Ibe appearance of California sardines 

 in the open cem was pleasing to more than 

 90 percent of the California seurdine users, 

 but to only U5 percent of the Maine product 

 users. Eighty percent of the users in both 

 groups indicated that the appearance of 

 Maine sardines in the open can was satis- 

 factory. 



More than 80 percent of the Maine 

 seurdine users indicated a preference for a 

 can with a key, canpared with 65 percent of 

 the California users. 



Impulse buying is somewhat more 

 frequent among California users (38 percent) 

 than among Maine users (27 percent). 



Preference for the large- size sardine 

 can is more pronounced among California 

 users, 33 percent, than among Maine users, 

 k percent. 



California users tend to have higher 

 incomes than Maine users. Slightly more 

 than ho percent of the California users 

 were in the highest income bracket, $7>000 

 a year or more. Only 17 percent of the 

 Detroit families were in that group. 



Eighteen percent of the Maine users 

 indicated that they would use more domestic 

 sardines if bones and skin were removed, 

 compared with 10 percent of the California 

 sardine users. 



RACE, INCOME, AND SARDINE USE 



Objective 



A major domestic market for Maine and 

 California sardines has been traditionally 

 among Negroes and low income groups in the 

 Southern States. There has been a tendency 

 to attribute the decline in these markets 

 in recent years to the rising standards of 

 living generally among Negro consumers. 



One of the objectives of this survey 

 was to investigate ■jrtiether or not there is 

 a psychological attitude of "poor man's 

 food" associated with Negro families' use 

 of sardines. Conversely, as Negro families' 

 Incomes rise, do they switch to tuna and 

 other canned fish because they associate it 

 as a food for "higher class" families? 



Method 



In order to investigate this problem, 

 white £Lnd Negro households in Birmingham 

 and Detroit were classified into three 

 income groups, rsuiging from low inccme to 

 relatively high Inccme .3/ The attitudes 

 of these groups were examined on a number 

 of guestloiiB. 



Consumer Preferences 



Among Negproes in Blzmingham in the 

 lowest income group, 12 percent mentioned 

 sardines as their choice compared with 10 

 percent in the next higher Income category 

 and 9 percent in the group having the 

 highest annual income. 



Sixteen percent of the Detroit Negro 

 respondents in the lowest income class 

 named sardines as their preference. The 

 like percentage in the middle income group 

 was 7 percent and in the highest Income 

 category, 11 percent. However, the modest 

 decline in the mention of sardines as 

 income Increased was not restricted to 

 Negro families. There was a parallel 

 movement among >riiite respondents as Income 

 increased. For example, among Detroit 

 white households in the lowest income 

 group, 10 percent Indicated that sardines 

 are "liked best." The ccraparable percent- 

 age in the next hl^er Inccme class was 5 

 percent and in the bluest Income groirp, 

 k percent. 



Use of Canned Fish 



Tbere was some increase in the use of 

 canned tvuia, salmon, and sardines among 

 Negro families as Inccme Increased. Of 

 the Negro families in Birmingham, 6k per- 

 cent of those in the lowest Income group 

 used tuna in the 12 months prior to the 

 interview; and 82 percent in the middle in- 

 come category also used the product during 

 that period. The comparable percentages 



3/ The income groups were designated as 

 follows: (1) annual incomes of less 

 than $2,999; (2) $3,000 to $^^,999; and 

 (3) $5,000 and over. 



