Factors encouraging and discouraging attendance at farmers’ markets : an application of The Kano Model

Abstract

Farmers’ markets have become fashionable places for shopping, entertainment, and socialising, and in many cases are no longer sources of cheaper or more convenient shopping. With the growth of the craft and the organic food movements, such products are often marketed through farmers’ markets. Entertainment (e.g., music) is also often provided. Such shopping locations often charge premium prices. Why farmers’ markets have become so popular may be due to a variety of reasons such as shopping, entertainment, and socialising. Furthermore, a variety of different factors may cause customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction. This research is trying to identify what attracts customers to farmers’ markets and what creates satisfaction for the customer. A quantitative, descriptive, cross sectional study was used, based on a sample of 1141 respondents from an e-mailed survey to an online-accessed panel of consumers provided by a commercial panel provider. It is also a comparative study between a developed nation (Germany) and a developing nation (South Africa). The research culminated in a Kano model for farmers’ markets in each of the countries. There was considerable similarity in the ‘delight’ and ‘performance’ factors in the two countries, but only South Africa has ‘basic’ factors (two), while Germany had none. The study has thus contributed to knowledge about consumer behaviour and attitudes towards farmers’ markets and has added to the literature on the use of the Kano model, especially in South Africa.