The Risk of Poverty and Its Impact on Consumer Behaviours: The Case of Slovakia

Global lockdowns and regulations associated with the pandemic have impacted food markets as well as consumption behaviours. Consequently, this paper aims to analyse the changes and effects on consumer behaviour, the selection of foods and drinks, and the difference in the behaviour of the poor compared to the wealthy families in Slovakia. Three hundred ninety-two households participated in the cross-sectional questionnaire survey in 2023. The methodology was based on Principal Components Analysis and Cluster Analysis to research the connections between consumer behaviour during the coronavirus pandemic, with the amount of income and the risk of poverty. The outcome of the analysis showed that a decrease or risk of loss of income directly impacts consumer decision-making in the food market. Considering the study of the consumption of specific types of food, it can be concluded that the behaviour of poor and wealthy families is similar in buying fruits and vegetables in larger quantities and limiting the consumption of sweets and snacks, as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The biggest difference (18.93%) was recorded regarding meat and meat products, where more affluent households reduced consumption in just under 3% of cases, while poorer households reduced consumption by up to 21.5%.