“A STUDY ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION TOWARDS READY TO FOODS AT

RETAIL MARKET TOWARDS THE PURCHASING BEHAVIOUR OF PEOPLE IN

KANJIRAPPALLY TALUK”

A project submitted to the Mahatma Gandhi University in partial fulfilment of the

requirements for award of the degree of

BACHELOR OF COMMERCE
Submitted By:

ADARSH T RAJAN

(Reg.No.170021083381)

AJAY JOSE

(Reg.No.170021083382)

ALISHA HANNA ASHARUF

(Reg.No.170021083389)

Under the guidance of

Mrs. Reema Abraham (M.Com, MBA)

DEPARTMENT OF VOCATIONAL COMMERCE

ST.DOMINIC’S COLLEGE KANJIRAPPALLY

(Affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam)

March 2020

DECLARATION
 We, ADARSH T RAJAN ( Reg No 170021083381), AJAY JOSE
( Reg No. 170021083382), ALISHA HANNA ASHARUF ( Reg No 170021083389 ), Final
year B.com students of St. Dominic’s College Kanjirappally, declare that this project entitled
“A STUDY ON CUSTOMER SASTISFACTION TOWARDS READY TO FOODS AT
RETAIL MARKET TOWARDS THE PURCHASING BEHAVIOUR OF PEOPLE IN
KANJIRAPPALLY TALUK” is a bonafide project work done by me and no part of project
has been presented for the award of any degree, diploma, or other similar title or recognition
of an University to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Place: Kanjirappally ADARSH T RAJAN

Date: Reg No 170021083381

AJAY JOSE

Reg No 170021083382

ALISHA HANNA ASHARUF

Reg No 170021083389

ST.DOMINIC’S COLLEGE
 KANJIRAPALLY

Department of Vocational Commerce

CERTIFICATE

This is to certificate that the project entitled “A STUDY ON CUSTOMER

SATISFACTION TOWARDS READY TO FOODS AT RETAIL MARKET
TOWARDS THE PURCHASING BEHAVIOUR OF PEOPLE IN KANJIRAPPALLY
TALUK” is a bonafide report of the project done by Adarsh T Rajan, Ajay Jose and
Alisha Hanna Asharuf during the academic year 2017-2020 for the partial fulfilment for the
award of degree of bachelor of commerce from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam.

Mrs. Reema Abraham

Project guide

St Dominic’s college kanjirapally

Counter signed by,

Mrs. Manjusha S.G
Head of the Department
St.Dominic’s college,
Kanjirapally

External Examiner
Place : Kanjirapally
Date:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We thank God Almighty for giving us the courage and wisdom to complete this project
work.

On completion of our project, we feel deeply indebted to many. Let me avail this
opportunity to express my deep sense of gratitude to Mrs. Reema Abraham lecturer at
Department of Vocational Commerce, St. Dominic’s College, Kanjirappally for the kind
assistance and guidance to us during the preparation of this project.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mrs. Manjusha S.G, Head of the Department
of Vocational Commerce, for her valuable encouragement and suggestions that enabled us
to complete the study successfully.

We express our sincere gratitude to Rev. Fr. Dr. James Philip, Principal , St.
Dominic’s College Kanjirappally for providing us the facility to carry out the study
successfully.

I am also indebted to all faculty members of Department of Vocational Commerce for

their helpful assistance and co-operation with our study.

Finally, we record our sincere gratitude to our parents and all our friends for their co-
operation and inspiration throughout the study.

Place: Kanjirappally AJAY JOSE

Date: ADARSH T RAJAN

ALISHA HANNA ASHARUF

CHAPTER TITLES PAGE.NO

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

CHAPTER 3 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION- AN

OVERVIEW

CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS AND INTREPRETATION

OF DATA

CHAPTER 5 FINDINGS,SUGGESTIONS AND

CONCLUSION

WEBILIOGRAPHY

APPENDIX

CONTENTS
 LIST OF TABLES
SL.NO TITLE Page.No

3.1 Respondents Age wise classification

3.2 Respondents classification on the basis of

Gender

3.3 Respondents classification on the basis of

Education

3.4 Respondents classification on the basis of

Occupation

3.5 Respondents classification on the basis of

Income

3.6 Respondents classification on the basis of Type

of family

3.7 Respondents classification on the basis of

Interest

3.8 Factors motivates respondents to purchase RTE

food

3.9 Respondents affordability towards processed

food

3.10 Influence of advertisement affect the purchase of

respondents

3.11 Sources of information

3.12 Awareness level of respondents

3.13 Changing food habits among people

3.14 Consumption frequency of RTE foods

3.15 Frequency of purchase

3.16 Factors influenced purchase of RTE food

3.17 Ranking on the basis of factors that influenced

purchase behaviour of respondents

3.18 RTE foods preferred by working women or

home worker

3.19 Satisfaction of RTE foods

3.19(A) Classification on the basis of taste

3.19(B) Classification on the basis of colour

3.19(C) Classification on the basis of flavour

3.19(D) Classification on the basis of brand

3.19(E) Classification on the basis of income of

consumer

3.20 Factors responsible for influencing demand

 LIST OF FIGURES
SL.NO TITLE Page.No

3.1 Respondents Age wise classification

3.2 Respondents classification on the basis of

Gender

3.3 Respondents classification on the basis of

Education

3.4 Respondents classification on the basis of

Occupation

3.5 Respondents classification on the basis of

Income

3.6 Respondents classification on the basis of Type

of family

3.7 Respondents classification on the basis of

Interest

3.8 Factors motivates respondents to purchase RTE

food

3.9 Respondents affordability towards processed

food

3.10 Influence of advertisement affect the purchase of

respondents

3.11 Sources of information

3.12 Awareness level of respondents

3.13 Changing food habits among people

3.14 Consumption frequency of RTE foods

3.15 Frequency of purchase

3.16 Factors influenced purchase of RTE food

3.17 Ranking on the basis of factors that influenced

purchase behaviour of respondents

3.18 RTE foods preferred by working women or

home worker

3.19 Satisfaction of RTE foods

3.19(A) Classification on the basis of taste

3.19(B) Classification on the basis of colour

3.19(C) Classification on the basis of flavour

3.19(D) Classification on the basis of brand

3.19(E) Classification on the basis of income of

consumer

3.20 Factors responsible for influencing demand

 CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
 1.1 INTRODUCTION

For today’s business change is the only constant. Firms need to always keep in track with
the changing business scenario. Firms which do not change their marketing activities and
adjust themselves to the market trends will go out of business in no time. Hence the
marketing function of a business organization plays a pivotal role in ensuring the success of
the firm. In a business organization, marketing department generates the revenues, essential
for the survival and growth of the firm. The real challenge to marketers lies in generating
those revenues profitably, by satisfying customers in a socially responsible manner.

Ready-To-Eat (RTE) foods market in India is currently worth Rs.130 Crores. And it is
expected to further expand to Rs.2900 crores by 2015.The article by Janice Wong5 , “ Indian
Foods Big Potential for growth” expresses the views of Pinaki Mukherjee, Lead Consultant
with Data Monitor India‟s Consumer Market Team. With both rising popularity of Indian
cuisines and the burgeoning Indian diaspora across the globe , the recent rise in demand in
the local market is a substantial one. The factors contributing to this growth would be
changes like cold chain development, disintermediation, streamlining of taxation, economies
of scale on the supply side, coupled with increasing disposable incomes, diminishing culinary
skills and the raising need for convenience on the demand side.

Many companies like ITC, MTR,HUL,Parle ,Amul have already placed their foot prints in
this field. The Ready-To-Eat products are available in large varieties starting from chapattis
and rotis to gravies like Paneer Butter Masala ,Palak Paneer , Chicken Tikka and other
breakfast items like upma, semia, pongal etc. along with snacks like samosas ,pakodas and
even bhaji. No doubt Ready-To-Eat food products provide „Convenient Food‟, authentic
dishes and entice on the go along with a wide assortment of emerging desi brands.

The change in the role of women from a home maker to a working one gets more focus in the
current scenario. The women of today‟s time are not confined to home and kids. Today‟s
women have grown out of the image of a dutiful daughter-in-law, home maker and a devoted
wife. She is now a professional and working person with her own identity. The article of
Kamesawara Sastry and Chandrasekar, 8 about the social behaviour of Indian consumers
explains the views of the Registrar General of India, that the proportion of women in the
workforce in 1981 was 19.7% and it rose to 22.7%in 1991 and further rising to 25.7% in
2001 and 78.9 % in 2010.The engagement of more women in the work force has paved way
for more desire to maximize “ME” time ( time exclusive for themselves) .They have become
more time conscious and at the same time health conscious too. Thus convenience along with
quality and health became the most sought parameters for making food buying decisions.
There are plenty of products like the readymade pastes and kitchen accessories which are a
result of this revolution. Thus with these products produced, the focus on women as an active
decision maker is very clear in the marketing strategies.

1.2 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Food and grocery is the second largest segment of the retail industry and potential for new
entrants in this segment in enormous, particularly in the urban markets where the lifestyle
undergoing tremendous changes. Growing at the rate of 30%,the Indian food retail in going to
be the major driving force for the retail industry. The food industry on a roller coaster ride as
Indian continuo to have a feast. Followed by large disposable incomes and less availability
and time, the food sector in witnessing a remarkable change in consumption pattern.
Being the largest producer in milk,cashew,coconut ,tea and the second largest producers of
wheat,vegetables,sugar & fish and the third largest producer of tobacco and rice ,now its
time to provide better infrastructure & facilities for food processing industries to serve good
quality and safest processed foods like RTE food. This industry is on a growing stage and
understanding the market as well as customer demand is yearly important for marketer in this
field.
The proposed study on the “customer Satisfaction towards ready-
to-eat food” will surely provide many valuable insights for both the existing players and new
entrants and also those firms which planning to make to foot step in the field. Thus the study
is very relevant in the current scenario when the Ready-to-eat food products industry is
positioned for take off.

1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

 Consumer behaviour towards food worth analysing not only because it accounts for a
major part of the consumer purchase but also due to the tremendous changes undergoing in
the lifestyle and pattern of spending. Consumers are moving from cost conscious position to
that of health conscious and value conscious. One of the main reason which accelerated this
change in the transformation in the role of women from home makers to that of working
women's. The reduction of time at their disposal lead to the emergence of new segment of
product which are RTE products. The present study aims to examine the RTE food
consumers attitude and behaviour and to profile RTE. Consumer lifestyle segment in India
with special reference to Kerala.
-> The various issues which need focus in this field are
 Product quality expected or preferred in Ready to eat products.
 Shopping pattern including outlet choice timing and frequency of purchase of RTE
products.
 Attitude and family practice with regard to shopping and purchase decision of RTE
products.
 The difference in the buying behaviour of working women and home makers towards
RTE products.
 The proposed research intends to analyse there factors which will provide insight into
this emerging sector of RTE products.

1.4 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

1 .To find out the factors which influence the purchase of the Read-To-Eat food products.
2. To study the level of influence of advertisement for selecting RTE products.
3. To explore the level of satisfaction of the respondents towards instant food.
4. To identify the most preferred brands in RTE food products.
5. To examine whether the ready to eat food products are preferred by workings women,
home workers or both.
6. To give significance and recommendation for this study.

1.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The present study is based on both Primary and Secondary data.

Primary data
Primary data is collected through structured questionnaire.
Secondary data
Secondary data we have used internet source & journels,magazines etc.
1.5.1 Sample Size
For this purpose of the study, it is decided to select 60 respondents as sample
from Kanjirappally Thaluk.

1.5.2 Sample design

The technique used for selecting 60 respondents as samples is Convenient Sampling
Technique. Under this method a sample is selected at the convenience of the
researcher
to conduct the study.
1.5.3 Tools for analysis
The collected data have been analysed by applying different mathematical and
statistical tool is used for percentage,graphs,charts etc.

1.5.4 Area of the study

The sample is collected from kanjirapally Thaluk in Kottayam district.

1.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

1. The respondents are selected according to the convenience of the researcher. This

representation may not be satisfactory.

2. It was difficult to know whether the respondents are truly given the exact information.

3. The research was conducted only from 60 respondents this may not be satisfactory.

4. Stringency of the time forced the researchers to select the sample only from

Kanjirappally Taluk.
 Chapter 2
Review of literature

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The main objective of the present study was to study the food shopping-orientation of the
consumers of selected packaged foods and the relationship of their psychographic profile
with the same. Relevant literature and research studies were collected from books, re search
articles, and research papers form journals like Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing
Research, Journal of retailing, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Consumer Research and a
few others. The libraries of institutes like M.S.U. of Baroda, IIMA, N.M Institute of
Management, CERC Ahmedabad, S.P.Jain Institute of management, and Poddar Management
College, Jaipur were visited in course of collection of the review.

Relevant literature and research studies are presented here in this chapter
under the following headings.
1.0 Convenience food and its consumption: An Indian perspective and Related
studies
2.0 Shopping-orientation and Related Studies
3.0 Psychographics
3.1 Lifestyle and Related Studies
3.2 Personality and Related Studies
3.3 Market Beliefs and Related Studies
3.4 Attitude and Related Studies
3.5 Perceived Risk and Related Studies
4.0 Market Segmentation and Related Studies

1.0 CONVENIENCE FOOD AND ITS CONSUMPTION: AN INDIAN

PERSPECTIVE

Convenience foods can be broadly defined as ‘Foods that have undergone major processing
by the manufacturer such that they require little or no secondary processing and cooking
before consumption. This means, apart from warming, thawing, cooking, frying, diluting and
reconstitution, the. food is ready-to-eat. A food may be classified as convenience food if it
meets the criteria’s like.
1. The food must have undergone considerable amount of food preparation by
the manufacturer before it reaches the retailer.
2. It must require minimal cooking or processing before consumption by the
consumer.
3. The preparation time before consumption should be minimal (Manohar, 2005).

1.1 Classification of Convenience Foods

Convenience foods can be classified into 3 major categories.
1. Ready-to-eat foods (RTE)
The foods which can be directly consumed from the package with or without
warming/thawing and without preparations. Examples include
1. Dairy snacks like processed cheese, cheese spreads, butter spreads
ii. Dairy sweets like Gulab jamuns, rangolis, peda, burfi and other sweets like
sohan papdi, sohan halwa etc.
iii. Biscuits
iv. Breads
v. Snacks like chips, wafers.
vi. Retort processed foods like paneer curries, dal fries
vii. Frozen foods like ice cream, dosa etc.

2. Ready-to-use foods
The foods which need some preparations like cooking, frying, reconstitution,
dilution etc. before consumption. These include
i. Masalas like butter chicken mix, garam masalas, ginger/ garlic paste etc.
ii. Fresh cut vegetables like carrots, potato, cauliflower, radish, beans, cabbage
etc. which are sorted, washed and cut into slices, cubes, shreds and modified
atmospherically packed.
iii. Ready-to-cook like noodles, instant rava idli mix etc,
iv. Ready-to-fry like papads, color gold fingers, wafers, chicken samosa.
v. Ready-to-reconstitute like khoa powder, kulfi mix powder.Breakfast cereals
like com flakes, wheat flakes, honey crunch . which need some preparation
like addition of milk, fruits if desired before consumption.

3. Beverages
They are further divided into
i. Ready-to-drink which can be directly consumed from the container i.e, like
RTD fruit based milk, drinks from mango
ii. Ready-to-serve, needs some preparations like dilution, reconstitution before
consumption this include fruit juice concentrate (Manohar, 2005).
1.2 Current status and future prospects of convenience food in India

Analysis shows that India is currently witnessing greater change in lifestyle and buying habits
of the Indian consumers (Sumathi, 2003). India being very vast geographically, consumers
here are naturally scattered over a vast territory. As the country is also marked by great
diversity in climate, religion, language, literacy level, customers and calendars, lifestyle and
economic status, here consumers present a complex and bizarre group. Studies by the centre
for monitoring Indian economy reveal that structural shifts have been taking place in the
consumption pattern of Indian consumers in the recent years and the shift have gained greater
momentum since the launch of economic reforms. Convenience foods and ready-to-eat foods
are now popular. With the nuclear family, there is also a shift in the women’s attitude to
cooking and the meals she serves. Teenagers are also becoming influences of change in their
family’s meal pattern (Ramaswamy, 2003)
In recent years, the increase in the number of working, women, changing lifestyle, increase in
nuclear double income families, influence of media, increase in foreign travel and integration
of ethnic foods into the local food habits and desire for quality foods have resulted in
increased need for convenience foods (Manohar,2005). RTE foods have now become one
more option in the home-meal replacement segment along with the convectional options like
restaurants, mess/ canteen and catering services (especially during travel) and not-so-
conventional fast food joints and take-away/carry -home outlets (Ramarao, 2004). The
changing lifestyles of the consumers and rising disposable income groups, branded food,
health foods and convenient foods are gaining popularity and the market for these items are
growing at10 to 15% (Anonymous, 2004).

The middle class is now emerging as the ‘consumption community’ of the country. As the
members of the class are better educated and better exposed to global lifestyles, their
aspirations have been constantly growing (Rama Swamy, 2003), One significant point about
the middle class consumers is that in spite of the regional, linguistic and cultural diversities of
the country they generally fall into a common pattern of lifestyle and buying behaviour
(Sumathi, 2003).

The profile of the Indian middle class consumers reveals one vital point- they account for a
lion’s share of the demand base in the country in respect of most branded consumer products.
Their needs are on the increase, as is their disposable income. Marketers of most products
and services will be targeting this class. They have to naturally study the class in depth and
properly assess the buying motives and buying behaviour of each segment in the class to
design marketing strategies(Ramaswamy, 2003). -

Indian food buying behaviour is changing gradually in response to the changes in social and
economical patterns (Manohar, 2005). The four fundamental shifts
which further emphasize growth in the convenience foods are
1. Rapid growth in organized retail, a catalyst for the processed food development.
2. Convenience and enjoying life driven by demographic trends in age, income-levels and
more women in workforce

3. Global shift to outsourcing from India across products/ services, including food.
4. De-regulation and liberalization of the Indian economy since from 1991.With the changing
socio-economic factors, the demand for convenience foods is increasing steadily. India being
one of the largest food producers in the world is stated to become a global hub or production
of convenience food. Therefore in India the food processing is identified as sun-rise industry.
The de-regularization and liberalization of Indian economy has boosted the food processing
industry which is mainly engaged in production of convenience foods (Manohar, 2005).

India is on of the world’s top producers of food. It is first in milk and cereal production, and
second in fruit and vegetables. The size of semi processed and RTE food industry is
estimated to be US$1 billion which is growing @20% per year. Food processing industry is
identified as a sun-rising industry due to its enormous input potential and its significance in
the country’s development as it promotes vital linkages and synergies between the two pillars
of economy namely agriculture and industry (Manohar, 2005).

India’s middle class segment will hold the key to success or failure of the processed food
market in India. Of the country’s total population of one billion, the middle class segments
accounts for about 350-370 million. Though a majority of families in this segment have non-
working housewives but can afford hired domestic help and thus prepare foods of their taste
in their own kitchens, the profile of the middle class is changing steadily and hired domestic
help is becoming costlier. This is conducive to an expansion in demand for ready-to-eat
Indian style foods(http//www.indiaonestop.com/middleclassesindia.htm)

The big leap forward for packaged commodity foods, semi-cooked and pre-cooked foods is
expected in the next 5-10 years (Mathur, 2004). Technological developments particularly in
the field of food processing equipment, processes and packaging material have brought
revolution in the development of convenience foods as per the necessity, taste as well as
nutritional requirements of the consumers. Convenience foods- the choice of the day can be
designed to suit all segments of population. The demand for convenience foods is growing at
a faster pace due to changes in social and economical patterns, as well as increase in
urbanization, buying power and awareness about health foods, changes in meal pattern and
existing food habit, desire to taste new products etc (Manohar, 2005).
Related studies Reilly (1982) hypothesized that the wife’s employment would result in an
increase in the use of convenience foods and greater incidences of time saving durable
ownership. Role theory provided the concept of role overload as a possible mediating
variable. A structural equation model was developed and fitted to a sample of data from
Milwaukee, Wilsconsin SMSA. Role overload and increase in family income were posed as
indirect links between the wife’s work involvement and the use of convenience foods and
ownership of time saving durables. Family, social-status and the wife’s educational level also
were included in model. After relaxing some model constraints, satisfactory fit was achieved.
As predicted, role overload was causally related to working and convenience consumption.
The hypothesized relationships were in the predicted direction, and all were statistically
significant, with the exception of that between family, social-status and durable ownership
and that between role overload and convenience foods served. It was concluded that the
proposed model of the relationship between the wife’s status and the family’s consumption
behaviour accurately represented the data. The major problem was the amount of variance
explained- This was justified by saying that individuals may or may not use the measured
convenience foods for a number of reasons other than a desire to save time. Similarly, the
ownership of time-saving durables may be motivated by considerations other than work load
reduction. Darian and Cohen (1995) investigated whether consumers' time availability was an
important segmentation variable in the convenience and fast-food markets.
Very time-poor, somewhat time-poor, and not time-poor consumers were compared, and
three types of food are examined: fast foods, frozen dinners, and ready-to-eat foods. For
weekday dinners, similarities and differences between the three segments were investigated
with respect to the usage of each type of food, importance of benefits sought in a weekday
dinner, and perceptions of each type of food. Managerial implications of differences between
segments and of overall patterns were discussed. Veenma et. al. (1995) attempted to assess
determinants of convenience food usage to gather information for nutrition education
programs, in which messages maybe targeted at specific groups. A sample of 1783 female
housekeepers, studied within the framework of the 1992 Dutch National Food Consumption
Survey, was used. Significance of the effects of psycho-social, socio-demographic and life-
style factors was assessed using a covariance structure model. The results indicated that the
most important determinants of convenience food usage were nutritional knowledge, socio-
economic status (SES), marital status, employment status and stage in the family life cycle.
Knowledge of food and nutrition was inversely related to convenience food usage. When
aiming at diminishing convenience food usage in the Netherlands by improving nutrition
knowledge, nutrition educators might focus their attention on women with a low SES who are
in an advanced stage of the family life cycle (older women), are married and do not have a
paid job. According to Davies and Madan (1997) time is a multidimensional entity and
research into how we allocate our time is still at an early stage of development. Food
shopping and meal preparation are two related activities which involve a significant
consumption of time. Reports on research into attitudes to time and investigated three
different aspects of people’s attitudes towards food shopping and preparation: an enjoyment
of cooking; a traditional orientation and a modem (role-sharing) attitude to the linked
activities. Identifies two clearly defined groups. No differences between the groups existed on
demographic factors such as age, gender, whether the respondent had paid work and housing
type. No differences existed in their ownership of time-saving consumer durables. One group
clearly saw mealtimes as significant activities and found cooking enjoyable. It did not matter
whether the people in this group were-pressured or not - they chose to allocate time to these
activities and they differ in their attitudes to time. A substantial group in society still do see
food shopping and meal preparation as important activities. It contends that while such
individuals maybe subject to modem-day pressures they still appear to organize their time to
maintain traditional perspective. LaRoche et.al. (1998) studied ethnic identity or the retention
or loss of attitudes, values and behaviours of one’s culture of origin. It was presented as a
multidimensional construct. It was further suggested that acculturation or the acquisition of
traits of the dominant/host culture constituted a separate yet correlated process. Initial
exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on responses from Italian-
Canadians to various items designed to tap Italian ethnic identity. These analyses revealed
that ethnic identity did indeed constitute a multidimensional process. Specifically, three
dimensions were identified: Italian Social Interaction and Participation, Italian Language Use
with Family Members, and Catholicism. A final CFA model incorporated the three ethnic
identity dimensions and two dimensions of acculturation. Consistent with previous findings,
LISREL Misestimation resulted in significant negative correlations between some ethnic
identity and acculturation dimensions. The discriminant validity of ethnic identity was also
more thoroughly established visa-visa acculturation by computing 95 per cent confidence
intervals for the parameter estimates. Finally, subsequent stepwise regression analyses
showed that the three ethnic identity dimensions along with the two acculturation dimensions
and three socioeconomic factors had differential impacts on the consumption of various
convenience and traditional foods. A hypothesis holding that ethnic identity was negatively
related to the consumption of convenience foods was partly confirmed. Another holding that
it was positively related to the consumption of traditional foods was better established .Nayga
and Farooq (1998) carried out an exploratory study to examine the effect of various factors
on the decision to consume convenience meat products. Factors important to the decision by
consumers to try convenience meat products were fat consciousness, number of adults and
children in the household, education level, ownership of a microwave oven, average time to
cook dinner, age and, to some extent, income.
Verlegh and Candel (1999) applied the theory of reasoned action to study influence on the
consumption of TV dinners. The study investigated five situations, which were either time-
related (weekdays vs weekends) or social (“dinner alone”, “dinner with family”, and “dinner
with friends”). The intention to use a TV dinner decreased from “alone” via “with family” to
“with friends”, but did not differ between weekdays and weekends. Subjective norms were a
stronger influence on intentions than attitudes in all situations, except for “weekdays” and
“dinner alone”. Primary reference groups were a stronger influence on intentions than
secondary reference groups, and the motivation to comply with a particular reference group
increased substantially when it joined for dinner. Consumption frequency for TV dinners was
higher in households where the person responsible for meal preparation held a paid job, and it
was positively related to the number of hours that this person was employed.
Jae et.al. (2000) used a sample of 39,025 urban families from the 1996 Korean Family
Income and Expenditures Survey to examine the relationship between family characteristics
and expenditure on convenience foods. Results indicated that age and education of the
family's head, number of children, presence of children under the age six, the wife's labour
force participation, and area of residence were significant in predicting the level of
expenditure on convenience foods. The present study pointed to and gave a rationale to
differences in some of the effects as compared with those found in Western countries. Boer
et.al. (2002) focused on the Irish convenience food consumer and investigated four
convenience food categories: ready meals, take-away meals, restaurant meals, and pub meals.
A nationally representative (n=1024) survey was undertaken in Ireland amongst primary food
purchasers in the household. Within each convenience food category, consumers were
segmented into textiles based on their level of consumption. The fertile with the highest
consumption level of convenience foods was compared with the textile with the lowest
consumption level on their food-related lifestyles, convenience food-related lifestyles and
their beliefs about food. Analysis of data found that the consumption of ready meals and take-
away meals was most associated with convenience related dimensions. Restaurant and pub
meals seemed to be less related to the convenience dimensions. The purchase of restaurant
meals was strongly related to social event. Furthermore the effect of lifestyles and beliefs on
the purchase of convenience food was examined. Comparison of the regression results across
the four convenience food categories highlighted the importance of convenience food-related
lifestyle issues in the purchase of ready meals. General food-related lifestyle issues were
more important in the purchase of take-away meals. The consumption of restaurant and pub
meals was least effected by convenience related dimensions and more by the importance of
social events.Newman (2003) analyzed, Irish households' expenditure on prepared meals fo
Rhome consumption using the 1987 and 1994 Irish Household Budget Survey datasets The
aim of the paper was to analyse the factors influencing decisions to purchase prepared meals
and how much to spend onThis was done using the double-hurdle methodology adjusted for
heteroscedasticity and non-normality. Income elasticities were estimated for household
expenditure on prepared meals in both years and significant socioeconomic influences were
identified. These socioeconomic factors were assumed to underpin the tastes and preferences
of Irish households, with convenience identified as a significant preference of many
household groups’ Cullugh et.a. (2003) identified the target audience for hot pot snacks, and
factors influenced their buyer behaviour was vital information for product developers and
manufacturers. The reported market research, undertaken at Manchester Metropolitan
University, evaluated the effect of changing lifestyles on the of the pot snack market and
investigated consumer opinion of pot snacks with particular regard to their nutritional status.
consumer questionnaire was used to measure the opinion of pot snacks and frequency of
consumption and influences on the growth of the pot snack market. Existing data on snacking
habits, household size, increase of working women and changes in society were reviewed.
Conclusions from the work confirmed that food choice was multi-factorial and within the pot
snack market there was a variety of reasons determining the demand, each influenced by a
variety of extrinsic factors. The findings indicated that the frequency of consumption was
influenced by knowledge and opinion about the nutritional content of the pot snack product,
suggesting that consumers now were demanding health as well as convenience Ahlgreen et.al
(2004) mentioned that food choice was dependent upon our beliefs about both the products
and those who consume them. In this study beliefs about the prototypical attributes of ready
meal consumers were investigated to establish which beliefs existed and whether they had
any actual basis when compared with self-reported behaviours of ready meal consumers. In
the survey, respondents described what they considered to be common attributes of ready
meal consumers. Some of these attributes were supported by the data provided by the ready
meal consuming respondents, while many were not. Most interesting was the fact that two
frequently mentioned attributes, being alone and no interest in cooking or food, were
confirmed by the ready meal consuming respondents in the actual eating situation but not by
their life-style and beliefs in general. The results supported the call for more situation-
oriented food research. Harris and Matthews (2005) focused on ready food products and the
impact of economic and socioeconomic factors on purchases of selected convenience foods.
Techniques which allow for correcting estimates for complex survey design were used in
order to produce estimates which reflected population behaviour, that is, the impact for all
U.S.households, not just the sample households. This technique was employed to provide the
necessary weights to the sample strata contained in the sample and to provide ‘honest’
estimates of standard errors for population coefficients. When using data where households
election probabilities were non-uniform, the researcher had several options. One can assume
that the probabilities of household selection were uniform and produce estimates from
analysis of the sample data. However, to produce population totals or means, one must use
the projection weights. Another choice was to use weighted regression. This technique takes
care of weighting but disregards the complex survey design of the sample data. Only complex
survey design techniques account for both weighting and the survey design. However, some
econometric procedures may not be available in complex survey procedures. Buckley et.al.
(2005) mentioned that as the demand for convenience foods becomes greater, the quality of
such products becomes more important.
 Chapter 3
Customer satisfaction-an
overview
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION –AN OVERVIEW

Food has always been an integral part of the society. Over the period,
India has been witnessed to be influenced by the Western Culture and so does creeps
in Ready-to-Eat (RTE); Food Packages which provide any person an ability to wear
an apron to be a master chef in no time. With the changing style of food consumption
and the benefits availed through the use of Ready-to-Eat food has resulted in a
subsequent rise in the RTE market. Ready-to-Eat dates back to 1970’s and gained
popularity since then. In 1975, when the state of emergency was declared, MTR had
to shut down its business unit as it was running into losses. However at that time, the
son of the owner of MTR employed his former employees to work for packaged food
products. The total value of Indian food processing industry is expected to touch US$
194 billion by 2015, according to Mr. Swapan Dutta, Deputy Director General, and
Indian Council of AgriculturalResearch. (ICAR).
The food processing industry is one of the largest industries in India and it is ranked
fifth in terms of Production, Consumption, Export and Expected growth. Demand for
Ready-to-Eat meals has captured a large amount of the food retail market in India.
Thus, the emerging change in consumer’s perception, socio-economic political factors
has led to change in consumers purchase intention toward Ready-To-Eat Food
Products and thus providing a huge business opportunity against some of the major
established players in the market like MTR, RTE is highly growing industry with the
changing lifestyle of the people but not much has been researched on it in India.
Ready-to-Eat food is food that is offered or exposed for sale without additional
cooking or preparation, which is packaged on the premises where they are being sold
and are ready for consumption. Canned foods, convenience foods, fast foods, frozen
foods, instant products, dried foods, preserved foods, etc. all come under Ready-to-
Eat foods.
Demographic variables and socio-economic characteristics of the
consumers are also important variables, which decide the consumption pattern of food
products in the family. Factors influencing the consumers choice of RTE food are
flavour, texture, appearance, advertising, a reduction traditional cooking,
fragmentation of family, etc.. Other factors positively influencing Ready to Eat food
demand are rising income level, influence of western countries, more global trade,
travelling, convenience in preparation due to lack of time and cost effectiveness.
Demographic variables and socio-economic characteristics of the consumers are also
important variables, which decide the consumption pattern of food products in the
family.

Factors influencing the consumers choice of RTE food are flavour, texture,
appearance, advertising, a reduction in traditional cooking, fragmentation of family.
Other factors positively influencing Ready to Eat food demand are rising income
level, influence of western countries, more global trade, travelling, convenience in
preparation due to lack of time and cost effectiveness. Development of the
metropolitan cities due to increase in population, emergence of industries, evolution
of various new factors, time factor, etc., created the need for Ready-to Eat foods in the
market. Due to industrialization, the labour category is getting attracted to it because
of better emoluments and hence there is shortage of home maid-servants. Due to this,
the housewives, in order to save time started using Ready-to-Eat foods. Earlier times,
a single family consisted of many people i.e., a group of several nuclear families were
living in a single place. Hence, larger quantities of the food were used to be prepared.
But as these joint families started disappearing due to various reasons, each single
family started using these Ready-to Eat foods in order to save time and energy.
 Ready-to-Eat meal offerings have developed to meet the need for
ease of use and convenience, consumers focus on fresh, healthier eating options due
to which they might not want to consume Ready to-Eat food. Ready-to-Eat food
products are the delicacy of lower age groups as compared to the old age people. Non-
preference for Ready-to-Eat food was due to various reasons like low cost of
home preparation, differences in taste, non-preference of Ready-to-Eat food by other
family members, higher prices, lack of awareness of the products that are available in
the market and non-availability of Ready-to-Eat food. Difference in taste between
homemade food and purchased Ready-to-Eat product was found to be one of the most
important reasons for not using Ready-to-Eat food. Whereas, the reasons for not
purchasing Ready-to-Eat food products were the lack of awareness of the products,
disliking towards the products, relatively high price and health consciousness of the
people.

Indian cooking and lifestyle have undergone tremendous changes for

the last 15 years. There are many major factors impacts this change are include,
liberalization policy, dual income, separate living of couples, Innovative kitchen
applications, Media proliferation etc. The cooking style and eating habits in India
varies drastically from southern part of India to northern part of India. Due to lifestyle
pressure nowadays people prefer easy short way of cooking food rather spending too
much time on spending in cooking. Non-availability of raw materials to prepare
masala and tedious process involved in doing so, has influenced people to choose
such products. There is no specific category and market potential for these
products. The product portfolio varies from noodles, pasta, chips, dairy products, fish
& meat products, ready cooking dosa, parota items, masala dishes, pre cooked dishes
etc.
There are peoples, who are migrating to cities for job and education and
these people have find that Ready-to-eat products are comfortable to eat rather than
depending on restaurants. Most of the dual income (both husband and wife are office
goers) families want to spend much less time on cooking because of less availability
of time. During weekends they want to spend time with their kids and outing, whereas
in weekdays the office duration is large and these factors forced them to go for buying
such products. Other factors influences this products is availability of different
flavours and dishes. Consumers who are looking for different dishes and flavours now
depend on these products. This products brings variety to
their eating’s and palatable too. There is no conclusion which one precedes-whether
the availability or taste or time constraint, all these factors complement each other in
driving these products.
When India becomes the hub of many multinationals and there is a rapid
change in people lifestyles. Modernization, majority of young population,
knowledgeable consumers, will make an impact on these products. Due to raise in
literary levels, proliferation of communication technology, consumers are becoming
more aware of the foods they intake and they take decision based on the wealth of
resources available. There are data available like India is becoming capital for heart
patients and diabetic, there is a much stress given on lifestyle and food habits of
peoples.
Health conscious consumers are mostly well educated and can access to different
information available on the internet, magazines, TV shows, and word-of-mouth
information by their society people. More than male, the female consumers shown
much interest in knowing the level of calories, ingredients and certain product
approval certificates in choosing the products. This shows a good sign of healthy
generation in India, especially in the age group of 20-40. Females are also weight
conscious and they decide the products based on their consciousness. Often, house
wives become the major influential factors in deciding the food products for the
whole family. They now going for purchasing high fibre, low calories and nutrition
rich products for their family protection. Advertisements about these products are also
becomes a major factor in deciding these products.
Level of obesity is on the rise of Indian population and on one side
consumers are becoming awareness of the food they intake and on the other side
consumers are carried away by advertisements information and packaging styling.
The research focused on finding the reasons for purchase and non purchase of Ready-
to-Eat food as a substitute to a daily meal (i.e. Indian breads, Rice and curries) taking
into consideration the changes in socio-economic conditions prevalent today. It thus
focuses on knowing the perception of the consumers towards Ready-to-Eat food and
the impact of factors on their purchase intention.
There existed an ambiguity of what Ready-to-Food is, as different sources
provided with different meanings. In order to derive a niche expertise of derived
findings, the research was restricted to only branded Ready-to-Eat products and to
consumers who were aware about RTE food products.

Instant foods

Instant food, or tertiary processed food, is food that is commercially prepared

(often through processing) to optimise ease of consumption. Such food is usually
ready to eat without further preparation. It may also be easily portable, have a long
shelf life, or offer a combination of such convenient traits. Although restaurant meals
meet this definition, the term is seldom applied to them. Convenience foods include
ready-to-eat dry products, frozen foods such as TV dinners, shelf-stable foods,
prepared mixes such as cake mix, and snack foods.
Bread, cheese, salted food and other prepared foods have been sold for thousands of
years. Other kinds were developed with improvements in food technology.
Types of convenience foods can vary by country and geographic region.
Some convenience foods have received criticism due to concerns about nutritional
content and how their packaging may increase solid waste in landfills. Various
methods are used to reduce the unhealthy aspects of commercially produced food and
fight
childhood obesity.
Convenience food is commercially prepared for ease of consumption.
Products designated as convenience food are often sold as hot, ready-to-eat dishes;
as room-temperature, shelf-stable products; or as refrigerated or frozen food products
that require minimal preparation (typically just heating).Convenience foods have also
been described as foods that have been created to "make them more appealing to the
consumer. “Convenience foods and restaurants are similar in that they save time.
They differ in that restaurant food is ready to eat, whilst convenience food usually
requires rudimentary preparation. Both typically cost more money
and less time compared to home cooking from scratch.

History

Throughout history, people have bought food from bakeries, creamer is,
butcher shops and other commercial processors to save time and effort. The Aztec
people of Central Mexico utilized several convenience foods that required only
adding water for preparation, which were used by travellers. Cornmeal that was
ground and dried, referred to as Pinole, was used by travellers as a convenience food
in this manner.
Canned food was developed in the 19th century, primarily for military use,
and became more popular during World War I. The expansion of canning depended
significantly upon the development of canneries for producing large quantities of cans
very cheaply. Before the 1850s, making a can for food required a skilled tinsmith;
afterwards, an unskilled labourer, operating a can-making machine, could produce 15
times as many cans each day.
One of the earliest industrial-scale processed foods was meatpacking. After
the invention of a system of refrigerator cars in 1878, animals could be raised,
slaughtered, and butchered hundreds (later thousands) of miles or kilometres away
from the consumer.
Experience in World War II contributed to the development of frozen foods
and the frozen food industry. Modern convenience food saw its beginnings in the
United States during the period that began after World War II. Many of these products
had their origins in military- developed foods designed for storage longevity and ease
of preparation in the battle field. Following the war, several commercial food
companies had leftover manufacturing facilities, and some of these companies created
new freeze-dried and canned foods for home use.
Like many product introductions, not all were successful—convenience food
staples such as fish sticks and canned peaches were counterbalanced by failures such
as ham sticks and cheeseburgers-in-a-can. However, this new focus on convenience
foods and the use of technology in the kitchen alleviated labour that was traditionally
carried out by women, and therefore meals that could be prepared quickly enabled
women to exercise more control over their time.
As of the 2010s due to increased preference for fresh, "natural", whole, and
organic food and health concerns the acceptability of processed food to consumers in
the United States was dropping and the reputation of major packaged food brands had
been damaged. Firms responded by offering "healthier" formulations and acquisition
of brands with better reputations.

Types & classifications

 Convenience foods can include products such as candy; beverages such as soft
drinks, juices and milk; nuts, fruits and vegetables in fresh or preserved states;
processed meats and cheeses; and canned products such as soups and pasta dishes.
Additional convenience foods include frozen pizza, chips such as potato chips,
pretzels, and cookies. These products are often sold in portion- controlled, single-
serving packaging designed for portability.

Ready to Eat Food: Product Classification

• Bakery Products – Biscuits, Cake etc.

• Snacks – Chips, Namkeen, wafers etc.
• Dairy Products –Ice cream, sweets, Lassi etc.
• Canned and packaged food.
• Candy and Chocolates.
• Fruit juices
• Soft drinks and beverages
• Others
Grist mills have produced flour for baking for thousands of years. In more recent
times flour has been sold with other ingredients mixed in, as have other products
ready to cook. Packaged mixes are convenience foods which typically require some
preparation and cooking either in the oven or on the stove top.
Packaged baked goods mixes typically use chemical leaveners (commonly
referred to as baking powder[, for a quick, reliable result, avoiding the requirement for
time-consuming skilled labour and the climate control needed for traditional yeast
breads. These packaged mixes produce a type of quick bread. Examples include cake
mixes, macaroni and cheese, brownie mixes, and gravy mixes. Some packaged
mixes may have a high saturated fat content.
In Russia, frozen pelmeni, a type of meat dumplings, adopted from the
Finno-Ugric Uralian peoples such as Komi, Mansi and Udmurts, are known from at
least the 18th century, and industrially produced and prepacked pelmeni are a staple
of the supermarket freezer sections.

Environmental and health concerns

 Several groups have cited the environmental harm of single serve packaging
due to the increased usage of plastics that contributes to solid waste inland fills.[36]
[37] Due to concerns about obesity and other health problems, some health
organizations have criticized the high fat, sugar, salt, food preservatives and food
additives that are present in some convenience foods.
In most developed countries, 80% of consumed salt comes from industry-
prepared food (5% come from natural salt; 15% comes from salt added during
cooking or eating).[38]
Health effects of salt concentrate on sodium and depend in part on how much
is consumed. A single serving of many convenience foods contains a significant
portion of the recommended daily allowance of sodium. Manufacturers are concerned
that if the taste of their product is not optimized with salt, it will not sell as well as
competing products. Tests have shown that some popular packaged foods depend on
significant amounts of salt for their palatability.
Many preservatives, salts, artificial colours and artificial flavourings
are used in frozen food item. In response to the issues surrounding the healthfulness
of convenience and restaurant foods, an initiative in the United States, spearheaded by
Michelle Obama and her Let's Move! campaign, to reduce the unhealthy aspects of
commercially produced food and fight childhood obesity, was unveiled by the White
House in February 2010. Mrs. Obama has pushed the industry to cut back on sugars
and salts found in many convenience foods, encouraging self-regulation over
government intervention through laws and regulations. Despite Mrs. Obama's stated
preference on self-regulation, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it
was looking into quantifying the guidelines into law while other groups and
municipalities are seeking to add other preventative measures such as target taxes and
levies onto these products.
In response to the attention, in April 2010 a coalition of sixteen
manufactures all agreed to reduce salt levels in foods sold in the United States under a
program based on a similar effort in the United Kingdom. However, the initiative has
met with resistance from some manufacturers, who claim that processed foods require
the current high levels of salt to remain appetizing and to mask undesirable effects of
food processing such as "warmed-over flavours”. The coalition expanded its mission
in May 2010 by announcing that it intends to reduce the amount of calories in foods.
 By introducing lower calorie foods, changing product recipes and reducing
portion sizes, the coalition stated that it expected to reduce the caloric content of
foods by more than 1.5 trillion calories in total by 2012.

Social inequality

As previously stated, convenience foods cover a variety of food groups and

come in numerous forms. Thus, there are a variety of healthy and unhealthy
convenience foods. Research such as the 2002 study by Kimberly Morland et al., have
correlated inequalities between low-income communities and increased access to
unhealthy convenience foods.[43][44] Comparing low-income communities to more
affluent communities, there are four times more supermarkets located in white
communities than the black communities (commonly found in food deserts). As a
result, the 2002 study concluded that with limited access to healthy food options in
supermarkets, members with in the low- income and minority communities have
unequal access.

A 2010 study by Dharma E. Cortes et al. also found a connection between

consumption of unhealthy convenience food and minority communities. Limited
access to healthy food options have resulted in an increase in obesity amongst
members in these communities.
Many low-income families struggle with buying fresh fruits and vegetables
and nutritional meals for their families because of the price of the products. These
families are most often located in food deserts and fresh food is not readily available
in their community. Thus, families resort to buying food that is high in fat, sugar, and
salt because these highly processed options are inexpensive.

Advantages and disadvantages of ready to eat food products

• The major advantages of RTE food products are:

-These foods never run out of stock as lot of companies have ensured efficient supply
line for good business.
- They are convenient when you don't have a lot of time and are handy on the go.
RTE Cereals are Healthy alternative breakfasts.
- RTE food is safe enough to be consumed as the companies manufacture these
foodservice products under well protected conditions and they are processed under the
rules and regulations laid down by the government.
- The RTE frozen fruits and vegetables can be carried to any place even where these
fruits and vegetables do not grow at all. And as these fruits and vegetables are frozen,
they do not lose their nutrition value.

As the norm of a two sided coin, RTE products such as processed foods and pre-
packaged meals with their advantages also have disadvantages like:

- They are full of chemical preservatives that keep them fresh and make them
convenience foods.
- They are full of salt, which isn't good for anyone if not moderated.
- As per health studies, they contribute to health conditions such as heart problems
high blood pressure, kidney and liver problems.

RTE meals are useful for many people in different ways. For sick, old people who are
unable to make food and travellers the RTE meal is a boon. Backpackers/Hikers
travelling
around remote area find these meals a convenient method of storing, packing and
consuming
nutrient rich food.
The fact remains that on a planet of six billion where majority of the people have less
time on their hands RTE foods are here to stay and hence accepted by a large number
of people ignoring its few demerits.
 Chapter 4
Analysis and interpretation
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

The project is titled "Customer satisfaction towards ready to food at retail market

towards the purchasing behaviour of people in kanjirappally taluk ".The data first

edited and then coded and finally tabulated for the purpose of analysis. For the

purpose of the study 60 respondents were selected from Kanjirappally Taluk. The data

is collected through structured questionnaire, and analysis are based on age wise,

gender wise, qualification wise, income wise etc.They are presented through tables

and graph for ready interpretation. The interpretation of the study is are following ;
 Table 3.1

Respondents Age wise classification

Age No. of respondents Percentage (%)

Below 20 years 23 38

20-30 years 27 45

30-40 years 4 7

40-50 years 4 7

Above 50 years 2 3

Total 60 100

Source: Primary data

Interpretation:

Above table shows the age wise classification of respondents. 38 % of respondents are

belongs to the age below 20. 45 % of the respondents belongs to the age group 20-30.

7 % of the respondents are belong to age group 30-40 and 40-50, and about 3 % of the

respondent are from age group of above 50.

Figure 3.1

Respondents age wise classification

 Gender Number of respondents Percentage

Male 18 30

Female 42 70

Total 60 100

50

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
Below 20 20-30 years 30-40 years 40-50 years Above 50 years
years

Table 3.2

Respondents classification on the basis of gender

Source: Primary data

Interpretation:

Above table reveals the gender wise classification of respondents. Out of 60

respondents, 30 % of them are male and 70 % of them are female.

 Gender Number of respondents Percentage

UG 44 73
Figure
3.2
PG 12 20

Diploma 4 7

Total 60 100

Respondents classification on the basics of gender

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Male Female

Table 3.3

Respondents classification on the basis of education

 Source: Primary data

Interpretation:

From the above table, 73 % of the respondents are Under Graduates, 20 % of the

respondents are Post Graduates and 7 % of the respondents are in the category of

Diploma.

Figure 3.3

Respondents classification on the basis of education

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
UG PG Diploma

Table 3.4

Respondents classification on the basics of occupation

 Occupation Number of respondents Percentage

Agriculture 6 10

Business 5 8

Students 46 77

Private 3 5 Source:
entrepreneur

Total 60 100

Primary data

Interpretation:

From the Above table, About 10 % of the respondents are under the category

of Agriculture. 8 % of them are Business and about 77 % of the respondents

are students. 5 % of them are private entrepreneur.

Figure 3.4

Respondents classification on the basics of occupation

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Agriculture Business Students Private
entrepreneur
 Table 3.5

Respondents classification on the basis of Income

Income Number of respondents Percentage

Below 20000 27 45

20000-30000 18 30

More than 30000 15 25

Total 60 100
Source:
Primary data

Interpretation:

This table shows the income wise classification of the respondents. About 45 %

of respondents have monthly income below 20000. About 30 % of the respondents

have monthly income between 20000-30000 and 25 % of the people have monthly

income above 30000.

Figure 3.5

Respondents classification on the basics of income

50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Below 20000 20000-30000 More than 30000

Table 3.6
 Respondents classification on basics of type of family

Family Number of respondents Percentage

Joint family 18 30

Nuclear family 42 70

Total 60 100 Source:

Primary data

Interpretation:

The above table reveals the type of family of respondents. About 30 % of

respondents are from Joint Family and about 70 % of respondents are from

Nuclear Family.

Figure 3.6

Respondents classification on the basis of type of family

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Joint family Nuclear family
 Table 3.7
Respondents classification on the basis of interest

Basics Number of respondents Percentage

Yes 52 87

No 8 13

Total 60 100
Source:
Primary data

Interpretation:

The above table showing that the majority of respondents are interested towards

RTE foods . That is 87 % of respondents are satisfied and 13 % are not satisfied.

Figure 3.7

Respondents classification on the basics of interest

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Yes No
Percentage
 Table 3.8

Factors motivate respondents towards purchase of RTE foods

Factors No. of respondents Percentage (%)

Price 10 17

Taste 28 47

Nutritional quality 10 16

Easy availability 12 20

Total 60 100

Source: Primary data

Interpretation:

The above table showing that 17 % of respondents are influenced by price and 47 % of
respondents are influenced by taste. 16 % are influenced by nutritional quality and 20 % are
influenced by easy availability of products.

Figure 3.8

Factors motivate respondents towards purchase of RTE foods

Factors induces to buy RTE foods

50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Price Taste Nutritional quality Easy avalibility

Percentage (%)
 Table 3.9

Respondents affordability towards processed food

Basics Number of respondents Percentage

Yes 41 68

No 19 32

Total 60 100

Source:
Primary data

Interpretation:

From this analysis it is clear that 68 % of respondents are affordable

with price and 32 % are not affordable.

Figure 3.9

Respondents affordability towards processed foods

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Yes No
Percentage
 Table 3.10

Table showing influence of advertisement affect the purchase of respondent

Basics Number of respondents Percentage

Yes 33 55

No 27 45

Total 60 100

Source:
Primary data

Interpretation:

From this analysis it is clear that 55 % of them influenced by advertisement

and 45 % are not influenced by advertisement.

Figure 3.10

Influence of advertisement affect the purchase of respondent

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Yes No

Percentage
 Table 3.11

Table showing sources of information

source No.of respondents Percentage (%)

Advertisement 30 50

Display at shop 6 9

News paper 4 7

Internet 10 17

Other sources 10 17

Total 60 100

Sources: Primary data

The table reveals that about 50 % respondents are getting information from

advertisements on TV. And about 9 % of them are getting from Display at

shop and 17% are getting information from Internet sources and remaining 17%

from other sources.

Figure 3.11

Sources of information

Percentage (%)
60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Advertisement Display at shop News paper Internet Other sources
 Table 3.12

Table showing awareness level of respondents

Brands Number of respondents Percentage

Nestle 30 50

Mia 20 33

Parle 10 17

Total 60 100
Source:
Primary data

Interpretation:

The above table shows that about 50% of the respondents are preferring

Nestle and 33% are preferring parle and 17 are preferring Mia.

Figure 3.12

Awareness level of respondents

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Nestle Mia Parle
 Awareness Level of Respondents
TABLE 3.12
Respondent’s Awareness towards Nesle,Parle and Mia

Particulars Nestle Parle Mia

No. Percentage No. Percentage No. Percentage

Highly Aware 30 50 25 42 15 25

Aware 15 25 25 42 5 8

Neutral 3 5 3 5 10 17

Slightly Aware 10 17 5 8 10 17

Not at all Aware 2 3 2 3 20 33

total 60 100 60 100 60 100

Source-Primary Data

50% of the respondents are highly aware of Nesle.25% of them are aware and 5% are
neutral. About 17% are slightly aware and 3% are not at all aware about the brand Nestle.
The above table reveals that 42% of the respondents are Highly aware about the brand Parle
and again 42% of them are aware.5% of them are Neutral and 8% are slightly aware and 3%
are not at all aware. About 25% of the respondents are Highly aware of the brand Mia .
8% respondents are aware. About 17% of respondents are Neutral and 17% are slightly
aware and 33% are not at all Aware.

Figure 3.12
Awareness Level of Respondents
60

50
50

42 42
40
33 Highly Aware
Aware
30
25 25 Neutral
Slightly Aware
Not at all Aware
20 17 17 17

10 8 8
5 5
3 3
0
Nestle Parle Mia
 Table 3.13

Table showing changing food habits among people

Basics Number of respondents Percentage

Yes 52 87

No 8 13

Total 60 100

Source: Primary data

Interpretation:

From the above analysis it is clear that 87 % of respondents are agree

with changing of food habits and 13 % of respondents are not agreeing.

Figure 3.13

Changing food habits among people

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Yes No
 Table 3.14

Table showing consumption frequency of RTE foods

Type Number of respondents Percentage

Dairy 4 6

Bakery 30 50

Beverages 4 6

Snacks 16 28

Packed 6 10

Total 60 100
Source:
Primary data

Interpretation:

It shows that 6 % of the respondents are purchasing dairy products 50 %

are preferring Bakery products and again 6 % are preferring Beverages,

28 % are preferring snacks and 10 % are preferring packed food products.

Figure 3.14

Consumption frequency of RTE foods

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Dairy Bakery Beverages Snacks Packed

Table 3.15
 Table showing frequency of purchase

Type Number of respondents Percentage

Daily 15 25

Monthly 19 32

Occasionally 26 43

Total 60 100 Source:

Primary data

Interpretation:

From this analysis 25 % of people are purchasing RTE food on Daily basis,

32 % of them are on monthly basis and 43 % of them are purchasing occasionally.

Figure 3.15
 Factors
50 Number of respondents Percentage
45
Price
40 20 34
35
Brand
30
22 37
endorsement
25

20
Advertising 3 5
15

10
Sales promotion
5
5 8
0
Daily Monthly Occasionally
Attractive packing 5 8

Other 5 8

Total 60 100
Freq
uency of purchase

Table 3.16

Table showing the factors influenced purchase of RTE foods

 Source: Primary data

Interpretation:

The above table showing that 34 % of the respondents are influenced by price and 37 % of
them are influenced by Advertisement. 5 % of them are influenced by attractive packaging of
products. 8 % of them are through Brand endorsement and 8 % are through Sales promotion
and also through other sources.

Figure 3.16

Factors influenced purchase of RTE foods

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
on

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in
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e

oti
in

ck
ic

th
s

om
Pr

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ve
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an

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Br

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ra
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Table 3.17

Ranking on the basis of factors that influenced Purchase Behavior of

respondents
 Rank 1 2 3 4 Total

Point 4 3 2 1

Factors Score Total Score Total Score Total Score Total Score total

Price 33 132 9 27 8 16 10 10 60 185

Quality 36 144 12 36 8 16 4 4 60 200

Quantity 22 88 18 54 13 26 7 7 60 175

Ingredients 16 64 19 57 13 26 12 12 60 159

Taste 34 136 17 51 5 10 4 4 60 201

Brand Name 19 76 26 78 7 14 8 8 60 176

Source:Primary Data

From the above table it is clear that, the main factor that influence a consumer

to purchase RTE food is Taste of a Product(201),then Quality of Product(200),

then Price of the product(185),then Brand image of a product(176),then

Quantity(175) of a product and finally Ingredients(159) of the Product.

Figure 3.17
Ranking on the basis of factors that influence Purchase
250
Behaviour of Consumers
200

150

100

50

0
Price Quality Quantity Ingredients Taste Brand Name

Table 3.18
Table showing RTE foods preferred by working women

or home worker more

 Basics Number of respondents Percentage
Source:
Working women 51 85

Home workers 9 15

Total 60 100

Primary data

Interpretation:

From this analysis it is clear that majority of the respondents are

Working Women that prefer RTE. 85 % of respondents are

working women and 15 % of them are Home maker.

Figure 3.18

RTE foods preferred by working women or home worker more

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Working women Home workers
 TABLE 3.19

Satisfaction of RTE Food

Particulars No of Respondents Percentage(%)

Yes 48 80

No 12 20

Total 60 100

Source:Primary Data

Interpretation:

From the above analysis, it is clear that majority of the respondents are satisfied

with RTE food. 80% of respondents are satisfied and 20% are not satisfied with

consumption of RTE food.

Figure 3.19

Satisfaction of RTE Food

90
80
70
60
50 Percentage(%)
40
30
20
10
0
Yes No
 Table 3.19(a)

( a)Classification on the basis of Taste

Particulars No. of Respondents Percentage(%)

Highly Satisfied 15 25

Satisfied 30 50

Neutral 12 20

Highly Dissatisfied 2 3

Dissatisfied 1 2

Total 60 100

Source:Primary Data

Interpretation:

25% of the respondents are Highly Satisfied and 50% of the respondents are

satisfied by the Taste of the RTE Food.20% of respondents are in the opinion

of neutral and 3% are Highly Dissatisfied and 2% are Dissatisfied.

Figure 3.19(a)

Taste
60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Highly Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Highly Dissatisfied Dissatisfied
 Table 3.19(b)

b)Classification on the basis of color

Particulars No. of Respondents Percentage(%)

Highly Satisfied 15 25

Satisfied 22 37

Neutral 18 30

Highly Dissatisfied 3 5

Dissatisfied 2 3

Total 60 100

Source:Primary Data

Interpretation:

25% of the respondents are Highly Satisfied and 37% of the respondents are satisfied

by the colour of the RTE Food.30% of respondents are in the opinion of neutral and 5%

are Highly Dissatisfied and 3% are Dissatisfied.

Figure 3.19(b)

Colour
40

35

30

25
Percentage(%)
20

15

10

0
Highly Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Highly Dissatisfied Dissatisfied
 Table 3.19(c)

c) Classification on the basis of Flavour

Particulars No. of Respondents Percentage(%)

Highly Satisfied 23 38

Satisfied 12 20

Neutral 13 22

Highly Dissatisfied 4 7

Dissatisfied 8 13

Total 60 100

Source:Primary Data

Interpretation:

38% of the respondents are Highly Satisfied and 20% of the respondents are

satisfied by the Flavor of the RTE Food.22% of respondents are in the opinion

of neutral and 7% are Highly Dissatisfied and 13% are Dissatisfied.

Figure 3.19(c)

Flavour
40

35

30

25
Percentage(%)
20

15

10

0
Highly Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Highly Dissatisfied Dissatisfied
 Table 3.19(d)

d)Classification on the basis of Brand.

Particulars No. of Respondents Percentage(%)

Highly Satisfied 20 33

Satisfied 20 33

Neutral 10 17

Highly Dissatisfied 2 3

Dissatisfied 8 13

Total 60 100

Source:Primary Data

Interpretation:

20% of the respondents are Highly Satisfied and 33% of the respondents are

satisfied by the Brands of the RTE Food.17% of respondents are in the opinion

of neutral and 3% are Highly Dissatisfied and 13% are Dissatisfied.

Figure 3.19(d)

Brand
35

30

25

20

15

10

0
Highly Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Highly Dissatisfied Dissatisfied
 Table 3.19(e)

e)Classification on the basis of Income of Consumers.

Particulars No. of Respondents Percentage(%)

Highly Satisfied 20 33

Satisfied 15 25

Neutral 14 24

Highly Dissatisfied 5 8

Dissatisfied 6 10

Total 60 100

Source: Primary Data

Interpretation:

33% of the respondents are Highly Satisfied and 25% of the respondents are

satisfied on the basis of income of the consumers.24% of respondents are in

the opinion of neutral and 8% are Highly Dissatisfied and 10% are Dissatisfied.

Figure 3.19(d)

Income of the Consumers

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
Highly Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Highly Dissatisfied Dissatisfied
 Table 3.20

Table showing factors responsible for influencing demand

Basics Number of respondents Percentage

Increase income 8 13

Generation gap 6 10

Consumer . 6 10
behavior

Changing life style 31 52

Availability of 6 10
product

Others 3 5

Total 60 100

Source: Primary data

Interpretation:

This table shows the factors that responsible for influencing the Demand of RTE
food.

13 % of respondents are influenced by increase in income , 10 % of them are

influenced

by Generation Gap. About 10 % of the factors that influence demand is consumer

behavior and 52 % are through changing lifestyle. 10 % of the respondents are

influenced

by Availability of product and 5 % are through other sources.

 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
In
cr
ea
se
in
co
m
e

G
en
er
ati
on
ga
p

Co
ns
um
er
be
ha
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or

Ch
an
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ng
lif
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st
Figure 3.20

yl
e
Av
ai
la
bi
li ty
of
pr
od
uc
t
Factors responsible for influencing demand

O
th
er
s
 Chapter 5
Findings, suggestions and
conclusion

FINDINGS AND SUGGESTION

Consumers taste and preference were found to change rapidly especially in a
dynamic environment. Keeping in view the importance of consumer pattern, an attempt was

made to study the buying behavior of consumers towards ready to eat food products, brand

preferences of the consumers factors influencing brand preference and alternative purchase

plan of the consumers.

The study was carried out in kanjirappally Thaluk.60 sample respondents were

selected randomly. The required data were collected from the respondents with the help of

Questionnaire method. Data were coded, tabulated, analyzed and interpreted using suitable

statistical technique.

4.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1. To find out the factors which influence the purchase of Ready -To - Eat food products.

2. To study the level of influence of advertisement for selecting RTE products.

3. To explore the level of satisfaction of the respondents towards instant food.

4. To Identify the most preferred brands in RTE food products.

5. To examine whether the ready to eat food products are preferred by working women, home
maker or both.

4.2 FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

1. Out of 60 respondents, majority of the respondents belong to the

age category of 20- 30.

2. out of 60 respondents 70 % are female and 30 % are male.

3. Among 60 respondents, majority of the respondents have under

Graduates as education qualification.

4 . Majority of the respondents are students.

5. Majority of the respondents having monthly income below 20000.

6. Majority of the respondents are belongs to Nuclear family.

7. It reveals that majority of the respondents like RTE food.

8. It is found that, majority of the respondents are influenced by its taste.

9. 68 % of the respondents are affordable with RTE food.

10. It reveals that advertisement have a great impact on purchase pattern

of RTE food.

11. It reveals that most of the respondents got information about RTE food

from advertisements on TV.

12. The study reveals that 50 % of the respondents preferred Nestle.

13. It reveals that food habits of the people are changing nowadays.

14. It reveals that, majority of the respondents preferred bakery products.

15. Out of 60 respondents 43 % of the respondents purchased RTE food

occasionally.

16. Out of 60 respondents 37 % of the respondents are influenced by

brand endorsement.

17. Most of the respondents purchased RTE food because maximum

of respondents were bond of the taste of RTE food.

18. During the survey 85 % the respondents were female and among

them working women preferred more RTE food compared to others.

19. 80 % of the respondents are satisfied with RTE food products.

20. Investigation reveals that, changing lifestyle of people is the main factor

that influence demand of RTE products.

4.3 SUGGESTIONS

1. Customers started to realize the health hazards due to the consumption of ready to
 cook / packaged food. So the health issues of the consumers should also be given
importance by using natural ingredients and preservatives accordingly with unique
taste. .
2. More promotional activities like sponsorship programmes & distribution of free
samples should be carried upon by regional brands to create awareness among women
consumers.
3. Most of the respondents have felt that the price of the ready to cook food product is
high and if the products are reasonably priced, sales would shoot up.
4. Eating whole, unprocessed food is smart health advice that we are squarely behind,
but cooking from scratch can be unrealistic. So having RTC food is fine, however the
pros parameters could be unfortunately less. However, taken the convenience and
frequency matters, RTC foods can have a look into.
5. A proper survey of the tastes and needs of women of various groups should be done
in order to focus on the product development & marketing.

4.4 CONCLUSION

Today ready to eat food products occupy a legitimate place in the kitchen shelves. The dual
roles of women shift their cooking behaviour towards the buying of RTE foods. The present
study has been carried out to study the attitude of women towards RTE food products. The
interesting result is that the convenience is the most important factor which influences the
attitude of women towards such products. Convenience, ready availability and saving of time
are the reasons for consuming ready to cook food products. It was found in the study that
there is a complete awareness of RTE food products among women and Nestle is the most
preferred brand among RTE food products. Working women don’t have enough time to
prepare a meal by following the traditional recipes and would prefer to buy RTE food
products. The consumers relationship with food & other everyday goods has changed
dramatically, not only in the way products are purchased , but also in the way they are
consumed.
 WEBILIOGRAPHY

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 APPENDIX

CUSTOMER SASTISFACTION TOWARDS READY TO FOOD AT RETAIL

MARKET TOWARDS THE PURCHASING BEHAVIOUR OF PEOPLE IN
KANJIRAPALLY TALUK

I. PERSONAL INFORMATION
Name:
Age: - Below 20 years 20–30 years
30-40 years 40-50 years
Above 50 years
Gender: Male Female
Education Qualification : U.G P. G
Professional Diploma

Occupation : Agriculture Business

Student private entrepreneur

Monthly income: Below 20000 Rs. 20000 to Rs.30000

More than Rs. 30000
Type of family : Joint family Nuclear family
II GENERAL INFORMATION
1. Do you like Ready To Eat foods?

Yes No
2. What induces you to buy Ready To Eat foods ?

Price
Taste
nutritional Quality
Easy availability
3. Are processed food products affordable to you?

Yes No
4. Does advertisement affect your purchase pattern?
Yes No
5. If yes , from which source you got information about the RTE foods?

Advertisement on t. v Display at shops

News paper internet other sources
6. Which are the brands you preferred for the consumption of processed food ?

Nestle
Mia
Parle
other
Following are the common kinds of RTE, kindly rate your awareness level regarding each category.
Brand Highly aware aware Neutra Slightly aware Not at all aware
l

1. Nestle

2. parle

3. Mia

4. other
7. Are you think that the food habits are changing?

Yes No

8. Which type of RTE food you consume frequently?

Dairy Snacks
Bakery packed
Beverages other
9. How often you purchase the instant food products?

Daily Monthly Occasionally

10. What are the main factors which influence the purchasing of RTE products?

Price Brand endorsement

Advertising Sales promotion
Attractive packing Other

11. Tick the following factors influence your purchase behaviour?

(Rank them in the order of 1-4)

FACTORS 1 2 3 4
Price

Quality

Quantity

Ingredients

Taste

Brand name

Other factors

12. Does working women/home worker prefer more RTE foods according to your opinion?

Working women Home worker

13. Are you satisfied with RTE foods?

 Yes No

. If yes, please rate your satisfaction level of RTE FOOD products.

FACTORS HIGHLY SATISFIED NEUTRAL DISSATISFIED HIGHLY

SATISFIED DISSATISFIED
Taste

Colour

Flavour

Brand

Income

14. Factors responsible for influencing demand of RTE foods?

Increase income
Generation gap
Consumer behaviour
Changing lifestyle
Availability of product
Others

15. Give your suggestion and recommendation if any

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________