Year: 2020
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to explore consumer behavior in the ready to eat foods category in an emerging market where the category is relatively new and under-penetrated.Within the field of consumer behaviour, we would be focusing on the purchase decision of customers and the possible parameters like occasion, lifestyle, age and gender that may influence that process.Ready to eat foods (RTEs) are defined as those food items that have already been prepared and do not require any further preparation apart from basic heating.We use the Theory of Planned Behavior as a framework to examine attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and purchase intention of RTEs.Based on a survey of 112 respondents in urban India who belonged to diverse demographic backgrounds, we find that there is low overall attitude towards RTEs (2.5 on a 7-point scale) and low intention to buy (2.9/7).We also find that people with a traditional or health-oriented lifestyle have a negative attitude towards RTEs while people who are convenience or taste oriented have a positive attitude towards RTEs.Overall, attitude has a positive and most significant influence on purchase intention (r 2 = 0.52) and the model that best predicts purchase intention (r 2 = 0.60) is one which includes subjective norms, attitudes and perceived behavioral control.Respondents showed a higher preference for consuming RTEs for breakfast compared to lunch or dinner.Attitudes and purchase intention did not vary significantly by gender of the respondent.Our findings are useful for RTE manufactures in India who want to grow the category and their market share
Language: English
Subfield: Marketing
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3006820220