Contribution to understand the profile of the wine consumer: A multivariate data analysis

The main goal of this research is to contribute to a better understanding of the purchasing and consumption behaviour of Port wine in Portugal. More specifically, the study identifies homogeneous groups of buyers and consumers of Port wine, according to the motivations/attitudes in purchase process of wine. With this aim, an online survey was used, resulting in 678 usable responses. Multiple correspondence analysis revealed two dimensions: involvement with the product and purchase factors. These dimensions established three profiles of buyers/consumers that were grouped into three clusters: Experienced, Less-experienced and Inexperienced consumers. Results show that there are significant differences between the various clusters, particularly among the groups of individuals designated as Experienced and Inexperienced, which are distinct from each other by age, oenological knowledge and type of Port wine consumed. Wine companies should take into account the behaviour of these groups in the design of their marketing strategies.