Country of Origin Effect in a Lithuanian Market of Vitamins and Dietary Supplements

Abstract

The country of origin (COO)—as an extrinsic cue of a product—influences consumer’s perception of a product and his/her purchase decisions. The COO effect manifests in a different way in various geographical, differently developed economics and different products’ markets. The article analyses the problem how the COO effect manifests in the Lithuanian market of vitamins dietary supplements. This study aims to disclose consumers’ perceptions on vitamins and dietary supplements produced in sixteen countries and highlight the importance of the COO in decision-making when purchasing vitamins and dietary supplements. The research method applied is consumer survey. The consumers’ opinion about the quality, price and safety of vitamins and dietary supplements produced in Lithuania and fifteen foreign countries have been surveyed. The importance of the COO when making a purchase decision in the market of vitamins and dietary supplements is disclosed. The study results indicate that the product’s COO is the factor of moderate importance in the product group researched. The vitamins and dietary supplements produced in developed economies are perceived as the ones of the best quality and most secure to use. The quality and safety of the vitamins and dietary products produced in China, the Ukraine, Poland and India have been rated the worst. The quality, prices and safety of the vitamins and dietary supplements produced in Lithuania are perceived similarly as the quality and safety of the preparations produced in developed countries and higher than the quality and safety of the preparations produced in neighboring countries.