Does Dual Quality of Products in the European Union Truly Bother Consumers?

Abstract

Dual quality is a situation when a company places its products on international markets under the same brand and in identical or very similar packaging but with different composition or different quality. This has the greatest impact on the satisfaction of consumers, who may feel inferior if they receive lower quality than abroad. Several comparative tests were carried out in Europe, which showed that dual quality exists in the EU, although it was not confirmed that there were always better products in Western Europe. Testing bodies, national politicians, the European Commission, manufacturers and distributors, and consumers abroad also commented on the topic. Several countries conducted research on consumer opinions on dual quality, but similar research was lacking in Slovakia. For a long time, there was also a lack of a solution to this situation, as manufacturers defended themselves by saying that they were only fulfilling the demands of consumers. The main aim of this paper is to examine consumers’ opinions on dual product quality and to identify a solution to this problem that meets their requirements. The analysis of the opinions of consumers in the Slovak Republic was based on the results of primary research conducted on a sample of 987 respondents. The general methodology established by the European Union served as a guideline for formulating proposals for solving the problem of dual quality of goods in the EU, which was adapted to the conditions of the Slovak Republic in accordance with the opinions of Slovak consumers. The main proposal is the establishment of the Slovak Trade Inspection (STI) as the main body responsible for solving the issue of dual quality in Slovakia. STI is supposed to be responsible for receiving and processing suggestions in case of suspicion of dual quality, coordination in ensuring product testing and communication with brand owners. Another important proposal is the intensification of communication with brand owners and the creation of more space for their expression in the event that dual quality offered by them is discovered. As part of testing the use of dual quality as an unfair practice, the prices of the affected products in individual countries should also be investigated.