Understanding the hearts and minds of Chinese mango buyers

Abstract

The Asia–Pacific region is a major producer of tropical fruits and research indicates this trend will continue (FAO 2012). According to FAO estimates the production of mangoes in particular is predicted for growth and is increasingly demand by emerging markets such as China. China’s emergence as one of the largest consumer markets is therefore of significant interest to firms involved in international agri‐business. The growth and success of imported mangoes in China is predicated upon understanding Chinese consumers’ purchasing behaviours. The literature covering consumer purchasing of mangoes in China is scant. At the time of writing this thesis no quantitative studies identifying the influence of socio‐demographics and buyers’ attitudes on purchase frequency of mangoes in China have been published. However, there is a need for consumer research conducted in‐market in China. First, agri‐food exporters have invested enormously to understand consumer purchasing behaviours. Second, academic and practitioner research has found empirical support for the profiling of consumers in value chain analysis studies, but yet there has been limited published research to date profiling the mainland Chinese mango buyer. Finally, international marketing researchers are seeking to understand dynamic and challenging markets such as China, to compare the effectiveness of contemporary forms with traditional forms of marketing research, and to explore new strategies of market entry.