Abstract:
Consumer buying behavior is the decision process and act of ultimate
consumer involved in buying and using products. Hence, it is very important to
study how consumers behave in the market to develop and maintain an
effective marketing management system for sausages, which precisely matches
the needs of people in the target market. The objectives of the study were: to
examine knowledge, attitudes and behavior of the consumer for process meat
with special reference to sausages, and to identify the factors affecting on
purchase of sausages by the consumer. The study was conducted in Colombo,
Gampaha, Chilaw, Rathnapura, Kurunagela, Kandy, Anuradhapura, Kaluthara
and Galle through a field survey.
According to the consumption status of sausages many of the
households (43%) are rear users (not consume sausages even once in a month).
Consumption status of sausages significantly related with the income level of
the household, presence of different age group of children in the family and
employment category of the wives. But consumption status was not related
with the religious background of the household. When considering the
sausages as a type of process meat housewives have good perception on:
preference of children, attractiveness and effectiveness of the promotional
program, convenience, hygienic condition of the product, availability of
different packet sizes and availability in the market. However consumers don’t
have good perception on nutritive value of the product and impact of the health
condition of the people. Wives of households have pity much knowledge on
the quality certificate of the product but they are lacking knowledge on the
nutritive value of the product and price difference among brands. Whether the
buying decision mostly (64%) made by the husbands in the families, 73% of
the households targeting their children when they buying sausages. 60% of
consumers buying 250 g packet sausages. Selecting a particular brand depends
on the brand loyalty and the image build in the society for the brand other than
that quality, taste and availability in the market also make influence on it.
Product factors such as quality, brand and price have influence on the
purchasing decision. However, personal, psychological, and social cultural
factors have only little impact on the purchase decision of the consumers.
