Abstract:
The aim of this study is to review the market opportunities and the supply chain of macadamia: A case study of business in Chiang Rai SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises). Particular attention is given to the newest trends in customers tastes and demands, with special consideration to the expected future developments in order to adapt the development of the macadamia business to these needs and trends.
In this research the author follows a conceptual framework developed for the analysis of Supply-Chain-Management and Marketing. In a first step, the researcher visited the production facilities in Doi-Chang, to interview the business owner, managers and operators. In order to gain a good overview of the company, the researcher used the tools: business model canvas and analysis of supply chain logistics. The Centre for Agriculture Development in Chiang Rai supplied the seeds to the Doi Chang farmers, while the local cattle farmers supplied the manure. The macadamia buyers -the manufacturers- select the product by size: while the small nuts are sold as fresh product, the larger ones are sent to the manufacturing in Chiang Mai. The finished product is then sent back to Chiang Rai for packaging, labeling and distribution. The distribution is carried out according to the following ratio: 50% to manufacturing facilities, 40% to general public, 5% to retailers and 5% to bakery shops.
In order to review the behavior of customers and potential customers, an online questionnaire was distributed in the whole country. The questionnaire got a total of 201 replies. The respondents were in the majority females (71%), mostly students or graduated with a Bachelor's degree (20%), where the income segment (5000 to 10,000 TBH/Month) is the most represented (24%). Regarding the customer behavior the survey found that 92.54% of the respondents know the product, 54.23% appreciate the natural flavor,
The analysis of the customers satisfaction-based on a sample of male and female customers- shows the following marketing-mix results: for a majority of customers taste and products quality ranks first, with a score of 3.99 (Out Of 4). Price ranks second with a score of 3.78, followed by distribution channels (Mainly Souvenir Shop) with 3.77 and finally Promotion (Especially the Possibility to Taste-Before-You-Buy) with a score of 3.69. An interesting detail result is that 54% of the respondents wish a macadamia product with chocolate flavor. Regarding the packaging, the preferred type is the one-serving-size sealed bag (49%), with a weight of 150 and 200 gr (37%), and a traditional/classic design. The preferred distribution channel is the convenient store (69%). The characteristics which mostly appeal to the customers taste can be used as guidelines for the further development of the macadamia product.