Factors affecting chinese consumer awareness and acceptance of japanese rice

This paper investigated consumers' awareness and acceptance of the Japanese rice in Beijing area. Data was collected through a face-to-face interview survey to consumers in six supermarkets in Beijing during December 2008 and January 2009. A total sample of 400 consumers participated in the survey. Data included socio-demographics and questions regarding their cognition, attitude and purchasing behavior on Japanese rice. The results obtained from the survey showed that consumers had relatively low cognition and acceptance on Japanese rice and only 14.8% of the respondents had purchasing experience on Japanese rice. Although Japanese rice maintained high quality property, high price, lack of purchasing motivation, and sufficient and satisfying rice supply from domestic market obstructed the good sales record of Japanese rice in China. The bivariate probit model results showed that consumer's gender, education level, monthly expense on foods, and time pressure significantly positively affected the consumers' cognition level on Japanese rice, whileconsumers' age and quantity concern degree negatively and significantly affected their awareness. As far as the purchasing behavior of consumers on Japanese rice, consumer's gender, education level, family size, quantity and nutrition concern degreesignificantly and positively affected the consumers' purchasing behavior on Japanese rice, while their monthly expense on food and quality concern degree negatively affected their purchase significantly. This finding provides contribution to strengthening marketing strategy that increase awareness and acceptance of Japanese rice in Chinese rice market.