A Choice Experiment Model for Honey Attributes: Italian Consumer Preferences and Socio-Demographic Profiles

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Consumer Behavior
• Agricultural Economics

Background:

• Honey production is gaining media attention due to its numerous health benefits.
• Understanding consumer preferences is crucial for the honey industry's growth and sustainability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate consumer preferences for honey attributes.
• To identify key information influencing honey purchasing decisions.
• To segment consumers based on their honey preferences and values.

Main Methods:

• Utilized best-worst scaling (BWS) to determine the relative importance of 12 honey attributes.
• Employed latent class analysis (LCA) to identify distinct consumer segments.
• Conducted consumer surveys and experimental evaluations.

Main Results:

• Health aspects and organoleptic compounds are primary information drivers for consumers.
• Four consumer clusters were identified: health-focused, sustainability-focused, organic-focused, and quality-focused.
• Demographic factors (age, education, profession) significantly influenced consumer choices and cluster characteristics.

Conclusions:

• Consumer segmentation reveals diverse motivations for honey purchasing.
• Tailoring marketing strategies to specific consumer segments can enhance honey sales.
• Findings support promoting good nutrition and community sustainability through informed honey consumption.