RELATIVE IMPORTANCE RANKINGS FOR PORK ATTRIBUTES BY ASIAN-ORIGIN CONSUMERS IN CALIFORNIA: APPLYING AN ORDERED PROBIT MODEL TO A CHOICE-BASED SAMPLE

This paper reports on a study examining the ranking of selected attributes of fresh pork by Asian-origin consumers in San Francisco, California. Freshness is ranked as the most important attribute, followed by the attributes of the color of meat, lowness in fat, and the whiteness of fat. The attributes of price, freedom from chemicals, and being USDA labelled were also ranked to be of importance. Empirical results from an ordered probit model, postulated to explain respondents' importance rankings of attributes, suggested that particular demographic and socio-economic characteristics of Asian-origin consumers influenced the importance rankings of selected pork attributes. The findings suggest that Asian-origin consumers should not be treated as a single homogeneous niche group in marketing, since there are identifiable sub-groups of these consumers with specific attitudes and preferences.