Abstract
Throughout history, as the production of wine has developed, wine has become more than just a drink, it has become a symbol
of hedonism and enjoyment, power, and status. For these reasons, wine is associated with quality and special occasions, which
means most consumers want to buy it in appropriate packaging. Most often it is glass packaging. It has been used for centuries as
the main packaging for wine in which the wine matures and reaches the peak of quality. The connection between wine and glass
bottles is engraved in culture. This research paper examined how customers of the Croatian market react to alternative packaging.
The results of the survey showed that most respondents consider another packaging unsuitable for wine storage, which is the
reason why 50% of the market buys wine exclusively in glass bottles. The rest of the market, on the other hand, has proven to be
more open to other types of packaging. Furthermore, by informing the population about the adequacy of packaging, respondents
who said they buy wine exclusively in glass bottles were willing to change their habits in as many as 60% of cases. The results
of this survey can be a useful tool for Croatian winemakers when thinking about alternative wine packaging and can show insight
about Croatian consumers buying decisions. But due to the fact that consumers and their habits, as well as the global market and
lifestyle, are constantly changing, the consumers’ intention to buy a product won’t always be a clear measure for actual purchase
behaviour.
Keywords: Sustainability, Packaging, Willingness to Buy, Wine, Bag-in-Box, Tetra Pak, PET Bottles, Croatia
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