Abstract
The purpose of this study was to illustrate and understand how consumers of cooperative food products could be segmented in the region of Western Greece. For this purpose, a questionnaire survey was undertaken involving almost 500 consumers in the selected region. Consumers were segmented on the basis of their consumption of cooperative products and in association with their attributes and beliefs regarding cooperatives’ products. Τhe performed cluster analysis grouped participants into four distinct groups with different characteristics and perceptions regarding cooperatives’ products. The consumer groups were called “skeptics”, “cooperative”, “passively sensitive”, and “indifferent”. According to the results, in general, participants considered cooperative food products as a safe choice with excellent value for money and contributing to the local society, economy, and sustainability. Segmentation could allow agricultural cooperatives to focus only on those segments of consumers that are willing to pay for cooperative products by allocating all available resources in serving them. The results of this research, even with its limitations, can help directors and marketing executives of agricultural cooperatives to better understand that operating in a specific market could be more effective when targeted at specific segments to help not only the viability of agricultural cooperatives but also their economic development and growth.
Highlights
Adding value, increasing incomes and cost reduction are goals shared by agricultural cooperatives and investor-owned firms [1]
Agricultural cooperatives often fail to respond to market changes, endangering their economic results and viability [2] as a result of limited connection to the market [3] and response to consumers’ needs [4]
A market-oriented approach, such as the use of brand names, have been marshaled by agricultural cooperatives to facilitate their way into the competitive environment of the food sector, while their slow response to modern marketing techniques and their counting on government protection and finance is holding back the procedure [2]
Summary
Adding value, increasing incomes and cost reduction are goals shared by agricultural cooperatives and investor-owned firms [1]. Agricultural cooperatives often fail to respond to market changes, endangering their economic results and viability [2] as a result of limited connection to the market [3] and response to consumers’ needs [4]. They have to face wholesalers, intermediaries, retailers, and cutthroat competition by rival private food companies [5]. Customer, can no longer be effective and profitable To some extent, this “typical” customer no longer exists.
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