In collaboration Iranian Medicinal Plants Society

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

2 Professor of Agricultural Economic Department, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

3 Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Mashhad, Iran

4 Department of Sociology, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

5 Department of Economics, Monash University, Australia

Abstract

Nowadays due to the intensity of competition and continuous changes in environmental conditions, identification of customers' needs and wants is essential to gaining competitive advantage in domestic and international markets. Saffron is one of the most valuable and important agricultural products in Iran, and for the development of its market, it is necessary to consider the preferences of consumers of this product. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to rank and evaluate the effect of saffron attributes on the consumer utility of this product in Mashhad city. In this study, 3, 3 and 8 levels were considered for the trade name, packaging type and weight, respectively. In 2020, The data from 400 respondents were collected using a stratified sampling method (with proportionate allocation) from 13 districts of Mashhad-Iran. Using conjoint analysis, the results of the study showed that the weight of saffron marketed and the packaging type are important attributes influencing consumer preferences. In a more detailed analysis and taking into account the attribute levels, the results of the study confirmed that the highest utility values were found in saffron products with pocket packaging and weight of 4.608 gr. According to the study results, to design marketing strategies for different customer groups, saffron companies are recommended to pay more attention to consumer preferences in target markets.

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Main Subjects

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