The impact of European economic integration on the United States snack food industry

Purpose. The purpose of this research was to study the impact European economic integration might have on the United States snack food industry. Within the snack food industry, the popcorn sector was selected for the study because of its indigenous dynamics and uniquely American heritage. Microwave popcorn was selected for study because it represented the leading growth segment within the popcorn sector, and coincided with the increase of microwave oven ownership in Europe. It was therefore considered to be a more suitable and contemporary subject area. At the time of this study the popcorn sector of the U.S. food industry was valued at over one billion dollars in annual sales. At the time of this study microwave popcorn was not a major snack food category in Europe. Total sales of microwave popcorn in Europe were estimated at less than five million dollars. It therefore offered a unique opportunity of study.; Method. A survey instrument developed for this study sought the respondents' opinions, attitudes, tastes, behaviors and views relating to microwave popcorn. The survey was conducted in the United Kingdom, Germany and France during February 1991. A total of 300 usable responses were collected and analyzed.; Results. Data from completed survey instruments were analyzed statistically. Observed differences of group means of 12 items were found to be statistically significant at the P {dollar}<{dollar}.05 level. Observed differences of combined means for the three national groups combined, and in the United Kingdom, Germany and France, revealed 21 items which were found to be statistically significant at the P {dollar}<{dollar}.05 level. Only four common means were found not to be significantly different at the P {dollar}<{dollar}.05 level.; Observed differences of significant and relevant intercorrelations between the variables of the study revealed 17 items which were found to be statistically significant at the P {dollar}<{dollar}.001 level.; Of significance in the three national markets surveyed were the following findings: (1) ninety-five percent of surveyed consumers liked the idea of using the microwave oven to make popcorn at home; (2) after trying microwave popcorn over fifty-one percent indicated it was better than they had expected; (3) sixty-nine percent indicated they would buy it if it were available in their grocery store; (4) forty-six percent preferred sweet flavored popcorn over salted and butter flavors; (5) forty-one percent compared microwave popcorn more favorably to other snack foods, and forty-seven percent compared microwave popcorn as good as other snack foods; (6) eighty-five percent selected "America" as the location where popcorn originated from.; These research findings clearly support the premise that as a uniquely indigenous "American" food product microwave popcorn has a significant capability to be marketed by the U.S. microwave popcorn industry--on a pan-European scale.