Consumer preference and dealer perception towards Amar dairy products in Akola city of Maharashtra

Introduction

The dairy sector occupies a central place in Indian agriculture, providing nutritious food, regular income and employment to millions of rural households. India is presently the largest milk-producing country in the world, with milk production reaching 239.30 million tonnes during 2023-24 and per capita availability of about 471 grams per day, higher than the world average (Source: DAHD, Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics, 2024). Along with wellestablished national brands such as Amul and Mother Dairy, regional dairy brands have expanded rapidly in recent years by strengthening product quality and distribution networks in their local markets. Amar Dairy, established in 1990 with its head office at Bodwad, Jalgaon district of Maharashtra, is one such regional brand that has built a strong market presence in Jalgaon, Akola, Khamgaon, Malkapur, Nandura, Bhusawal and nearby districts. The company procures, processes and markets a wide range of dairy products including Gold Milk, Standard Milk, Toned Milk, Cow Milk, Curd, Buttermilk, Paneer and Lassi. In a competitive dairy market where consumers can choose among several branded and unbranded alternatives, understanding what drives consumer preference and what motivates dealers to stock and promote a particular brand becomes essential for a company seeking to strengthen its market position. Consumer preference reflects the choices consumers make on the basis of taste, quality, price, availability, packaging and other product attributes, while the willingness of dealers to sell a brand depends on the trade-related advantages they perceive, such as profit margin, consumer demand, product quality, regular supply and brand image. Both dimensions together determine the overall market performance of a dairy brand. Against this background, the present study was undertaken with the following objectives: 1. To identify the consumer preference towards Amar Dairy products in Akola city. 2. To study the advantages of selling Amar Dairy products as perceived by the selected dealers in Akola city.

Methodology Study Area and Sampling Design

The study was conducted in Akola city of Maharashtra, where Amar Dairy products are widely available through dealers and retail outlets. The data were collected during the academic year 2025-26. Primary data were collected directly from respondents using a well-structured schedule administered through personal interviews. Data on consumer preference were collected from 90 selected consumers, while data on advantages of selling Amar Dairy products were collected from 10 selected Amar Dairy dealers in Akola city.

Analytical Methods 1. Identification of consumer preference

The data on preferred product, reason for preference and purchase frequency were classified and analysed using frequency and percentage analysis.

Percentage = (Number of respondents/Total number of respondents) × 100

Advantages of selling Amar Dairy products:

Dealers were asked to rank five advantages of selling Amar Dairy products, namely high consumer demand, good product quality, better profit margin, regular supply and brand image, assigning ranks from 1 to 5, where rank 5 represented the most important advantage. The mean score for each advantage was calculated and ranks were assigned on the basis of the mean score, the highest mean score being awarded Rank I.

Where, Σx = total score given by all respondents for a particular advantage, and N = total number of respondents (10 dealers).

Results and Discussion 1. Preference for Amar Dairy products by selected consumers

Consumer preference is an important factor influencing the purchase of dairy products, reflecting the choices made by consumers on the basis of taste, quality, price, availability and packaging. The preference of selected consumers for different Amar Dairy products is presented in Table 1. ). The higher preference for Gold Milk may be attributed to its taste, quality and suitability for daily household consumption, indicating that while all Amar Dairy products are accepted by consumers, the level of preference varies depending on consumer needs and buying habits. Table 2 shows that quality was the most important reason for preference, selected by 26 consumers (28.89%), followed by price and fat content (14.44% each) and availability (13.33%). Taste was selected by 12.22 percent of consumers and packaging by 10.00 percent, while quantity was the least important reason (6.67%). These findings indicate that consumers give greater importance to product quality and value than to the quantity offered, suggesting that maintaining good quality at a reasonable price is central to strengthening Amar Dairy's position in the market. Table 3 reveals that daily purchase was the most common buying pattern, reported by 30 consumers (33.33%), followed by occasional purchase (26.66%). Weekly and fortnightly purchases were each reported by 13.33 percent of consumers, monthly purchase by 8.88 percent, and only 4.44 percent of consumers purchased Amar Dairy products 2-3 times a week. The predominance of daily purchase indicates that Amar Dairy products are widely used for regular household consumption, while the presence of weekly, fortnightly and occasional buyers reflects differences in family needs and consumption habits.

Reason for preference of Amar Dairy products

Purchase frequency of selected consumers

Advantages of selling Amar Dairy products

The success of a dairy brand depends not only on consumer demand but also on the advantages experienced by dealers while selling the products. The advantages of selling Amar Dairy products, as perceived by the selected dealers, are presented in Table 4. 4 shows that better profit margin was the most important advantage of selling Amar Dairy products, with a mean score of 3.6 (72%), securing Rank I, this indicates that dealers attach the highest importance to the financial return obtained from selling the brand. High consumer demand ranked second with a mean score 3.4 (68%), followed by good product quality with a mean score 3.1 (62%) at Rank III. Brand image obtained Rank IV with a mean score 2.8 (56%), while regular supply received the lowest rank with a mean score 2.0 (40%). These results indicate that dealers give greater importance to the economic benefits and sales potential of Amar Dairy products, namely profit margin and consumer demand, than to brand image or the regularity of supply while deciding to stock and promote the brand.

Conclusion

The study revealed that Gold Milk was the most preferred Amar Dairy product among consumers in Akola city, followed by Lassi, Buttermilk and Dahi, with quality being the dominant reason for preference, followed by price and fat content. Daily purchase was the most common buying pattern, indicating that Amar Dairy products are largely used for regular household consumption. Among dealers, better profit margin was identified as the foremost advantage of selling Amar Dairy products, followed by high consumer demand and good product quality, while regular supply was perceived as the least important advantage. The findings suggest that consumer preference for Amar Dairy is primarily quality-and price-driven, while dealer participation is chiefly motivated by profit margin and demand. Amar Dairy should therefore continue to strengthen product quality and offer competitive pricing to sustain consumer preference, while improving dealer margins and ensuring more regular supply to strengthen its distribution network and overall market position in Akola city.

References

1. Anole AR, Zinjarde RM, Khadse PN, Nichal CR. Consumer survey for consumption pattern of milk and milk products in Nagpur city. The Pharma Innov J. 2021;10(12S):1732-1735.
2. Jha HMB, Pande PL. Comparative analysis of key players in dairy industry-A study of Khamgaon region. TIJER-Int Res J. 2023;10(3):839-846.
3. Mishra P, Kejriwal C. A study on consumer preference buying pattern towards Amul curd in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. Int J Innov Sci Res Technol. 2024;9(5).
4. Pallathadka LK, Pallathadka H, Devi TB. A comparative study of household women in Delhi NCR on consumer perception towards milk and milk products. Integrated J Res Arts Humanit. 2022;2(5):182-188.
5. Parasuraman B, Singh P, Nachimuthu S, Arumugam V, Kumar A. Consumers' choice and preferences of dairy based products. Indian J Anim Sci. 2021;91(11):9981001.
6. Sarkar A, Dutta A. Challenges and opportunities of dairy sector in India vis-à-vis world: A critical review. Explor Anim Med Res. 2020;10(1):9-17.
7. Shree JS, Pandian ASS, Selvakumar KN, Kumaravelu N. Consumer preferences for various dairy products in Chennai Metro City, Tamil Nadu. Adv Life Sci. 2016;5(23):11016-11019.
8. Shruthi G, Rao BD, Devi YL. Consumers perception towards Karimnagar Milk Producing Company Limited milk and milk products. Res J Agric Sci. 2016;7(4/5):771-773.
9. Sisaudia YS, Dwivedi P. Consumer buying behavior of different packaged milk brands in Prayagraj district, Uttar Pradesh. Int J Agric Food Sci. 2025;7(7):50-52.