Fish Market Segmentation for Tunisia

Abstract

The average Fish consumption in Tunisia increased by around 47% in ten years growing from 5.8 to 11kg / person / year between 1995 and 2014 (INS). However, this consumption is characterized by a sharp disparity between coastal and continental regions. This disparity is due to several factors such as availability and supply of fish, the difference between consumption patterns and product quality and it's only a statistical average that does not reflect the actual distribution of fish consumption, indeed concentrated, taking into account the great role played by tourism and catering, and the high cost of fish in the local market which makes them less accessible to the average grants and low-income families. Fish is a highly perishable product and its quality is an important factor. The quality attributes are perceived differently by consumers: the expected quality, the experience quality or the quality of belief. This paper examines consumer perception of Tunisian quality fish, taking into account the various attributes and aims to segment Tunisian fish consumers based on their motives, perceived barriers, and their risk perception corresponding with fish consumption. A survey was conducted on a sample of 347 consumers from the regions of Tunis, Ben Arous, Mannouba and Ariana. The data collected were analysed by a factor analysis. Three dimensions were identified: “Motives to eat fish,” “Risk perception” and “Perceived difficulties in preparing fish dishes”. These dimensions allowed identifying three types of consumers. These clusters were characterized by socio-demographic and economic variables and their consumption preferences. Profiling the clusters yields opportunities for targeted marketing strategies and product orientation.