Food Shopping Behavior Among Ethnic and Non-Ethnic Communities in Britain

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Food Shopping Behavior Among Ethnic and
Non-Ethnic Communities in Britain

• By Ogenyi E. Omar
• Alan Hirst
• Charles Blankson

Journal of Food Products Marketing, Vol.10(4),
pp.39-57. 2004
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Introduction

• In societies with many cultures such as the
  United States, Britain, and Canada, ethnic
  groups have not had very much research regarding
  consumer habits compared to their social classes
  (Omar et al., 2004).
• Research shows that ethnic minority groups are a
  large part of a consumer market, which is not
  being utilized (Omar et al., 2004).
• ...UK marketers have been slow to embrace the
  concept of ethnic marketing but this strategy
  could offer rich rewards. (UK Marketing
  Business Magazine)

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Introduction (Cont.)

• In Britain, the term ethnic minority is used
  to acknowledge the multicultural social setting
  and to identify people of separate status
  belonging to different groups (Omar et al.,
  2004).
• How the groups are spilt up
• Non-ethnic White people who originally were
  born in Britain
• Ethnic group one White people who moved to
  Britain (e.g. Irish, Polish, Jews..)
• Ethnic group two Non-whites immigrants (e.g.
  from British Commonwealth countries such as
  Jamaica, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Barbados).

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Introduction (Cont.)

• The differences in food choice and shopping
  behavior among different consumer groups in
  Britain are reflected in their selection of
  grocery stores and their responsiveness to
  certain marketing policies ( Omar et al., 2004).

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Background Information

• Brand products change forms through color,
  design, flavor, options, packaging style,
  features, and size, for the purpose of
  differentiating between their competitors. (Omar
  et al., 2004)
• The non-white ethnic majority groups are still
  becoming accustomed to the British way of life.
  They still tend to eat and buy foods that are a
  comfort food to them. (Omar et al.,2004)
• Retailers in ethnic market area now need to
  develop brand products that fit the needs of this
  ethnic minority. (Omar, 2004)
• British food retailers know very little about
  ethnic minorities food brand choices. (Omar et
  al., 2004). That is the origin of this research.

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Background Information (Cont.)

• In targeting the issues of ethnic minority
  markets manufacturers and retailers need to look
  at ethical questions such as kosher meals and
  other religious requirements (Omar et al., 2004).
• With this, previous researchers have focused on
  brand loyalty, consumer values and family
  decision making when researching buying
  behaviors of ethnic minorities (Omar et al.,
  2004)
• Concerning ethnicity, marketers should look at
  personal beliefs and individuals identities
  before marketing their product (Omar et al., 2004)

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The UK Grocery Market

• The British grocery market is highly competitive
  in terms of brand choice and preferences (Omar et
  al., 2004)
• Previous studies about retail marketing
  strategies recommended combining competitive
  analysis and marketing segmentation, but they
  released that a marketing strategy focused solely
  for the ethnic minority would be too narrow and
  therefore unhelpful (Omar et al., 2004).

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The UK Grocery Market (Cont.)

• Culture is recognized as a key influence on
  consumption. This explains why so many studies
  have been done on ethnicity, culture and their
  influences on consumer behavior (Omar et al.,
  2004).

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The UK Grocery Market (Cont.)

• Acculturation The exchange of cultural features
  which result when groups come into continuous
  first hand contact.
• Previous studies discuss barriers and incentives
  to ethnic minority consumers acculturation.
  Other studies emphasize using cultural market
  skills, paying close attention to social
  relations between majority and minority cultures
  (Omar et al., 2004).

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Acculturation of Ethnic Consumers (Cont.)

• In regards to ethnicity and culture many
  marketers only consider the market from the
  outside, and forget that their understandings and
  actions contribute to further cultural and ethnic
  divide (Omar et al.,2004).

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What Questions This Research Answers

• Are UK retailers providing food brands and
  appreciating ethnic minority food needs?
• What is the relationship between brand choice and
  acculturation of ethnic minority food
  consumption?

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Brand Preferences

• A well-known and much studied element of consumer
  behavior acknowledges that people buy brands for
  what the products mean as well as what the brands
  can do.
• It has been suggested that consumers buy things
  to allow others to see what they have purchased
  rather than buying products that they actually
  need.

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Aims and Objectives

• To contribute to marketing literature by
  enhancing the appreciation of brand preference
  comparison.
• To compare food brand preference, shopping and
  consumption patterns of ethnic and non-ethnic
  consumers in the London area
• To identify the sources that consumers use to
  obtain information about food brands.
• To identify influences of acculturation and
  ethnicity in food brand preference.

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Data Collection

• Mail Questionnaires
• Section A Likert scale of 1 to 5, bad to good.
• Section B Questions about demographic
  characteristics (ethnic or non-ethnic)
• Sample section
• 1,400 questionnaires sent out in Southall and
  Brixton believed to be two areas in Britain
  indicative of Englands ethnic diversity.
• 644 were returned 604 were usable.

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Data Collection (Cont.)

• Variable measurements
• Classification Variables age, gender, income,
  ethnic origin, number per household, social
  economic and demographic characteristics,
  preferred brands, sources of food information
  used in brand selection, and the degree of
  acculturation that may influence brand selection.
• The conceptual definition of ethnicity
  polarized the population (ethnic versus
  non-ethnic)
• 400 respondents classified as non-ethnic
• 240 respondents classified as ethnic

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Results

• Demographic characteristics
• Ethnic and non-ethnic are defined by household
  size, gender, marital status, age, and income and
  ethnical origin.
• See table 1.

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Results
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Results (Cont.)

• Brand Preferred
• National and owned label brands of dairy products
  pasta and bread, are high in both ethnic and
  non-ethnic shoppers.
• With fruit vegetables, meat, rice, fish, and
  poultry ethnic groups do not purchase any name
  brands.
• Non-ethnic shoppers are more loyal than ethnic to
  national and store brands.
• Non-ethnic shoppers tend to stay away from
  no-name products
• See table 2.

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Results Table 2
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Results (Cont.)

• Information sources used
• The non-ethnic representatives shop less than the
  ethnic
• Non-Ethnic
• Likes Bargain items, store flyer advertisements
  
• Dislikes T.V. ads, radio ads, newspaper ads
• Ethnic
• Likes newspapers, store flyers, helpful menu
  selections, new items
• Dislikes T.V. ads, radio ads, non bargain items

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Discussion Conclusion

• In a marketplace that is growing even more
  competitive, British grocers must find another
  niche, for example price, quality, or a
  convenient location.
• According to UK Government Labor Statistics
  ethnic minority groups collectively spend 2,870
  for food consumed at home versus 1,908 for
  non-ethnic groups. It is obvious in light of
  these numbers that ethnic minorities represent a
  profitable niche.

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Discussion Conclusion (Cont.)

• Despite no statistically significant difference
  between brand preferences of ethnic and
  non-ethnic in Britain, this study should pave the
  way for more robust and exhausted studies into
  ethnic minority purchasing behavior. Like fruit,
  vegetables, rice, meat, fish, and poultry, it
  seems that non-ethnic consumers place more value
  on national brands than other ethnic consumers
  who are more willing to buy the no name
  products.

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Discussion Conclusion (Cont.)

• In summary retailers must focus on issues
  relating to culture and tradition of ethnic
  minorities and consider that what they buy
  depends on their religious, cultural, and
  social-economic background.

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Limitations Future Research

• In light of its limitations this study is
  exploratory in nature and only concerns itself
  with two very broad definitions of a consumer
  group or population.
• There were too many factors that could change
  each individuals responses to give the study any
  relevance do the purchasing behavior off the
  entire households.

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Limitations Future Research (Cont.)

• And, since the ethnicity questions that define
  your ethnicity background seemed to cause quite a
  bit of confusion amongst the participants, this
  would need to be done in more finite terms in the
  future, for example, future researchers May
  retire the acculturation scale to include eating
  habits, reading, writing, and speaking ability in
  the English language just to name a few.

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The End