Consumer perceptions of home made, organic, EU certified, and traditional local products in Slovenia

Abstract

This study provides information on the position of regular, organic, PDO/PGI (Protected Designated Origin/Protected Geographical Indication), mountain and farm made cheeses and sausages in the minds of Slovene consumers, and identifies opportunities to improve the positioning of these products. We present the results of a questionnaire sent to 2,300 Slovene consumers, of which 360 were returned, and 315 did not have any missing values and were used for statistical analysis. The sample provides a reasonable representation of the Slovene population. Respondents answered questions on the relevance of 16 food characteristics, such as nutrition, healthiness, price, animal friendly production, specific region production, taste, and ease of preparation. Respondents gave scores between 1 (not important) and 7 (very important). Also consumers' perceptions of regular, organic, traditional and farm-made products on these food characteristics were measured. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identified the following main components: healthiness, good price, sustainable production, traditional production, indulgence and convenience (shopping and preparing). The results show the components which determine Slovene consumers' intentions to buy different types of cheeses and sausages. It appears that a high score on the relevance of a food characteristic is not necessarily reflected in the buying decision. Implications of the results for the marketing of cheeses and sausages are discussed.