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The influence of food recommendations: Evidence from a randomized field experiment

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  • Kamal Bookwala
  • Caleb Gallemore
  • Joaquín Gómez‐Miñambres

Abstract

We report results from a randomized field experiment conducted at two food festivals. Our primary aim is to assess the impact of two types of recommendations commonly observed in food settings: most popular and chef's choice. We find that the most popular is the only recommendation that significantly increased consumers' demand relative to a baseline without recommendations. Furthermore, we find that this effect only holds for subjects from outside the local region. Our results are consistent with previous studies indicating information on peers' choices is a powerful influence on consumers' decisions in the absence of prior knowledge.

Suggested Citation

  • Kamal Bookwala & Caleb Gallemore & Joaquín Gómez‐Miñambres, 2022. "The influence of food recommendations: Evidence from a randomized field experiment," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(4), pages 1898-1910, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecinqu:v:60:y:2022:i:4:p:1898-1910
    DOI: 10.1111/ecin.13106
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