Does hunger matter in consumer purchase decisions? An empirical investigation of processed food products

• Hungry consumers were willing to pay more than when satiated.
• Women and obese participants were willing to pay more than men and normal weight.
• Older and hungry people were willing to pay less than younger satiated individuals.

The aim of this study is to investigate whether hunger matters in consumer purchase behaviour relating to processed food products. Therefore, a non-hypothetical experiment was implemented to assess truthful preferences by asking individuals the maximum price that they would pay for various processed cheese products. The findings indicated that consumers were willing to pay more when hungry than when satiated. Moreover, women and obese participants were willing to pay more than men and normal-weight participants. However, older and hungry people were willing to pay less than younger, satiated individuals.