An analysis of the demand for smoked salmon in France

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the French market for smoked salmon. This is accomplished by regression analyses that includes import data from the UK, Germany, Poland, Denmark and Norway, in addition to domestic production in France. The time series is from 1995 to 2016. Further, this study examines how Country of Origin affects consumers purchase intentions regarding seafood, specifically cold smoked salmon, and Norway’s position in relation to its competitors. The power balance in a smokehouse supply chain is discussed, and lastly Norway’s position as a secondary processor in relation to the EU is elaborated and relevant barriers and possibilities are presented. Data collection is triangulated through both qualitative and quantitative studies. An OLS model is used to examine price, income and cross-price elasticities of demand, and five in-depth interviews in Norway and five in France are conducted to test the proposed framework and build a foundation for the research questions. The findings suggest that the French market for smoked salmon is both price and income sensitive and suggest fresh salmon fillet to have a substitution effect.