Adopters of new food products in India

The purposes of this research were to compare the attitudes about new food purchases between innovators/early adopters and non‐innovators, and to determine the food purchase characteristics of innovators/early adopters and non‐innovators. Data were collected in ten locations in India between November 1999 and February 2000. Including income as a covariate, MANCOVA was performed to determine how innovators/early adopters and non‐innovators differed in their attitudes about new food purchases. The findings revealed some important characteristics of food innovators/early adopters: they tend to be opinion leaders, seek variety in food types and brands, and are more responsive to sales promotions and advertisements. Food prices are relatively important to both consumer groups. Marketing implications for food businesses are discussed.