Can an apple a day keep Covid-19 away? A cluster analysis of the long-term Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on the consumption of apples in Italy

Bibliographic Data

ID21294901
AuthorsCarlo Giannetto (0000-0002-6348-3164, University of Messina, corresponding author), Angelina De Pascale (0000-0002-7550-9798, University of Messina), Giuseppe Di Vita (0000-0003-1916-1544, University of Messina), Maurizio Lanfranchi (0000-0002-2372-2730, University of Messina)
Year2024
Volume126
Issue13
Pages40-56
Publication date2024-12-16
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Food Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0007-070X • E-ISSN: 1758-4108
PublisherEmerald (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1108/bfj-06-2023-0465
OpenAlexW4391444704
LanguageEN
References cited46

Purpose Apples have always been considered a healthy product able to provide curative properties to consumers. In Italy, there is a long tradition of apple consumption and production both as a fresh product and as processed food. However, as with many other products, the consumption of fruits and vegetables and, more specifically apples, has been drastically affected by the first lockdown in 2020. In this project, the authors investigate whether the change in consumption habits had long-lasting consequences beyond 2020 and what are the main eating motivations, food-related behavior and socio-demographic affecting the consumption of fruits and vegetables after the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The authors ran two online surveys with 1,000 Italian consumers across a year (from October 2021 to December 2022). In the study, participants answered questions about their consumption habits and their eating motives. Out of 1,000 consumers, the authors included in the final analysis only the participants who answered both surveys, leaving a final sample of 651 consumers. Findings The results show that participants have allocated more budget to fruit and vegetables after the lockdown than before it. Moreover, consumers reported an average increase in the consumption of apples. However, the increase was more pronounced for people aged between 30 and 50 years old and identified as female. After showing the difference across time, a cluster analysis identified three main segments that differ in their eating motives, place of purchase and area of residence. Practical implications Overall, the results contribute to a better understanding of how the global pandemic is still affecting people's daily life. Moreover, the findings can be used to guide the marketing and communication strategies of companies in the food sector. Originality/value To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that investigates changes in the consumption of fruits and vegetables, and, more specifically, apples, in Italy more than one year after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the study proposes a classification of consumers based on their habits in a time frame during which the COVID-19 wave was at its bottom which is not currently present in the literature

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Cluster (spacecraft) · Consumption (sociology) · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) · Outbreak · Pandemic · Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) · Term (time) · Computer Science · COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts · Medicine · Organic Food and Agriculture · Virology

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