Determinants of Tunisian consumer preferences for forest honey: a market segmentation analysis

Abstract

Forest honey is highly perceived by Tunisian consumers. However, its marketing potential is not explored in depth. Despite its relevance in the consumption habits in Tunisia, the literature on the consumer preferences toward this product is still very scarce. The aim of this paper is to study Tunisian consumers' preferences for forest honey and to identify market segments based on socioeconomic characteristics of consumers. The empirical analysis relies on a face-to-face questionnaire survey that was conducted in 2019 among Tunisian consumers. A sample of 200 respondents revealed that origin of honey and its floral type were the most important attributes. We identify three different groups of consumers using a two-step cluster method. The first segment of consumers (44% of the sample) prefer eucalyptus and multifloral honey from the Northwest origin. The second group (39%) is composed of consumers that tend to buy honey mainly produced in the eastern region of the country while the third one (17%) describes consumers preferring thyme-rosemary' honey. The empirical model indicates that gender, income and grocery shopping task are the main determinants of the segment membership.