Consumer consumption and perception of organic products in Croatia

Purpose of this paper - The market for organic products in Croatia is at the beginning of its development. There is no sufficient knowledge about organic consumers in Croatia. The objective of this paper is to gain knowledge about consumer attitudes toward organic products in the capital of Croatia. Design/methodology/approach - The consumers' attitudes were collected by means of a face-to-face survey. Attitudes, purchase frequency, supply satisfaction and beliefs about organic foods were studied with a sample of 179 consumers. The data obtained from the survey were analysed with univariate analysis, chi-square test, ANOVA and correlation analysis. Findings - Croatian consumers consider organically-grown products as very healthy, of good quality and tasty. However, these products are perceived as rather expensive and of questionable appearance. Consumers are not very familiar with the supply of ecologically-grown products in the market. Some groups of consumers have more positive attitudes toward organic products, and they exhibit an increased willingness to pay higher prices for these products. Therefore, marketing strategies for organic products should be targeted towards such groups. Research limitations/implications - One limitation of this study is the choice of the sample. Further research is needed to discriminate between consumer groups, and to determine which segments are most appropriate for organic product marketing. Practical implications - According to the research results an important task for the producers will be to increase consumers' knowledge of what an organic product is and how to differentiate it in the marketplace. Originality/value - This paper gives the first insight into buying behavior and attitudes of organic consumers in Zagreb. The results of the research could be used for planning further marketing activities.