Evaluation and comparison of conceptual model of shrimp consumers’ behavior in geographical triple regions of Iran

Increasing the per capita consumption of shrimp in the country needs to examine consumer’s behavior, in this way, a product will be produced according to the interests of the consumption community and the barriers to consumption will be removed in the country. Since the behavior of consumers of one type of food (shrimp) may vary in different regions, assessing this difference will help provide strategies for increasing per capita consumption. The purpose of this study was to compare the behavior of shrimp consumers in three geographical regions of the country; coastal, central and mountainous regions. Data collection tool was a questionnaire (completed in the second half of 2019) and statistical analysis method was structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that in coastal areas, unlike the central and mountainous regions, the convenience of shrimp cooking and packaging did not have a significant effect on the attitude of the individuals as well as the access factor on the behavior control element. Further, it was found that in central and mountainous areas, in contrast to coastal areas, time and place of consumption are not effective on behavior control element. According to the results in coastal and mountainous areas, the most important variable affecting people's attitude was the quality of shrimp, but in the central regions packaging variable replaced quality. In coastal and central areas, the effect of price on behavioral control was more pronounced than other factors but in mountainous areas, access was the most effective factor on behavior control element. According to the findings, in all three regions, supply and processing type as well as household income were positively and significantly influenced on attitude and behavior control element, respectively. Therefore, given the differences in shrimp consumers' behavior in the three regions, to increase per capita consumption, shrimp production and supply industry managers must adopt strategic policies appropriate to each region's target markets.