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Consumer versus Organic Products in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Opportunities and Barriers to Market Development

Author

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  • Magdalena Śmiglak-Krajewska

    (Department of Finance and Accounting, Faculty of Economics, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznan, Poland)

  • Julia Wojciechowska-Solis

    (Department of Agritourism and Rural Development, Faculty of Agrobioengineering, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland)

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to determine the behavior of the Polish consumer of organic products during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify preferred channels of distribution of organic products in the situation of restricted freedom of movement as well as to assess what information displayed on the labels of organic food was most important to the customer. The research was conducted on a sample of 1108 respondents with the use of CAWI technique collected in an online survey carried out in February–August 2020. To analyze the obtained results, cluster analysis, linear regression model and duplication method were used to verify the substitute channels for purchasing organic goods. The pandemic has intensified the health value of consumers when making decisions about choosing food products. Consumers are sensitive shoppers who read the content of the labels and pay attention to the ingredients of the products they buy. The price is also of significant importance for consumers; however, it is less important than, for example, the expiration date of the purchased product. With the use of PCA analysis, it was possible to identify 18 factors that could be divided into three segments: marketing, practical and sensory. The proposed factors, according to the respondents, had an effect on the purchase of organic products by Polish consumers. Regarding the preferred purchasing channels, the Internet is becoming more and more important. Almost one-quarter of the respondents confirmed that they bought organic products via the above-mentioned distribution channel. Nearly 17% of the surveyed consumers considered the Internet to be an alternative way of doing their shopping. The results obtained in the research can be used in the sector of organic food producers to design marketing strategies and to adapt their offer to the proposed four groups of purchasers of organic products: eco-activists, eco-dietitians, eco-traditionalists, eco-innovators.

Suggested Citation

  • Magdalena Śmiglak-Krajewska & Julia Wojciechowska-Solis, 2021. "Consumer versus Organic Products in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Opportunities and Barriers to Market Development," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-22, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:17:p:5566-:d:629848
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    Cited by:

    1. Agnieszka Dudziak & Anna Kocira, 2022. "Preference-Based Determinants of Consumer Choice on the Polish Organic Food Market," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-18, September.
    2. Yue Wu & Katalin Takács-György, 2022. "Comparison of Consuming Habits on Organic Food—Is It the Same? Hungary Versus China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-19, June.
    3. Barbara Urszula Buraczyńska & Anna Elżbieta Żelazna & Agnieszka Barbara Bojanowska, 2022. "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Behaviours of Polish Consumers in the Organic Products Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-12, September.
    4. Julia Wojciechowska-Solis & Aleksandra Kowalska & Milena Bieniek & Monika Ratajczyk & Louise Manning, 2022. "Comparison of the Purchasing Behaviour of Polish and United Kingdom Consumers in the Organic Food Market during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-19, January.
    5. Wenguang Ge & Xinyu Bai & Zheng Zhang & Qianqian Gao, 2022. "The Impact of Consumer Participation Certification on the Trust of Eco-Agricultural Products Based on the Mediating Effects of Information and Identity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-21, March.
    6. Sławomir Kalinowski & Aleksandra Łuczak & Adam Koziolek, 2022. "The Social Dimension of Security: The Dichotomy of Respondents’ Perceptions during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-20, January.
    7. Joanna Smoluk-Sikorska & Mariusz Malinowski, 2021. "An Attempt to Apply Canonical Analysis to Investigate the Dependencies between the Level of Organic Farming Development in Poland and the Chosen Environmental Determinants," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-26, December.
    8. Mihai Stoica, 2021. "Development of the Organic Food Market in Romania during the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Perspective on the Supply Chain," Global Economic Observer, "Nicolae Titulescu" University of Bucharest, Faculty of Economic Sciences;Institute for World Economy of the Romanian Academy, vol. 9(2), pages 113-120, December.
    9. Anca Monica Brata & Aurelia Ioana Chereji & Vlad Dumitru Brata & Anamaria Aurelia Morna & Olivia Paula Tirpe & Anca Popa & Felix H. Arion & Loredana Ioana Banszki & Ioan Chereji & Dorin Popa & Iulia C, 2022. "Consumers’ Perception towards Organic Products before and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study in Bihor County, Romania," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-14, October.
    10. Aleksandra Kowalska & Monika Ratajczyk & Louise Manning & Milena Bieniek & Radosław Mącik, 2021. "“Young and Green” a Study of Consumers’ Perceptions and Reported Purchasing Behaviour towards Organic Food in Poland and the United Kingdom," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-23, November.
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