Consumer Preferences for Natural Honey in Simferopol, Russia

The honey market offers a wide variety of brands and types. However, honey is a highly counterfeited product. Yet the features that affect consumer loyalty and preferences remain understudied. The article describes consumer preferences on the Crimean natural honey market and the most attractive honey products. The research featured five samples of natural honey. The assessment involved digital technologies for data collecting and processing adapted to the technological processes on the consumer market. The questionnaire method made it possible to identify the criteria that shape consumer preferences on the Russian and regional honey market, e.g., price, taste, trademarks, etc. Most respondents at least once purchased counterfeit honey. The selection criteria depended on the purpose, i.e., honey as food, as a therapeutic or prophylactic additive, as a cosmetic product, as a food ingredient, etc. Based on the consumer tasting method, the honey of the Berestov A.S. brand had the best sensory profile. The pairwise correlation method revealed a strong connection between price and purpose, which made it possible to substantiate the factor effect on consumer choice. A three-dimensional graphical profile of competitiveness included a consumer assessment of competitive advantages, a general assessment of the sensory profile, and a souvenir potential. The Crimean samples demonstrated a good sensory profile but a poor design and packaging, which limits consumer demand. Crimean honey could get a competitive advantage if the local honey shifted to a differentiation strategy, promoting the local honey as a unique regional product, thus optimizing the supply and increasing the sales. The strategizing methods can be applied to a wide variety of food products.