The effect of consumer innovativeness in the acceptance of a new food product. An application for the coffee market in Spain

The current market situation has led the production sector to focus on developing new products that satisfy consumer demands and improve firms’ competitive positions. This study seeks to analyze the role played by the consumers’ innovative tendency in the acceptance of new food products. This was done through the use of means-end chain theory in an application for coffee in Spain. The results found indicate that consumers’ cognitive structure is similar, regardless of their level of innovativeness when presented with a traditional product. However, this structure is more complex in the case of more conservative consumers as they project aspects of their personalities through the products attributes.