Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 24 ISSUE 4
Written by Peter ŠEDÍK, Ingrida KOŠIČIAROVÁ, Zdenka KÁDEKOVÁ, Cristina Bianca POCOL

The study investigates the factors influencing Slovak consumers' perceptions, consumption, and purchasing behaviors regarding vegan products across different dietary styles. It examines the varying motives behind purchasing decisions among vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians, and omnivores, differences in their consumption and buying frequencies, and the significance of selected factors during the purchase process. Research questions were derived from a literature review, and research gaps were identified. Data were collected via an online questionnaire with criteria including the purchase of vegan products and a minimum age of 18. The final sample included 915 respondents from an initial 2,011 participants. A Likert scale measured motives for purchasing vegan products, consumption patterns, and the importance of various criteria during purchase. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics Grad Pack 28.0 and XL Stat version 4.1, employing non-parametric tests like the Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn-Bonferroni post hoc method, the Friedman test with Nemenyi's multiple pairwise comparisons, and Categorical Principal Components Analysis (CATPCA). Findings revealed that vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians, and omnivores all consume vegan products to some degree, with approximately 38% consuming only vegan products. Vegans and vegetarians strongly endorsed ethical and health reasons for purchasing vegan products, while omnivores and flexitarians cited positive past experiences. All groups disagreed on the financial aspect. The primary factors influencing the purchase of vegan products were taste, based on previous positive experiences, followed by product composition, price, and ecological considerations.

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