According to Seafood Health Facts, the per capita consumption of seafood (fin fish, crustaceans and shellfish) increased from 14.6 pounds per person in 1997 to 16.5 pounds per person in 2006, and then decreased to 14.9 pounds per person in 2018. In 2019, consumption rose to 19.2 pounds of seafood per capita, according to the National Fisheries Institute. Though seafood sales remained depressed in the foodservice sector as a result of the pandemic, purchases of fresh and frozen seafood at big-box retailers and traditional supermarkets rose through the latter half of 2020. Despite this positive development, the per capita consumption of seafood remains low relative to beef, pork and poultry because consumers have choices and apparent preferences for dietary protein.
Market research is a branch of social science that links the consumer to a marketer through information that identifies market opportunities and problems, evaluates marketing actions and monitors market performance. T o help local seafood producers meet the needs and expectations of their customers, North Carolina Sea Grant has conducted qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative (online surveys) research to learn consumers’ reasons for eating seafood, their perceptions of U.S. producers and what enhancements they want to facilitate preparing and consuming seafood in the home .
Th is paper will review the attributes North Carolina consumers say they value about local seafood, and it will show how research results were used to develop an approach to marketing cultivated oysters. W hile the demand for local seafood seems strong, this paper will also show that price remains a prime determinant of purchase intent.