Ethical consumerism and demographic differences in preferences for regional food brands

Type of the article: Research ArticleAbstractThis study investigates the impact of demographic factors on consumers’ ethical perceptions and purchasing behavior toward regional food product brands. Specifically, we examine how gender, parenthood, and age influence consumers’ ethical perceptions of regional food brands and their willingness to pay a premium. The survey instrument, based on locally recognized regional product brands from the Liberec Region, was administered online and on paper to respondents from the same region, yielding 384 valid responses using quota sampling with quotas set according to available demographic characteristics of the region’s population. Data were analyzed using non-parametric methods (Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman’s correlation) and ANOVA, chosen for their suitability with non-normal distributions and ordinal or skewed data. The results reveal significant demographic differences. On average, women are willing to pay an 18% premium for regional food, compared to 13% for men. Parents of dependent children are willing to pay a 17% premium, while non-parents are willing to pay 14%. The lowest willingness to pay was recorded among individuals aged 85 and older, at 8%. In ethical perceptions, women and parents of dependent children view regional food consumption and support for local businesses as more ethically significant than men and non-parents. Age also plays a role, with younger (18-24) and older (65-84) consumers perceiving these practices as less ethical compared to middle-aged groups (25-44 and 45-64). The study concludes that while ethical considerations slightly influence willingness to pay, other factors likely play a more substantial role in shaping consumer behavior.AcknowledgmentsSupported by grant SGS-2024-1430 “The value of regional product brands” and internal grants by theFaculty of Economics, Technical University of Liberec.