Exploring consumer preferences for fresh strawberries in Coimbatore district

Strawberries have achieved a dominant position in the worldwide fruit market due to its attractive appearance and pleasantly distinct flavour. The fruit is valued not only for its taste but also for its nutritional content, particularly its high vitamin C levels. The study was conducted in the Coimbatore district using purposive sampling to obtain primary data from 150 respondents, all of whom were frequent strawberry buyers. A questionnaire was framed to gather information on demographics, purchase frequency, quantity, expenditure, and factors influencing consumer decision making when purchasing fresh strawberries. To analyse customer preferences, the following factors were chosen: price, berry size, freshness, origin, cultivation method, and site of purchase. To ascertain the relative importance of various elements influencing consumer choices, conjoint analysis was employed. Six attributes with various levels were examined, yielding 216 potential combinations, which were condensed to 16 for practical evaluation. The variables were investigated to determine their impact on consumer preferences. The study analyzed the data using SPSS software, calculating utility estimates for each attribute and its levels. The findings revealed that price, freshness, and berry size were the most important factors that influenced consumer preferences, while the cultivation method had a relatively lower impact. This study sheds light on how these traits work together to influence local market consumers’ choices for fresh strawberries.