In India Consumers behavior towards purchase of food drink products like beverage are changing due to economic and personal factors. Once if we compare last five years the prices of beverage products, it could be noted that there is an increase. The major reasons for the increase in the sales of food drinks are due to the increased consumption level among the customers. On an average an individual would consume these products two to three times in a day.

Moreover, the prices were also designed in such a manner by the manufacturers making it possible so that every consumer from different segment based on their demographic and geographical patterns could be able to make the purchase.

In effect it influences the consumers at large to opt for non-branded and cheap products that are available in the marketplace. This work was undertaken with an object to identify the pattern of purchase by the consumers, factors that dominate and influence the consumers to purchase the products and lastly the impact of demographic factors on the purchase of health food drinks consumption in the study area.

The study clearly shows that demographic factors like gender, place of purchase are largely influence the consumers while they purchase beverage products in the shops. Clanging consumerism is the biggest factor that plays a major role as for as consumers purchase behavior is concern. KEYWORDS Health Food and Soft Drinks, Demographic Factors, Purchase, Beverages, Consumer Behaviour, Corporate, Leverage, Consumerism, Consumption. INTRODUCTION Changing consumer behaviour is the biggest challenge for any corporate beverage companies especially for companies like Tata, ITC etc. This is mainly due factors that influence the consumers while purchasing beverage products.

For instance, factors such as offers, discount etc. , often increase the purchase. Health food drink products like beverages (hot and cold) are major items that consumer purchase as they consume beverage products not less than two to three times a day. According to the consumers demographic factors like Gender, Age, Educational Status, Marital Status, Occupation, Domicile, and Shopping Destinations often influence consumers while purchasing health food drink products. SCOPE OF THE STUDY The study aims to find the customer preferences towards health food drink products.

It has been carried out for period of 2 months focusing all type of consumers. It was restricted to information regarding the demographic profile of the consumers and questions regarding four P’s of marketing tools. OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH To understand the overall purchase pattern of the beverages by the consumers. To identify the level of influence various factor dominate the consumers. To have an insight about prepurchase behavior of consumers. To understand the impact of demographic factors of consumers upon purchase beverage products.

RESEARCH DESIGN A Research design is process of collection and analysis of data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with economic aspect involved in mind. A Research is purely and simply the framework and a plan for the study that guides the collection and analysis of data. It is a blue print followed in completing a study which contains the steps as: Research is an art of scientific investigation. Research is a process of systemic study. Research is a search of knowledge. Research is an area of investigation which includes collection, analysis and interpretation of data.

Research has to proceed systematically in the already planned direction with the help of a number of steps in sequence. To make the research systemized the researcher has to adopt certain methods. The method adopted by the researcher for completing the project is called Research Methodology. DATA COLLECTION METHODOLOGY AND Data refers to information or facts. It is not only refers numerical figures but also include descriptive facts.

The method of data collection includes two types for the study, such as primary data and secondary data. PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION METHOD The primary was collected with the help of a structured questionnaire directly from consumers through personal interview.

The questionnaire contains questions that suit the objectives of the study. The questions will help to draw the information A Study On Consumers Buying Habits Towards Health Food Drink Products In Salem District Tamilnadu – Mr. P. Arun relating to purchase pattern of beverage products by the consumers. The Primary data was collected with a set of specific objective to assess the current status of variables considered for the study. Primary data is useful and applicable only for a specific time. and previous reports, magazines, sales vouchers etc.

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION MULTI-DISCRIMINANT FUNCTION ANALYSIS METHODS OF PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION The performance of buying behaviour varies by the different stages of influence. In the study area out of 106 respondents divided into two groups, one is low level of influencer and high level of influencer. For the purpose of the study 7 variables were selected. Although there are several methods are being used for collecting primary data, questionnaire and interview methods has been employed in this study.

SECONDARY DATA Gender Age Educational Status Marital Status Occupation Living Place Place of Shopping It was used mainly to support the primary data. Secondary data was collected from sources such as through books, annual reports, significant, available literatures from organization TABLE No. 1 – SUMMARY TABLE BETWEEN LOW INFLUENCER AND HIGH INFLUENCER GROUPS STEP 1. 2. VARIABLE ENTERED Gender Place of purchase WILK’S LAMBDA 0. 955 0. 909 MINIMUM D2 SIGNIFICANCE 0. 222 0. 471 ** * *.

Significant at 1% level, ** Significant at 5% level, TABLE No. 2. – CANONICAL DISCRIMINANT FUNCTION CANONICAL CORRELATION 0. 302 WILKS LAMBDA 0. 909 The canonical correlation is 0. 302 when squared is 0. 091 that is 9. 1% of the variance in the discriminant group can be accounted for by this model, Wilk’s Lambda and chi-square value suggest that D. F. is significant at 1% level. The variables given above are CHISQUARE 9. 711 D. F.

SIG 2 Significant at 1% level identified finally by the D. F. A. as the eligible discriminating variables. Based on the selected variables the corresponding D. F. coefficients are calculated. They are given in the following table. TABLE NO. 3: DISCRIMINANT FUNCTION COEFFICIENTS Namex International Journal of Management Research 33 Vol. 2, Issue No. 2, July – December 2012. A Study On Consumers Buying Habits Towards Health Food Drink Products In Salem District Tamilnadu – Mr. P. Arun.

VARIABLES COEFFICIENTS 1. 812 0. 777 4. 635 Gender Place of Purchase Constant The equation is: Z = – 4. 635+ 1. 812 (Gender) + 0. 777 (Place of purchase) The discriminating power or the contribution of each variable to the function can sufficiently. For this consider the following table. TABLE No. 4- RELATIVE DISCRIMINATING INDEX FACTORS Gender Place of Purchase GROUP 1 MEAN X1 1. 58 2. 90 GROUP2 MEAN X2 UNSTANDARDIZED DIC. COEFF. (kj) 1. 35 2. 55 1. 812 0. 777 Ij = ABS (Kj) MEAN (Xjo – x ji) 1. 24 0. 29 1. 53 Total Rj = Ij / sum Ij j*100 81. 0 19. 0 100. 0 This reclassification is called predictor group membership.

In short, the efficiency of the D. F. is how correctly it predicts the respondents into respective groups. TABLE NO. 5 – CLASSIFICATION RESULTS PREDICTED GROUP MEMBERSHIP ACTUAL GROUP No. OF CASES GROUP I Group 1 (Low Influencer) Group 2 (High Influencer) 20 (64. 5%) 31 (41. 9%) 31 74 GROUP II 11 (35. 5%) 43 (58. 1%) Percent of grouped cases correctly classified: 60. 0%. The above table gives the results of the reclassification. The function, using the variables selected in the analysis classified 60. 0% of the cases correctly in the respective groups. low and high influencer. The following factors significantly

discriminate the two influencer groups. They are: Gender (at 5% level) Place of purchase (at 1% level) Discriminate function analysis was applied to the respondents based on the TABLE NO. 6: DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF RESPONDENTS (N=106) ITEM GENDER Male Female MARITAL STATUS Single Married NUMBER Namex International Journal of Management Research PERCENTAGE 61 45 58. 00 42. 00 21 84 19. 88 79. 25 34 Vol. 2, Issue No. 2, July – December 2012. A Study On Consumers Buying Habits Towards Health Food Drink Products In Salem District Tamilnadu – Mr. P. Arun Widow EDUCATIONAL STATUS Elementary School High School Graduate

Post Graduate Doctoral Degree OCCUPATION Professional Worker Business Retired Staff House Wife PLACE Salem Omalur Mecheri Mettur Dam Kolathur The Present study is related to consumers’ behaviour on health food drinks in Salem area. In the constituted sample size of 106 respondents it was found there were 61. 33% professionals, 04. 71% workers, 30. 18% businessmen, 0. 94% retired staff and 02. 83% house wife. The distributions of consumers were found to be from locations such as Salem, Omalur, Mecheri, Mettur Dam and Kolathur. From the above table it could be seen that 34. 91 % of consumers were from Kolathur, 31.

33% of consumers were from Mettur 01 0. 94 09 12 23 55 04 08. 49 11. 33 21. 69 51. 89 03. 78 65 05 32 01 03 61. 33 04. 71 30. 18 0. 94 02. 83 25 01 10 33 37 23. 59 09. 44 09. 44 31. 33 34. 91 doctoral. With respect to the occupation of the respondents was concerned, 61. 33% were professional, 30. 18 were business person and remaining 6% were worker, retired staff and house wives. STATISTICAL TOOLS APPLIED The primary data collected through interview schedule from 106 respondents. The statistical tool applied is multi discriminant analyses were used for this study.

FINDINGS Dam, 23. 59% of consumers were from Salem City, 9. 44% of consumers were from Mecheri and the remaining 0. 94% of consumers were from Omalur. The gender distributions of consumers in the study, it is noted 58% of the respondents were male and the remaining 42% were female. As for as education qualification of the consumer was concerned, there were 51. 89% post graduate, 21. 69% graduate, 11. 33% high school level, 8. 49% elementary school level and the remaining 3. 78% Namex International Journal of Management Research The study shows the following findings. It’s clearly shows that the below gender and place were significantly differed:

Gender (at 5% level) Place of purchase (at 1% level) CONCLUSION The study clearly shows that demographic factors like gender, place 35 Vol. 2, Issue No. 2, July – December 2012. A Study On Consumers Buying Habits Towards Health Food Drink Products In Salem District Tamilnadu – Mr. P. Arun of purchase are largely influence the consumers while they purchase beverage products in the shops. Clanging consumerism is the biggest factor that plays a major role as for as consumers purchase behavior is concern. REFERENCES Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, McDowell MA, Tabak CJ, Flegal KM. Prevalence Of Overweight.

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