Consumers’ Behavior toward Plant-Based Milk Alternatives

Abstract

In recent years, more people have expressed interest in Plant-Based Milk Alternatives (PBMAs). Our research focused on Greek consumers to examine consumer behavior regarding PBMAs. Using relevant literature, a questionnaire was designed and distributed both online and through personal interviews. The sample was random and concerned 576 consumers from the Greek mainland, of which 53.5% were women and 46.5% were men, aged 18 to 80. The Health Belief (HBM) and Stimulus Organism Response (SOR) models were used to design the questionnaire, while Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied for the interpretation of the survey results. PCA showed that consumers’ perception of PBMAs, and their willingness to consume them or influence others to do so, are the most significant variables. Furthermore, Linear Regression Analysis revealed that PBMAs are primarily purchased by younger and more highly educated consumers. The results of the research can contribute to the improvement of PBMA retail marketing strategies in Greece.

Keywords

• PBMAs
• consumer behavior
• principal component analysis (PCA)