Browsing by Author "Salminen, Hanna-Mari"

Objectives. There have been multiple studies on the consumption of groceries. However, the studies have mainly focused on changes in the consumption quantities or on the criterion with which consumers make their consumption choices. With time retail outlets have be-come a significant consumption environment. Its significance as a provider of nutrition and as a meeting place of food cultures has strengthened. The objective of this thesis is to study the changes in consumption and available choices in groceries from the early 1990s to this day. The objective is studied from the viewpoint of retail workers working in grocery stores. Attention is also put on their views on the reasons for these changes. Thought is also given to the effect of globalization on the available choices and consumption of groceries. Methodology. The material for the thesis was gathered by interviewing seven people who have worked within the grocery retail sector for over 20 years. Five of the interviewees were men and two were women. The material was gathered with individual interviews using the theme-interview-method during February 2015. The interview themes were constructed by studying earlier studies on consumption and available choices of groceries. Every individual interview was taped and transcribed. The material was analyzed with thematic method and content analysis was used to help categorize it. Results and conclusions. The results of the thesis were compatible with earlier studies. The available choices were seen to have become more diverse. Foreign alternatives have permanently become options for domestic products. This has been made possible by the markets becoming global and freer. Increasing international travel was seen to have a significant effect on the rise of demand for foreign goods. Also consumption habits were seen as starting to favour easiness. The supply of ready-made-products was seen as becoming larger. The reasons for this were thought to be overall culture becoming more hectic and decline of people's know-how to cook. Consumption habits were seen as becoming more fragmented. This has made the service of all different consumers more demanding.