Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Yogurt Product Attributes Among Urban Consumers in Kenya

Abstract This paper assesses the preferences of yogurt attributes among urban consumers in Nairobi, Kenya. Data were collected through a survey of 190 urban consumers and analyzed using descriptive statistics and willingness to accept (WTA) regression models. The results show that preference for flavored yogurt was much stronger with fewer consumers (39%) willing to forgo the attribute compared to micronutrient fortification (45%), probiotic (46%), and real fruit yogurt (53%). The results also show that willingness to accept price reductions in order to forgo a preferred attribute was higher for nutrition compared to sensory attributes (such as taste and appearance). The findings indicate that in the face of numerous yogurt brands in the market, there is a need for targeted messaging on the nutritional value of yogurts. The paper uncovers the tradeoffs in preferences between sensory and nutritional attributes, a contribution that has received limited attention in the literature.