A study on country of origin effects on food purchasing behaviour

Abstract

In this thesis country of the origin effects on food marketwas investigated.The basic purpose of the study was to find out theeffects of the country of origin on foreign food purchasing behaviourand the influences of environmental factors of the selected countries onwillingness to buy products from these countries.Due to the fact that the Turkish food market was enriched byvarious fOFeign food products since 1980,this market was chosen in orderto analyse the country of origin effects.Furthermore,you may meet manydifferent countries I food products in the Turkish market in these year's.The study included the litarature review and interpretation ofthe computer analysed data obtained from the survey conducted in Istanbul,Turkey during November 1985 and January 1986.In the analysis, 128 women from different regions of istanbulconstituded the sample.In order to define the foreign food shoppingbehaviour,frequency of usage,brand awareness and loyalty,selling pointsand first awareness by the foreign food products were investigated.Andmoreover,demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the foreign foOdpurchasers and inmluences of opinion leaders on food purchasing behaviourwere analysed.Perceptions and evaluations of the respondents about countriesthat they prefer to buy household goods,foodstuffs,clothings and cosmeticand personal-care products were obtained.Furthermore,relation between theperceptions of respondents about the countries and foreign environmentalfactors were discussed. These foreign environmental factors defined asfallows:Economic development,agriculUtire and animal husbandry,technaJogicaldevelopment, world politics,relationship with neighbour courttries,sportsand art.The findings of the analysis revealed that there is a significantrelation between purchasing foreign food items and the income and theworking status of the consumer and being . abroad Moreover ,it was clearevidence that opini~n leaders has an important role in purchasing foreignfood products.According to the results in purchasing household goods technologicaland economical development of the country of origin were important, whereasin f·ood items beside these environmental factors agriculture and anamalfeeding gain significant importance in selection.In clothing and cosmeticpxd.d:s.`the countries evaluated as higher in ar.~ are prefered.The study covered the interpretation of the findings and analysis Iand also implications of the findings were presented.