Effect Of Various Stimuli On Consumer Behaviour For Food Commodities In An Area Of Mymensingh District

The study area covered the Bangladesh Agricultural University and its adjoining areas. The respondents were divided into three income groups and a total of 238 respondents were interviewed. "Weighted average" method was used for determining the preference and frequency of purchase of the households. Most households used to make decision for buying food jointly with husband and wife and did shopping as a matter of necessity rather than pleasure. The male members in the lower age groups had generally high level of preference for high calorie food than their women counterparts. However beyond the age of forty their preference for these foods fell drastically. Company's reputation was the most important criterion in choosing new brands of products. Foreign products were considered superior to local products. Most respondents were not prepared to pay extra price for services such as grading, processing and packaging of primary agricultural products. Most of them exhibited brand affinity and brand loyalty. They thought that of the two competing brand products the one having higher price was of better quality. Among the mass media television was ranked as the most effective means of communication. In the events of rise in price of consumer goods households' first perceived action was to cut the consumption of some non-food items and cut the consumption of food only as the last resort.