Development of new frozen food products: The effects of product attributes and marketing factors on sales of frozen cooked rice and dumplings

For successful new product development, it is crucial to devise product attributes and marketing strategies appropriate for the expected consumption contexts. However, the impacts of product attributes and marketing factors on sales across the various consumption contexts are scarcely examined. Thus, this study aims to compare the product attributes and marketing factors affecting the sales of new frozen cooked rice (meal) and frozen dumpling (snack) products, which have different consumption contexts. This study used Nielsen point-of-sale data on new frozen cooked rice and dumpling products in Korea for weeks 1–48 in 2020. The results reveal distinct key factors influencing sales for each product category. The key factors driving the sales of frozen cooked rice are formulation, recipe type, package type, weight diversity, and distribution channel diversity. The key factors driving the sales of frozen dumplings are the main ingredient, dumpling shape, sauce flavor, claim, weight diversity, bundling promotion, and distribution channel diversity. These findings contribute to new product development by increasing the understanding of product attributes and marketing factors in different consumption contexts.

Practical Applications

This manuscript contributes to the field of food consumer studies by comparing the impact of product attributes and marketing factors on frozen food sales in different consumption contexts, such as meals and snacks. The information obtained from this study provides useful insights for researchers in the sensory and gastronomic fields, as well as for food experts and practitioners. The results of this study can be of interest to the gastronomy sector, as we highlighted sensory factors such as main ingredients, sauce flavors, recipe types, and formulations as product attributes that influence consumers' food purchases. These findings can aid researchers and new product developers in the food industry in developing innovative foods that can potentially be incorporated into the sensory experience.