International Home and Trends in Food Consumer Behavior

Abstract

Food consumer behaviour is a complex, multifactoral behaviour, characterized by several paradoxes. The trends of the change are significantly influenced by the transformation of the macro-environment and micro-environment alike, being in progress at the present time. The change both in economic and demographic environment manifests itself mainly in biological and economic saturation of food consumption. The change in the technological environment renders possible on the one hand continuous traceability of the changes in food consumer behaviour and on the other hand, the creation of elastic supply, complying with the differentiating consumer behaviour (product tailoring to the individual, compilation of assortment). The change both in natural and cultural environment appears in transformation of the system of values and trans-structuralization of the motivation hierarchy (from physiological motivations towards self-realization). The change in the micro-environment means first of all, that the supply chain will become flow-oriented and the consumer will be intentionally guided. The coordination both between and inside the company groups leads to the development of local, regional and industrial clusters, which, in turn will increase the flexibility of the company system. Also among the factors, exerting direct influence on food consumption, there is a significant destructuralization going on, partly the role of economic factors decreases, partly the role of economic factors decreases, partly the role of other factors (biological, psychological, anthropological and social along the transformation of the system of values). Along the basic dimensions of the system of values (materialistic/immaterialist and public/individualistic) consumer behaviour moves from traditional consumer through calculating and individual consumer towards the responsible consumer. Food consumption is characterized first of all by in homogeneity even within a given food culture. On aggregated level (carbon hydrates, protein and fat product groups) weak convergence can be detected in a few cases only. Convergence fails to appear on produceand brand level. Depending on the developmental standard of the economy, structural change proceeds along the following dimensions: assortment-, convenience-, health- and environmental trends and transparency of the market. In the change on produce- level and brand-level in consumer behaviour variegated, fashion effects and poor predictability are determinative. Among the trends, several ones are contradictory to one another, sometimes, even exclusive.