Consumer perceptions towards the marketing of functional foods in the Umhlathuze region
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Date
2020
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Publisher
University of Zululand
Abstract
A healthy lifestyle has been embraced by the populace as a result consumption of healthy food is given prevalence. Consumers nowadays prioritized purchasing healthy foods such as functional foods. To address this issue, greater varieties of healthy foods have been introduced by the food industry to reduce debilitating diseases such as cancer diabetes mellitus, obesity amongst others. In this present study consumer’s perceptions regarding the marketing of functional foods in the uMhlathuze municipality were investigated. A quantitative research method was adopted for this study. Questionnaires were administered to a total number of 384 consumers at Richards bay shopping malls (230) and Empangeni shopping malls (154) respectively. The findings of the study showed that consumers' behaviour towards purchasing functional foods is influenced by the following: advertisements on social media accounts, health benefits of functional foods, health professional’s recommendations, food quality, food price, and family obligation or concerns. Thus, the study recommends that for the food industry to boost their sales and consumers’ acceptability of functional foods, they need to improve the awareness of functional food. This can be done through advertisements, especially on social media accounts such as Google, YouTube, and Facebook as well as providing detailed health benefits of the food by providing this information on the food packages. Also, the food quality should not be compromised and the prices of food should not be unnecessarily hiked up.
Description
A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Master of Commerce in the Department of Business Management in the Faculty of Commerce, Administration & Law, University of Zululand, 2020.
Keywords
Consumers Behaviour, Consumers Perceptions, Functional Foods