Assessment of the Competitiveness of Crimean Cosmetics Based on Therapeutic Mud in the Framework of Import Substitution

The article is devoted to the assessment of the competitiveness of natural samples of cosmetic products made on the basis of therapeutic mud. Unlike other similar studies, an adaptive author's technique was implemented in the work, based on the use of a combination of the sensory analysis algorithm and consumer tasting. A similar technique allows, due to the point-rating assessment, to highlight the competitive advantages of products, as well as evaluate the influence of individual indicators of the goods that affect the overall impression of direct contact with the object of research. The purpose of the study was to prove the presence of competitive advantages for products manufactured by regional manufacturers, the ability to compete for sales markets with famous national and foreign brands. The relevance of the study is due to the programs of import substitution and support of the national industry in the country in the direction of the consumer reorient for domestic products. The article is of practical importance, since the author’s approach to evaluating competitive advantages can be applied in the work of industrial and trade enterprises, regardless of commodity specialization. Its adaptability is due to the simplicity of application, as well as the lesser subjectivity of the results, due to the exclusion of the facts of the prejudice of the consumer to specific brands during the study. Part of the results may reflect the presence or absence of the sensory memory of the consumer, which can also be used as an element of competitive strategies in the production and promotion of products to the commodity market. It is proved that the regional brands of cosmetic products in many respects have higher consumer properties compared to domestic analogues.