Psychographic segmentation and consumer cheese behaviour: cheese-related lifestyle

Purpose Segmenting cheese consumers in Mexico based on their behaviour and lifestyle through the adaptation of the Food Related-Lifestyle. Design/methodology/approach A non-probabilistic random sample was used which included cheese consumers over the age of 18. A digital questionnaire was developed on the SURVIO platform, divided into three sections: socio-demographic characteristics, consumption behaviour questions and food-related lifestyle adjustment. The Cheese Related-Lifestyle is proposed as a tool to segment cheese consumers. Validation included principal component analysis with Varimax rotation, Cronbach’s reliability tests and hierarchical cluster analysis, using SPSS 24.0 and XLSTAT 2023. Findings A total of 1,223 cheese consumers completed the questionnaire, with a KMO of 0.800, validating the principal component analysis (PCA). Ten significant factors were identified, explaining 64.91% of the total variance. The groups were categorized into three clusters: Traditionalists, who prefer familiar cheeses and well-known brands; Hedonists, who value conviviality and quality and Pragmatists, who seek convenience and value for money. Differences between the clusters were found in purchasing behaviour, preference for cheese varieties and socio-demographic characteristics. Research limitations/implications The data was collected via a digital questionnaire, which could exclude people with less Internet access or little technical knowledge. Practical implications Producers of authentic cheeses can adapt their marketing strategies to cater to the specific preferences of the different types of consumers identified. Social implications The identification of different consumer groups highlights the diversity of values and preferences related to cheese consumption, suggesting that purchasing and consumption habits are strongly influenced by cultural and social factors. Originality/value This study makes a significant contribution to the field of marketing and consumer behaviour by applying the Food Related Lifestyle approach specifically to cheese consumption and developing the concept of Cheese Related Lifestyle.