INTRODUCTION
Food retailing in the Baltic States has developed rapidly in recent times. The
future structure is expected to become similar to that of other regions in the
European Union. However, a similar market structure may not mean that
businesses can expand from one region to another without taking differing
consumer attitudes and cultures into account. This study examines differences
between Baltic and Nordic food retailing and consumer behaviour based on an
analysis of Estonia, Finland and Sweden.
PURPOSE
The purpose of the thesis is to highlight regional disparities between the
Nordic and Baltic food retailing sectors in terms of market structure and
consumer attitudes towards store types, own-label brands, low price brands and
ecological products.
METHOD
The research has been conducted through a qualitative study of food retailers
currently operating on the Estonian, Swedish and Finnish market. A
quantitative study of consumer behaviour with students as the target group has
also been carried out. Interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data
that has been compared to the information collected by the literature study.
CONCLUSION
The study identified that the market situation in Estonia is still in a period
of development with the largest and smallest store formats developing at a
faster pace than mid-sized outlets. While the hard-discount format is
relatively new for Nordic customers it is already maturing in Estonia. Despite
companies’ internationalisation strategies, it is in their own interests to
take local differences into account and take a more adaptive rather than
standardised approach when expanding into Estonia.
Nordic and Baltic consumers in the study group and their preferences for store
and product choice are similar with a slightly higher level of curiosity and
interest towards ecological products among the Estonians. For the retailers in
Estonia, there is a potential to develop ...
