A demographic analysis of consumers’ preference for green products

Abstract

Purpose – the aim of this research is to understand and present the outcomes of the strength of association between consumers and the use of the green (herbal) product from a demographic viewpoint. By extension, it measures the magnitude of dependents among demographic factors influencing the use of the green product in a developing country. Research methodology – to evaluate consumer’s demographics on the use of the green (herbal) product, 207 participants took part in the survey through a structured questionnaire. Data were obtained from users of green products (specifically herbs) in Ghana. A nonparametric test precisely chi-square test (x2) and Spearman's correlation rs were employed for our empirical analysis. Findings – the paper indicated the youthful population as the highest number of users of the green product in the herbal market. Results from the nonparametric test (Spearman’s rho) revealed that demographic factors (gender, age, education, and occupation) have an inverse relationship on the use of the green product. Whiles the chi-square test also discloses insignificant relationships among the observed attributes. This suggests that there is no empirical evidence to support the claim that use of green product depends on demographic factors of consumers. Research limitations – the limitation of this study considered the research scope, taking into account a smaller sample size for the study hence, future researchers should expand the sample size as well the other demographic variables necessary for a similar study. Practical implications – the practical implication of this study gives insights to practitioners and marketers in the herbal industry on how best they can progress in their quest to sustain in the business. Originality/Value – the present study aided in widening the scope of consumer behaviour towards the green product in the marketing discipline taken into consideration the widespread competition in the business nowadays especially in the herbal (green product) market.