Segmentation of the Markets for Bulgarian Bee Products

The main product markets of the beekeeping sector – honey, pollen, beeswax, propolis, bee bread, royal jelly, bee venom, queen bees, sucker grubs, bees, pollination and api-tourism are identified through macro-segmentation. Subsequently, their customer segments have been identified through micro-segmentation of national and international markets. The national markets for bee products are differentiated into organizational and consumer markets. The organizational markets of honey and other bee products are segmented by applying various criteria. Perspective target markets are the online and offline auctions for bee honey and the segments for pollen, royal jelly and queen bees. The consumer markets are also segmented in a way that the segments for direct sales and farmer markets are determined as customer target markets for conventional honey, and for organic honey – the online markets. The consumer target markets are similar for bee pollen and royal jelly. The segmentation of the international markets for Bulgarian bee products is based on economic, geographical, demographic, cultural and price factors. The target markets are subdivided into markets in European countries – Group 1: Germany and the UK, Group 2: France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland, and Group 3: Greece and Austria, as well as target markets in the so-called "third countries" – Group 4: Saudi Arabia, the United States of America, and Japan. Conclusions on target markets and market niches are synthesized.