Client Name

Dalda Foods Limited

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Farah Naz Baig

SBS Thought Leadership Areas

Behavioural Studies

SBS Thought Leadership Area Justification

The project aligns with Behavioral studies because it intends to understand the mind of the bottle user and format switching drivers. To further explain here are the Objectives of our research project as examples:

  1. To gain deep insights into the behavior, preferences, and perceptions of both bottle users and non-users.

  2. To identify barriers preventing pouch users from switching to bottles and factors driving bottle users to switch to pouches.

  3. To evaluate competition and understand consumer perception of various oil bottle brands in the market.

  4. To analyze category entry points and occasions of use for cooking oil bottles.

Aligned SDGs

GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being

Aligned SDGs Justification

By examining consumer behavior toward cooking oil packaging, especially the shift from bottles to pouches, this research indirectly supports public health. Bottled oils are often associated with better quality control and reduced contamination risk compared to loosely stored pouches. Understanding these perceptions helps Dalda refine product communication and design to promote healthier consumption habits across socio-economic groups.

NDA

Yes

Abstract

This project aims to understand consumer preferences between bottle and pouch formats in the cooking oil category, with a specific focus on Dalda, the leading edible oil brand in Pakistan. Dalda’s unique bottle design serves as a key element of its brand identity, but has seen a decline in sales, as consumers move towards convenience formats like pouches. The main objective of this study was to understand the behavioral, emotional, and practical reasons behind this shift, especially in key bottle markets like Karachi, and to deliver actionable insights that could help Dalda reposition its bottle format. To achieve this, the project used a mixed-methods approach. The first stage of the study was qualitative, comprising of focus groups, in-depth interviews, and retail visits. The second stage was quantitative data collection from 200 survey respondents. Competitor analysis and observation of shelf visibility in retail outlets further supplemented the findings. The findings of the study showed that bottle usage is strongly associated with habitual use, safety, and quantity perception, whereas pouches are often chosen for their affordability and consumption control. This study further discovered various unique concerns that the consumers have regarding the design of the bottle. As per the finding of this study, Dalda remains a highly recognized brand, but it faces strong competition from price-sensitive alternatives like Eva and Soya Supreme, meanwhile, insights also reveal strong brand association with the BDS movement. The project proposes that to tackle boycott confusion, Dalda should highlight its Pakistani roots through digital campaigns. The brand also needs to engage men in its storytelling, improve their retail representation, redesign the bottle for better usability, introduce value bundles and 1L bottles, and reposition itself with influencer-driven visibility.

Keywords: Cooking Oil, Dalda, Cooking Oil Packaging, Bottle-Users, Pouch-Users, User Behaviour, Bottle Ergonomics, Brand Perceptions.

Document Type

Restricted Access

Document Name for Citation

Experiential Learning Project

Notes

Find supplementary data of the research here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nzcHrYdG80ht5NUTjFHfOMUdkwMJ1zy4?usp=sharing

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Available for download on Tuesday, June 16, 2026

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