FACTORS INFLUENCING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR OF GENERATION Y ON THE CZECH WINE MARKET

Consumer behaviour of Generation Y on the wine market is currently a topical issue. Generation Y is considered to be the future loyal consumers of wine and is therefore the future of the wine market. Wine-growing has a long tradition in the Czech Republic and, in particular, Moravian wines reach world level, as evidenced by a number of different awards and successes at winemaking competitions. The main aim of this paper is to identify the factors that affect the consumers of Generation Y when buying wine in the Czech Republic. The target group consists of respondents aged 18–25 who drink or at least buy wines. Primary data collection took place between February and September 2017 and was realized by a questionnaire survey. In total, 648 responses were collected. The Two-sample t-Test and the Pearson’s chi-squared χ2 test were used for statistical methods. Research has shown that young consumers clearly prefer white wine and their knowledge of wine is general for the large majority of respondents. The most common places of purchase are wine shops and supermarkets, and most of the respondents buying wines for meeting with friends, quiet sitting at home or for celebrations. Information about wine is obtained by young consumers most often from their families or friends, or from the operator in the wine shop. The most important factors for wine selection are previous purchase experience and references from family and friends, and then the information on a label, recommendations of the wine shop operator, price and colour of wine. Based on a comparison of the examined foreign sources in this area, it can be stated that wine consumers of Generation Y are not a homogeneous segment and more attention should be paid to the preferences of these young people.