Consumers’ attitudes and intentions toward functional beverages: a lesson for producers and retailers

Abstract Functional foods and drinks benefit human health beyond adequate nutritional effects. The rising popularity of functional beverages (FBs) is associated, among others, with their convenience and capacity to meet consumer needs. This research study aimed to explore the predictors of consumers’ intentions toward functional beverages FBs and develop guidelines for how producers and retailers could develop adequate strategies regarding the products. The online questionnaire survey examined consumers’ willingness to purchase (WTP) FBs in three categories: (i) yogurts, kefirs; (ii) isotonic, hypertonic, and hypotonic drinks; (iii) smoothie drinks, and fruit/vegetable cocktails. The questionnaire considered consumers’ values, attitudes, and intentions toward FBs. A four-stage hierarchical multiple regression was undertaken. Predictors of WTP products from the selected groups differed. Women were more willing to buy fruit and vegetable-based FBs than men. Reward from using functional foods was the strongest predictor of consumers’ WTP dairy FBs and sports drinks. We suggest conducting an experimental study in the future, which should allow us to best determine cause-and-effect relationships between values and attitudes and WTP FBs. Food habits are essential determinants of consumer intentions toward FBs; hence, we suggest promoting healthy nutrition habits within public–private partnerships. Retailers that offer health foods and employ societal retailing may disclose this information in sustainability reporting. The originality of this study resides in designing a model for assessing consumers’ attitudes and intentions toward FBs belonging to three selected categories. Previous studies were usually focused on the functional food market in Asian countries. We examined consumers’ WTP FBs in a European country.