Методологічні аспекти збору первинних даних: порівняння поведінки споживачів послуг з миття автомобілів в Україні, Європі та США

Abstract

The article focuses on the analysis and comparison of behavioral models of consumers of car washing services in Ukraine, the countries of the European Union and the United States, as well as the identification and analysis of key factors influencing the choice and preferences of consumers in the context of using these services. In the course of the study, numerous surveys devoted to the analysis of consumer preferences in the market of car wash services are considered, the most thorough of which are conducted every three years by the International Carwash Association (ICA). The general aspects of the methodology for analyzing consumer behavior in the market of car wash services in Ukraine, which corresponds to similar studies of the US and European markets, have been identified, a questionnaire has been developed and an online survey of car owners using Google forms has been conducted. To ensure the representativeness of the study based on the theory of sampling observation, the required number of respondents to be interviewed to establish the values of the selected features has been calculated (412 people have been interviewed). The study was conducted according to four main directions: coverage of consumers of car wash services by market segments; advantages in the provision of car wash services; barriers to the provision of car wash services; differentiation of consumer preferences. In the course of the analysis, it is found that in Europe the average frequency of using car wash services is 10.5 times a year, in the USA – 13.6, in Ukraine – 13.2. The results of surveys of service consumers in Europe and Ukraine showed a high level of loyalty to professional car washes compared to the United States. 74% in Europe and 66% in Ukraine prefer exclusively professional car washes, while in the USA this figure is only 44%. The high environmental awareness of consumers in Europe has been determined, where 70% of respondents believe that washing at a car wash is safer for the environment than washing at home. The benefits of digital marketing and customer engagement through electronic communication, especially through email and Facebook, are considered.