Research of consumer preferences and factors influencing the choice of cheese in real conditions

The article examines consumer characteristics when choosing cheese, presents the results of two stages of a comprehensive study of consumer behavior in the process of making a decision about buying a product in a real environment. The determinant factors influencing the choice are considered, hypotheses about the price influence on the choice are evaluated, as well as about the presence of gender characteristics in the process of making a purchase decision. Marketing studies of sustainable purchasing behavior by the questionnaire method, as well as organoleptic studies of new types of cheese for consumers, were conducted. It is revealed that in the presence of information asymmetry in the process of choosing and making a decision about buying in an off-line environment, the consumer, to a greater extent, relies on the visual perception of the product, on his past consumer experience, as well as on stable associative connections associated with the product. It is determined that the main factors when choosing a new cheese for consumers are: smell, aftertaste, price/quality ratio. At the same time, for female respondents, the appearance of cheese is more important (almost three times) than for men. In general, consumers are cautious about trying and purchasing new products, since there is no formed value in relation to the existing customer experience.