CROSS-CULTURAL FEATURES OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR (EUROPE VS UKRAINE) IN THE CONTEXT OF MIGRATION PROCESSES

Abstract

Introduction. Modern international markets operate in a highly dynamic socio-economic environment, driven by intensifying globalization ties, digitalization, and increased population mobility. These changes significantly impact consumer behavior, transforming values, consumer priorities, purchase decision-making mechanisms, and brand attitudes. These processes become particularly pronounced during periods of large-scale social transformations, when both the economic environment and the cultural context of consumption shift. For Ukraine, the transformation of consumer behavior has gained particular urgency due to the full-scale war, which triggered massive migration processes and accelerated the country’s integration into the European economic space. Ukrainian consumers not only adapt to existing consumption models in host countries but also influence the structure of demand, the development of specific product categories, services, and communication channels. Under these conditions, cross-cultural marketing analysis acquires special significance, allowing for the identification of differences and commonalities in consumer behavior across various countries, changes in consumer sentiment, and the adaptation of marketing approaches to the new operating conditions of international markets.

Purpose. The aim of the article is to substantiate an adapted model of the consumer behavior of Ukrainian migrants in the EU countries by conducting a cross-cultural marketing analysis of consumption in Ukraine and selected European Union countries.

Materials and methods. The scientific framework of the study is based on modern theories of international marketing and migration. The information base consists of Eurostat statistical data, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, and analytical reports by leading companies (Deloitte, McKinsey). The study utilizes methods of comparative and systemic analysis, grouping, scientific synthesis, and theoretical generalization.

Results. The cross-cultural analysis of consumer behavior in Ukraine, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Bulgaria conducted in this scientific article revealed significant differences in consumer models depending on a country’s level of economic development and the population's cultural characteristics. The study confirmed the impact of economic indicators (wage levels and GDP per capita) on the formation of consumer sentiment, demand structure, purchase frequency, and product selection criteria. It has been established that the mass migration of Ukrainians to European Union countries fosters the formation of an adaptive model of consumer behavior that combines traditional Ukrainian consumer values with European practices of rational, sustainable, and digitized consumption. As a result, new cross-cultural characteristics of consumers are formed, which simultaneously adapt to local markets and influence the transformation of the demand structure in host countries.  A conceptual matrix of cross-cultural consumer adaptation is proposed.

Discussion. The study advances the international marketing discourse by analyzing dynamic consumer transformations under geopolitical instability. The findings confirm that under the pressure of modern economic challenges, cross-cultural adaptation leads to the formation of an adaptive behavioral model that integrates new practices without losing national specificity. It is substantiated that displaced consumers directly influence the transformation of demand structures and the intensification of digital purchasing channels in host countries. The proposed cross-cultural matrix successfully bridges the gap between macroeconomic determinants and consumer attributes, offering a structured tool for evaluating market behavior.