According to the survey’s findings, Ukrainian market can be characterized by overall consumers’ indifference. Moreover, most consumers would like to know more about products, but far from all ask for additional information, as well as the majority is unable to make request for a low-quality product return and/or change. Ukrainians consider this as a waste of their time and efforts, some even call it pettiness. 

While conducting the survey, its performers studied the process of FMCG purchasing, analysed the level of consumer goods information available and used, and estimated the consumers’ reaction to goods’ quality. Consumers’ behaviour in typical conflict situations resulted from low-quality goods purchase or poor quality services provided was studied separately. The experts also assessed the levels of information distribution regarding the existent consumer rights.

Women are those responsible for consumer goods’ purchasing in most Ukrainian families. The main determinant product/service quality factors for Ukrainian consumers are: use-by date (70%), price (50%) and own experience as per certain trademark or brand products’ quality (46%). Only about 5% of respondents called that advertising was a determinant factor for them. More than half of Ukrainians (53%) have experienced occasions when they purchased low-quality food products during the last six months.

Nearly 90% of respondents shrink back from problems encountered while purchasing poor quality goods, doing nothing to get a redress or change a product for a similar one (54% of respondents opt for inaction always or from time to time). And only 20% of Ukrainians actively stand up for their consumer rights seeking appropriate solutions at the level of supermarket’s director and consumer rights’ associations.

“Mainly it is a problem of mentality. As experience shows, most of more or less active confident consumers get what they want if their rights are violated,” comments Project Manager Klavdia Maksimenko. “Our project’s activities are aimed at encouraging conscious consumption, which means receiving as much information as possible before purchasing and being able to act accordingly in case consumer rights were violated once the purchase has been made,” she adds.

It is the first survey conducted in Ukraine of this kind. In April-May 2007, 1,000 respondents were polled in all regions of Ukraine. The research is representational for adult population in Ukraine.

All-Ukrainian survey “Consumer Rights and the Level of the Rights’ Information Distribution among Ukrainian Citizens” is a continuation of multifaceted research “Ways of raising consumer awareness among Ukrainians”, launched by the project “Consumer Society and Citizen Networks” in March 2007. Also, this survey is a part of a project-led nationwide public awareness campaign strategy. The full-fledged campaign, aiming at increasing Ukrainian consumers’ civil activity, to start in October 2007.

The Consumer Society and Citizen Networks project (CSCN) is a joint initiative by the European Union and UNDP in Ukraine. It started in 2006. Its goal is to increase civil society role in sound economic governance in Ukraine in line with the European standards. Specifically CSCN aims at promoting access of citizens to information on product safety, consumer rights protection, and to results of independent testing, as well as promoting wide public discussion on challenges facing the consumer society in Ukraine.

The project initiated and developed the Consumer Portal, www.consumerinfo.org.ua