2009/777 Factors that influence customers purchase intentions of Australian farmed prawns from seafood retail outlets

By Hannah O'Brien

One of the most important global food sources is seafood, and in particular saltwater seafood. However, while demand is increasing, the supplies of wild caught sources are depleted and there is now an increased need to source seafood species, such as prawns from farmed stocks. Aquaculture has become a reliable source for many species, particularly prawns. It has been identified that consumers around the globe have many preconceived and often negative perceptions of farmed prawns, which is preventing the demand and growth of the industry. Australia is a world leader in best practice management and product quality, with a vast amount of ideal topographical locations for prawn farming. However, despite these positives, it continues to have one of the smallest gross production outputs of farmed prawns. Thus it is important to determine the factors that encourage positive behavioural intentions toward this product. Many studies have demonstrated the power that consumer perceptions have on both customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions. Trust has also been identified as having significance influence on these elements. Therefore, this study measures the perceptions, trust, satisfaction and behavioural intentions of customers of Australian farmed prawns within South East Queensland.

A total of 211 respondents from 10 locations participated in this study. The findings show that Trust has a very large impact on Customer Satisfaction, Behavioural Intentions, Customer Perceptions of Product- Physical attributes, Product- Health aspects, Price, Place, Marketing Communications, Process, Physical Evidence and People of the customers of Australian farmed prawns within South East Queensland. Another illuminating finding was that Customer Perceptions of Product- Physical attributes and Price were the two key variables of eight Customer Perception variables that have a significant influence on both Customer Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions of customers of Australian farmed prawns within South East Queensland.

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