Consumer behaviour towards honey products in Western Australia

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the factors impacting and influencing the consumer's decision to purchase honey in a retail store. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from shopping mall intercepts in Perth, Western Australia, using a structured questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the principal constructs which most influence the consumer's decision to purchase. On the basis of the ways in which honey was consumed within the household, cluster analysis was utilised to group the respondents into meaningful segments. Findings – In Perth, Western Australia, honey is primarily consumed as a spread or a sweetener on breakfast cereals and porridge. However, honey is also used as a marinade, in cakes and cookies and as a beverage. According to the way in which honey is consumed in the household, five clusters were identified. In purchasing honey from a retail store, exploratory factor analysis revealed three principal constructs which were most influential in the consumer's decision to purchase: brand reputation, origin and value for money. Ethnicity was found to have a significant influence on the way in which honey was consumed in the household and the importance of the three constructs extracted. Originality/value – This is one of the few studies that find a significant difference between Anglo Saxon and Asian consumers of honey.