Traditional or alternative wine packaging: a study of consumer choices and perceptions

Sustainability concerns in the wine sector have resulted in alternative types of wine packaging to traditional glass packaging. This article examines the impact of cultural heritage and environmental awareness on consumer behaviour and purchasing decisions in relation to wine packaging. To investigate this, a wine tasting experiment was carried out on a sample of 211 people in the city of Pécs, in Hungary, to assess consumers’ perceptions, taste perceptions and purchase propensity for 7 types of wine packaging. In order to measure the effect of each type of packaging, the same wine was poured into the same types of packaging. The aim of the experiment was to identify consumers’ attitudes towards traditional packaging and their preferences for alternative options. The results were analysed using factor analysis to identify 2 factor groups for each pack, which were validated using Bartlett's Test and Chi-squared Test. The results show that packaging style and traditionality have a significant impact on consumer preferences, especially for alternatives such as bag-in-box or pouch, which are completely different from the traditional glass bottle. In the case of PET bottles, the packaging itself has a strong explanatory power, which may be explained by its similarity in form to the glass bottle. The novelty of this research lies in the fact that with the help of the we were able to measure the effect of different wine packaging, alongside the role of cultural traditions. Based on the results, it is proposed that wine industry stakeholders should raise consumer awareness of the benefits of environmentally friendly packaging alternatives and take measures to reduce the environmental impact of traditional glass bottles.