Factors Influencing Milk Consumption and Purchase Behavior – Evidence from Slovakia

AbstractCurrent situation on a market characterized by continuous intensifying pressure of globalization, strengthening intensity of competition, introducing wide diversity and range of product offer, increasing pressure and influence of media, rapid booming of new technologies or supporting free flow of information and knowledge has put a consumer into the position of major decisive and leading element of a market. Consumption of dairy products by Slovak consumers is very low compared to other countries in European Union and the world what results in a negative impact on businesses in this sector. One of the main reasons is low demand of consumers. Therefore, it is important to study factors stimulating and influencing consumers when purchasing milk products in order to support their consumption as well as to study factors that prevent consumers in their purchasing and consumption in order to deal with them and eliminate them if possible. The aim of this paper is to analyze influence of selected psychological and personal factors on milk consumption and purchase. We test and reveal their relationships and identify predictors that could be practically used as segmentation criteria by marketing managers in marketing strategy development