Marketing of Indigenous Fruits in Southern Africa - Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Tropics: Domestication, Utilization and Commercialization - page 233

The second important attribute was quantity, which had an importance
value of 30%. Among the quantities presented to customers, 500 g packets
were preferred and the tendency was to dislike 300 g packets. Although price
was included in the research design and was expected to be perceived as fixed
by the buyers, the fact that the quantities varied implied that prices were also
changing, such that the larger the quantity the cheaper. Therefore, the result
suggested that consumers preferred lower prices.
The appearance of the fruits was the third important attribute for buyers of
U. kirkiana , with an average importance of 18%. Consumers preferred to buy
round, fresh fruits (part worth value = 0.317) rather than rough, non-fresh
fruits. The preference for fresh fruits might be derived from the experience of
consumers with exotic fruits sold in the same markets. Lastly, buyers preferred
brown to yellow fruits. These findings suggested that the ideal product
identified by the buyers as a whole was a packet weighing 500 g containing
small, brown, round, fresh U. kirkiana fruits. Thus, in order to increase sales,
traders must provide fruits with the characteristics identified by the consumer.
The needs and desires of the buyers as a group differed from those of
individual buyers. Not all consumers liked the combination of attributes
identified by the group. This is because buyers differed in their background and
hence their needs. In order to satisfy the needs of consumers from different
backgrounds, perceptions and needs, the market was segmented to simplify the
development of marketing strategies that focus on fewer groups. The
segmentation process considered the utility values of the four traits identified by
the aggregate consumers, and the market was divided into six segments or
clusters. Findings showed that buyers in clusters 1 and 3 (for descriptions of the
clusters see footnote to Table 12.5) complied with the identified ideal product
(Table 12.5). Buyers in cluster 3 showed a greater preference for brown fruits
than buyers in other clusters. Buyers in clusters 1 and 2 also liked brown fruits.

Table 12.5. Traits of Uapaca kirkiana fruits preferred by the six clusters* ( n = 250).

Cluster

Preferred trait 1 2 3 4 5 6

Brown 0.34 0.63 1.24 0.90 0.31 0.36

500 g packet 0.24 1.10 0.91 0.63 1.12 1.86

Small size 2.04 0.97 0.60 0.92 0.06 1.31

Round, fresh 0.34 0.64 0.57 0.47 0.57 0.89

Number of respondents 55 21 37 29 57 51

*Clusters 1 and 3 comprised individuals with four to six people in the family; about 40% of
family members were younger than 6 years; medium income; 1-13 years of formal schooling;
most were met in Harare.
Cluster 2 comprised individuals with family size less than or equal to 3; low income; 66%
were met in Murehwa.
Cluster 5 comprised individuals with four to six people in the family; most individuals were
met in Harare City Botanical Garden.
Source: Ramadhani (2002).