Family production fair: consumer profile at the Empório Lago Oeste in the Federal District

Abstract:

We sought to characterize the consumer profile at the Empório Lago Oeste in the Federal District, Brazil, a space destined for family production commercialization. It is exploratory quantitative and qualitative research. For the field study, interviews were carried out using a semi-structured questionnaire, with closed and open questions, in a sample of 20 consumers from an average universe of 534 daily visitors to the fair, delimited in non-participant observation. The study revealed the socioeconomic diversification and pluriactivity of consumer agents, among which 55% were women and 45% men, had a high level of education, had visited the Emporium weekly for at least three years, sought facilites such as ready-to-eat meals and snacks, used technology a lot, had high incomes and were willing to pay more for beter products. The main motivations for the participants to buy at the Empório were the possible absence of pesticides, good service, good location, product quality, social relationships, and ecological awareness. Participants challenged the use of plastic packaging and suggested improving advertsing. The quantitative and qualitative results complemented each other. All in all, it is stated that the objective of characterizing the consumer profile of the Empório Lago Oeste was achieved.

Keywords:
family farming; short channels; socioeconomic diversification; consumer profile; pluriactivity