USDA (2018) 51 pp.
Abstract
Farmers
markets, roadside stands, and other direct-to-consumer (DTC) outlets can be an
important sales channel for small farmers. However, it is unclear what, if any,
impact shopping at DTC outlets has on consumer food-purchase behavior. This
study uses the National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey to
investigate the relationship between buying fruits and vegetables at DTC outlets
and spending on these food groups by U.S. households. While American households
are found to patronize DTC outlets infrequently, on average, study results show
that encouraging them to do so more frequently could lead to higher levels of
fruit and vegetable spending across all outlets types—including both DTC and
nondirect retailers.
Keywords:
direct-to-consumer marketing, farmers markets, fruits and vegetables, roadside
stands, food expenditures, FoodAPS data
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