Curbing Counterfeit and Substandard Products in Tanzania Using Tbs Standards Mark: The Consumers’ Perspective.

Abstract

TBS standards mark is a sign of product quality indicating that the TBS marked products have undergone appropriate conformity assessment procedures to ascertain their quality. Despite its popularity, there has been much speculation regarding the impact of TBS standard mark on consumer buying decisions towards the fight against counterfeit and substandard products in Tanzania. This paper examines whether consumers pay attention to TBS standards mark when making purchase of processed goods, and whether their decisions are affected by their knowledge of the TBS mark and its role, attitudes towards TBS-certified products as well as the design and placement of TBS mark on the products. The study used self-administered questionnaires to collect primary data from the general public on the streets, in offices, and at the universities and colleges particularly in urban and cities where purchase of processed goods is relatively higher. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used to analyse the data. The findings of the study revealed high level of consumers’ knowledge about the TBS standards mark and positive attitude towards TBS-certified goods. The results further indicate that the majority of consumers did not use it to make product choices as they were reluctant in confirming if the products are TBS-certified. The primary insight derived from this study was that conspicuity of the TBS mark on the product exerted an influence on consumers’ tendency to pay attention to TBS standards mark when making purchase. These findings highlight the need for re-designing the TBS mark to make it noticeable so as to attract quick consumers’ attention when making purchase.