This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A recent study examined U.S. consumers' preferences and willingness to pay for different attributes of fresh-market grapes, providing insights for growers, retailers and the fresh produce industry. The research evaluated how factors such as grape size, sweetness, seedlessness, color and production methods influence purchasing decisions.
Findings reveal that certain attributes significantly affect consumer buying behavior, offering guidance on which traits could be emphasized to meet market demand and potentially increase sales. Understanding consumer preferences helps the grape industry optimize production, marketing and pricing strategies to better align with shopper expectations. The study, published in HortScience, underscores the importance of quality, taste and convenience in shaping purchase decisions in the competitive fresh produce market.
These insights contribute to more informed decision-making across the supply chain, from vineyard management to retail presentation, ensuring that fresh-market grapes meet the evolving expectations of American consumers. It also contributes to the broader effort to understand consumer behavior in fresh produce markets and supports strategies to enhance value, quality and satisfaction in fresh-market fruit offerings. Melinda Knuth, "This paper is one of the few that looks at consumer purchasing preferences for different species of grapes together.
Some of the results were as expected, while others were not and drove the direction of our future work in the Vitis x Muscadinia grant." According to Dr. Renee Threlfall, "This consumer survey was part of a federally funded planning grant that eventually led to our $7.1 million USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative project, 'Through the Grapevine: Developing Vitis x Muscadinia Wide Hybrids for Enhanced Disease Resistance and Quality,' with research and extension efforts of 32 scientists from 12 institutions integrated through collaborations with industry partners and stakeholders." Knuth is an associate professor in the Horticulture Department at North Carolina State University. She specializes in innovative management and marketing strategies to investigate consumer attitudes and behaviors for horticulture crops—both edible and ornamental.
Knuth has conducted studies and published results on the benefits of plants (mentally and emotionally, physically and socially), consumer preferences for miniature houseplants, preferences for water conservation in residential landscapes and purchasing intent for floral arrangements. Threlfall is an associate professor of food science at the University of Arkansas. Her research focuses on the microbial communities associated with agricultural products, particularly grapes and blackberries, and their effect on quality and production.
She has investigated the influence of environmental factors such as year, location and grape variety on the fungal microbiota of Arkansas-grown table and wine grapes, as well as soil- and leaf-associated fungi. Her work also extends to understanding the dynamics of fungal diversity during wine fermentation, examining the effects of sulfite levels and yeast inoculations. Melinda Knuth et al, US Consumer's Willingness to Pay for Fresh-market Grape Attributes, HortScience (2025).
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