The influence of nutritional information upon customer attitude and behaviour in eating out establishments

Abstract

Background. Providing nutritional information in catering establishments in Poland, it is not mandatory, at the same time this type of information may affect the attitudes and behavior of consumers. Objective. The purpose of this research was to define the influence of nutritional information upon customer attitude and behaviour in eating out establishments. Material and methods: An online consumer survey was conducted in 2016. The quantitative research was undertaken in the form of a questionnaire among a group of 403 people selected in terms of age (18-35 years old), residence (big cities) and frequency of eating out or away from the home. Results. The results of this research show that the respondents’ perception of information was positive and influenced both their perception of the eating out establishment, as well as their purchasing decisions. Only gender was statistically important for the differentiation of the consumers’ behaviour within the scope analyzed. Conclusions. The results obtained lead to the conclusion that providing nutritional information may increase the competitiveness of eating out establishments. It may also lead to a more rational marketplace, where choices in terms of health may impact social health, taking into consideration the growing popularity of eating out or away from home.

Keywords

• nutritional information
• eating out establishments
• consumer behaviour