A profile of the Australian seafood consumer.

Abstract

Seafood is an important food industry globally and increasing seafood consumption is high on the agenda of many developed countries.Understanding consumers is fundamental to the development of any marketing strategy, and while considerable research has been undertaken with European seafood consumers little is known about the seafood consumer in other markets including Australia. This paper presents a profile of the Australian seafood consumer designed to inform the decisions of key stake holders in the seafood industry:producers, middlemen and retailers. The profile has been developed from a range of studies undertaken through the Australian Seafood Collaborative Research Centre, a government supported body with a mission to improve profitability in the seafood industry and increase Australian seafood consumption. Australians consume on average approximately 2.2 serves of seafood per week. Two thirds of all seafood is prepared and consumed at home with 61% of seafood for at - home consumption purchased at supermarkets and 18% at fish markets or fish mongers. Key drivers of seafood consumption are taste, convenience, health,and versatility and these vary across species. Key barriers are price, concerns about origin and freshness and a lack of knowledge/confidence. Overwhelmingly, Australian consumers prefer Australian seafood and 'Australian’ serves as a surrogate for quality, safe, fresh and sustainable.