Sustainable products and their perception by Czech consumers

Abstract

This article aimed to determine whether Czech consumers buy more sustainable products in relation to their income level and the fact that they trust the certificates awarded to sustainable products. To achieve the goal, a quantitative data collection method was used, a questionnaire survey in which 997 respondents participated (quota sampling) and was implemented from June to September 2020. Subsequently, correlation analysis and Pearson's chi-square were used to process the primary data obtained. The correlation analysis method was used to determine whether a higher income means that consumers tend to buy sustainable products. The research results showed that the level of consumer income does not affect the preference for purchasing a sustainable product. Using the second Pearson chi-square method, it was found that consumers who believe in certificates buy more sustainable products, but the dependence appeared very weak, according to the result of the contingency coefficient. The research limits can be seen in the fact that only one research method was used for data collection: a questionnaire survey. For a better and deeper understanding of the consumption behaviour of Czech consumers in the case of buying/not buying sustainable products, qualitative methods of data collection, e.g., focus groups, and guided in-depth interviews.