Differentiation of consumer behavior of the population of Republic of Karelia in the market of socially significant commercial services

Abstract

Using the data from the representative sociological survey of households, which was conducted in the Republic of Karelia in 2019, an analysis of the population's demand for commercial services was carried out. The services under consideration include housing and communal services, communications, transport, medical, sanatorium and wellness, veterinary, legal, educational, cultural, tourism, sport and physical activities social services for the elderly and disabled. The heterogeneity of households in terms of the demand for paid services was revealed. Assessment of the consumption behavior showed that active users of commercial socially significant services range from 50% to 80% of households in the region, depending on the service type. A special attention is paid to assessment of consumer behavior in the medical services market. Here, a typology of consumer activity in the paid medical services market is proposed. More specifically, four types of such services are identified. It is concluded that low-income households living in small towns and rural settlements are characterized by a large consumption of paid medical services. An increase in per capita income is associated with a decrease in the share of households with high consumer activity. Consumption activity below or significantly below the average for the region was revealed in groups of wealthy households. The results of the study showed that currently paid medical services are important for the population. During the pandemic, because the existing healthcare system could not provide guaranteed high-quality free timely treatment, the developed paid medical services market provided timely examination and treatment for a part of the population.