A Conjoint Analysis of Mutton Purchase Preferences of Urban Consumers in Punjab and Islamabad Regions, Pakistan

Purpose: Understanding urban consumers’ purchase preferences for goat meat or “mutton”, in major cities of Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative pre-testing pilot survey was conducted among 15 butchers and 15 customers, focusing on mutton attributes that influence purchase. Afterwards, an online choice-based conjoint (CBC) survey was carried out between 2021 and 2023, where 576 purchasers were asked to preferentially pick options among combinations of attributes, including place of purchase, price, choice of cut, visual texture, colour of meat and aspects of hygiene. Their purchasing preferences were analysed using the Hierarchical Bayesian algorithm.

Findings: Among 576 consumers with widely different geographic, demographic, sociocultural and behavioural profiles, it was found that “hygiene”, followed by “place of purchase”, were the most important. “Price” was next.

Research limitations/implications: Given the survey focused on mutton purchasers in the fast-growing cities of urbanised Pakistan, the results may have limited generalisability to other areas. Insights into consumer preferences and behaviour in different market segments will interest global meat producers and merchants seeking to tailor their business strategies to cater to consumers’ varying demands.

Originality/value: This study provides new insights into the diversity in the mutton market in urban Pakistan and demonstrates the usefulness of the CBC method