Place Of Purchase Research Articles

Consumer perception of health properties and of other attributes of beef as determinants of consumption and purchase decisions

Consumers may feel confused by receiving conflicting information about health-related aspects of beef. Therefore, it is invariably important to assess how consumers perceive the health benefits of beef. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of consumer perception of beef values on consumer behavior towards this type of meat. The study consisted of a survey conducted among residents of Świętokrzyskie voivodeship in the period February 2013 – September 2014. The research was conducted among 1004 consumers. The questions included in the questionnaire concerned habits associated with consumption of beef, as well as issues related to the process of purchasing decisions, and in particular the place and frequency of purchase of beef. It was found that the frequency of buying beef was also significantly dependent on consumer belief in the health attributes of beef. Consumers consuming beef for this reason more often indicated that they consume beef once a week and 2-3 times a month. On the other hand, consumers who did not eat beef because of its impact on health in which they believed, more often pointed to its occasional/ sporadic consumption, that is once a month and less often. A significant percentage of consumers in the Świętokrzyskie voivodship misinterpret dietary recommendations and conclude that it is necessary to increase the consumption of beef due to medical reasons. Medical recommendations indicating the need to reduce meat consumption for a significant percentage of consumers from the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship are of little importance and do not contribute to changing their eating behavior. Especially in the case of men, there is often a reluctance to change eating habits if it would involve the need to reduce the consumption of meat. There is a need to verify marketing messages and to carry out general nutrition education so that it is possible to actually reach consumers with information about the need to limit the consumption of meat products.

A Study of Consumer Behavior towards Edible Oil Usage in Navsari

Edible oil is an inseparable part of Indian food and also one of the important ingredient for tasty food. Since ancient time, in India edible oil used in food in one or other way. The taste, preference, lifestyle, and consumption habits are in transforming phase in the developing country like India. With changing lifestyle and health concern the consumer behaviour towards food items are changing. The present paper investigates the consumer behavior towards edible oil usage in Navsari. To fulfil the objectives 100 respondents were surveyed from Navsari (Gujarat). The semi structured questionnaire by applying convenient sampling technique for collection of data. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and chi square test. It was found that majority of respondents like to purchase edible oil from kirana store and in their vicinity. The study found a significant relationship between the source of income and preferred a place of purchase for edible oil. The study also found a significant relationship between monthly family income and quantity of edible oil used as well as monthly family income and average monthly amount spend in store. The present study will be helpful to the edible oil manufacturers and marketers in deciding the suitable product mix it can provide a guide to the edible oil marketers in segmentation, targeting and positioning of the product as well as designing marketing strategies.

A Post-Purchase Satisfaction of Skin Care Cosmetics Depending on a Pre-Purchase Utilization of Information Sources among Consumers in Their 20s

Cosmetics market information is important due to advances in information communication technology and the growth of cosmetics market. This study analyzed the relationship between the pre-purchase utilization of information (commercial, neutral, personal and experiential) and the post-purchase satisfaction of skin care cosmetics, categorized as functionality, safety, economic feasibility, information reliability, purchase convenience, condition of purchase place, packaging/design of product and service. This study analyzed reliability, frequency, differences, correlation and regression analysis using SPSS ver. 24.0. The study results are summarized as follows. First, gender was a significant variable in the level of information source utilization. Women used commercial, neutral, and experiential information sources more actively than men. However, women had lower post-purchase satisfaction that could be understood through expectation disconfirmation theory. Women have very high expectations that can lower post-purchase satisfaction. Second, information source utilization can improve post-purchase satisfaction for cosmetics. The consumer post-purchase satisfact the lowest in the commercial information source; however, consumers were satisfied when the commercial informationinformation sourceenon and regre. Third, the consumeried itnformation sourceenon and regression analysis ial, neutral,source and reflected the characteristics of experiential goods. Therefore, companies should provide accurate commercial, personal and experiential information to increase consumervide accurate commercial, per as well as conduct experiential marketing Keywords: skin care cosmetics, pre-purchase utilization, information source, post-purchase satisfaction

Seafood Consumption Attributes and Buying Behaviours According to the Generations: A Study on Millennial Generation in Turkish Market

This paper focus on the seafood consumption attitudes and behaviours of the millennials (Generation Y) and non-millennials (Generation X, Baby Boomers and Silent Generation) comparatively. The data was collected from a face to face survey which was applied to randomly select 407 individuals in the city of Adana, Turkey in November 2016. As a result of factor analysis applied in the study, it was found that Millennials was significantly and inversely correlated with consumption of wild fish and freshwater fish. Non-millennial generation was inversely correlated with consumption of marine fish, freshwater fish and mussels and the correlation is insignificant. According to the results of the chi square test, it was determined that Millennials mostly preferred to consume fresh (unprocessed) fish. Mann-Whitney test results show that they value health and nutrition factors for consumption and there is a significant difference between these two factors. Besides, factors mainly effecting their purchase behaviour of seafood are directed to freshness, seasonality, place of purchase and wild-aquaculture product classification and there are significant differences between these factors. The fact that the Millennial‘s average response to consumption and purchasing is higher indicates that they are more cautious.

Impact of Value Proposition of Digital Marketing Communication on Car Buyers’ Attitude

Digital marketing communication has affected almost every business along with significantly altering the consumer behaviour. Businesses around the globe are accepting digital marketing communication as an advanced, cost-effective and more relevant alternative to its traditional counterpart, that is, conventional marketing. Consumers have also become accustomed to digital technology and exercising their control over content along with dictating the terms for time and place of purchase. Marketers are resorting to digital marketing because it is interactive, personalized, relevant, informative and cost-effective. FMCG, BFSI and automobiles have been consistently ranked at top digital spenders of the country for last 5 years. The present study deals with understanding the value proposition of digital marketing in Indian car market by applying Neil Rackham’s model. The study also aimed to assess the impact of value proposition on car buyers’ attitude. Primary data were collected from 603 actual and potential car buyers using area-wise proportionate sampling from Delhi. One sample Wilocoxon-Signed Rank Test was applied as test of significance to understand the value proposition. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess the overall fit and impact of value proposition on car buyers’ attitude. Value proposition model successfully explained 67 per cent of the variation in car buyers’ attitude.

Hierarchizing caries risk factors among first-year university students in Nice\xa0(France): a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to rank the risk factors for dental caries among first-year university students in Nice (France).MethodsAll first-year students are required to undergo a compulsory preventive medical examination. Among these students, volunteers were offered a dental visit. Information was collected through an interview followed by an oral examination. We assessed the volunteers’ oral hygiene habits (daily toothbrushing frequency, type of toothbrush used, frequency of toothbrush replacement, place of toothpaste purchase, and flossing), daily health-related behaviors (number of main daily meals, daily sugary intakes, smoking, alcohol consumption, consumption of cannabis or other drugs), oral-health-related behaviors (self-reported oral health, dental visits during the past year, reason for the last dental consultation, and failure to seek dental care due to financial reasons), and oral health issues (dental crowding, oral hygiene, presence of caries, presence of pit and fissure sealant remnants). The dependent variable was the presence of at least one untreated carious lesion. The data were subjected to univariate analyses to select explanatory variables, and subsequently, a logistic regression was performed.ResultsSix hundred twenty-nine students aged 18.8±1.6 years were enrolled in this study. The sex ratio was 0.72, with a strong predominance of the female gender. Only 59.3% of the students had never experienced dental caries, while 22.4% had already undergone restorative procedures and did not have any carious lesion at the time of the examination, and 11.6% presented with carious lesions and had never been treated by a dentist. Lastly, 6.7% had carious lesions despite evidence of prior restorative procedures. The multivariate analysis revealed the following pejorative risk factors: failure to seek dental care due to financial reasons (OR:3.06, 95% CI: 1.40–6.70), poor oral hygiene revealed during the oral examination (OR:2.59, 95% CI: 1.60–4.20), and poor self-reported oral health (OR:2.43, 95% CI: 1.24–4.77). Conversely, the analysis revealed the following protective factors: preventive visits to the dentist (OR:0.63, 95% CI: 0.41–0.99), the use of an electric toothbrush (OR:0.36, 95% CI: 0.17–0.77), and sealant remnants (OR:0.22, 95% CI: 0.05–0.97).ConclusionsThe highest-ranking caries risk factor for the study population was the financial barrier.

SUPPLY OF FARM INPUTS ON FARMS IN MAZOWIECKIE VOIVODSHIP

The aim of research was to evaluate the supply of farm inputs in agricultural farms from the Mazowieckie Voivodeship. The research shows that farmers most often choose agricultural stores and wholesalers. On the other hand, in the case of fixed assets, the most common place of purchase are wholesalers. The most common form of purchase is also contact with a salesrepresentative. In the Internet era, an increasingly popular form of procurement is online ordering. Research also indicated that in the past three years, the most frequently purchased fixed assets were agricultural tractors, which acquired as much as 40% of the farms surveyed.

Organic Food Attributes Determing Consumer Choices

1. Introduction The dynamically growing organic food market needs to implement such marketing tools that take into consideration the specific characteristics of this market. In order to create a competitive advantage of the product offer, the concept of ecological attributes of the food is introduced (product features which fulfill consumers' needs). The organic food has features which can be divided into individual attributes --personal (private) and social attributes--environmental (public). The group of individual features perceived by consumers of organic food consists of such characteristics as taste, health value, freshness (Misra, Huang and Otto, 1991) or utility value of these products (Zanoli and Naspetti, 2002). The features of the product described as individual attributes (private) are valued because of different, sometimes egoistic, reasons imposed by the consumers' and their families' needs (Grzybowska-Brzezinska, 2008). The social attributes of organic food include aspects of the environmental protection or respecting the well-being of animals in organic farming, both of which are considered non-utilitarian characteristics, and the fact that they are perceived by consumers' results from their altruism determining their behavior (Luczka-Bakula, 2007). This means that organic food is seen in a wider context of the natural environment, its state and its relation to agricultural production methods and health (Newerli-Guz and Smiechowska, 2004) which may result from consumers' environmental awareness, more aggressive promotion of health, social marketing of companies, consumers' and producers' civic virtue. All these aspects add to the image of organic food and, indirectly, their consumers and producers. Another take on the characteristics of the process of selecting food products by the target market involves a phenomenon in which the shaping of consumer preferences is influenced by the food product attributes, grouped in three categories (Wierenga, 1983) and defined as sensory, instrumental or symbolic, which may be located in particular layers of a product (outside and inside). The first defined group of sensory attributes involves the physical features such as taste, smell, color and appearance (Wierenga, 1983; Peattie, 1995; Grzybowska-Brzezinska, 2013a). Functional (also instrumental) attributes are features which fulfill consumers' physiological needs, such as supply energy, help build and maintain in good condition cells and body organs. The composition, presence of certain nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins), type of ingredients, presence or absence of preservatives or additives are all part of this group of attributes. The features of a product related to its utilitarian value, like the size of packaging, easy preparation, preservation method may also be classified as functional attributes (Grzybowska-Brzezinska, 2013a; Wierenga, 1983). Consumption of certain products can also be related to prestige (buying certain products that are concordant with the self image of a consumer) or it can help convey a message about a consumer to other members in their community (consumption for show). Symbolic functions of a product are specific and will depend on social culture, subculture or social class, so the process of building attributes of prestige is related to the position of the brand of the product, the position of the manufacturer and the communication method between the company and the selected segment of consumers. The price of the product and the place of purchase contribute to engineering the expressive value of a product (Wierenga, 1983; Lin, 2002; Miyazaki, Grewal and Goodstein, 2005). Even though attributes connected with organic food may be difficult for consumers to verify organoleptically or visually, most of them buy organic food products because they understand that these products have exceptional (and sometimes better) attributes compared to their conventionally produced counterparts (Vindigni, Janssen and Jager, 2002). …

Consumers’ Social Representations of Meat Safety in Two Selected Restaurants of Raymond Mhlaba Municipality in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

This study was conducted at two different restaurants of Raymond Mhlaba Municipality (Alice), Eastern Cape, South Africa, to determine consumers’ social representations of meat safety. A total number of 251 people were interviewed in focus group discussions, each comprising 4–6 interviewees were conducted. Each focus group consisted of university students and staff, and members of rural communities surrounding the town of Alice. A semi-structured questionnaire comprising both closed-ended and open-ended questions was used to collect data. Consumers were concerned about the hygiene at the place of purchase and the freshness of meat. Moreover, they revealed that they were always worried about the risk of food-borne diseases. Although food-borne diseases were not cited as a significant problem, related ideas such as “washing of hands before preparation of food to minimize food-borne diseases” were important to consumers. Consumers indicated that meat safety at the abattoirs should be thoroughly managed given that “hygiene during meat processing is important to prevent the occurrence of food-borne diseases”. Consumers in both retail outlets have shown to have a limited understanding of meat safety. Thus, consumers’ social representations, perceptions, and knowledge are complex and dynamic with respect to meat safety.

Decision tree analysis of wine consumers’ preferences: evidence from an emerging market

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the interactive and individual influences of socio-demographic and behavioural-cognitive factors on the frequency and quality of wine consumption, as well as importance of the brand and advertising on selection.Design/methodology/approachThe survey was prepared on the basis of the selected factors. The research was carried out on a sample of 207 randomly selected respondents. The analysis was done using the classification decision tree.FindingsThe results show the dominant influence of socio-demographic factors, such as region, place of living (urban-rural areas), family size, age, income and education of consumers as well as behavioural-cognitive factors, such as the price importance, place of purchase and product characteristics, in all analysed target variables. Apart from the similarities with traditional wine markets, the specificities related to an emerging market have also been determined.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of this research concern sample size as well as the research conducted over the period of one year.Practical implicationsThe practical objective of this paper is to help wine marketers to develop more effective positioning strategies for a specific emerging market.Originality/valueThis research combines critical factors based on related studies, including the antecedents and outcome variables, to develop more comprehensive models for better understanding of the wine consumers’ behaviour. In major and traditional wine-making countries, the consumption of wine is fairly predictable. In emerging markets, the commercial strategies are, for the most part, based on certain specificities and are quite interesting for the surveys.

The economic burden of gluten-free products and gluten-free diet: a cost estimation analysis in Greece.

Adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD) demonsrates various difficulties, including the high cost of the diet. The present study aimed to (i) compare the cost of gluten-free products (GFP) from supermarkets and pharmacies with the cost of their conventional counterparts and (ii) estimate the weekly economic burden of a GFD. The prices of all food products labelled as 'gluten-free' available at four supermarket chains in Athens, as well as the prices of all similar conventional food products, were recorded. The prices of the pharmacy GFP were recorded from the official list of the National Health Service Organisation. For every product, the price per 100 g was calculated. All products were classified into 24 categories, which consisted of three subcategories: conventional, supermarket GFP and pharmacy GFP. Three weekly menus were designed for children, adolescents and adults, selecting the upper levels of energy intake, to cover the majority of the patients. For all three weekly menus, the price difference between conventional and GFP, both from supermarkets and pharmacies, was calculated. Compared with conventional food products, all supermarket GFP, except for one, were more expensive by 22-334% (P < 0.05) and all pharmacy GFP were more expensive by 88-476% (P < 0.05). The weekly economic burden of a GFD ranged from €12 to €28 per week, depending on age and GFP place of purchase. The present study confirms the higher cost of GFP compared to their conventional equivalents in Greece, leading to a weekly economic burden for people on a gluten-free diet.

Assessing the Risk of Hg Exposure Associated with Rice Consumption in a Typical City (Suzhou) in Eastern China.

Recent studies have revealed that not only fish but also rice consumption may significantly contribute to human exposure to mercury (Hg) in Asian countries. It is therefore essential to assess dietary exposure to Hg in rice and its associated health risk. However, risk assessments of Hg in rice in non-contaminated areas are generally lacking in Asian countries. In the present study, Hg concentrations were measured in rice samples collected from markets and supermarkets in Suzhou, a typical city in Eastern China. In addition, the rice ingestion rates (IR) were assessed via a questionnaire-based survey of Suzhou residents. The data were then used to assess the risk of Hg exposure associated with rice consumption, by calculating the hazard quotient (HQ). Hg contents in rice samples were well below the national standard (20 μg/kg), ranging from 1.46 to 8.48 ng/g. They were also significantly (p > 0.05) independent of the area of production and place of purchase (markets vs. supermarkets in the different districts). Our results indicate a low risk of Hg exposure from rice in Suzhou (HQ: 0.005–0.05), despite the generally high personal IR (0.05–0.4 kg/day). The risk of Hg associated with rice consumption for Suzhou residents was not significantly affected by the age or sex of the consumer (p > 0.05). Overall, our results provide a study of human exposure to Hg in rice in Chinese cities not known to be contaminated with Hg. Future studies should examine Hg exposure in different areas in China and in potentially vulnerable major food types.

20대 여성의 화장품 구매행동에 관한 연구 (Ⅰ) : 소비가치를 중심으로

The purpose of this study was to divide respondents by consumption values, and to examine the differences in their cosmetic purchase behavior. Cosmetic purchase behavior consisted of variables such as purchase frequency, purchase amount, place of purchase, purchase reason, reason for using cosmetics, purchase propensity, degree of using information source, and selection criteria. A survey was conducted with 308 women between the ages 20 and 29 from December 5th to 10th 2016. Data collected from the respondents through an Internet survey were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analyses, cluster analysis, analyses of variance and chi-square tests. Four consumption value dimensions emerged that were termed emotional, differentiated individuality-pursuing, functional and social value. The respondents were classified into three groups(emotional consumer group, functional consumer group, active consumer group) by cluster analysis using four dimensions of consumption value. The results of the analyses of variance and chi-square tests showed significant differences in purchase frequency, place of purchase, purchase reason, reason for using cosmetics, degree of using information source and selection criteria among groups classified by consumption value. However, there were no differences in purchase amount and purchase propensity among them.

Charakterystyka porównawcza zachowań nabywczych polskich konsumentów mięsa na tle porównań międzynarodowych

Mięso jest jednym z podstawowych produktów żywnościowych, który we współczesnych czasach wzbudza wiele kontrowersji. Z jednej strony docenia się jego walory odżywcze, a szczególnie zawartość pełnowartościowego białka, związków mineralnych i witamin. Z drugiej strony uważa się, że jego nadmierne spożycie może przyczynić się do powstawania chorób cywilizacyjnych. Celem artykułu była analiza zachowań nabywczych polskich konsumentów mięsa świeżego ogółem, mięsa wieprzowego, drobiowego i wołowego w Polsce na tle wybranych przykładów pochodzących z innych krajów. Szczególną uwagę zwrócono na wybór miejsca zakupu, ocenę częstotliwości nabywania, a także na czynniki determinujące wybór poszczególnych rodzajów mięs przez konsumentów. Oceniono również wpływ producenta na podejmowanie decyzji przez konsumentów o zakupie mięsa. Stwierdzono, że w Polsce, niezależnie od rodzaju mięsa, wzrasta popularność specjalistycznych sklepów mięsnych, czego nie odnotowuje się w innych krajach. Przeprowadzona analiza asocjacji dowiodła, że polscy konsumenci podejmując decyzje o nabyciu mięsa zwracają przede wszystkim uwagę na jego cenę, wygląd ogólny oraz barwę.

Fish consumers in the pioneer northern Region of the State of Paraná

The social, economic and cultural situation and the habits and preferences of fish consumers are analyzed. The municipalities focused for current research are Bandeirantes, Cambará, Santo Antônio da Platina, Andirá, Cornélio Procópio and Itambaracá, within the meso-region of the so-called Pioneer Northern Region of the state of Paraná, Brazil. Three hundred and forty-six structured questionnaires with seventeen multiple choice objective questions, featuring qualitative and quantitative variables, were handed out. Results show that 92% of the interviewed people ate fish; 55% earned more than three Brazilian minimum wages; 41% went to secondary school and 66% of the families comprised between three and five members. Mean fish consumption reached 18 kg/inhab/year; 54% of interviewed were over 40 years old; 37% preferred fish fillet; mostly prepared as fried fish. Moreover, the main obstacles for increase in consumption for 53% of the interviewed were high prices and non-availability of the product. The supermarket was the preferred place for purchase. Consumers in the Pioneer Northern Region of the Paraná have a relevant preference for fish, with a high capacity for per capita consumption increase even though supply and prices are strategic issues which require investigation.

Practitioner Perceptions of Patients Wearing Decorative Contact Lenses Purchased Through Unauthorized Sellers.

To describe practitioner experiences regarding ocular complications in patients wearing decorative contact lenses, and to investigate the compliance of unauthorized distributors of decorative contact lenses to current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations. Also, to provide data to support a more targeted public health approach to reducing the incidence of illegal contact lens sales and associated ocular complications. An institutional review board-approved online survey was distributed through mass email to a list of 98 optometrists in the Boston, MA area. Concurrently, an empirical evaluation of independent, online decorative contact lens sellers who were not associated with FDA-approved contact lens manufacturers was performed to determine their adherence to FDA and FTC guidelines. The first 18 noncoincidental websites that resulted from a Google search for "costume contact lens sellers" and "cosmetic contact lens sellers" were examined as to the brands and parameters of lenses being sold, whether or not a valid prescription was required or verified, and if consumer education was provided. Twenty-two optometrists completed the online survey. Seventy-seven percent of respondents reported having patients with complications from decorative contact lenses that were purchased both legally and illegally. The most common age group for complications was 18 to 25 years (61%). One third of complications were seen in first-time lens wearers, half of whom never received proper care instructions or were unaware that care instructions existed. One quarter of the lenses were purchased illegally with unlicensed stores being the most common place of purchase. Of the 18 online sites examined, 72% of sellers failed to adhere to FTC and FDA regulations. A significant number of individuals who obtain contact lenses illegally from unauthorized sources are young adults. Most unauthorized sellers reviewed did not adhere to the proper protocol for selling contact lenses or instruct their customers on proper lens wear and care. A significant percentage of optometrists responding to the survey reported complications associated with contact lenses purchased through unauthorized sources, suggesting that the risk of contact lens-related complications increases when the lenses are purchased from one of these sources.

L’analyse De La Place De La Valeur Perçue Comme Un Déterminant Stratégique Des Enseignes De La Grande Distribution Marocaine : Cas De La Région Souss Massa

This article tries to highlight the effects of the perceived value on satisfaction, and determines, among the components of the value, the major sources of shopping behavior. This leads us to a reflection in order to promote in one hand, the concept of perceived value among the mass-market retailing and on the other hand, to define the reasons for attendance, stimulation and consumer’s escape inside the point of sale. For this purpose, our exploratory research highlights the typology of value of Holbrook (1994, 1999). Relying on series of interviews with customers of large retail in the city of Agadir, the point of sale is no longer considered as a simple place of purchase. It shows different types of value, such as utilitarian values, hedonist values and social values. Our results are able to validate this idea and therefore tend to position the point of sale as a key place for the formulation of marketing strategies of retail chains and thus to be seen as a creator of value.

Food consumed outside the home in Brazil according to places of purchase.

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE This study aims to describe the places of purchase of food consumed outside the home, characterize consumers according to the places of consumption, and identify the food purchased by place of consumption in Brazil.METHODS We have used data from the Pesquisa de Orçamento Familiar (Household Budget Survey) of 2008-2009 with a sample of 152,895 subjects over 10 years of age. The purchase of food outside the home was collected from the records of all expenditures made in seven days. The places of purchase were grouped according to their characteristics: supermarket, bakery, street food, restaurant, snack bar, fruit shop, and other places. The types of food were grouped into nine categories, considering the nutritional aspects and the marketing characteristics of the item. We have estimated the frequency of purchase in the seven groups of places in Brazil and according to gender and type of food purchased per place. We have calculated the average age, income and years of education, as well as the per capita expenditure according to places of purchase of food consumed outside the home.RESULTS The purchase of food outside the home was reported by 41.2% of the subjects, being it greater among men than women (44% versus 38.5%). Adults had a higher frequency (46%) than teenagers (37.7%) and older adults (24.2%). The highest frequency of places of purchase were snack bar (16.9%) and restaurant (16.4%), while the fruit shop (1.2%) presented the lowest frequency. Sweets, snack chips and soft drinks were the most purchased items in most places. Average expenditure was higher for restaurant (R$33.20) and lower for fruit shop (R$4.10) and street food (R$5.00).CONCLUSIONS The highest percentage of food consumed outside the home comes from snack bars and restaurants, pointing to important places for the development of public policies focused on promoting healthy eating.

Patrones de consumo de banano en el mercado guayaquileño

This paper aims to establish patterns of behavior in banana consumption of Guayaquil, a survey was conducted to 384 people in a population of 2, 350.915 inhabitants of the city Guayaquil at the last census of 2010 INEC, 201 males and 183 women of different ages and socio-economic level. The sample was obtained with an estimation error of 5% and 95% confidence, 50% of success. Different variables banana consumption (weekly consumption units, place of purchase, preferably Rankin, purchase frequency) and demographic variables (age, gender, purchase motivation, socioeconomic status) were analyzed. Key findings indicate that 77.34% of the sample did not know the nutritional benefits of bananas and that 68% of the sample purchase bananas from personal taste and preferably in the truck. Guayaquileans have changed their pattern of consumption of fruit, prefer imported to national.

Consumer criteria for purchasing eggs and the quality of eggs in the markets of the City of Belgrade

In order to examine the consumers? attitude towards eggs, 239 respondents in the area of the City of Belgrade were surveyed, and the assessment of the quality of eggs on the Belgrade market was done by examining the quality of eggs in super/hypermarkets. In the survey, consumers expressed their views about the place of purchase of eggs, the criteria for purchasing and the significance of certain quality traits/properties. In the egg quality test eggs of class A were used, and it was done on egg samples from 5 super/hypermarkets, from a total of 10 egg manufacturers. Based on the results of the study, it was found that most egg consumers buy in super/hypermarkets (39.62%), that the brand/manufacturer was not important for 30.37% of the respondents, that they prefered to buy larger eggs (SS, S and A classes). The quality of eggs is very important for 73.28% of subjects, and the colour of the yolk prefered by the respondents was extremely yellow (62.76%). The supply of table eggs on the market was different (from 1 to 5 manufacturers) per retail store. The quality of eggs, observed for all super/hypermarkets and all manufacturers, expressed in Haugh units, decreased with the shelf life of eggs. The quality of eggs from category 1 to 10 days, in all super/hypermarkets, observed for all manufacturers, was within the studied class A, with egg weight ranging from 60.9 to 64.1g, egg shell colour from 3.6 to 4.2, egg cleaniness 4.4 to 5.0, the colour of the yolk (Roche) from 10.9 to 13.2, and the number of Haugh units from 73.2 to 91.7. The results of the research indicate that consumers in the City of Belgrade are placing importance on the quality of table eggs, that there are differences in the supply and freshness of the eggs between the markets, and that there are differences in the quality within the same market, regardless of the manufacturer.