We analyzed data from choice experiments conducted along with sensory tests at two different times during the marketing year. Results indicate that individuals are willing to discount between 15.43 cents/kg to 37.48 cents/kg for a one-unit increase in pear firmness and pay between 19.84 cents/kg to 24.25 cents/kg for a one-unit increase in soluble solid concentration. This information would help the industry assign priority to the factors likely enhancing the characteristics leading to repeated sales at price premiums. Also, this information is valuable to related sciences because it provides market information for focusing research portfolios on quality characteristics likely to increase pears’ commercial viability.