Consumer perception and satisfaction for durian taste among the Chinese consumer: Malaysia vs Thailand durian

Abstract

China is the largest importer of durian globally, with a market share of 65% in 2018. Malaysia is one of the durian exporters to China (4%) after Thailand (95%). Parallelly to the population growth, demand for durian in China increased from 677 thousand Mt (2018) to 878 thousand Mt (2019), with an increase of 51.9% per year. Besides health benefits, durian is becoming more popular with Chinese consumers as souvenirs or corporate gifts. A study on consumer perception and satisfaction between Malaysian durian and Thailand durian was conducted among Chinese consumers in Shenzen, Guangzhou and Beijing in China. Findings showed that 95.2% liked Malaysian durian (Musang King or Mao Shan Wang) than Thailand durian (Monthong). An 80 % of respondents buy durian five times and more a year, with 20.38% of them spending more than ¥100 (the approximate US $15) for every purchase. The preferable buying place is in supermarkets and hypermarkets (50.8%). The Chi-square test identified a significant difference between age, occupation, income, and family members (p<0.05) to quality and premium perception. In this situation, the Mao Shan Wang durian was marketed to be a premium product. These findings are essential to promote and increase the demand, particularly for Malaysian durian. Thus, Malaysia needs to increase durian production and market strategy to meet global expectations, including China’s market of 4.2 million Mt by 2030.