Experience economy in the short food supply chain: comparing farmers’ and consumers’ perspectives in farm shops in Flanders, Belgium

Purpose This study aims to explore the impact of the experience economy in short food supply chains, particularly through farmers’ and consumers’ perspectives in farm shop environments in Flanders, Belgium. Design/methodology/approach Data from 103 Flemish farm shop owners and 248 Flemish farm shop visitors was analyzed. PLS-SEM was used to examine how experiential dimensions (education, entertainment, esthetics and escapism) affect consumers' perceptions of transparency, trust, memorability and loyalty toward farmers. Additionally, it determines the influence of farmers’ outcome priorities on integrating these experiential elements into their farm shops. Findings The results show that educational experiences significantly improve consumer perceptions of transparency, while entertainment enhances trust, memorability and loyalty. Esthetic experiences are crucial in shaping consumer perceptions across all outcomes, highlighting their significance in the farm shop context. Notably, our results reveal a significant misalignment between farmers’ experience adoption strategies and consumers’ perceptions of these experiences. Practical implications The findings suggest that farmers should consider customer expectations more thoroughly when designing experiential offerings in farm shops to enhance the farm shop visit and strengthen their position within short food supply chains. Originality/value This research highlights the disconnect between farmers’ integration of experiential elements and consumer expectations.