Author Topic: Honey consumer's needs  (Read 4260 times)

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ILikeHoney

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Honey consumer's needs
« on: July 22, 2018, 02:58:32 am »
What do people who buy honey want? What motivates them to choose one honey product, over another?

People have a lot of concerns over the quality of honey products. They might be concerned that it's been pasteurised, which would reduce it's taste, nutritional content and some believe it's medicinal properties also. They might concerned it's been adulterated, one way or another.

People also seem to want to buy local honey, whether that be to support their local beekeepers, or simply because they want honey that contains local pollen.

What other needs and wants do consumers have, other than cost factors?

Offline efmesch

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Re: Honey consumer's needs
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2018, 03:30:36 am »
Welcome to the forum, I Like.  I hope you enjoy your stay with us and post often.

You ask a question that all marketers wish they knew the answer to---when they know just what the consumer wants, they can advertise for it  to help it sell.
That having been said, one factor you didn't mention is fragrance.  A desirable honey is often one that has a special smell to it---it could be from a single or multiple floral sources and honey with a "nose" has its special value.
Last  week I had three of my younger grandsons help me out extracting my summer crop.  It was interesting to see their reactions to the fragrances released as the honey was spun out of the frames.  They simply couldn't get enough of it.
One of the special pleasures I get as a beekeeper is to walk past the entrances of my hives in the evening as the bees are busy fanning away the moisture from the days' collection of nectar.  Each honey flow carries its own special treat and while "drying" the nectar they release a concentrated fragrance that is most exhilarating. 
When I travel to new places I like to buy honey, not because I lack for it at home, but because I enjoy tasting and smelling the varieties of honey that can be found elsewhere.  A bottle of raw honey, unspoiled by heating, will have a stronger fragrance than pasteurized honey and it is specially noticeable each time the bottle is opened.

Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Honey consumer's needs
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2018, 08:59:29 am »
Welcome to the forum ILH!
I don't know that I am qualified to answer your question.  I giveaway a lot of my honey at holidays, family members, etc.  Some people ask to buy honey from me and I am happy to sell it to them.   The most common response people have, after tasting my honey, is that it tastes so much better than what they are used to.  Then they want more of my product.
Different parts of the world have different expectations.  Generally, in the US, consumers don't want crystallized honey.  To sell creamed honey you have to educate them first.  A Russian woman asked me where she could find crystallized honey like they have back in Russia.  If I am not mistaken, Canadian consumers are accustomed to crystallized honey as well. 
Consumer awareness, in the US, grew along with colony collapse disorder.  The public is a little more aware of the benefits of local, pure, natural, raw, and all those buzz words. (No pun intended!)
Allergy sufferers are frequent consumers of local honey.  They will also use pollen too.
If I understand correctly, Australia is free of varroa mite and possibly small hive beetle?  If those things are true, I would emphasize the pure chemical free aspect of Australian honey as apposed to imported honey.  While in the US we never treat for varroa with honey supers on, the consumer might be concerned about purity of treated colonies.  In other words, they are somewhat educated, but most don't have the big picture.
That's my 2 cents worth!