Given the rising global importance of low-trophic level aquaculture products (e.g. seaweed and mussels) for sustainable food supply, this study examined consumer intentions towards low-trophic level aquaculture products among European consumers. This study focuses on the influence of food-related lifestyles, health consciousness, food neophobia, and food quality attributes on consumer intentions for low-trophic level aquaculture products. We conducted an online questionnaire survey in Denmark, the UK, and Spain (500 respondents per country). The consumer segmentation analysis, employing clustering techniques, revealed five distinct segments characterized by Innovation, Responsibility, and Involvement, namely ’Adventurous’, ’Uninvolved’, ’Foodies’, ’Rational’, and ’Conservative’, each reflecting unique consumer behavioral patterns.
Then, setting-up structural equation modelling to test the conceptual model revealed that attitude significantly influences consumer behavior, with subjective norms and attitude. This dual approach explains the model’s predictive power while identifying targeted segments for sustainable aquaculture product marketing, ensuring the distinction between the model’s test and the subsequent segmentation analysis is clearly articulated. To enhance the adoption of low-trophic aquaculture products, marketers should primarily target the ’Foodies’ segment, characterized by high involvement and innovation, by emphasizing health consciousness and food quality attributes, while mitigating food neophobia and leveraging subjective norms.
Keywords: Low-Trophic Aquaculture, Consumer Intention, Market Segmentation, Sustainable Seafood.