CONSUMER BEHAVIOR ON THE BEER MARKET IN THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC

Consumers have started looking for non-traditional types of beer with a specific taste and aroma usually offered by craft breweries. These breweries are characterized by brewing various beer specialties from special types of hops and yeasts. They differ from industrial breweries by brewing technology, production volume and the duration of the beer production process. This paper evaluates the development of beer consumption and describes consumer preferences with an emphasis on craft beer in the Slovak Republic. We analyzed the development of beer consumption per capita in Slovakia in the period from 2010 to 2019. For collecting data related to consumer behavior, we used a questionnaire which was realized on the sample of 281 respondents. We examined dependencies between places of beer consumption, factors affecting beer purchasing, consumer preferences with emphasis on craft beer consumption and selected demographic characteristics using different statistical methods. Domestic and foreign craft beer from small breweries is more preferred by men and by consumers living in cities with more than 20,000 inhabitants. It is most popular among respondents in the age category from 26 to 40 years. Usually, the price of craft beer is higher than the price of beer produced by industrial breweries. We assume that consumers from 26 to 40 years old are the most economically active and therefore they can afford to consume more expensive beer. Due to changes in consumer preferences and lifestyles, we anticipate an increasing interest in the consumption of craft beer. Changing consumer habits can generate new opportunities in the beer market and initiate to production of innovative products.