The Impact of Gender on Purchase Decision and Buying Behaviour of Thai Consumers

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Executive Summary

The study attempts to highlight the impact and influence of the demographic variable gender on the consumption and purchase of ready to eat products in Thailand. The growing trend towards Western-style eating habits for the Thai male and female consumers has brought an increase in the growth of the quick-service industry in the region with an increase in the demand for ready to eat products such as fast food items, packaged snacks, diner specialities, chilled and frozen RTE products. The study analyses the relationship between gender and psychographic variables, including product attributes such as taste, price, convenience, brand, and service quality to identify eating habits and buying behaviour trends for each gender type. The study uses in-depth interviews of Thai RTE consumers to highlight the particular impact of gender on the consumption of RTE products.

Chapter 1: Introduction

Background

The study aims to analyse the buying behaviour, user preferences, and various factors that affect Thai consumers’ purchase decisions with regards to ready-to-eat meals or Instant Foods. The term ‘ready-to-eat’ encompasses a wide variety of packaged and instant or cooked meals that reflects convenience, economical prices, and great taste. This research specifically uses information available to analyse consumer buying trends for fast food meals with an emphasis on the gender impact on purchase decisions and consumption. The concept of ready to eat meals was originally developed and initiated to facilitate people who are too busy to prepare or cook their own meals including those who want to savour the taste of special delicacies that cannot be prepared at home.

The ready-to-eat meal packages such as fast food items and diner specialities largely attract people and busy professionals who are unwilling to cook their own food or looking for convenience. There is a huge demand for ready-to-eat meals speedy food and restaurant specialities in Thailand, while households also frequently buy packaged meals. Studies reveal that over the last twenty years, a gradual change in the lifestyle and living patterns of the Thai consumers and statistics reflect an increase in the purchase of packaged foods and ready to eat meals with fast food items leading the list. The product Chilled Ready-to-eat foods has also experienced a sharp increase in sales as reflected by its current value term, which increased by 17% in 2008 amounting to 2.6 billion Thai Baht (Morse, 2009).

Changes in Thai males and females’ lifestyles over the years have brought about a change in the eating habits and food preferences of Thai consumers. The growing forces of modernisation and technological advancements, this has provided marketers with new products in the market that cater to different segments of the target market. Globalisation and technological growth have sparked changes in people’s lifestyles, not only in Thailand but across the world. The Thai market has experienced this rapid change in terms of the evolution of consumer consumption trends, food suppliers, purchase behaviour, and the consumers’ health (Lovell, 2010).

Today, ready-to-eat meals including fast food and packaged goods are food becoming increasingly popular amongst Thai men and women of all ages, with adults in the age range18-35 reflecting more affinity for RTE products to their different tastes, convenience, and affordable price. The trend has become more common amongst the working class representing professionals affiliated with business enterprises and other institutes comprising of both males and females. The variety of ready-to-eat food products has provided the busy working class who do not have enough time to prepare their meals to enjoy the convenience and taste that comes with the RTE products (Kotler, 2000).

The rise in the RTE retail outlets and quick-service industry in Thailand over the years has primarily been due to the consumers’ inclination towards western food concepts and consumption trends. Today males and females in Thailand influenced by the western ways of convenient consumption and RTE adoption have given rise to a culture that reflects western-style eating habits. These trends are very dominant in Bangkok, popular for the wide variety of fast food outlets and ready to eat products.

To better understand the effect and impact of gender on the consumption of ready to eat meals, it is important to understand the various product attributes, marketing elements, and psychographic factors that contribute to the eating habits of males and females. By better understanding the relationship between these factors and each gender category, marketers can position their products more effectively by incorporating patterns identified to cater to each market segment for males and females (Parry, 2001).

Purpose of the Study

The consumer demand and preference for Ready-to-eat meals have grown considerably in Thailand over the years due to the introduction of inexpensive, tasty, and convenient food items available for easy consumption. This, coupled with the changing lifestyle trends of Thai Consumers with an inclination towards western consumption patterns, has paved the way for retailers to introduce new RTE products in the market. The demographic factor of gender also has a significant role in the consumption and purchase of these RTE meals as males and females tend to exhibit different psychographic profiles and eating habits. Marketers can use the results obtained by analysing gender impact on RTE food consumption in Thailand to cater to different target markets and segments.

Research Objectives and Question

The specific research aim of the current study is to gain some insight into the buying behaviour, individual preferences, and consumption patterns of Thai consumers regarding RTE meals. The research aims to maintain focus on the impact of the demographic factor ‘gender’ on the consumption and purchase of such ready-to-eat meals.

Hence the research question developed is as follows:

How does gender affect Thai consumers’ purchase decisions and buying behaviour with regards to Ready to eat meals?

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Introduction

This chapter provides an overview of previous research on preferences for ready-to-eat meals, especially research targeted at the desired population being studied; Thailand. It introduces some important background information for the case study that comprises the main focus of the research described throughout the thesis. It is imperative to establish a context of the literature review by first providing;

1. An explanation of its specific purpose for this specific case study
2. Comments on the previous treatment of RTEs, gender influence on preference to consume RTEs, and other psychographic factors may influence its consumption.
3. The indication of the scope of the work presented in this chapter.

The literature review’s main aim was to survey previous studies on RTEs consumption based on gender and other factors that may impact their increased use. This was necessary for scoping out the major data collection requirements for primary research to be conducted, and it developed part of the new research design process (Denscombe, 2003). The approach adopted for this particular review finds its foundation in grounded research work. According to Easterby-Smith et al. (2002), this approach is considered acceptable in familiarising existing research before collecting primary data. However, it may contradict the advice presented in the original grounded theory.

1. Appreciating previous work in the field of interest served three purposes in the current study;
2. Providing direction in the construction of data collection tools; guarding against the risk of overload at first data collection stages.
3. Understanding the findings from existing literature into a formal review helped maintain the current study’s sense of direction and perspective.
4. Raised opportunity for comprehending a critical analysis of the actual meaning of the data collected when the study reached the stages of data analysis.

A wide variety of secondary data references were used as the significant bibliographic tools for recognizing relevant literature for review. Relevant publications were found in the literature for many academic domains such as psychology, business studies, food technology studies, marketing studies, psychology, urban studies, and strategic management. Many of these publications take the form of research papers. Systematic literature searching led to key publications on RTFs and the psychosocial factors that give preference to their consumption. Studies were targeted that permitted analysis of psychographic aspects, such as gender, to be included. The literature reviewed in this study is thematically analyzed to allow an organized way of grouping relevant material in addition to its scrutiny.

Relationship and Consumption between Gender

In modern society, enactments of doing genders, such as masculinity, femininity, manhood, womanhood, and sexuality, are connected to how an individual presents themselves (Roberts, 1998). These individual presentations are often influenced by cultural expectations of what is considered appropriate to the perceived gender identity. Consumption of different products and services contribute to the presentation of one’s self and gender identity. The clothes, hairstyles, accessories, choice of food, and other purchases or activities that a person engages in has the ever-present factor of gender (Zayer et al., 2012). Due to this phenomenon, many firms have increased their desire to build long term consumer/brand relationships by comprehending the factors that influence them in such a compelling way. According to Fournier (1998), a primary feature of the consumer-brand relationship is the self/concept link, the extent to which a brand delivers significant identity concerns. Self-congruency theorists such as Rosenburg (1979); Ross (1971); and Sirgy (1986) have suggested that consumers tend to purchase items and brands that are consistent with their image. Kates (2002) argues that self-image’s most important and focal part was an individual’s gender identity.

Marketing practices have solicited the use of gender-self in a wide variety of markets. Marketers currently use sex as an essential segmentation variable and as a means to develop implicit meaning by considering gender-related cues to a specific brand (Kidd and Nicholls, 1999; Zayer et al., 2012). The consumer’s gender identity and sexual orientation have been used to target consumers in emerging gender market segmentations. For example, many marketers are pinpointing metrosexual individuals, and this is defined as males who are heterosexual, hip, concerned with their appearance, and are in touch with their feminine side (Palan 2001).  However, studies such as Palan (2001) only report biological sex and treat the component as the sole determinant of gender-related behaviour. Ye and Robertson (2012) note that gender has become interchangeable with sex because such a dichotomous variable provides a comfort zone for researchers to measure and interpret the consumerist implications of gender. However, this kind of approach, such as that used in Palan (2001), overlooks the important differences between sex and gender and results in bias research and distorted representations of complex gender-related marketing.

Early gender identity and consumer behaviour research such as Bem (1981); Fischer and Arnold (1994); Palan (2001); and Spence (1993) suggest that gender identity plays a significant role in consumer behaviour ranging from assisting the individual in information processing to connecting them to the rest of world; coordinating the individual’s perceptions to developing attitudes about appropriate social behaviours. Sirgy (1986) theorized that brand perceptions are congruent to consumers’ gender image, and gender-self can develop strong gender congruency effects, especially in terms of brand loyalty. According to a study conducted by Fry (1971) and Cathy and Mitchell (2003), consumers preferred goods or spokespersons that match their sense of femininity or masculinity, but not simultaneously. These determinations tend to be influenced by the gender of the spokesperson.

Psychological gender role plays an important factor in a consumer’s choice of products and brands. This varies from sex as a sole gender difference based on the premise the men are masculine and women are feminine. Evidence from studies such as Bem (1981), Braun and Traore (2015); and Rudrappa and Collins (2015) suggest that an individual’s psychological gender identity is not necessarily parallel to their biological sex. According to Bem (1974), masculinity and femininity are orthogonal psychological traits, and individuals will identify with each trait to varying degrees.

Craig and Liberti (2007); Kang (2003); and Massoni (2006) found in their studies that psychological gender, including masculinity and femininity, can impact a consumer’s product and brand choices. Placed in a specific set of circumstances, such as gift shopping, psychological gender may explain a greater amount of difference in consumer behaviour than sex, as seen in Craig and Liberti’s (2007) study. According to Bem (1974), when categorizing consumer behaviour, feminine gender identity is guided by communal orientation while, on the other hand, masculinity is guided by an agency orientation.

Marketing Mix Theories and Gender Consumption

The marketing mix theories are also important in analyzing how male and female consumers tend to be affected by the highlighted factors and product attributes. The marketing mix generally consists of productive elements that can be utilized by the enterprise or firm to motivate the consumer and the purchase process in a positive manner. Using the right combination of the marketing mix is to influence the product demand and the consumers into developing a positive brand image, thereby enhancing the brand value and increasing the opportunities for the repurchase of the particular product or service offered (Parry, 2001).

The marketing mix for ready to eat meals such as fast food items and packaged goods, including diner specialities, includes types of RTE meals consumed, restaurant types or brand, service quality, price, convenience, location, and promotional stuff. Most ready to eat meals are recognized by their particular brand, packaging, unique taste, and service quality that signifies convenience; hence consumers tend to relate to such marketing mix elements for these products. For such ready to eat products, the marketing mix theories would focus on ensuring that the product delivered to the market or offered in the market is complete from the marketing mix perspective with regards to related attributes such as taste,  price, place, and convenience that cater to both males and females (Chitraporn, 2011).

The marketers would focus on incorporating specific food preferences for the products that are most likely to be repurchased by this consumer category which would include attributes such as taste and affordability while positioning for RTE products that fit the psychographic profile for women would include an emphasis on marketing mix elements such as taste, restaurant and service quality. Better positioning of such ready to eat meals for both types of consumer types would entail focusing on introducing the marketing mix’s right combination for males and females in the offered products. An analysis of the various attributes and product features of the RTE products and their relationship with the demographic variable can provide an insight into the right combination of marketing elements for each market segment (Lovell, 2010).

Packaging, design, and the specific restaurant quality, including brand name, can significantly affect the selection and purchase decisions for the ready to eat meals as both males and females tend to relate to such psychographic factors. The image projected by the attributes tends to develop the overall brand image for the specific product. Based on the hedonic or utilitarian sides for a consumer, both males and females would develop different perceptions and attitudes towards the RTE product regarding its packaging, service quality, and brand appeal. The purchase of the same product is also facilitated when the consumer starts to recognize and develop a psychological relevance with the product that caters to their needs (Kotler, 2000).

For this reason, many ready to eat retailers and fast food outlets tend to use strong, vibrant colours to signify their brand and make their product a standout in the market. Both males and females relate to these design characteristics and package features, helping them make repurchase decisions. This is especially true for teenagers in Thailand who prefer eating various fast food items and ready to est meals that cone as chilled or frozen packages. This is because both male and female consumers or adults develop an affinity for these products that are facilitated by their eating preference and their psychographic relevance to product features such as packaging, labels, design, and restaurant ambience (Parry, 2001).

Many males prefer to eat out in diners and quick service restaurants because they prefer the environment and ambience. Many households in Thailand and females, especially attributes such as service quality and cleanliness, are important drivers for making purchase decisions. Therefore many females prefer restaurants that focus on food hygiene and quality delivery. Price is also a fundamental marketing mix element that affects the males and females purchase decisions or buying behaviour when the ready to eat products are concerned, as studies reveal that consumers in Thailand are price-sensitive, with males being more conscious of the affordability aspect reflecting strong utilitarian values. For many male and female consumers, especially household heads and parents, if teenagers prefer RTE meals, this is a significant factor affecting buying decisions.

In Thailand, fast food prices are relatively higher than the local food outlets. However, considering the income brackets of families and consumers that prefer to consume RTE products, marketers tend to define product prices that cater to consumer preferences. This is also exhibited by the increased amount of consumer spending on fast food items and packaged goods. For better positioning of the ready-to-eat products regarding gender-specific marketing, the price is a factor that can further be optimized by marketers as it is a marketing mix element that is significant for the demographic variable gender (Parry, 2001).

Another marketing mix element that also holds significance when consumer buying behaviour is concerned is the promotion factor. Promotion is considered a marketing activity that disseminates the benefits and merits of the product being offered to the customer while providing him with an incentive in parallel to his purchase. Promotional offers can vary from company to company, but mostly ready to eat firms and fast food outlets in Thailand use a wide variety of promotional features such as discount coupons, samples, premiums, and refunds. The Thai male and female consumers are largely attracted by such promotions and advertisements, which helps the marketers get to know their customer base and preferences in a much better way and enables established brands to stimulate and enhance their sales (Lovell, 2010).

Advertisement and promotional stuff tend to have a strong influence on the ready-to-eat product consumers’ buying behaviour. Studies reveal that the diners and places that offer discount coupons and meals at discounted prices or with free merchandise tend to attract more consumers. This is important regarding both males and females who are equally influenced and attracted by lucrative promotional offers by quick-service diners and fast food outlets.

Marketers also tend to focus on the channel distribution for the ready to eat products ensuring that the offered products are easily available to both males and females. Studies have shown that location is not significant for the variable gender as both males and females prefer eating at diners located near their offices or homes. In Bangkok, for example, ready to eat products are available throughout the place in large retail outlets. Simultaneously, fast-food chains are spread across the region to provide convenience to the consumer on the go or those looking for quick service. The option of quick service delivery at home or office is also provided to males and females for ease and convenient eating (Kotler, 2000).

Ready to Eat (RTE) Food Products

The ready-to-eat (RTE) market has seen a surge in consumers’ interest due to the emergence of technology, steady economic growth, and cultural shift (Reed et al., 2003). Gradually convenience is considered one of the most important and desirable attributes in food product and has been translated into plenty of product categories, including the highly sought after RTA described as a growth area in many markets, particularly that of developed countries such as the United States, the UK, and a large portion of Europe (Peeraput and Chaipoopirutana Sirion, 2016; Piaseu et al., 2004; Rodas-Moya et al., 2017). Several factors have surged its consumption, but the most notable is changing consumer trends and lifestyles, which have significantly contributed to the development of ready to eat meals. Reed et al. (2003) argue that most often, consumers want a meal to eat, or at most, one that can be easily assembled at home rather than opting out for ingredients to prepare and cook. Studies such as those of Kinsey et al. (1996) and Caraher et al. (1999) found a major de-skilling, de-domestication, and redundancy of traditional cooking skills. However, they have also noted an increased interest in food. In addition to fulfilling the requirement of convenience, there needs to be the sensory appeal of products. It must taste good, or else there will be no purchasing activity (Piaseu et al., 2004).

Studies, such as Parry (2001), reveal that demographics and psychographics play an important role in the purchase process and decision-making for any product affecting consumer buying behaviour. For any product, attributes such as the price, brand, appeal, convenience, and conformity to consumer requirements play an important part in the consumer’s decision-making process. In ready-to-eat food products, psychographics and demographics play significant roles in determining consumer preferences and buying behaviour. For ready-to-eat or RTE meals, such attributes or product features would include the price of the product. It’s taste and appeal, convenience, packaging, and the particular brand that the product belongs to. All these features affect the purchase process and decision-making dynamics for the consumers (Parry, 2001).

Chitraporn (2011) examines the significance of the demographic variable gender on the selection and consumption of RTE food products reveal that the factor gender is not significant to the purchase, selection or repurchase of RTE products as males and females both tend to consume RTE meals and fast food items exhibiting little difference in the consumption patterns. However, the difference lies in the psychographic factors and marketing mix elements that affect the purchase decision and consumption patterns for both males and females (Chitraporn, 2011). For each gender category, factors such as taste, price, place, packaging, and convenience may hold different priority levels, which tend to translate into purchase decisions (Chitraporn, 2011).

In fact, one aspect of why gender is not significant to Fast food or RTE consumption in terms of gender differentiation is the fact that both males and females prefer the great taste and the variety that accompanies the ready-to-eat products providing for a product attribute that attracts both types of consumers in almost equal proportions. There are variations in the type of RTE meals preferred by males and females individually, along with other attributes that affect the purchase decision, such as price and place.

According to a statistical study by Morse (2009), teenagers and families with a strong educational background and stable income source tend to buy more RTE meals. There is a high preference for fast food products and packaged well. For this particular research, the focus is on studying the impact and effect of the demographic factor ‘gender’ on RTE meals consumption. The research would focus on the preferences of the ready-to-eat meals regarding males and females with an intent to study the underlying factors such as price, convenience, brand and individual preference of males and females for the consumption of such meals. The relationship between each of the contributing product attributes with gender needs to be studied in detail to gauge the specific impact of gender on the buying behaviour and consumption patterns of Thai consumers with regards to the ready to eat meals and packaged foods; an aspect that was lacking in the study conducted by Morse (2009).

Kotler (2000) conducted a study examining how consumers choose RTE products based on what gives them pleasant or unpleasant sensations. Kotler (2000) found that hedonic consumers tend to emphasize restaurant and product features such as location, food taste, and cleanliness or brand, while utilitarian consumers focus more on price, affordability, and quick service or convenience. Generally, the utilitarian values for the ready to eat meals amongst consumers hold priority compared to hedonic values when selecting and purchasing the ready to eat products are concerned as both males and females consider convenience and price to be the key drivers for their purchase decisions (Kotler, 2000). Using a larger data sample consisting of both males and females representation in equal numbers can provide an insight into the hedonic or utilitarian significance for each gender category (Kotler, 2000). However, Kotler’s study does not provide significant insight into a consumer’s decision-making pattern. The methodology of the study used a questionnaire that provides a relatively small insight into the purchasing process. However, the current study will overcome the issues in Kotler (2000) by focusing on an in-depth interaction with respondents.

Thailand’s Ready to Eat Market

According to Chitraporn (2011), people who lie within the same demographic category can reflect different psychographic profiles as individual preferences, attitudes towards a product, and demographic attributes would differ for each individual. Thus, both these aspects, demographics, and psychographic are beneficial approaches that must be utilized for positioning and marketing products through a collaborative approach that uses both these approaches in the best way to enhance marketing efforts and success. To analyze the gender impact on Thai consumers’ buying behaviour and consumption trends for RTE foods, it is hence necessary to study in detail the psychographic attributes and RTE product features that define purchase trends for males and females. The evaluation of such factors would also help in gauging the gender differentiation regarding the RTE food products, further providing an understanding of the segmentation and consumption percentage for each gender category.

Males and females exhibit different individual preferences and eating habits reflecting variation in their buying behaviour and consumption trends, as discussed in section 2.2. Factors such as preferences, psychographic, price, and product also features largely affect the buying decisions for males and females when selecting, buying, and consuming food, especially ready-to-eat foods. The trend for food consumption has witnessed a change over the last two decades in Thailand, with households and adults within the age range 18-35 showing a keen interest in purchasing fast food items and packaged meals. The quick-service restaurants in Thailand have also grown since their inception and affinity for RTE meals. Fast food is considered one of the most distinctive examples of the collaboration between people, technology, globalization, and innovative concepts, with retailers such as McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, and Pizza Hut gaining immense popularity amongst the consumers in Thailand (Kotler, 2000).

The increase in fast food outlets, diners, and RTE retailers in Thailand has infused a significant change in people’s eating habits and food preferences. With the increase of new RTE retailers, more males and females in Thailand are actively involved in selecting and consuming fast food goods and ready-to-eat meals. The increase in demand for RTE meals by Thai male and female consumers is due to the marketing mix elements and psychographic factors that lure the males and females to purchase RTE meals.

According to a survey conducted by A.C. Neilsen, Chitraporn (2011) states that almost 75% of Thai consumers mentioned that the ready-to-eat meals are easy and convenient as there is no time consumed in preparation of these foods. While 83% of consumers worldwide staged that convenience and cease, we’re the key drivers for purchasing and consuming these fast foods and RTE meals. 40% of the Thai consumers said that ready-to-eat meals were inexpensive and cheaper to purchase than the raw materials needed to prepare them. The second key driver for consuming such ready-to-eat meals was the economic costs associated with the products.

Gender Impact and Marketing Mix

The increasing trend of Thai consumers towards the consumption of ready to eat meals such as fast-food items, frozen ready to eat meals and packaged goods enabled one to gain an insight into the particular factors that contribute to this trend and the inclination of the males and females towards the adoption of Western-style eating habits. Ready to eat meals are highly popular amongst Thai consumers, primarily because of their taste, affordability, and convenience. The attributes and features of such ready to meals are lucrative enough to attract the various types of consumers belonging to different age groups and educational backgrounds (Parry, 2001).

As highlighted earlier, the demographic factor gender tends to have strong relationships with various product attributes such as price, taste, place and convenience. Studies suggest that quick-service restaurants and fast, good outlets across Thailand provide an opportunity for male and female consumers to relieve themselves from hunger and the time-consuming preparation methods of self-cooked meals by enjoying the benefits of quick service meals at affordable costs. The particular product perception and attitudes towards using the ready to eat products for both the males and females would help provide a clearer understanding of the eating preferences and consumer behaviour  (Lovell, 2010).

Studies conducted to evaluate the attitudes and psychographic factors that lure males and females to dine out and consume ready to eat meals suggest that there are generally two factors or values that contribute to the product image or the attitude towards eating out. These two values are classified as hedonic values. Utilitarian value where hedonic value is related to the emotional quotient or aspect such as feelings, mood and perceptions regarding the product whereas the utilitarian value is associated with the value of functional aspects or reasoning that is reflected by values such as price, feasibility, convenience and fullness (Chitraporn, 2011).

These studies further explain consumers’ attitudes with hedonic and utilitarian features by exploring factors such as price, place, taste, service quality and menu variety, brand value, promotional incentives, and diner facilities through consumer responses. An analysis of such factors tends to further shed light on each consumer type’s hedonic and utilitarian values for a particular product. People tend to reflect different psychographic profiles with a mix of the hedonic and utilitarian values for any demographic variables. Marketers then use these psychographic profiles for demographic factors to position their products and cater to different market segments.

For an RTE or ready to eat the product, the males and females in Thailand exhibit different psychographic profiles with consumer behaviour for each gender category dependant on the highlighted hedonic and utilitarian values. For males, these hedonic and utilitarian values project a strong affinity for ready to eat meals with values such as place, price and taste being largely significant. In contrast, for females, a different combination of these value types would make up the psychographic profile, leading to variation in RTE meals’ consumption pattern (Parry, 2001).

Product Attributes Affecting Conceptual Purchase Framework

Most of these marketing mix elements are part of the product attributes that significantly impact developing the psychographic profiles for various types of consumers. This is similar to preparing meals where the consumers are affected by product attributes such as taste, price, convenience packaging and restaurant type. These attributes strongly relate to their hedonic or utilitarian value for both males and females, thus contributing to their eating habits, buying behaviour,r and consumption patterns. Most of the brand and market research focuses on particular product attributes to explore marketing prospects and segmentation further.

When gauging the impact and the particular effect of gender on the selection, purchase and the consumption of ready to eat meals and fast food products the product attributes such as taste, price, brand, packaging, convenience and place must be analysed to assess the particular significance of the demographic variable gender on the consumption of RTE products. These product attributes include the marketing mix elements that have a strong impact on the consumers’ purchase decision and their food preferences. The RTE products’ product attributes are discussed in detail below to understand better how each attribute contributed to the purchase decision for males and females in Thailand (Parry, 2001).

Taste

The taste for any food item is considered the most important factor in determining its market value and prospective sales regarding consumer liking and affinity for the specific product. For RTE or ready to eat products, taste is considered a key driver of consumption when gender is considered. As more males and females tend to select and buy ready to eat meals such as fast food products and packaged goods the main motivational factor behind the purchase and repurchase of these products is the unique and different taste associated with each type of these products that lure the Thai male and female consumers into buying these products (Kotler, 2000).

The taste is a factor with a strong relationship with gender, reflecting the factor of gender on RTE food consumption. Many of the teenagers, both male and female who frequently purchase RTE meals from quick-service restaurants, tend to do so because of the great taste and colossal variety of RTE products in the market.

Price

The price of any product is the most important factor that determines customer affinity and repurchase probability. The more affordable a product is for a customer, the more number of times it would be repurchased adding to the brand value. A prime reason for many. Of the Thai male and female consumers buying ready to eat products is the affordability aspect that attracts both types of consumers to buy fast good items and packaged foods. This is especially true for households and the working class that earn a reasonable amount of income every month averaged between 20,000 to 30,000 Thai baht.

Males and females whose earnings fall into this income bracket tend to regularly purchase these RTE meals as they are inexpensive and most of the males, including women, find it easy to spend money on the ready to eat meals. With males and females eating RTE meals many times during a week including households that consume ready to eat products many times in a month, the price is a key driver that motivates both types of consumers to purchase such products. The price is also significant for gender showing a strong relationship as price tends to affect purchase decisions for males and females separately as per studies  (Lovell, 2010).

Convenience

The unique selling point or USP for any RTE product can be defined as convenience. The increased number of ready to eat meals and the growth in the number of quick-service restaurants and fast food outlets have primarily been due to Thai consumers finding it convenient to buy ready to eat meals as they save time and money. This is the driving factor for consumers’ purchase decisions for both males and females, especially the working class and females at homes as this brings ease for them. Busy professionals do not have the time to prepare the food at home; hence ready to eat meals come in handy for both types of consumers (Kotler, 2000).

The convenience that comes with the ready to eat products is shown to have a strong relationship with gender; however, the product attribute is not significant for gender when selecting and purchasing RTE foods. However, it is a factor that most contributes to both males and females buying such meals and opting to repurchase the same products. The gender factor is not significant for the less amount of time associated with the ready to eat products. Both males and females tend to prefer and buy RTE products for the ease and convenience of these food items.

Brand & Packaging

The visual appeal and packaging of any product will add to its positive perception of that product. Many customers often select products because of their packaging and attractive presentation. This is also considered a factor that adds to the brand image and brand value. For RTE products, the brand image is further enhanced by the handy and lightweight packaging that comes with most of the products (Parry, 2001).

Consumers tend to relate to particular brands mainly because of the unique taste and the packaging of the food item. Females usually prefer burgers and fries; hence, brands that sell such items would be significant for these brands. For males items such as fried chicken and pizza would be more preferable and therefore, consumption for such brands would be significant for makes or consumers who prefer such foods. Teenagers are also mostly attracted by the packaging and brand image of fast food items and RTE products. Hence the brand and packaging also play an important part in affecting the purchase and selection of RTE products for each consumer type. This is also reflected in the customer base for each particular brand as customer loyalty for a product would facilitate the repurchase of that product (Kotler, 2000).

Place

This is also an important factor that motivates the consumers to buy the products as the Thai males and females are attracted by quick-service restaurants and fast, good outlets near their homes and offices. The place is a significant marketing mix component that ensures effective product positioning. The construction of fast, good outlets and rate retail points across Thailand ensure that the product is available to the target market, adding to its value. Many males and females find it easy to buy RTE meals from nearby outlets as it caters to the attitudes and perceptions of many consumers looking for convenience (Parry, 2001).

As per the study conducted by Lovell (2010) to study the increasing ready eat meals consumption by consumers in Bangkok, Thailand’s economic growth and development had been primarily due to the consumer spending on food speedy food items and ready to eat meals. This growing trend amongst male and female consumers can be attributed to the earlier RTE product attributes, mainly taste, less preparation time, convenience, price, and packaging. Studies reveal that these product attributes form a strong relationship with repurchase decisions for these products by Thai consumers.

Statistical studies conducted by Lovell (2010) to analyse the relationship amongst the repurchasing and the product attributes for ready to eat meals suggest that taste is amongst the top independent factor for repurchase decisions while convenience, price and less preparation time follow close reflecting the strong impact of these product attributes on the buying behaviour of Thai consumers and their decision to repurchase such products. Marketers can use the statistical evidence from such researches to design products for each consumer segment or target market accordingly, and to betta er position, they’re ready to eat products.

According to Lovell (2010), the factor price holds prime significance when product sales and driving customer buy-ins are concerned. Thai males and females who belong to the working class are the primary drivers for selling such ready to eat meals, including teenagers who prefer fast food items on a large scale. Females and males from the working category do not have enough time to prepare meals. Generally, they harbour a perception that caters to quick ready to eat meals as they provide ease and convenience and affordability. For both male and female consumers in Thailand, price and convenience are important triggers of the repurchase of RTE meals.

The trend for female consumption patterns has largely been affected by the increase in females working at offices rather than staying at home confined to house chores. This transition of females moving from ”stay at home” ladies to ”working women” has changed most females’ eating habits infusing the pattern into their families, such as kids and spouses. Working women generally have less time to prepare meals at home; hence buying ready to eat meals for their family is more convenient for them. Also, household income dynamics and earning head statistics that have witnessed a change over the years with females also contributed to family income has facilitated the change in consumption patterns for Thai consumers. For households, parents influenced by the teenager’s inclination towards fast food items and RTE meals now include both males and females who contribute to RTE products’ increasing sales (Kotler, 2000).

The age bracket 20-45 shows the highest inclination towards consuming fast food items and ready to eat meals that the marketers can target for males and females. Further, with the growing Thai economy and household income, there will be an increasing demand for RTE foods by males and females. Still, the marketers must position specific RTE foods based on psychographic profiles exhibited by males and females to cater to both types of consumers.

Conclusion

The literature review assessed a diverse amount of literature about ready-to-eat products, their markets, particularly the Thai market. The review was also able to provide insight into how gender may play a role in consuming products. Various studies, such as Kotler (2002) and Parry (2001), will play a significant role in developing the current study’s methodology, presented in the following chapter. The issues, bias, and gaps found in most of the literature assessed are attempted to be filled with the current study, making it a significant contribution to this study field.

Chapter 4: Analysis and Discussion

Introduction

This section provides an insight into the consumer buying behaviour and consumption trend for the male and female consumers in the Thai market for ready to eat meals. The section also analyses the impact and the effect of gender on the consumption of ready to eat meals in Thailand. The relationship between the various psychographics and product features with the gender category will be highlighted, providing an insight into the importance of the demographic variable gender for RTE foods in Thailand. The data collected will be analyzed to evaluate males and females’ individual eating habits, including the drivers that lure males and females into selecting and buying ready to eat foods.

Demographic Overview of Respondents

The study aimed to understand how gender plays a role in preference for purchasing RTE products in Thailand. However, factors other than gender play a role in persuading customers to opt-out for RTE products, rather than choosing traditional home-cooked meals. The interviewees included five males and five females; their other socio-economic characteristics are outlined in the table below.

Table 4.1– Interviewees’ Socio-economic Characteristics