The Importance of Food Attributes and Motivational Factors for Purchasing Local Food Products: Segmentation of Young Local Food Consumers in Hungary

Abstract

Future trends in sustainable food consumption include the emergence of short food supply chains and growing interest in local food products. Among the drivers are the more urgent sustainability expectations, the emphasis on environmental and social responsibility, and the changing consumer needs, of which the desire for healthy and quality products, curiosity, uniqueness, and experience are the most prominent drivers. Today’s customers are becoming more aware and open to culinary discoveries and exotic delights. In this study, we investigated the importance of product attributes related to local products, and the motivational factors that determine purchase intentions. The significance of our work lies in the fact that we have studied young consumers’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors. A quantitative consumer survey was conducted using a hybrid data collection method on a sample of 1756 respondents aged between 18 and 45 years. The questionnaire focused on product features, intrinsic and extrinsic motivational elements, and demographic characteristics. The results of our study provide strong evidence that the features associated with local products include but are not limited to the following: freshness, high quality, nutritional value, reliability, safety, evoking domestic flavours, naturalness, being healthy, environmentally friendly, etc. The motivational elements were grouped into four factors: hedonism, curiosity, nutritional value, and tradition. The main reasons for young respondents purchasing local food were taste and curiosity. Based on the results of the cluster analysis, we formed three groups having different features and different motivations for purchasing local products. Moreover, we had the opportunity to understand the attitudes and perceptions of young people towards buying local products. A key result of our study is that the “value-creators” segment considers local products to be healthy and nutritious.

1. Introduction

In line with the ambitions of the European Green Deal, as well as the objectives of the Farm to Fork strategy, the European Union promotes the adoption of healthy and sustainable diets, creates opportunities for operators in the agri-food chain to transition to sustainable practices, and supports sustainable food consumption. The development of the markets of local food products is influenced by various factors including culture, legal and technical factors, as well as commitment, close producer–consumer relationships, and partnerships between public and private sector entities, which have obvious economic, environmental, and social benefits [1].

Buying locally produced food has recently been growing in popularity due to a new consumer trend in the European markets. In recent times, the EU has increasingly promoted sustainable farming practices, local food systems, and short supply chains in order to increase the resilience of the food system. The current methods, good practices, potentials, and driving forces in the short food supply chains were the themes of a recent conference held in Hungary in February 2022 with a view to create a network that can serve as a knowledge base for those working on short supply chains in Hungary [2,3].

With regard to their importance, local food schemes remain marginal within wider agro-food systems. The estimated market share of farms involved in direct sales was only 18% in Hungary and less than 5% in Malta, Austria, and Spain in 2016 [4]. According to an international survey of eleven countries conducted by Wunsch in 2019, the proportion of consumers who prefer local products is 79% in Romania, 71% in Sweden, 70% in Italy, 69% in Spain, 67% in Spain, 66% in Serbia, 64% in Germany and Poland, and 51% in the U.K. and Belgium [5].

At the same time, European consumers have increasingly favoured healthy and sustainable food. Buying behaviour, purchasing intention, and willingness to pay are not merely the result of a rational calculation of the costs and benefits of the choice; they may be influenced by availability, consumers’ individual values and perceptions, compassion, acceptance, tradition, etc. [6,7,8,9,10]. Consumers want to be informed about where and how the food was produced, the nutrient profile, and the origin or provenance indications before they make informed choices. Ref. [11] conducted a broad literature review and concluded that attitude towards sustainable consumption is determined by three dimensions of attitude: cognitive, behavioural, and affective. Consumers are becoming better informed, they are actively seeking information, and their decisions are no longer based only on the taste of the food product but also on whether the ingredients and nutritional value are of high quality and whether the preparation is time-efficient. Eating is no longer only functional—it is an integral part of our lifestyle, and it interacts with the daily activities and values of the consumer [12].

During the pandemic, the role of health and safety and concerns about the quality of life and a healthy diet have gained increasing attention among consumers. In 2020 and 2021, a further growth of direct sales was expected due to the COVID-19 pandemic in response to the reinforced consumer demand [13]. According to [14], there has been a significant consumer rethink around what food people consume. An increase in demand for organic food, vegan, vegetarian, and other healthy foods is expected. Consumers are increasingly health-conscious and prefer local, fresh, additive-free food with traceable origins [15]. There is a growing demand among the Hungarian population as well to buy locally produced food products, and consumer awareness of products’ origins is gradually increasing [16,17].

Consumers, especially the young generations (Millennials and Centennials), are increasingly conscious in terms of the ethical, environmental, and social impacts of their food choices [18,19,20,21]. Therefore, in this study, we focused on young consumers in Hungary.

Our quantitative survey focused on the impressions, preferences, and key motivational factors of young customers for local products. Based on the cluster analysis results, the young generation was divided into three distinctly different categories, and the attitudes and perceptions of the young people towards local products were explored. It is critical to explore consumer motivations for purchasing local products in order to create effective marketing communication strategies and campaigns.

This paper is organised as follows. The next section looks at the definitions of local food, local food attributes, and the previous findings of Hungarian research, and examines consumer motivations for buying local food products. In the third section, the methods of our survey are presented. In the survey, we sought answers to the following questions:

Q1:

What are the motives for purchasing local food from the perspective of young customers?

Q2:

Can motivational factors distinguish young customers into identifiable consumer groups? What are the motivational characteristics of the segments?

Q3:

Are local food consumption behaviours different among the different groups?

Q4:

Which socioeconomic and demographic factors are associated with a particular consumer segment?

In the Section 4, our results are presented. Our conclusions are drawn in the final section.

2. Literature Review

There is no generally accepted definition for the term “local food”. The local food movement (often referred to as locavorism) refers to consuming locally produced food. Production, processing, and consumption are geographically near in the short food supply chain (SFSC). The “locavore” consumes food produced within an approximately 100-mile radius of the point of consumption, at farmers’ markets, or within community-supported agriculture (CSA) programmes, with a minimum number of economic operators or intermediaries involved in the food chain. The “ultra-locavore” tends to consume food produced in their own garden or in their neighbours’ garden where the food is delivered more quickly, and the food travels short or no distances.

Eating locally produced food is becoming increasingly popular and fashionable since this is associated with higher quality standards. The food is considered to be fresher, tastier, more environmentally friendly, and more unique. Moreover, locavores support local producers and the local economy. It is important to highlight that the term “locality food” is not interchangeable with “local food”. Locality food is a brand that is associated with one region or a specific geographical area. Both local and locality food can serve as powerful marketing tools for small farmers/producers. Some well-known regions/municipalities have their own local trademark, e.g., “Bácskai Becses”, “Kaposvár Kincse”, or “Kiváló Karcagi Termék” [22].

The concept of local food can be considered from two aspects:

• The role of uniqueness—the term “local” means that a food was produced or collected relatively close to where it is sold. A local product is produced mostly by small producers, using locally developed processes (recipes) or local materials. The packaging material is often locally produced, and the products reflect the characteristics and cultural heritage of the region.
• The role of local production—the term “local” means that the food products were produced by local labour, within a radius of about 50 km, to meet the needs of the local population (the role of local production) [23].

Local products typically include food and artisanal handicraft products. Some of the additional characteristics that are often associated with the concept of local products are the following: they are usually made in smaller quantities, have a unique character that is typical of the region, represent a common local value, and can be linked to a named area or settlement mainly through its historical heritage and tradition [24].

The 100-Mile Diet was born in 2005 in North America when a Canadian couple, Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon, attempted to eat foods grown or produced within a 100-mile radius of their place of living for one year. They put forward twelve arguments in favour of consuming local food products: they are fresh, you know what you are eating, you can meet your neighbours, you feel the changes of the seasons, you can try out new flavours, you get to know the area, you protect the environment, you support local small-scale producers, you support the local economy, you will be healthier, you will have nice memories, and your trips will become more enjoyable.

2.1. The Results of Surveys Conducted in Hungary

We have looked at the results of several surveys conducted in Hungary. In light of the results of these surveys, the following main criteria are associated with local products: naturalness, health, trust, knowledge about the origin, support for local producers and sellers, reduction of food miles, and the environmentally friendly nature of the products. Several studies, especially the ones concerning younger generations, highlight emotional factors such as nostalgia for buying local products, fun, memories of old times, and desire for novelty and experience. Based on these, we decided to further explore the motivational forces of the young generation. Section 2.1 summarises the main findings concerning the most important features related to the evaluation and consumption of local products.

• A study of 1500 respondents aimed to determine the extent to which a product is considered domestic or comes from a local producer. This survey has shown that women are somewhat more patriotic than men. It identified a cluster of “those who like local specialities”, which comprises one-fifth of the respondents. Most of them are from the Northern Great Plain or Central Hungary, 48% of whom live in one-person households or are young people, undergraduates, or graduates. Moreover, 58% are men. Those belonging to this group consider the place of origin of the products (be it a Hungarian product or coming from a local producer) and the image of the product to be important [25].
• In 2017–2018, a national survey was conducted on a sample of 504 Hungarian people, and 82.9% of the respondents (418 persons) bought local products. The highest proportion of the respondents who bought local products were those who follow a lactose-free diet (94 people), representing 20.3% of the respondents. For the statement “I buy local products because …”, the highest average values were seen in answers (1) “I know where the product comes from”, (2) “I support local producers”, (3) “I support local sellers (traders)”, (4) “I can reduce the delivery distance of food miles”, and (5) “they are natural” [26].
• A total of 297 respondents living in Baranya and Tolna counties were the target of a survey in which the arguments in favour of buying local food products were examined. The respondents agreed to the importance of various factors: 28% of them mentioned trust, 27% knowing the place of origin, 26% supporting the local economy, 13% better quality, and 6% that the product is healthier. The research showed that consumers are receptive to novelties during their travels, and they are willing to try out ingredients and flavours that were previously unknown to them [27].
• Based on the results of research conducted in Zala and Somogy counties, quality and new experience are gaining more and more importance in the activities of local producers [28].
• Some 95% of the 152 young people surveyed in 2014 in Kaposvár, a town in Hungary, had already heard of the concept of local products, but only 50% of the respondents were fully aware of the exact meaning of the term. The majority of young people already bought local products, and 15% of the respondents bought local products weekly or even more often. They considered the best places to market such products were supermarkets, local marketplaces, hypermarkets, local product stores, and by shopping directly from the producers [29]. The most important features of local products based on the answers were as follows: naturalness, health, chemical- and preservative-free, origin, supporting local producers or sellers, shorter food miles, environmentally friendly nature of products, previous positive experiences, and free choice as to the quantity to be purchased as well as the appearance. Emotional factors include nostalgia for buying local products, having fun, remembering the old days, and “feeling of guilt over neglecting to buy local products”. The survey carried out among the young people of Kaposvár also identified the main attitudes related to local products. Based on the respondents’ evaluation, the following order was formed: (1) fresh; (2) evokes homemade flavours, traditional; (3) safe, healthy; (4) can be trusted; (5) environmentally friendly [29].

2.2. Consumers’ Purchasing Motivation towards Buying Local Food

The motivations of young consumers to buy local products have been examined in several previous international studies. Previous research has examined diverse motivational types. The identified motivational factors can be divided into two groups.

Table 1. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of local food consumption.

	Intrinsic	Extrinsic
Qualities and societal benefits	quality, appearance, freshness, taste, healthiness, safety, and being associated with egoistic motivations or self-interest	supporting local producers, retailers, and economies, preserving agricultural land, increased food security with altruistic motivations or contributing to the “wider good”.
Motivational factors	product-related factors are discussed in [30,31,32,33] nostalgia for shopping, fun, and memories of old times [29] health consciousness [34,35,36,37,38] quality of life and well-being [39] emotional values and motivations [40] hedonic: culinary tourism [41,42] togetherness and novelty of food [43] health consciousness, e.g., nutritional value [34,35,42] taste, freshness [30,31,32] togetherness and novelty of food [43] tourism products as purely hedonic consumption experiences [44,45] effective ways of creating hedonic and memorable experience [46] self-rewarding experience [47]	support for local farmers, producers and retailers [48,49,50] environmental and social motivation [51,52,53] environmental concerns [51,54] animal welfare, environmental sustainability, supporting rural communities [55] animal welfare [56] community-oriented motivations and motivations for participation in a community-supported agriculture scheme [41,48,49,50,57,58] local heritage [59,60] community-oriented motivations [41,57]

Source: Authors’ own compilation.

summarises the intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors that were identified in previous international research. The basis of the segmentation was altruistic motives and WTP (willingness to pay).

Previous research results suggest that significant differences can be found between consumer segments regarding the egoistic or self-interest motivations and altruistic motivations, whereas health-related and product-related motivational elements are characteristics of a wide range of consumers [52]. High quality, freshness, and taste positively influenced buying motivations [61]. Supporting local producers and reducing the environmental impact could only be seen in the case of smaller segments [50].

Croatian local food consumers [62] identified two consumer segments: (1) embedded local food consumers and (2) disinclined local food consumers. Embedded local food consumers report a significantly higher mean score concerning altruistic motives and a significantly lower mean score for perceived barriers in purchasing local food compared to the other segment. Additionally, they buy and consume local food more often and put more emphasis on personal motives, such as freshness, quality, and taste. Although these have established the main reasons or “drivers” behind consumers’ decisions to purchase local food, limited studies have delved deeper into the intrinsic motivational factors in the case of young consumers.

3. Methods

Our multi-stage research process consists of our own unpublished exploratory pilot quantitative primary research in February 2021 and a quantitative survey conducted from May to July 2021. The survey was conducted in the form of a self-administered online questionnaire and Computer-Assisted Personal Interviews (CAPIs) and personal interviews. The exploratory pilot primary research aimed to identify the most important motivational factors for consumers considering buying locally produced food. The survey instrument consisted of three pillars: first, the product attributes; secondly, the motivational factors; and thirdly, the demographics. The geographic area studied was Hungary. The product feature preference order and buying intention scale were based on former research [63,64]. Our motivation scale was based on the former unpublished qualitative research carried out by the authors.

The sampling method was a combination of quota and snowball sampling. Quota sampling for age and gender was used. After the data-cleaning procedure, the answers of 1754 respondents were analysed. The distribution of respondents by age groups in the cleaned database are as follows: all the respondents were 18–39 years old and could make consumption-related decisions. The sample demographics were as follows: most of the respondents were females (61%), and 39% were males. Some 53% of those filling in the questionnaire lived in the capital city or in cities and 47% in towns or villages. With regard to the age group of the respondents: 35% of them were 18–25 years old, 32% were 26–35 years old, and 33% were 36–45 years old. The study’s main limitation concerns the demographics of the respondents: we exclusively examined the age group of 18–45. The other limitation is the non-representativeness of the sample due to the choice of the sampling method. The questionnaire included two main groups of questions: the importance of the product attributes related to sustainable and local food, and purchasing motivation factors.

4. Results and Discussion

In our analysis, we examined the importance of product characteristics, including the importance of product characteristics related to sustainability. We evaluated the motivations to buy local products, and based on the strength of the motivations, we formed three well-separable consumer segments. The characteristics of the segments are presented on the basis of motivational and demographic profile.

4.1. Main Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents

Quota sampling for age and gender was used during sampling. The distribution of respondents by age groups in the cleaned database is as follows: 35% of the respondents are 18–24 years old, 33% of the respondents are 25–34, and 31% of the respondents are 35–39 years old. In terms of gender distribution, respondents are approximately balanced (40% male; 60% female). Based on the type of settlement, there was an equal distribution: 53% of the respondents live in Budapest and big cities, and 47% in villages or smaller settlements.

4.2. Product Attribute Preference Order

The attributes we examined were measured on a 5-point Likert scale. Among the different product attributes considered, seasonal food was found to be the most important, as 96.5% of the respondents reported that this was “very important” or “important” for them in coming to a purchasing decision (see Figure 1).

The next group of characteristics included a reasonable price, nutritional value, and convenient purchasing conditions, factors which were rated as important by around 80% of respondents. Less important attributes were the attractive packaging (35%) and the locality of the products (45%). For the attributes related to locality of the products, the ratios of neutral answers were significantly high: 38% of the respondents considered the locality of the food products neutral, while the traditionality and locality of the products was important for 53% and neutral for 32% of the respondents.

Fresh seasonal products received an exceptionally high rating (mean 4.66; median 5), along with favourable price (mean 4.13; median 4), environmental protection during production (mean 3.83; median 4), animal welfare standards (mean 3.64; median 4), traditional and locally produced (mean 3.54; median 4), local food (mean 3.42; median 4), and organic (mean 3.31; median 4).

4.3. Consumer Motivations of Local Foods

We examined four motivational factors within consumer motivations, among which hedonistic motivations stood out the most in the examined sample of young consumers. Discovery is a very important motivational element for 26.6% of the respondents, and it was judged as an important motivational element by 60% of respondents. The joy of trying new flavours is also a very strong motivator for a quarter of the respondents and it was rather important for 63%. In addition, trust (i.e., being informed about where the food comes from, how it was produced, and who the producer is) can also be an important motivating factor in buying local products.

Table 2. Motivation scale answer frequencies (%).

	Not at All	Rather Not	Rather Yes	Very Much	TOP2
I enjoy discovering new foods.	2.60	10.90	60.00	26.60	86.60
It’s a pleasure for me to try.	2.80	10.50	63.70	23.10	86.80
I would like to know more about local flavours.	4.10	15.80	61.10	19.00	80.10
I am curious, I love getting to know new flavours.	2.60	12.20	57.50	27.70	85.20
I think these products are healthy.	5.10	19.50	61.10	14.40	75.50
These products are nutritious.	6.60	27.10	54.70	11.50	66.20
I trust this product because I know where it comes from.	4.80	12.90	60.60	21.80	82.40
I trust this product because it has a long tradition.	7.00	21.80	54.40	16.70	71.10

Likert scale: 1, not at all; 5, very much. N = 1756. Source: Authors’ own calculations, 2021.

shows the evaluation of the examined motivational elements.

4.4. Motivational Factors

By using factor analysis, eight statements were grouped into four independent categories explaining 77.37% of the total variance. The extracted factors were named as follows: hedonism, curiosity, nutritional value, and tradition. The first category, “curiosity”, shows a high explanatory power, and it explains 43.41% of all variance. The results of the principal component analysis show the following: KMO value, 0.831; Bartlett’s test of sphericity approx. chi-square, 33,066.074; df, 28; sig., 0.000. Communalities were between 0.808 and 0.687. The most significant communality factors are “I enjoy discovering new food” (0.808) and “It’s a pleasure for me to try” (0.721).

Table 3. Structure matrix of the factor analysis.

Scale Items	Curiosity	Nutritional Value	Pleasure	Risk Aversion
I am curious, I love getting to know new flavours.	0.902	0.215	0.507	0.196
I would like to know more about local flavours.	0.891	0.177	0.554	0.292
These products are nutritious.	0.160	0.888	0.252	0.455
I think these products are healthy.	0.165	0.845	0.392	0.513
I enjoy discovering new foods.	0.470	0.295	0.878	0.415
It’s a pleasure for me to try.	0.580	0.291	0.832	0.329
I trust this product because I know where it comes from.	0.253	0.471	0.356	0.917
I trust this product because it has a long tradition.	0.167	0.531	0.524	0.792

Principal component, Promax with Kaiser normalisation. Source: Authors’ own calculations, 2021. N = 1756.

summarises the main results of the factor analysis.

4.5. Segmentation and the Description of Obtained Segments

The cluster analysis was implemented with SPSS Statistics 27 using the K-means cluster method and the Euclidean distances method. Stability and reliability tests were conducted to validate the scale. The scale was validated in the pilot research and was found to be valid in the case of young customers.

Since the K-means cluster method is sensitive to the number of clusters chosen and starting values, we tried random starting values and a range in the number of clusters to identify a stable model. In addition, results using distance measures instead of matching distance yielded the same number of stable segments and similar motivational characteristics.

In the interpretation of the consumer segments, the motivation items included in the factor analyses were used. The segments were formed based on the factor weights developed during the factor analysis. Segment 3 was the most populous segment; 60% of young consumers fell into this segment.

As a result of different methods in all cases, the findings yielded the same three motivational-related groups.

The K-means cluster analysis identified three segments of consumers with different motives. Discriminant analysis was conducted to showed that both identified factors significantly influenced (p < 0.05) cluster differentiation. It was found that 95.07% of the original grouped cases were classified correctly, verifying that dividing the consumers into segments was not incidental.

The three clusters are as follows (see

Table 4. ANOVA table. Variables used in the locavore segmentation.

	Cluster		Error		F	Sig.
Scale Items	Mean Square	df	Mean Square	df
I enjoy discovering new foods.	95.450	2	0.356	1692	267.743	0.000
It’s a pleasure for me to try.	91.220	2	0.337	1692	270.419	0.000
I would like to know more about local flavours.	117.928	2	0.370	1692	318.755	0.000
I am curious, I love getting to know new flavours.	118.938	2	0.351	1692	338.879	0.000
I think these products are healthy.	136.766	2	0.355	1692	384.973	0.000
These products are nutritious.	165.068	2	0.373	1692	442.879	0.000
I trust this product because I know where it comes from.	152.431	2	0.354	1692	430.479	0.000
I trust this product because it has a long tradition.	245.754	2	0.342	1692	718.533	0.000

Source: Authors’ own calculations, 2021. N = 1756.

,

Table 5. Motivation profiles of the three clusters.

Scale Items	Cluster	Not at All (%)	Rather Not (%)	Rather Yes (%)	Very Much (%)	Gamma Value	Approximate Significance
I enjoy discovering new foods.	Trend-follower	5.7	24.7	67.2	2.5	0.725	0.000
	Distrustful	6.0	23.7	55.8	14.5
	Value-creator	0.2	1.0	58.1	40.7
It’s a pleasure for me to try.	Trend-follower	3.0	22.2	72.3	2.5	0.708	0.000
	Distrustful	11.4	24.0	55.8	8.8
	Value-creator	0.0	1.3	62.5	36.2
I would like to know more about local flavours.	Trend-follower	6.4	39.5	52.6	1.5	0.744	0.000
	Distrustful	12.6	27.4	52.1	7.9
	Value-creator	0.3	2.2	67.6	29.9
I am curious, I love getting to know new flavours.	Trend-follower	5.2	34.6	59.8	0.5	0.777	0.000
	Distrustful	6.9	18.3	58.0	16.7
	Value-creator	0.0	1.0	56.3	42.7
I think these products are healthy.	Trend-follower	3.0	23.0	67.4	6.7	0.508	0.000
	Distrustful	21.1	50.8	28.1	0.0
	Value-creator	0.6	7.7	69.4	22.3
These products are nutritious.	Trend-follower	2.0	33.1	59.5	5.4	0.468	0.000
	Distrustful	26.5	64.4	8.5	0.6
	Value-creator	2.0	12.9	67.5	17.6
I trust this product because I know where it comes from.	Trend-follower	1.2	12.3	75.3	11.1	0.504	0.000
	Distrustful	21.8	40.7	37.5	0.0
	Value-creator	0.5	3.9	62.1	33.5
I trust this product because it has a long tradition.	Trend-follower	0.2	25.9	63.0	10.9	0.463	0.000
	Distrustful	35.6	56.8	7.6	0.0
	Value-creator	0.5	8.6	66.0	24.9

Source: Authors’ own calculations, 2021. N = 1756.

and

Table 6. Average importance of product attributes across segments.

Product Attributes	Cluster 1 (Trend-Follower)	Cluster 2 (Distrustful)	Cluster 3 (Value-Creator)
It should be conveniently available.	3.98	3.96	4.05
It should be local food.	3.33	2.96	3.62
The properties of the food (e.g., nutrient, vitamin, energy content).	3.95	3.8	4.13
Food should be healthy (e.g., vitamins, mineral, sugar, fat, and antioxidants content).	3.97	3.83	4.29
Environmental protection during production.	3.71	3.5	3.98
Animal welfare standards (e.g., free-range).	3.48	3.3	3.83

Size of clusters: Cluster 1, 405; Cluster 2, 317; Cluster 3, 973. N = 1756. Source: Authors’ own calculations, 2021.

):

• Cluster 1: The trend-follower (405 persons, 24%);
• Cluster 2: The distrustful (317 persons, 19%); and
• Cluster 3: The value-creator (973 persons, 57%).

Cluster 1 was named “trend-follower”, which mostly includes women aged 18–24 (37.30%) and 25–34 (38%) with a high school diploma, living in small towns and villages.

Their opinion about local foods:

◦

They consider local products nutritious and healthy.

◦

They trust local products and their origin.

◦

They enjoy tasting local flavours.

◦

They are less committed to choosing a local product.

They find it important that:

◦

Food is healthy.

◦

They choose local, traditional, national food products.

◦

Food is conveniently available.

Main motivators: consciousness, health, and credibility.

Cluster 2 was named “distrustful”, which mostly includes women (46.10%) and men (52.10%) aged 18–24 with a high school diploma.

Their opinion about local foods:

◦

They do not really trust local products.

◦

They consider local products less nutritious and healthy.

◦

It is less important for them to choose national or local products.

They find it important that:

◦

Food is healthy.

◦

Food is conveniently available.

Main motivators: health and convenience.

Cluster 3 was named “value-creating”, which includes women aged 35–39 with a university degree, living in the capital and in the city.

Their opinion about local foods:

◦

They trust local products and their origins.

◦

They enjoy being able to taste local flavours.

◦

They consider local products nutritious and healthy.

◦

They are committed to buying local products.

They find it important that:

◦

The price of food is favourable.

◦

To choose local, traditional, and national products.

◦

Food is conveniently available.

Main motivators: discovery, curiosity, search for experience.

There is a significant difference between the segments in terms of their motivations. In addition, their product preferences are also different. The product preference averages for the three clusters are shown in Table 6.

In the case of the “trend-follower”, compared to the other segments, the following three expectations about food purchases are the most prominent: food should be conveniently available, the properties of the food (e.g., nutrient, vitamin, energy content), and food should be healthy (e.g., vitamins, mineral, sugar, fat, and antioxidants content).

Regarding the product attributes, the “value-creator” pays significantly more attention to the properties of the food products (gamma 0.255 p = 0.000). This is very important for 35% of them, and rather important for 45%. For the other two clusters, the property of the food is less important. Only 25% of the “trend-followers” find it very important, whereas it is rather important for nearly 40% in both clusters.

5. Conclusions

The main purpose of this study was to identify the main motives for the selection of local food, which are a perception of a freshness and lack of harmful substances in such products and the belief that such food is healthy and unique in itself. Greater attention to the consumption of local products was indicated by young respondents, who focused on healthy diet and animal welfare to a great extent.

The results of the Hungary-focused research presented in our study provide strong evidence that the features associated with local products (without claiming completeness) are the following: freshness, high quality and nutritional value, reliable, safe, evoking domestic flavours, natural, healthy, environmentally friendly, etc. It is no coincidence that we are witnessing an increase in demand for local products. The positive effects of this demand are the following:

• Boosts the local economy, supports local actors, and helps to lead them to environmentally and socially sustainable farming;
• Reduction in transport, energy consumption, and environmental pollution;
• Customers can acquire the products faster;
• The duration of storage is shortened;
• There is no need for artificial maturation, so consumers can purchase fresher, healthier food;
• The use of packaging material is reduced, so less waste is generated;
• Local producers are progressing; and
• Trust is growing, which is one of the main cohesive forces in the relationship among consumers and producers.

Local products can be associated with emotional factors that come to the fore in the younger generation, such as nostalgia for shopping, fun, and memories of old times.

The motivational elements were grouped into four factors: hedonism, curiosity, nutritional value, and tradition. The main reason for purchasing local food was taste and curiosity for young respondents.

In our primary research, we were able to identify curiosity and the desire for discovery and experience as the main motivators in Cluster 3 (value-creator). This segment showed the greatest trust in local products. The main motivational factor for Cluster 1 (trend-follower) was awareness. Although they trust local products and their origins, they are less committed to choosing local products. For Cluster 2 (distrustful), it is less important to choose a domestic or a local product—for them, convenience is the most important factor.

Based on the motivations, three distinct segments can be identified based on extrinsic and intrinsic motivations. These segments are distinguished by key words and their demographic characteristics. The key motivations are hedonism, such as joy and curiosity. Nearly 50% of the respondents have a positive view of local products, and convenient availability and the consumption of healthy, high-quality values of the foods are considered important. They also have a preference for buying local products. The attitude of the young groups toward local products was also examined based on the methodology of cluster analysis.

We identified three clusters:

• The “trend-followers” are driven by conscience; although they trust local products and their origins, they are less committed to buying local products.
• For the second cluster (“distrustful”), it is less important to choose a national or a local product; for them, convenience is the most important factor.
• The third cluster (“value-creator”) is especially committed to buying local products and discovering and learning about new things.

Our study systematises and contributes to the scientific literature dealing with the attitude of the young generation towards local products. Furthermore, our results on the motivations, attitudes, and perceptions of the groups of young people that we identified in our survey can be useful for local producers, professionals, and decision makers of the organisations supporting local producers’ operations (e.g., local producer markets, chambers, etc.), and at the same time, they provide a good basis for innovation and communication strategies.

We are aware that our research has two limitations. The first is a geographical limitation, as we only considered Hungarian consumers. The second is a demographical limitation, for we considered only the age group 18–45.

The results clearly show the differences between the segments in terms of the importance of product characteristics and motivations in purchasing local products. With regard to managerial implications, it should be noted that based on the appearance of different motivations, it is justified to assign a differentiated communication focus to each segment.

The academic implication is that the survey opens up an opportunity for further research, e.g., to study other generations or to conduct international comparative analyses. The main advantage of this model is that it can be extended to other countries and the conclusions drawn from it can be a suitable basis for similar research supplemented with the specifics of the country examined.