Exploring UK consumer preferences
Google search insights on household salmon consumption patterns
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21295307 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Dengjun Zhang (0000-0003-4866-0350, University of Stavanger UiS School of Business and Law), Ragnar Tveterås (0000-0002-8553-556X, University of Stavanger UiS School of Business and Law) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 128 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 817-835 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-23 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | British Food Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-070X • E-ISSN: 1758-4108 |
| Publisher | Emerald (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1108/bfj-02-2025-0170 |
| OpenAlex | W4415730069 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 49 |
Purpose This study assessed preference shifts for salmon products with different processing levels during the recent pandemic in the UK. For home consumption, the degree of processing is related to the time required for preparation, an indicator of convenience and one of the most important determinants of food acquisition and consumption practices. Design/methodology/approach This study hypothesized that consumers preferred less processed salmon over more processed salmon during the pandemic, as indicated by the significant increase in Google search results for salmon-related queries. Descriptive analysis was conducted, and then hedonic price models were estimated to investigate how Google search results affected price premiums of salmon product attributes during the pandemic. Findings The descriptive analysis shows that consumers bought more natural salmon than prepared salmon during the pandemic, which aligns with the internet search results. The empirical results indicate that, during the pandemic, consumers strongly preferred less processed salmon, which was reflected in their willingness to pay for product attributes. Google Trends variables were negatively associated with natural salmon prices and positively associated with prepared salmon prices prior to the pandemic but showed no effect during the pandemic. Originality/value This study contributes to the existing research on the impact of COVID-19 on food demand by examining shifts in consumer preferences across products with different processing levels. It is also likely the first study to use Google Trends to explore such changes. The findings further support marketing strategies that emphasize product differentiation either under normal conditions or during external shocks
Consumer behaviour · Consumption (sociology) · Descriptive statistics · Pandemic · Preference · Product (mathematics) · Product category · The Internet · Willingness to pay · Economic and Environmental Valuation · Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies · Organic Food and Agriculture
Likelihood Ratio Tests for Model Selection and Non-Nested Hypotheses
Forecasting private consumption
Understanding the relationship between age and seafood consumption
The food environment, its effects on dietary consumption, and potential for measurement within agriculture-nutrition interventions
The Covid-19 impacts on the European Union aquaculture sector
Covid-19 provides an opportunity to advance a sustainable UK fisheries policy in a post-Brexit brave new world
Covid-19 impacts and adaptations in Asia and Africa’s aquatic food value chains
Consumer preferences for grocery purchasing during the Covid-19 pandemic
Demographic insights and perspectives of American foodies
Using Twitter to explore consumers' sentiments and their social representations towards new food trends
The Dynamics of Public Attention
How Covid-19 Pandemic Has Influenced Public Interest in Foods
The aquaculture supply chain in the time of covid-19 pandemic
Sustainability, perceived quality and country of origin of farmed salmon
Pricing of eco-labels with retailer heterogeneity
Googling Fashion
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |