Consumer preferences and willingness to pay for eco-labelled eggs: a discrete choice experiment from Chongqing in China

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumer preference of and willingness to pay for eco-labelled eggs using cross-sectional data collected from Chongqing Municipality in China. Design/methodology/approach This study employs both conditional logistic model and mixed logistic model to conduct the empirical analysis. Findings The empirical results show that individual heterogeneous preference and attributes of eco-labelled eggs significantly influence consumer choices. More specifically, higher per capita income, families with pregnant women or children, higher level of trust in and knowledge of eco-labels contribute positively to choosing eco-labelled eggs, and attributes of eco-labelled eggs such as certification labels, free-range husbandry, and nutrition enrichment significantly increase consumer utility. Generally, the price premium that consumers are willing to pay for eggs containing “organic”, “free-range husbandry”, and “nutrition enrichment” labels is 375.0% more, equivalent to 42.8 Yuan/kg. Originality/value This study used first-hand survey data to reveal consumers’ heterogeneous preference of and willingness to pay for eco-labelled eggs based on the random utility theory.