Consumer segmentation and changing food purchase patterns in Nanjing, PRC

The remarkable economic changes occurring within the People's Republic of China since 1978 have resulted in striking alteration in food consumption patterns for urban Chinese residents. Higher incomes, busier life styles, greater choices in food retailers, the increasing availability of refrigeration, and the greater variety in food choice have all resulted in shifts of household consumption. This study, based on a convenience survey of urban households in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, PRC finds that three distinct patterns of food shopping exist. The significance of these findings to the global agro-food system and the agricultural sector of China are examined. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.