Beyond Dairy: Consumer Perceptions and Beliefs About Dairy Alternatives—Insights from a Segmentation Study

Increasing consumption of plant-based alternatives is promoted to reduce the environmental impact of food systems, yet adoption remains limited. The aim of this study was to identify distinct consumer segments and examine differences in their perceptions, consumption habits, and trial intentions concerning plant-based dairy alternatives (PBDAs). Conceptually, it advances PBDAs segmentation by jointly incorporating pro-dairy justifications, avoidance of animal-origin considerations, and self-reported PBDAs familiarity, capturing psychological defence mechanisms alongside knowledge-related influences on adoption. Data were collected in a nationwide cross-sectional CAWI survey of 1220 Polish adults responsible for household food purchasing, stratified and quota-matched by gender, age, region, and settlement size. Factor analysis of the segmenting variables was conducted using principal component analysis with varimax rotation, followed by two-step cluster analysis. Alternative cluster solutions were compared using the Bayesian Information Criterion based on the log-likelihood (BIC-LL). The selected five-cluster solution showed acceptable to good clustering quality, as indicated by silhouette-based measures of cohesion and separation. Given the cross-sectional CAWI design and reliance on self-reported measures, the findings do not allow causal inference and should be interpreted as context-specific to the Polish, dairy-centric food culture. Cluster analysis identified five segments that differed in PBDA-related beliefs, product image evaluations, consumption patterns, and trial intentions. PBDA-oriented segments, comprising a dairy-critical segment and a dual-consumption segment, exhibited higher perceived familiarity and stronger ethical and environmental concerns and showed greater PBDA use and willingness to try new products. The dual-consumption segment reported the highest use and trial readiness. In contrast, resistant segments showed stronger dairy attachment, lower perceived familiarity, and more sceptical evaluations of PBDAs' healthfulness, naturalness, and sensory appeal, and rarely consumed plant-based alternatives. The findings highlight substantial heterogeneity in how Polish dairy consumers perceive PBDAs, emphasising the importance of segment-specific approaches for communication and product development. Tailored strategies can help address the diverse motivations and barriers of consumers, supporting a dietary shift toward more plant-based options.