Future of Food: Journal on Food

Icing the Cake: A Lifestyle-based Benefit and Preference Analysis on Online Grocery Shopping

Philipp Piroth
University of Business and Society Ludwigshafen on the Rhine
Edith Rüger-Muck
Faculty II Marketing and HR, Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society

Germany has not kept pace with the global development of online grocery shopping (OGS) and despite a pandemic-related increase remains on a moderate level. This phenomenon may reflect infrastructural benefits of stationary retailing, personal and household preferences, and perceptions of OGS services. To this end, this study investigates the determinants of OGS benefit perception addressing the interconnection between personal and household benefits and situational conditions based on qualitative data analysis. Data in three consumer lifestyle segments are gathered from a total of twelve German consumers. The study’s theoretical structure resorts to the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to cluster beliefs and to assess the impact of situational conditions. The study’s findings reveal large knowledge gaps and different individual preferences in service usage across the groups. We then reflect these preferences in the circumstances of the pandemic. We propose that retailers should increase advertising and consumer education efforts in some consumer segments while enhancing services transparency to consolidate consumers’ trust. On a mid-term level, further structural investments will be necessary to successfully compete in the future and serve a perspectively growing market.

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Myanmar High School Students’ Perceptions of College and International Readiness in Western Society

Mark Speckien
Louisiana Tech University
Mark Speckien
Louisiana Tech University
International students are more likely to experience mental health issues and increased stress. Mental health is often surrounded by negative societal stigmas that act as barriers to seeking support and tend to lead to greater mental health concerns. International students tend to seek socioemotional support from other international student peers rather than seeking out counseling services. However, this study shows that LGBTQIA+ international students were less likely to seek socioemotional support from other international student peers due to fear of their sexual orientation being discovered and their families finding out about their identity. This study examines how LGBTQIA+ international students talk about their experiences on and off campus in relations to their socioemotional well-being. Specifically, this study sought to better understand the complexities of LGBTQIA+ students’ identities, and the challenges they faced in terms of their socioemotional well-being. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Keywords : international students, socioemotional well-being, mental health, identity development, intersectionality, LGBTQIA