CHANGING TREND OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS CUSTOMIZATION IN FOOD INDUSTRY OF KARACHI, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Purpose: The puipose of the research is to determine the changing trend of customer behaviour towards customization in fast food industry. Three categories have been selected for the research in food industry i.e. cakes, ice creams and fast food. People whether prefer customized items over standardized items in these categories. Research Methodology: The study involves use of questionnaire filled by 300 respondents for the collection of primary data, belongs to different age groups, gender and occupation because each individual has its own point of view and they behave according to their perception towards customization. Previous literature has also been reviewed .To analyse the data MS office, Chi square test and Goodness of fit test through SPSS are applied. Findings: The analysis and comparative results explains that there is no association of age, gender and occupation with the customized items they all prefer customized food items and they are willing to pay slightly more for these items.it is also concluded that people prefer customized food items over standardized food items and they have different reasons and choices for customization which creates satisfaction. Practical Implications: The outcomes of the research might helpful to people who are in food industry like bakery, ice cream parlour or fast food chain owners, as people are willing to pay more for customized items and they prefer customized food items more, they can start looking in this area if they haven’t started customization yet. Other food items like chocolates, coffee, etc. can also be customized. Research Limitations: This research has some limitations including the lacking of information from the literature is one of the most essential limitations. Since the domain of food customization is recent, therefore, there is limited accurate and valuable information available. The research has been carried out in Karachi only and not in other cities of Pakistan