KOREASCHOLAR

In recent years consumers have become used to products geared toward a more convenient lifestyle, thus, the demand for salted-cabbage, for use in preparing Kimchi is increasing. This study aims to investigate purchasing factors, the satisfaction and demands of salted-cabbage, and to ascertain a marketing strategy for expanding the use of salted cabbage in food-service departments of schools. Self-administered questionnaires were collected from 131 buying agents who manage food materials for schools, and statistical data analysis was completed using the SPSS V.14.0 program. 46.9% of the participating respondents were from elementary schools, 27.7% from middle schools, and 25.4% were from high schools.. Most of the subjects (67.9%) recognized the salted cabbage retailed for foodservice, but 62.3% of these had not purchased them, due to both their lack of trust in the sanitation and raw material handling of the food product, and the high price. Respondents considered different factors when deciding whether or not to purchase: the origin (local or imported) of the cabbage, hygiene, and taste, as well as characteristics such as the cabbage weight, package weight, and package materials. The score of post-behavior intentions as well as overall satisfaction was rather high. Also, they perceived the need of strategic promotion for enlarging the market portion of salted-cabbage. These results will done the guidelines for diversifying the salted-cabbage market and for creating an added value of agricultural products in rural areas.

• 차성미(농촌진흥청 농식품자원부) | Sung-Mi Cha
• 한귀정(농촌진흥청 농식품자원부) | Gwi-Jung Han Corresponding author
• 이새롬(농촌진흥청 농식품자원부) | Sae-Rom Lee
• 박영희(농촌진흥청 농식품자원부) | Young-Hee Park