Food- and situation-specific lifestyle segmentation of kitchen appliance market

Abstract

Purpose

The primary purpose of this research is to draw out in-depth lifestyle characteristics which can be used in new product development and marketing. To achieve this goal, this research aims to explore US female household consumers ' lifestyle structures regarding food-related AIO and identify the values that discriminate best among different consumer segments.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 518 US female consumers aged between 20 and 65 participated based on multi-stage stratified random selection of age. The cluster analysis was performed to identify meaningful segments.

Findings

Six segments of Wellbeing-oriented, Social- and dining-oriented, Family-oriented, Innovation- and action-oriented, Price-conscious, and Convenience-oriented were found. These segments show differences in motivation for buying kitchen appliances, evaluation of quality aspect of foods, consumption situations, and in socio-demographic characteristics.

Research limitations/implications

These results identify that a product-specific lifestyle helps one to understand the market better than product function even in a technology-oriented industry. Consumer electronics companies should concentrate on their potential target market and understand their specific needs.

Originality/value

The study found that refined and modified AIO-based research is effective in terms of consumer lifestyle analysis. In addition, employing the combination of multivariate analytical techniques made it possible to attain the major objectives of the study

Citation

Hur, W.-M., Kyung Kim, H. and Park, J. (2010), "Food- and situation-specific lifestyle segmentation of kitchen appliance market", British Food Journal, Vol. 112 No. 3, pp. 294-305. https://doi.org/10.1108/00070701011029165