Swedish consumers’ perspectives on wild bilberries: Attitudes, associations, consumption patterns, and foraging behaviour

Efforts to develop the wild berry industry in Sweden and internationally call for increased knowledge about the consumer perspective. Our objective is to investigate attitudes, product associations, consumption patterns, and foraging behaviour regarding bilberries, with an online survey using a nationally representative sample (N=2010). The data were analysed with regression and multinomial testing using a Bayesian approach as well as with correspondence analysis on a check-all-that-apply task. Results indicate that bilberries are consumed regularly in Sweden and a majority of consumers (56.5%) reported foraging for bilberries during 2023. The factors considered most important when purchasing bilberries are Swedish origin and good sensory characteristics (taste and texture). Consumers’ associations with bilberry products were described by three multifaceted dimensions: familiar/unfamiliar (also related to hedonics), natural/artificial (also related to sourness/sweetness), and utilitarian/exclusive (also related to situational appropriateness). Fresh bilberries were more likely to be perceived as ‘traditional’ and ‘everyday’ by consumers in Northern vis-à-vis Eastern or Southern Sweden, and women associated both fresh and frozen bilberries with being ‘artificial’ more than men. The results provide important insight for actors that promote a sustainable wild berry industry that acknowledges the voice of the consumer.