Traditionally-produced beef from Argentina is demanded internationally. Its price, therefore, is high. Labeling adds a cost, which makes certified products harder to afford, especially for locals. Are Argentinean consumers willing to pay for sustainably-produced beef? Are these consumers using alternative sources of information, other than product labels?A purchase decision is comprised of two choices: what to buy and where to buy. Food economics research has mostly focused on the “what to buy” question. Demand for different products’ attributes and production practices has been extensively documented. Studies on consumer preferences for food retailer attributes, however, are sparse.We study Argentinean consumers’ preferences for retailer characteristics by deriving welfare measures regarding trust, firm size and variety of product offering. In addition, we assess Argentinean consumers’ preferences for beef steak credence attributes such as origin, type of farm, and organic production certification.Moreover, we hypothesize that consumers make trade offs between their preferences for retailer and product attributes. For example: is food origin labeling necessary when it is sold by a small retailer? To investigate this question, we explore the relationship between the WTP results of the two decision making processes, as well as their determinants.
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