Het consumentengedrag met betrekking tot melk

In this study, consumer behaviour with respect to fluid milk in the Netherlands is examined. The objectives of the study are- to gain insight into the factors that influence buying and consumption be haviour with respect to milk, and- to gain insight into the usefulness of a so called integreated model of consumer behaviour.Chapter 2 presents an analysis of the pattern of milk consumption by Dutch households and the changes that have occurred in it since 1950. First, the trend and seasonal fluctuations in fluid milk consumption are analysed. Next data from a household panel are analysed. Data concerning corresponding periods of the years 1974, 1977 and 1980 were used to investigate the relationships between the per capita quantity of milk that was bought by the household on the one side, and socio-economic variables and buying behaviour (distribution channel, buying frequency, full-cream or (semi-)skimmed milk) on the other side. Further a few analyses are presented of changes in buying behaviour with respect to milk of households that were member of the panel in 1974, 1977 and 1980. The analyses mentioned are on the household level. Individual perceptions, preferences and behaviour are not examined in chapter 2.Therefore, in chapter 3, a model of individual consumer behaviour with respect to milk is constructed. This model is based on the Engel, Blackwell and Kollat (1978) model of consumer behaviour, which includes the Extended Fishbein model. In the model of consumer behaviour with respect to milk, some new aspects are incorporated:- the model is not specified for a buying situation, but for a moment of consumption- the assumption is made that the decision process that precedes the con sumption of a beverage is different in character at distinct point of time in a day (e.g. breakfast, lunch, in the evening)- social influence is split into two components, i.e. influences from out side the household (e.g. doctors, friends) and influences from other members of the own household.The model is summarized by six equations that describe the decision process.In chapter 4 the variables in the model are operationalized. The variables have been measured in a survey. In each of the 1000 households the housewife (as gate-keeper for food products) and, if possible, a randomly chosen other person in the same household were interviewed. The second person was interviewed in order to measure the social infuence within the household.Chapter 5 describes the implementation of the model of consumer behaviour with respect to milk. The six equations are analysed subsequently. Further, a perception analysis is carried out, based on a similarity matrix. A com parison between the Fishbein-like compositional model of consumer behaviour with respect to milk and the decompositional PREFMAP-vector model is made. The main conclusions with respect to the model of consumer behaviour con cerning milk are:- the specification of the model with respect to distinct points of time in a day is very useful- the social influences within the household differ in character from the social influences from outside the household- attention must be paid to the danger of socially desirable responses in measuring the components of the Extended Fishbein model- the decompositional method provides a useful additional insight into the preference structure.In chapter 6, on a small scale, the choice between a number of varieties of milk (differing by package, fat content, heat treatment and price) is investigated. The method of conjoint measurement is used in order to measure intensities of preferences for combinations of the four attributes mentioned. Further, a sensory test was set up in order to investigate whether consumers are able to taste a difference between full-cream/semi-skimmed milk and/or pasteurized/UHT-sterilized milk.Chapter 7 contains conclusions concerning buying and consumption behaviour with respect to milk.