DETERMINANTS OF RETAIL PRICE AND SALES VOLUME OF CATFISH PRODUCTS IN THE UNITED STATES: AN APPLICATION OF RETAIL SCANNER DATA

Catfish market research is important in terms of the viability and sustainability of the catfish aquaculture industry in the U.S. Analysis of market trends, retail level price and sales volume have particular importance in the context of the industry's efforts to promote and market their products. Using retail level scanner data, this study examined the market trends of different catfish product forms. The study also investigated the factors affecting prices and sales for frozen catfish products. The present study is a pioneer in using market/city level retail scanner data to study marketing behavior of catfish products under different product categories (i.e., breaded, unbreaded and entrees). The results of the study highlight a need for a non-price competition strategy for catfish retail market. This includes several activities that attempt to provide added value or incentives to consumers, wholesalers, retailers, or other organizational customers to stimulate immediate sales.