Abstract

The paper analyses consumer buying models regarding Food and Beverages (F&B) in railway stations and airports as well as on board (train/aircraft). Specifically, it investigates the possible existence of differences in the formats employed and service attributes requested between the day-to-day use and the travelling and on board behavior regarding F&B consumption. Potential differences emerging in relation to various consumption occasions (lunch, break, dinner) and travel motives (work vs leisure) are investigated too. In this way the paper contributes in filling in the scientific and managerial gap on these contexts. To this aim, a structured questionnaire has been submitted to a sample of 438 travellers, equally interviewed in some railway stations and in one airport. Findings evidence that travellers use formats for F&B consumption with a different intensity compare to their day-to-day habits. Moreover, they use them differently in relation to the reason to travel (work vs leisure). Different evaluations of the service attributes requested when the traveler buys F&B in an airport/railway station rather than on board emerged too.