The impact of Product Attributes on Sausages Consumption Pattern in Gampaha Distric

Abstract

Sausages are meat products that have been processed, consisting of ground meat, various seasonings, and additional ingredients, offering a convenient and tasty food choice for consumers. Although their popularity is on the rise, the patterns of sausage consumption in Gampaha are not well-studied, highlighting the importance of examining how product features and socio-demographic factors affect consumer behavior. This study investigates how taste, price, brand, and packaging & labelling influence sausage consumption pattern in the Gampaha District. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from 100 respondents through a structured questionnaire. The data were first entered and cleaned in Excel before being analyzed using SPSS version 22. Descrtptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression analysis were used to evaluate the relationships between independent variables (product attributes) and the dependent variable (consumption pattem). The results show that all product attributes had positive correlations with consumption pattern; howevet, regression analysis revealed that taste (B : 0'239, p : 0.041),price (B :0.212, p:0'041), brand (B:0'208' p:0'039)' and packaging & labelling (p : 0.226. p : 0.045) significantly influenced consumption behavior. Sociodemographic factors such as age, gender, educatiion, income, and occupation did not show significant impact (p > 0.05). The model explained 61.9% of the variance in consumption pattern (R' : 0.619), indicating that product attributes are the primary determinants of sausage purchasing behavior in the district. The study concludes that enhancing sensory quality, improving packaging and labelling transparency, strengthening brand trust, and maintaining fair pricing are essential strategies for increasing consumer demand' These findings provide practical insights for manufacturers and retailers seeking to improve competitiveness in Sri Lanka's processed meat market'