A CLUSTERED-BASED SEGMENTATION OF CHINESE WINE CONSUMERS BY MEANS OF KERNAL FUZZY C-MEANS

Abstract

The aim of this study is to segment Chinese wine consumers based on their preferences, motivations and purchasing behaviors. Data from representative 3420 responses were profiled through Kernel fuzzy c-means (KFCM), and one-way ANOVA analysis was used to define socio demographic characteristics of each cluster. This study identified four consumer segments: Balanced Consumers, Credulous Consumers, Experiential Consumers and Health Sippers. Each group showed different demographics, eating and purchase habits. These findings reveal a typology of Chinese wine consumers when making the purchase decisions and verify the applicability of KFCM in consumer segmentation. Identification of Chinese consumer segments provides winemakers a better understanding of the various characteristics of wine consumers and their different purchasing behaviors. This study also provides new contributions to research on the segmentation of the Chinese wine market.