A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR IN THE DAIRY PRODUCTS MARKET

Consumer behaviour for dairy purchases is influenced by a multitude of psychological, social, cultural and economic determinants. This paper explores an amalgamation of the Black Box Model of Consumer Behaviour with components of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to provide theoretical support for the purchase decision-making process concerning dairy products. Additionally, the proposed framework takes into account how marketing stimuli including price, quality, packaging, brand image and promotional strategies interact with consumer characteristics such as perception, motivation, lifestyle, health consciousness and income levels; and also considers other external factors that affect consumer behaviour including family preferences, cultural values, urbanisation and government regulation. For dairy products, consumer attitudes about and intentions towards purchasing are directly affected by their perceptions about freshness, nutritional value, trust in brand(s), adherence to safety standards and availability. The proposed framework emphasises the increasing importance of health consciousness, ethical consumption, consumer preference for organic and value-added dairy products; and highlights the extent to which digital marketing, social media use, and changes in the retailing sector will influence the decision-making process for consumers. This research provides theoretical insight into the factors that influence consumers’ dairy purchases, and offers practical implications for marketers to develop effective strategies that will satisfy the changing expectations of consumers and the rapidly changing dynamics of the competitive marketplace.