Evaluation of consumer behaviour, acceptance and willingness to return of faulty wines

Abstract

The analysis of consumer attitudes towards wine, especially towards wines perceived as faulty, is an aspect that requires more research than has been carried out so far [1]. This study aims to analyse consumer behaviour in situations involving the consumption of faulty wines and to assess the level of acceptance of such wines.

An online survey with 193 respondents included questions about consumers’ reaction to faulty wines. The study explored factors affecting wine returns depending on consumers’ trust level in sellers, their propensity to return products, after-sales behaviour and tolerance to sensory faults. Additionally subjective [2] and objective knowledge, about these faults were assessed. In addition, 100 people carried out home-use test (HUT) in order to evaluate sensory acceptance and the willingness to return spiked wines containing seven compounds designed to simulate wine-related faults: 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole, Dimethyl Sulfide, 4-Ethylphenol and 4-Ethylguaiacol, Acetic Acid and Ethyl Acetate, 2-Isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, Acetaldehyde, and Ellagic Tannin.

Consumers were shown to have a greater willingness to return a faulty wine, particularly among men aged 51 to 65 with higher education, regarding a situation with a high level of confidence with the seller. On the other hand, in a situation with less confidence with the seller, there is greater indecision among the participants. In relation to after-sales behaviour, consumers would not buy wine again if they considered it to suppose a risk to health, was a low-quality wine or did not like the wine. On the other hand, if the wine has any fault, they may eventually end up purchasing it again. Eventually, no significant differences were observed according to the level of subjective knowledge (Cronbach’s α = 0.85) or objective.

Results from sensory evaluation showed that the level of acceptance of the samples with faults were significantly different with regarding the level of acceptance and the predisposition to return to the control samples.

In this study, a vision of the perception of different defects of wine by consumers has been obtained, as well as a better interpretation of their behaviour in the situation of returning the product.

References

[1] Taylor, D. C., Norris, C. L., Barber, N. A., & Taylor, S., Jr. (2023). Beverages, 9(2), 35.

[2] Flynn, L.R., & Goldsmith, R.E. (1999). J. Bus. Res., 46(1), 57-66.