Applied Economics/2025-07pr
Target Consumers for Bottled Mild Salsa Makaylie Langford, Research Assistant, Department of Applied Economics Kynda Curtis, Professor and USU Extension Specialist, Department of Applied Economics Karin Allen, Associate Professor and USU Extension Specialist, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Ruby Ward, Professor and USU Extension Specialist, Department of Applied Economics
Introduction
A study was conducted by Utah State University (USU) in the fall of 2024 to determine western U.S. consumer preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for regionally sourced processed food products. Study data were collected using an online survey of consumers via the Qualtrics response system. A total of 1,282 responses were collected from all U.S. western states and territories. Respondents were recruited to assure that sample averages for age, education level, and annual household income were representative of the region’s demographics.
Highlights •
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Researchers at USU studied western U.S. consumers’ willingness to pay for processed food items; this fact sheet addresses target consumers for mild salsa. Target consumers were more likely to visit local farms, shop at farm stands or stores, or subscribe to a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. Mild salsa consumers are middle-aged, highly educated, and have a high household income. Target consumers more often grow/raise their own food, follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, buy food from local farmers when available, and eat out frequently. Target consumers were willing to pay more for all salsa products, especially organic salsa and salsa with two specialty labels.
• The survey included questions on respondent demographics, food-related lifestyle and behaviors, consumption habits and expenditures, preferences for specialty labeled foods and food characteristics. • Researchers examined consumer preferences, purchasing habits, and pricing for three processed food products, one of which was bottled mild salsa (16-ounce bottle). The following fact sheet describes the target market (consumer group) for bottled mild salsa. Target consumers were identified as those who consume salsa at least several times weekly. A total of 345 survey respondents fell into this target consumer group.
Target Market Description Demographics
Table 1 shows the demographic comparison between the full sample and those that consume more bottled mild salsa. Salsa consumers are middle-aged (35–54 years), highly educated, have a higher annual household 1