D12 - Consumer Economics: Empirical AnalysisReturn

This paper explores the shift in consumer brand preferences in Ukraine in response to the ongoing full-scale invasion since 2022, specifically examining the change from international to local brands. By employing a survey-based approach, the study seeks to assess changes in consumer attitudes towards brand reliability, quality perceptions, and willingness to support local businesses both before and after the onset of the conflict. The questionnaire utilizes a Likert scale to gather data on these preferences, alongside demographic factors such as age and proximity to active military activities. The insights gained from this research aim to enhance understanding of consumer behaviour during wartime conditions, offering valuable implications for marketers and policymakers in adapting strategies to meet evolving consumer needs in crisis situations.

The article aims to discover consumer preferences concerning luxury skincare products by applying the multivariate statistical method, a conjoint analysis. The main aim is to identify the significant attributes of products influencing consumer behaviour in terms of purchase, use, motivation, and a general approach to the luxury skincare product segment on the Czech market. The main sources for primary data are questionnaire surveys and in-depth interviews with representatives of companies operating in this sector. According to the initial analysis, four of the most significant attributes were determined that apply to consumer behaviour within this sector and the product in question: the possibility of product sampling, point of sale advice, product price, and level of the special offer. Using the conjoint analysis, these attributes were incorporated into individual model cards and subsequently offered to consumers for rating. The final sample of 1,104 respondents rated the offered product variants of skincare products, with the result that that the most preferred factors were  price and amount of the special offer, as opposed to less-preferred products offering sampling and point of sale advice. Simultaneously, the data showed that consumers gave most preference to the lowest price and the highest special offer.

The paper presents a comparative analysis of living situation in the Czech Republic and in Western Europe at the beginning and at the end of the decade 2000 - 2010. The primary thesis was the convergence of living situation during the analyzed period. The evaluation criteria were consumption expenditures of households. The aim was to obtain the base for related economic analyses and background for creating business or marketing strategies. The method used was cluster analysis supplemented by basic descriptive statistics. Classification system for evaluation expenditure structures was the standard "Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose" designed by the UN Statistical Division. Comparability of absolute values of expenditures was ensured by conversions to the Purchasing Power Standard. As a result the convergence of absolute amounts and relative structures of consumer expenditures was identified. As to structures of consumption expenditures the Czech Republic stood out the set of analyzed countries. This was probably due to non-economic factors dealt by the theory of cultural affinity zones. The conclusion is confirmation of the thesis on living situation convergence, i. e. improving living conditions of Czech households in relation to Western European households between years 2000 and 2010. The evaluation, however, applies only to the sum of consumption expenditures. In terms of selected expenditure groups the situation of Czech households got worse during the examined period. According to the results the real improvement of living conditions also lagged behind the growth of the market value of final domestic product, while GDP is often being presented (especially by media) as an indicator of life situation.