How strong and generalisable is the Generation Y effect? A cross‐cultural study for wine

Purpose This study aims to investigate how strongly Generation Y consumers differ in their values, attitudes and wine and alcoholic beverage consumption behaviour from older generations. The comparison spans seven culturally different markets. Design/methodology/approach Large representative samples totalling 11,622 wine consumers responded to a standardised survey. A factorial analysis of variance was used to determine the main and interaction effects of markets and generations. Findings Although significant differences were found between generations, their explained variance is very low. There were significant trans‐cultural similarities in generational differences for values and wine consumption behaviour: Gen‐Y is more oriented towards hedonic success and status and less towards social values; Gen‐Y is more likely to consume white and rosé than red wine and is most promiscuous in its alcoholic beverage consumption. A number of noticeable differences appeared between countries: wine involvement and consumption increases with age in traditional European wine markets, while they decrease in North America; environmental concerns and purchase channel usage hardly differ between generations but vary strongly between markets. Originality/value This is the first study to quantify the effect size of generational differences using large representative samples across countries with different cultural backgrounds, including traditional and established wine consumption nations.