Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

This research examines the attitudes, awareness, and consumption patterns of Swedish consumers towards herbal tea, investigating the impact of health consciousness, socio-demographic factors, product availability, consumption barriers, and sustainability values within an agroecological frame-work. The data were gathered through an online survey among consumers in Sweden and were empirically analysed, and cluster analysis was used to identify homogeneous consumer groups. The research identified four clusters with unique orientations: health-conscious consumers, traditional experience seekers, eco-lifestyle advocates, and disengaged consumers. The clusters differed signif-icantly in terms of health involvement, information search, and sustainability behavior, whereas socio-demographic distinctions were less pronounced.
The findings suggest that herbal tea in Sweden is primarily used as a health product, with health and lifestyle values being more influential predictors of behavior than demographic factors. Other con-straints, including price and availability, limit the broader use of this approach, and although sus-tainability values are recognized, a gap exists between reported attitudes and actual behavior. The research provides insight into herbal tea consumption in a Nordic setting, emphasizing the role of health motivation segmentation. It also indicates that aligning health and sustainability attributes can contribute to the agroecological profile of herbal tea in Sweden.