FACTORS AFFECT THE DECISION TO CONSUME USING MARKET: A CASE STUDY OF MUEANGPHITSANULOK DISTRICT PHITSANULOK PROVINCE

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze consumer behavior in selecting market services and to examine the factors influencing market selection in Mueang Phitsanulok District, Phitsanulok Province. The study employed a quantitative research approach. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to 400 consumers who had experience using fresh markets, supermarkets, and supercenters in Mueang Phitsanulok District, Phitsanulok Province. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, including the independent samples t-test, Chi-square test, and Binary Logistic Regression Analysis. The results indicated that the majority of respondents were female, aged between 26 and 35 years, had three family members, were single, held a bachelor's degree, and were employed in the government or state enterprise sector. Most respondents (81.8%) had previously used market services. They purchased goods more than once per week, spent between 100 and 500 Baht per shopping trip, and preferred shopping during the period of 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Fresh food, vegetables, and fruits were the most frequently purchased products. Regarding factors influencing market selection, respondents rated price, sales promotion, and attitudes and preferences as highly important. The results of the Binary Logistic Regression Analysis revealed that age was a statistically significant determinant of market selection at the 0.05 significance level. Older consumers were more likely to use market services than consumers aged below 25 years. In particular, consumers aged over 55 years were 13.328 times more likely to use market services than the reference age group. Family size was significant at the 0.10 significance level, indicating that households with more than five members were less likely to use market services than households with one to two members (Exp(B) = 0.394). In contrast, economic factors were not found to have a statistically significant effect on market choice. Furthermore, the model demonstrated a good fit to the data (Hosmer-Lemeshow p = 0.913, Nagelkerke R² = 0.175), The overall classification accuracy of the model was 82.0 percent. The findings suggest that market selection is driven primarily by consumers' age groups rather than by price-related factors or sales promotion activities. Therefore, fresh markets should prioritize the development of marketing strategies aimed at attracting younger consumers, who represent the lowest proportion of market users, in order to sustain and expand their customer base in the long run.

Keywords: Fresh Market, Supermarket, Super Center, Price, Sales Promotion, Attitude, Taste