Assessing the organic potential of urban Indian consumers

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential for the purchase of organic food products amongst urban Indian consumers. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a sample of 618 urban Indian consumers. The study questionnaire was developed to measure food-related lifestyle and attitudinal variables. The respondents were also questioned regarding their grocery purchase behaviour; awareness and purchase intentions regarding organic food. The data collected were analysed using SPSS 20.0 using factor, cluster and χ2 analysis to identify and profile the health-conscious segments and profile them based on their organic purchase intentions. Findings – In total, 33 lifestyle variables were reduced to five food-related attitudinal factors. Based on the five factors three potential clusters were identified. The urban Indian consumer was found to be environment, health and safety conscious. Sensitized and cautious segment of young, women living in nuclear families were more open to an organic alternative. The main barriers to successful adoption were premium pricing, doubtful certification and sporadic availability of organic food. Research limitations/implications – The urban Indian is ready to shift to a healthier option. However, the awareness, availability and price need to be managed more aggressively. A larger pan-India study to identify the high-potential belts and the domestic organic distribution and certification practices need to be assessed to formulate a focused marketing strategy. Originality/value – Paucity of literature exists about the potential organic consumers. Such studies are extremely meaningful for an organic marketer to design effective communication and distribution strategies in order to accelerate the adoption and preference for an organic purchase.