A Multivariate Analysis of demographic influence on Consumer Behaviour towards Organic and Conventional products using MANOVA and Hotelling’s T² Test

Abstract

The rising demand for organic products, fuelled by increasing health and environmental awareness, highlights the need to understand consumer behaviour in emerging markets. This study examines consumption patterns of organic versus conventional products in Himachal Pradesh, India, using MANOVA and Hotelling's T-squared test to assess the impact of demographics such as district, gender, age, education, occupation, family type and income. Significant differences were found across most variables, with higher organic consumption among females, middle-aged individuals, the well-educated and higher-income groups, while marital status, family size, accommodation type and diet category showed no notable effect. High consumer satisfaction with organic products indicates strong market potential and supports the development of targeted, demographically informed marketing and policy initiatives.