Purchasing Wine as a Gift; Influencing Factors and Preferences: An Empirical Qualitative Approach

A number of research studies have looked into consumer buying behaviour as regards wine. However, as yet no-one has focussed specifically on the factors which pertain to consumers buying wine to offer as gifts. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to identify which factors affect the decision of the wine buyer in this context. A further aim is to develop a number of hypotheses which will form the basis of a future quantitative study.
The research methodology begins with a review of the relevant literature. From this a research design using projective methods in the interviews was considered as being the most appropriate way to proceed. After a pre-test, the methodology was refined and then conducted using a research group of twelve persons. This group was selected according to gender, age and whether they were considered to be ‘connoisseurs’ or ‘laypeople’ as regards purchasing and consuming wine. A total of nineteen hypotheses were then developed which will form the basis of future avenues of research.
The findings suggest that a good portion of the factors which influence buyers when purchasing wine as a gift are exogenous and can be found in existing literature. The influence of these factors in the context varies, however, depending on the knowledge of the purchaser, the perceived risk, as well as the relation to and social status of the recipient. A further important factor is the specific requirement of the gift situation e.g. as a birthday or retirement present. The existing study highlights the fact that the purpose of an acquisition is of overriding importance when buying wine as a gift – dominating all other influencing factors which are subsequently only subject to it. Extrinsic or intrinsic cues vary strongly in importance as a function of the specific purchasing context the buyer faces.