Chinese choices: a survey of wine consumers in Beijing

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the purchasing behaviours of two Beijing wine consumer groups and evaluate the influence of different factors on their decision making process to provide information to better understand the Chinese wine market and assist with market entry and penetration. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire with 27 single choice or scoring questions and a set of 13 best–worst (BW) scaling questions is designed. Typical consumers in supermarkets and university students are invited to answer the questionnaire which uses a mix of nominal and rating scale responses as well as a BW choice experiment. Findings – The results show that the consumers intend to pay low prices for daily use wines, but high prices for wines for gift purposes. Domestic brands constituted the highest proportion of the purchases, followed by French wines. The consumers are sensitive on price and country of wine origin; awards, medals, and vintage were of low influences in wine purchasing decisions. Typical consumers like supermarkets and boutique wine shops, while university students prefer the internet for on-line sales. In the BW experiment, tasting the wine previously, the origin of the wine and brand name listed are the most influential factors in purchasing decisions. Originality/value – The overall picture of wine preference of Beijing consumers is reported for the first time. It provides an understanding of the factors in wine purchasing decision making and their relative importance. The result could better facilitate wine promotion and penetration in this promising and unique market.