Influence of consumer regiocentrism on perceived value of wine

• Published in: British food journal (1966) 2018-01, Vol.120 (1), p.33-43
• Main Authors: Pestar Bizjak, Sandra, Hristov, Hristo, Košmerl, Tatjana, Kuhar, Ales
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Balances (scales); Consumer behavior; Consumer relations; Consumers; Decision making; Ethnocentrism; Focus groups; Group dynamics; Influence; Marketing; National identity; Preferences; Purchasing; Qualitative research; Regions; Rule of origin; Social identity; Wine; Wines
• ISSN: 0007-070X; 1758-4108
• DOI: 10.1108/BFJ-03-2017-0181

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify which dimensions of perceived value of wine dominate in the perception of wine consumers from two distinctive wine producing regions and to examine how their respective regional identity, consumer regiocentrism (CR) and perceived value of wine are inter-related in determining consumers’ preference of wine. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 221 wine consumers from two Slovenian wine regions with contrasting wine-related and social specificities responded to an online questionnaire. Besides the wine-related consumer behaviour variables, the questionnaire contained CR, regional identity and consumer perceived value measurements, based on adapted CETSCALE, regional identity and PERVAL scales. The scales were validated, and structural equation modelling was used to evaluate the relationships between the constructs. Findings Perceived value of wine was found to consist of three dimensions: emotional-social, quality-price and terroir, which differ from those previously observed among wine consumers from the USA. Regional identity was found to be a direct antecedent of CR, and CR directly affects all three dimensions of perceived value of wine; these findings were evident in the original model and in both studied wine regions. Research limitations/implications Future research should extend the model to include other possible antecedents of CR and study its effects on different consequences, especially purchasing intent. Future studies would benefit by adding more indicators into scales to measure CR and regional identity to improve the model fit. Originality/value This study contributes to a better understanding of perceived value of wine and extends the current knowledge of how social and psychological phenomena interact when evaluating wine. The results herein should enable marketers to develop more sophisticated positioning strategies and support their decision making for an appropriate market approach.