© 2016 UniCeSV, University of FlorenceThe main goal of this study is to gain a better understanding of the buying behavior of wine consumers in Portugal. More specifically, the study identifies extrinsic attributes that influence wine purchase choices in a retail store, crossing-tabulating the results with six classification variables. The authors use the best-worst scaling method with eighteen reference attributes for designing, implementing, and analyzing responses to a survey of 250 wine buyers. Results reveal that the most significant reference attribute is whether consumers had tasted the wine previously. These findings for Portugal are in accordance with what has been observed in other Western countries. The second most important attribute, region of origin, is also commonly identified in the literature as a significant attribute. The classification variables of age and gender help to explain the behavior of the majority attributes. Using a latent class analysis, the authors obtained a set of three segments that are representative of Portuguese wine consumers. The findings presented here have important implications for wineries and wine distributors in their efforts to know their consumers better in an off-premise context and thereby to maximize profit.

© 2014 Elsevier GmbH.Understanding how urban residents rate the benefits associated with urban green spaces is crucial in developing appropriate urban green infrastructure strategies. This study explores residents' beliefs concerning the benefits of urban green spaces and investigates whether similarities and differences can be highlighted in four different French and Portuguese urban areas (Paris, Angers, Lisbon and Porto) through a questionnaire survey (. n=. 1000) based on the best-worst scaling (BWS) method. The results demonstrated that urban green space benefits are not equally valued among cities, suggesting that there is simultaneously a consensus among the most and least valued benefits across cities, as well as local variations in city residents' beliefs about some other benefits of urban green spaces. For example, the importance of urban green spaces for personal health and well-being and to facilitate contact with nature were noted by residents of all four urban areas; consensus also exists on the little support given to two microclimatic functions of green spaces, namely, air temperature reduction and noise reduction. On the other hand, some green space benefits, such as the promotion of biodiversity or the contribution to the city image, are differentially valued among the four cities. Overall, the study stresses the importance of developing local assessments of the beliefs surrounding the benefits of urban green spaces. Recognizing these multiple beliefs and communicating clearly about the benefits offered by green spaces may help to mitigate future conflicts between residents and urban planners and managers, and thus contribute to optimizing green infrastructure planning benefits.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and understand the relevant attributes, extrinsic and intrinsic, that Portuguese consumers value and are relevant in the decision process for choosing wine. Further, the study aims to check possible differences in the valued attributes regarding consumer's involvement level and wine Region Origin. Design/methodology/approach – The research was designed to identify relevant wine attributes and measure their importance when choosing a wine. In order to achieve this objective and match it with consumers' involvement and wine origin region, 30 Focus Groups were performed, involving 171 consumers from five Portuguese regions of origin. Findings – The region of origin is the attribute that triggers the process of choosing a wine. Label/back label, price, bottle, brand, and wine varieties are also important clues, nevertheless differently valorised according to consumers' involvement. The less relevant attributes are winemaker/producer information, medals/awards, and overall design. Their importance varies with the degree of consumers' involvement and the wine region of origin. The main intrinsic attributes are flavour and aroma, regardless of involvement level or region of origin. Wine balance, freshness, acidity, colour and body have different perceptions, depending on the regions of origin. Alcohol content and gas are the least valued attributes. Originality/value – Results allow an extended perspective about the process of buying wine, matching the importance of the relevant attributes with consumers' involvement level and region of origin. The study can contribute to an accurate market-orientation perspective. © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Many studies have argued that a better understanding of people’s preferences about public urban green spaces may inform urban planners to effectively provide and manage urban green spaces to meet users’ needs. The aim of this study is to examine urban residents preferred public green space characteristics and investigate whether similarities and differences can be highlighted in three different Portuguese cities. Through a web-based questionnaire based on the best-worst scaling (BWS) method, residents of Lisbon, Porto and Évora (n = 750) were asked to select the most and least important public green space characteristic among thirteen attributes. The results suggest a consensus about some green space characteristics across cities but also the existence of some local variations in city residents’ preferences. Overall, this study can support public authorities and urban planners as they strive to effectively design and manage urban green spaces to meet users’ needs....

The consumption of organic products has consistently increased over the last decades, covering increasingly diversified consumers, both in the characteristics and the reasons associated with consumption. This heterogeneity evidences the need to examine in depth the reasons for the purchase and consumption of these products. The core aim of this study is related to the motiva- tional drivers of organic consumption. The survey included 250 respondents from Andalusia (Spain) who completed an online questionnaire and personal interviews. A convenience sampling method was applied, and the best-worst scaling method allowed us to analyze ten attributes of organic purchasing behavior. Health benefits and environmental impact are the key attributes ex- plaining the consumption of organic products. To deeply understand organic consumer motiva- tions, we studied the influence of six classification variables over the studied attributes. Applying ordinal regressions, we found that having children under 18 at home and a consumer?s academic level contribute in a relevant way to explain the valorization of the health benefits attribute. Also, the place to purchase organic food and academic level correlates with the valuation of GMOs in food. Andalusia is one of the largest European regions for organic production but with minor rele- vance in consumption. Nevertheless, despite this apparent paradox, the results of the present study point to a consumer profile very similar to other European countries with consolidated organic con- sumption.