RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
A1 Hoesen, Julian
T1 Influence of Product Price on Consumer Perceptions of the Authenticity of Sustainability Labels
JF European Journal of Business Science and Technology
YR 2025
VO 11
IS 1
SP 5
OP 22
DO 10.11118/ejobsat.2025.001
UL https://ejobsat.cz/artkey/ejo-202501-0001.php
AB In the German-speaking food market, a significant gap exists between consumer preference for sustainable options and purchasing behavior, primarily due to skepticism about the authenticity of sustainability claims. In a study involving 368 participants from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the influence of price on the perceived authenticity of sustainability labels was examined. Participants were surveyed on their explicit attitudes, while their implicit attitudes were assessed using the implicit association test (IAT). Results show that a higher price significantly improves the perception of a product's authenticity. Socioeconomic factors, such as nationality and gender, are significant, with Swiss nationality and female gender showing strong correlations with higher perceived authenticity. This study uniquely examines initial attitudes and reactions to reflect heuristic consumption decisions. Insights can be used to develop pricing and marketing strategies tailored to different markets and target groups, effectively addressing consumer skepticism through targeted communication and pricing.