title: Conjoint analysis on the purchase intent for traditional fermented soy product (natto) among Japanese housewives.
abstract: The effect of sensory and extrinsic attributes on consumer intentions to purchase the Japanese traditional fermented soybean product natto was evaluated using conjoint analysis. Six attributes with 2 levels each were chosen and manipulated: price (high compared with low), the country of origin of the soybeans (domestic compared with imported), stickiness (strong compared with moderate), smell (rich compared with moderate), attached seasonings (attached compared with no attached seasonings), and the environmental friendliness of the packaging (high compared with low). A fractional factorial design was applied and 8 hypothetical product labels were produced. A sample of 479 Japanese housewives ranked these product labels based on their purchase intentions. Overall purchase intention was affected by country of origin, attached seasonings, and price; those attributes accounted for 81.0%, while the sensory attributes of the product accounted for 19.0% of purchase intents. In order to estimate market segments for the natto products based on consumer preference, a cluster analysis was performed. It identified 4 segments of consumers: 1 oriented to attached seasonings, another conscious of the price, and the other 2 oriented to origins. The behavioral and demographic characteristics of the respondents had a limited influence on segment membership.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This research was conducted to understand how consumers valuate various sensory and nonsensory product attributes based on their assessment of the overall product in the case of Japanese fermented soy product (natto). The data of this research would be of great importance both in understanding consumer behavior and in designing strategies for product development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Information Environment, Tokyo Denki University, 2-1200 Muzaigakuendai, Inzai, Chiba 270-1382, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Shigetaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuwazawa
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kyutoku
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Yui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Ippeita
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dan
mesh_terms: D000268:Adhesiveness; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005285:Fermentation; D005421:Flavoring Agents / Q000032:analysis; D005515:Food Labeling; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D040541:Marketing / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009812:Odorants; D012677:Sensation; D045730:Soy Foods / Q000032:analysis* / Q000191:economics*; D018454:Spouses; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013649:Taste; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005421:Flavoring Agents