Main Hypermarket Meat Purchasing Drivers

ABSTRACT Objective: urbanization and migration to large centers has caused changes in the behavior of meat consumers, not only with regards to product choice based on product quality and safety, but also the purchasing process. In this sense, factors such as proximity, product availability, and price are also factors affecting the purchase choices. This work aims to analyze the main factors associated with the consumption of these meats in the Federal District, Brazil, in an attempt to broaden our understanding of what consumers consider important, and to provide guidance. Method: this research was carried out in three different hypermarket networks. A socioeconomic evaluation of the interviewees was carried out, followed by the application of a survey, through structured affirmative sentences that were categorized in sociocultural, economic, health/food and environmental dimensions. The sentences were evaluated using the seven-point Likert scale. Socioeconomic data pertaining the interviewees were analyzed by Chi-square tests and the responses obtained through the Likert scale were transformed into Mean Item Score (MIS). Results and Conclusions: the results indicate that the quality control of the meat exposed in supermarkets and the possibility of finding the same type of meat in several different places are the main factors influencing the purchasing decisions of consumers of these meats.