Customer-perceived quality, innovation and tradition: some empirical evidence

Purpose: The present study explores how customer-perceived quality is affected by innovation in traditional products in the bread, bakery and pastry industry. The study assesses whether innovating traditional products is an effective strategy, especially in traditional industries. Design/methodology/approach: This study followed a quantitative method of analysis. Data were gathered from a sample of 200 Italian bread consumers and analysed using a two-pronged correlation analysis and two hypotheses were tested using the Pearson’s correlation. Findings: The results showed the negative relationship between customer-perceived quality and innovating traditional products in traditional industries embedded in closed contexts. Research limitations/implications: The study has several academic implications. First, by focusing on the traditional food industry, the study contributes to theory by answering the call for research in this field; second, the findings contribute to the embeddedness construct and, third, to the studies of customer-perceived quality and to the literature on innovation. Practical implications: Findings are particularly interesting for entrepreneurs and consultants in traditional industries who make decisions on whether it is better to innovate or to remain anchored to tradition. Originality/value: The present study clarifies the shadowy side of innovation in traditional industries, such as the bread, bakery and pastry industry, and it reveals how tradition plays a meaningful role in those sectors.