Economics and Marketing
Amirhossein Tohidi; Mohammad Ghorbani; Alireza Karbasi; Ahmadreza Asgharpourmasouleh; Behrooz Hassani-Mahmooei
Abstract
Saffron is one of the most valuable and important agricultural products in Iran, and, it is necessary to consider the preferences of consumers to develop its market. Consumers have different needs and wants, and by benefit segmenting the saffron market, companies can understand customers' preferences ...
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Saffron is one of the most valuable and important agricultural products in Iran, and, it is necessary to consider the preferences of consumers to develop its market. Consumers have different needs and wants, and by benefit segmenting the saffron market, companies can understand customers' preferences in each segment of the market correctly. Therefore, in this study, using the crisp and fuzzy clustering algorithms, the saffron market was divided into homogenous segments, and then, using the results of the conjoint analysis; consumer preferences, attitudes, and demographic characteristics were examined in each saffron market segment. The necessary data were collected from 400 respondents using a stratified sampling method from 13 districts of Mashhad, Iran. The results of this study showed that the saffron market could be divided into six homogeneous segments, and the fuzzy C-means clustering algorithm performs better at finding clusters than k-means, k-medoids, fuzzy Gustafson-Kessel and fuzzy Gath-Geva methods. According to the study findings, in most market segments, the weight of saffron and the packaging type are the most important attributes influencing purchase decisions. Based on the study results, it is suggested that saffron companies consider consumer preferences in different market segments when supplying saffron products and formulating marketing strategies.
Economics and Marketing
Arash Dourandish; amirhossein tohidi; Mona Mousavi
Abstract
Saffron, a valuable agricultural product in the national and international level is valued by consumers in different ways and the price paid for it depends on different factors. Identifying these factors can be helpful to marketing saffron with the price that is consistent with consumer preferences. ...
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Saffron, a valuable agricultural product in the national and international level is valued by consumers in different ways and the price paid for it depends on different factors. Identifying these factors can be helpful to marketing saffron with the price that is consistent with consumer preferences. The major aim of this study is to evaluate the factors that affect the price of saffron in Mashhad using the Hedonic pricing model. What distinguishes this study from previous studies is using the sensitivity analysis approach in the context of artificial neural networks. The information needed for this research was collected from 120 saffron buyers in the city of Mashhad with the random sampling approach. Considering the 14 explanatory variables, the results showed that age and brand have the least impact on the price of saffron, while the consumption goals variable has a significant effect on the price of this product. Among the goals, nutritional uses has a positive effect, and medical and industrial uses have a negative effect on the price of saffron. According to the research findings, manufacturers and suppliers of saffron are recommended to price the product according to the buyers’ consumption goals, sale style and the saffron type, respectively.
