An Analytical Study of Economic & Demographic Factors affecting the Awareness & Purchase of Organic Foods in Meerut City.

Abstract

Purpose- The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of various economic and demographic factors (income, gender, educational background & occupation) on the awareness and purchase of organic food products (F&V, Dairy Foods, Groceries) in Meerut City (U.P.). It has also highlighted the perception of high prices with importance of marketing and promotional strategies for organic foods in Meerut City.

Design/Methodology/Approach- The paper employs exploratory research design with quantitative approach. The primary data has been collected from 360 people (valid responses 300) of Meerut City through the questionnaire (Google Form). Data thus collected has been refined edited, coded, classified and finally subjected to tabular & graphical representation and descriptive & inferential statistics (ANOVA, Independent Sample T test) through SPSS Version 20. Inferential statistics has been demonstrated widely as a part of this research paper.

Findings-The findings exhibits that there is a significant difference in the awareness level of people regarding the availability, nutritional value, overall quality and overall benefits of organic foods in Meerut city across their ‘Income’, ‘Occupation’ and ‘Educational Qualification’. However no significant difference has been observed for the same across their ‘Gender’. Organic foods are priced comparatively ‘Higher’ and ‘Marketing & Promotional Strategies’ are highly important for Organic Foods related to Meerut City.

Practical Implication- Meerut City in western UP is one the economic, industrial and educational hub in north India with overall expected growth in 10% in GDP and city population of 23 lakhs (2020) approximately. Meerut City is a part of NCR (National Capital Region) and the penetration of all consumer products, goods and services are very high. Therefore the study of organic foods has been practically viable for Meerut City.

Originality/Value- This paper is original as it is the primary study regarding the awareness and  purchase of organic foods in ‘Meerut City’ and it adds value for the further study of consumption patterns, purchase intentions, consumer awareness, products attributes and qualities, estimating market share and growth etc regarding organic foods.