摘要：This research examines how fluctuations in quality affect consumer expenditures
for fresh fruit at the retail level. This paper examines how consumers'
purchasing behaviors react to changes in fresh fruit quality by quantifying
quality characteristics based on weekly observations. A four-point scale was
created and used to quantify four different quality characteristics: bruising,
markings, brilliance, and maturity. A non-linear Almost Ideal Demand System was
used to model the share equations for Gala apples, Fuji apples, Red Delicious
apples, other sweet apples, tart apples, pears, bananas, and oranges.
Seventy-nine weeks of data on weekly store sales were collected from two grocery
stores in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. Results from the quality
measures are provided and discussed. Suggestions are made for modifications to
the quality measures to improve the modeling results of future fruit-demand
studies.
