A cluster analysis examination of pet owners consumption values and behavior - Segmenting owners strategically

Abstract

The industry of pet-related products and services has increased 10 times since the late 1990s, yet little is known about how pet owners consume pet-related services, let alone how best to segment owners into distinctive groups and market petrelated products to them strategically. To examine the segments within this market, this study forms its framework by incorporating factors from human-pet relationships, consumption values, information search behaviors and retail selection preferences. The main study included 578 Taiwanese pet owners. By using pet-related services, this research identified three segments of pet owners through cluster analysis. With this study's findings, the owners characteristics are elaborated with potential strategic implications for the service industry. The contributions of this research's findings are discussed in light of recent consumer studies literature. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.