Customer behavior on the Slovakian roundwood market: A case study

Abstract

Fast-changing market conditions of consumer goods, influenced by customer needs, impact forest enterprises. Thus, management of forest enterprises requires customer-oriented marketing. This paper explores the preliminary issues of customer behavior in the roundwood segment of the selected oligopoly state forest enterprise in Central Europe, Slovakia. This research was carried out by the qualitative approach using standardized interview by means of structured questionnaire. According to research requirements, significant roundwood customers were identified by portfolio analysis of the chosen forest enterprise. Regarding the small rate of significant respondents (customers), non-parametric statistical methods like Spearman’s correlation coefficient and Wilcoxon test were used for the evaluation of customer behavior, or to identify significant correlation among qualitative signs of customer conduct. This paper gives further instructions for the assessment of the results regarding the wood trade manners on the Slovakian market. Additionally, this research presents a special contribution to the achievement of substantial results based on the small rate of respondents, which supports short-term marketing decision-making in trading with wood assortments on the regional trade level in practice.