| Research Abstract |
This study analyzes the expansion of the way to sell Japanese fresh fruits and processed fruits in foreign countries quantitatively and empirically. As a result, the following was clarified.
Chapter 1 examined which purchasing classes should be targeted for Nokkori pear and Tochiotome strawberry produced in Tochigi Prefecture, by a probit analysis.
First, there was a low level of recognition towards Japanese pears and apples in general. Therefore, a promotion strategy to enhance the recognition of Nikkori and Tochiotome should be encouraged, for example, by creating special packages for their exports.
Second, Regarding Tochiotome, its size in Hong Kong, and its fragrance in Bangkok, was highly evaluated. Tochiotome was highly evaluated by women, whereas Nikkori by middle-aged group.
Finally, in terms of prices, Nikkori pear was four times more expensive than Chinese pears in Hong Kong, and Tochiotome strawberry was seven times more expensive than domestic strawberries in Bangkok. However,
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nearly 80% of the respondents said they would still be willing to buy Nikkori if its price was same or even a little more expensive in Hong Kong. Nearly 70% gave the similar positive answer for Tochiotome in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, in Bangkok, almost 80% of the respondents would not buy Nikkori and Tochiotome by the suggested prices.
On the whole, this paper suggests from the probit analysis that the successful export of Tochiotome to Hong Kong should be targeted to middle-aged and women groups who have a priority evaluation of taste, and should set up the strategy on how such groups are attracted to buy them.
Chapter 2 discusses trends and consumers' awareness of the export of Kyoho grape produced in Totigi in the ISETAN Scotts store. In this shop, Japanese grapes are valued highly, but the price of Kyoho grape produced in Tochigi is required to be lowered. In the case, such as this shop where there are many Japanese customers, however, expensive Japanese grape was segregated from cheap Australian grape.
Although Singaporean taste and adherence to safety are different from Japanese, Singaporean value Japanese grape highly. Thus, marketing activity, which focuses on targeted consumers by selling seedless grapes and improving freshness (by avoiding shedding and stem blight), would be essential, rather than quick changes in prices.
The key to expansion of sales of Tochigi grape is how to increase non-Japanese repeaters. In the shop, there are relatively many Japanese customers, but customers who purchase Tochigi grape repeatedly are mainly Japanese and most Singaporean do not recognize it. Hereafter, it would be necessary to sell grapes which Singaporean people prefer by paying attention to sweetness, low price, and freshness.
Chapter 3 aims to increase exports of Aomori cloudy apple juices and considers the tastes of foreign consumers, analyzing the factors of demographic consumers' assessment on the juices.
First, foreign consumers are not necessarily committed to breeding and domestic products, but the additive-free were highly evaluated by 70% of respondents, and Aomori cloudy apple juices ware evaluated by 50% of respondents.
As a result of demographic consumer tasting, domestic products was preferred to people in high-income countries, and single variety was preferred to young people. But, single variety and cloudy juices were not committed to people other than high-income countries.
Also, Fuji won the highest rating among varieties, and was evaluated by young people other than those from high-income countries. Meanwhile, Shinanogold was evaluated by elder persons and Mutsu was evaluated by knowledgeable buyers of foods.
Moreover, as a result of the relationship between comprehensive assessment and individual assessment items, a color is most appreciated, then sweetness, and flavor were also evaluated.
However, investigating the intention of purchasing Aomori cloudy apple juices, less than 30% of respondents was not willing to purchase them and 60% of respondents with the purchase had the intention to buy, but didn' t feel premium in price. Meanwhile, only less than 30% of respondents thought that the price difference of between Fuji etc. and Shinanogold etc. is reasonable and 40% of respondents thought that the price difference among 2 varieties was not even reasonable despite Shinanogold' s high rate.
As a result of the relationship between purchase intention and personal attributes, the price premium is not felt enough by high-aged and Asian people in college graduates, in particular college graduates and Asian people had more tendency. Therefore it is recommended to select the appropriate sales channels and conduct adequate price survey in exporting to Asian countries.
Chapter 4 dealt with the export of Tochiotome strawberries to Hong Kong and consumers' consciousness. According to the questionnaires in Ichida-Yata, a supermarket in Hong Kong, about 80 percent of the respondents have bought Japanese strawberries before. They provided more positive evaluations to Japanese strawberries than those produced by other countries. The result of the questionnaires also indicated that the respondents who has not bought Japanese strawberries before tended to give more positive evaluations to the strawberries than those who has bought them before. Therefore, this paper suggests that the former group should be given more opportunities to buy Japanese strawberries. Before the questionnaires, the people in Hong Kong had an image that Japanese strawberries are relatively large in size. However, the result of the questionnaires showed that they do not necessarily prefer larger strawberries. Therefore, the small and middle-sized strawberries should also be considered to be exported to Hong Kong from Japan.
Furthermore, according to the questionnaires in Ichida-Yata, the respondents with relatively small households tended to value freshness of strawberries. Older respondents tended to value the safety of strawberries. Respondents with high incomes tended to value safety as well as organic products. In other words, the respondents with middle- and high incomes, who are the main buyers of Japanese strawberries, require safety and trust in the products. This will be an indispensable point to be improved in exporting Tochiotome to Hong Kong. On the whole, a long-term exporting scheme should be expected in order to meet the demand of a wealthy group and to distinguish Japanese strawberries from other foreign products in Hong Kong.
Chapter 5 analyzed the consumers' purchasing behavior of Aomori apple to examine its export potential to Helsinki. Main findings are as follows: First, the amount of apple consumption per capita is large in Scandinavian countries and their income level or purchasing power is high so that they can be fair consumers for Aomori apples. To export their products to Helsinki, Finland, however, our detail price analysis shows that Aomori apple producers should make efforts to reduce the retail prices in Helsinki to the levels of apple prices domestically distributed in Japan. Next, the consumers in Helsinki highly evaluated Japanese apple as compared with Italian and Chinese apples, while organic apples is preferred as well. Third, as to the size of apples, heterogeneous preferences are observed among the sample consumers. Large size, a diameter of 75mm and above, applies are typically preferred by the relatively rich consumers while general people or students will choose small size apples. The findings show that when exporting Aomori apples, sale channels should be established by taking the difference of size preference into account. Less
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