Exploring the impact of recipe cards for seafood at the point of sale.

Abstract

Food consumption and purchase behaviour are highly habituated, with food marketers often attempting to interrupt routine behaviour and thought patterns at the point of sale (POS) through aggressive sales promotion. In the case of food products, recipe cards are a common POS tactic, yet little research has examined the impact of recipe cards at POS. This research explores the impact of recipe cards at POS specifically in relation to seafood with data gathered through 11 face to face depth interviews with fishmongers. Results highlight the positive impact of recipe cards as marketing stimuli for seafood through two key roles: (1) risk reduction for consumers who lack knowledge about how to prepare and serve seafood; and (2) facilitating variety seeking for consumers who are looking for something different. Regardless of the consumers’ motivation for taking recipe cards, the fishmongers perceive that the cards have a positive impact on seafood sales.