Free Essay

Consumer Behavior

In: Business and Management

Submitted By javaid
Words 550
Pages 3
Struggling to Make the Best Buy
Struggling to Make the Best Buy
• Describe Ashley’s dilemma in this case.
Ashley’s dilemma is to make the right decision out of the set of alternatives lying in front of her. Since her boyfriend lost his MP3 player a month before his birthday the choice for the perfect gift for his birthday was clear.i.e.MP3 player. But the choice of buying the right MP3 player for her boyfriend is not a recurring decision. She has never bought a MP3 player for her boyfriend so she has no experience whatsoever. She is not tech savvy and doesn’t understand the features and the functions of a MP3 player. Hence, she decides to get some help from Kade’s best friend who she figured would have an idea of his taste and preferences. She also tried to seek the advice from the store salesman who had knowledge about the players leaving her with the option of opting for either of the two.

• What steps are required Ashley, leading up to her final decision? How does Ashley prioritize which information is more important and relevant to her purchase? What are her alternatives?
The steps that’ll lead her to the final purchase decision begins with the information search for a small mp3 player in the price range of $40 to $60. Since the source of information available to her is external and not her own knowledge or experience with the product, she needs to evaluate the two alternatives suitably. The two alternatives are:- 1. Creative Zen Stone Plus which costs $59.99 and is recommended by her boyfriend’s best friend. 2. The Rio Carbon 5 costing $49.99 suggested by the store salesman.
The next step is to examine these alternatives. The Creative Zen player is more aesthetically pleasing to her. It has color options which include Kade’s favorite color blue. It is within her price range. And has a past record of customer satisfaction. But the salesman mentioned few performance problems with the product.
On the other hand, Rio has more features and is a cheaper option and is believed to...
View Full Essay

as her boyfriend's birthday was fast approaching, Ashley struggled to make a decision on what mp3 player to buy him (Kade) as a gift. After failing to acquire her first desired choice, Ashley narrowed her selection down to two different mp3 models. Option A was to buy the Creative Zen Stone Plus, which was recommended by her boyfriend's best friend; a friend who knew Kade's personality and character very well. Ashley believed Kade's friend would be a good source to ask for recommendations, as he would have a better knowledge over Kade's interests and preferences. Option B was to buy the Rio Carbon 5, which was recommended by the salesman, who claimed to be an expert in mp3 players. She felt somewhat relieved hearing from an expert, as she did not know much about mp3 players. Given these two options, Ashley struggled to make a decision. Should she go with the suggestion offered by the friend? Or should she go with the suggestion offered by the expert? Should she go with her "interpersonal advisor" or the "expert advisor"? Ashley had to make the decision today, and she was running out of time.
« Hide

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Consumer Behavior

...to which one considers possessing and consuming more and more products as a sign of success and a means of happiness. 6. Means-End Chain—Pathways connecting product attributes to ultimate consumer goals or values 7. Laddering—A procedure to map a consumer’s view of how a product’s use ultimately fulfills his or her higher level values 8. Personality—A person’s psychological makeup that engenders characteristic responses to the environment in which he or she lives 9. Defense Mechanism—Psychological processes we employ to protect our ego 10. Rationalization-- 11. Projection-- 12. Aggression-- 13. Repression-- 14. Withdrawal-- 15. Regression-- 16. Trait Theory-- 17. Innovativeness—Being predisposed to embrace new products, ideas, and behaviors 18. Variety Seeking-- 19. Vanity—Excessive pride in one’s appearance and accomplishments 20. Hedonism-- 21. Uniqueness Seeker—A personality trait wherein a person seeks to be unique, different from others 22. Actual Self—Who a person CURRENTLY is 23. Ideal Self—The person we would like to BECOME 24. Social Self-Concept—The way OTHERS see US 25. Image Congruity—We like to associate ourselves with objects (things, activities, and people) that have an image that is congruent with our own image of ourselves 26. Character—The behavior of a person, at test particularly in the face of...

Words: 1091 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Consumer Behavior

...CAP talk What is “consumer”? Consumer can be those who consume basic or necessary goods with various behavior and attitude. According to Investor Words, consumer refers to an individual who buys products or services for personal consumption. A consumer also is someone who can make the decision whether or not to purchase an item at the store, and someone who can be influenced by marketing and advertisements. Any time someone goes to a store and purchases a toy, shirt, beverage, or anything else. They are making that decision as a consumer. Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) is established since 1970 with a slogan “giving a voice to the little people”. CAP is a consumer organization with a difference. Fighting for fair prices and good quality products and services is just one of their many activities. Their main concern is ensuring the right of every consumer to basic needs such as food, housing, health care, sanitation facilities, public transport, education and a clean environment. CAP want to encourage within the people, especially the poor whose needs often go unnoticed and represent their case to government, to the public and to the private companies that oppress them. CAP’s objective emphasized in advice individual consumers and protects their right. Besides, they are in charge to educate consumers, balance consumer needs and degree of protection and to provide relevant consumer rights and entitlements. CAP always ensures prices of goods are fair and appropriate with...

Words: 1699 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Consumer Behavior

...Comparative Study on Consumer Behavior in a Mall/Public Through Observation In Partial Fulfillment in the Requirements for Marketing 312: Consumer Behavior Submitted by: Jay A. Guades January 2013 Chapter I INTRODUCTION In every business enterprise, studying the behavior of their customers is a must for a business to know how to target and satisfy their consumer’s needs and wants. Consumer behavior is the process involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use, or dispose of products, services, ideas or experiences to satisfy needs and desires. (Solomon, 2002) We can never tell what consumers to buy and where to buy their needs and wants because as a saying goes, “Customers are always right”. The buying process is a combination of mental and physical activity that ends with an actual purchase. Thus, it is interesting to study the connection within “what we buy” and “why we buy”. (Rubini, 2010) Chapter II Purpose of the Study The main purpose of this paper is to study and analyze the behavior of a consumer in these two kinds of market. The researcher would try to compare and contrast their buying behavior, purchase decision, their preferences and reasons in purchasing a good. Chapter III Methodology The research method for this paper is qualitative. The data gathering and the results were purely based on observation and literature. Chapter IV Findings After a couple of hours of observation, the researcher has come up with the following: Mall The reason...

Words: 867 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Consumer Behavior

...as well as wearable statements, also the market demand is high. We chose shoes mainly because the ranges of consumers are continuous. This allowed us to thoroughly observe people who made purchases based on needs, social class, culture, age groups, and consumer behaviours. The shoes stores that our data was derived from were Payless Shoes Source, Stone Ridge, and Holt Renfrew. Payless Shoes Source is a discount footwear retailer located in a low traffic mall center. Customers that enter the store are mostly families with children or older ladies in their late forties. There was little communication between sales associates and customers for they could choose and try on their shoes without assistance. The consumers of this store were purchasing due to the need of footwear but also for the reasonable or sales prices. Stone Ridge is a slightly higher end shoe store located in Metrotown Center that adheres to the younger edgier generations The consumers that walk in are individuals that stimulate their self –esteem by standing out and being constantly aware of their own appearances. A majority of the ladies like to try shoes that are compatible with their outfits and meet the approval of friends. The younger generations were inclined to purchase popular brands and styles mainly determined by mass culture. At Holt Renfrew, Downtown Vancouver, a majority of the consumers were dressed in brand name apparel and seemed to be accumulating to their collections. The sales associates...

Words: 511 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Consumer Behavior

...Chapter 12 questions taken directly from the study guide 1. Define consumer misbehaviour. Ans: Consumer misbehaviour is a consumption behaviour that can have adverse affects on themselves or others in some way. Such misbehaviour infringes accepted societal norms. 2. Define compulsive consumer behaviour. Ans: it is the compulsion of buying which has serious consequences. 3. What is a consumer boycott and why would a consumer resort to this? Ans: rejection of a brand or company and the encouragement of the others to so not deal is known as consumer boycott. A consumer would resort to such kind of behaviour when he or she is not satisfied with the product and hence discourages other to buy it. 4. What is consumer misbehaviour related to products and services? Ans: Shop Lifting costs billions of pounds to retailers every year and consumers not only steal products but also engage in insurance fraud, hotel thefts and phone service fraud which also costs millions of pounds every year. 5. What is consumer misbehaviour related to price? Ans: If a consumer has standard rail ticket yet occupies a seat ina first class compartment. This is misused of a service but it is also an example of use without paying which in many guises is misbehaving over price. 6. What is consumer misbehaviour related to distribution? Ans: Boot legging is where illegal copies of dvd’s, videos etc are made and sold. It is considered as distribution misbehaviour as a pricy one. Counter fitting...

Words: 258 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Consumer Behaviors

...Consumer Behavior Models in Tourism Analysis Study Muhannad M.A Abdallat, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Hesham El –Sayed El - Emam, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Tourism and Hospitality, Faculty of Tourism and Archeology King Saud University ABSTRACT The theories of consumer decision-making process assume that the consumer’s purchase decision process consists of steps through which the buyer passes in purchasing a product or service. However, this might not be the case. Not every consumer passed through all these stages when making a decision to purchase and in fact, some of the stages can be skipped depending on the type of purchases. The reasons for the study of consumer’s helps firms and organizations improve their marketing strategies by understanding issues such as: • The psychology of how consumers think, feel, reason, and select between different alternatives (e.g., brands, products); • The psychology of how the consumer is influenced by his or her environment (e.g., culture, family, signs, media); • The behavior of consumers while shopping or making other marketing decisions; • Limitations in consumer knowledge or information processing abilities influence decisions and marketing outcome; • How consumers’ motivation and decision strategies differ between products, that differ in their level of importance or interest that they entail for the consumer; and • How marketers can adapt and improve their marketing campaigns and marketing strategies...

Words: 8162 - Pages: 33

Free Essay

Consumer Behavior

...Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics Emerald Article: Globalization does lead to change in consumer behavior: An empirical evidence of impact of globalization on changing materialistic values in Indian consumers and its aftereffects Nitin Gupta Article information: To cite this document: Nitin Gupta, (2011),"Globalization does lead to change in consumer behavior: An empirical evidence of impact of globalization on changing materialistic values in Indian consumers and its aftereffects", Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 23 Iss: 3 pp. 251 - 269 Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13555851111143204 Downloaded on: 24-03-2012 References: This document contains references to 49 other documents To copy this document: permissions@emeraldinsight.com This document has been downloaded 1778 times. Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AT AHMEDABA For Authors: If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service. Information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Additional help for authors is available for Emerald subscribers. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.com With over forty years' experience, Emerald Group Publishing is a leading independent publisher...

Words: 9388 - Pages: 38

Premium Essay

Consumer Behavior

...Disposition, Recylce and Reuse | 10 | 2.8 Group Influence | 11 | 3. Conclusion | 12 | 4. Appendix | 13 | Introduction ‘Consumer behaviour is the study of the processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use or dispose of products, services, ideas or experiences to satisfy needs and desires’ (Solomon, 2010, p. 33) We chose Le Marché supermarket to record our observations. Marché Retail Pvt Ltd, has been in the food business for the last 20 years. Well located, aesthetically designed and well stocked with the best from across the globe, the large format stores under the brand name Le Marché. Le Marché caters to the food requirements of people at every level. By offering the convenience of shopping in comfort, assisted by customer focused staff, and a wide selection of exotic and basic groceries to choose from, Le Marché aims to be the preferred destination for food shopping in India. We visited the store on 27th October around 5 pm and recorded our observations. To record our observations we kept in mind the various components of Consumer Behaviour, like: * Meaning * Learning * Self Concept & Personality * Culture * Research * Motivation * Dispositon * Group Influence Observer 1 (Meaning) Consumer Meaning differs with respect to an individual, his past experience, his future expectations and his background in terms of his culture, age, gender, income, lifestyle, use...

Words: 3192 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Consumer Behavior

... 20 C 10 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 LOTION D is preferred to B, B is preferred to E. This is because it follows the rule MORE is BETTER than LESS. Indifference Curve Figure 1.2 CONDITIONER 50 A D 40 30 B 20 E C u1 10 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 LOTION The indifference curve U1 that passes through market basket B shows all baskets that give the consumer the same level of satisfaction as does market basket B; these include baskets A and C.Our consumer prefers basket D, which lies above U1, to A, but prefers B to E which lie below U1. Fun runs, exercise and other physical activities have been promoted and practiced more by Filipinos in recent years. In addition, Filipinos are now choosing the healthier lifestyle as shown in their food product choices. On food purchase over the past 5 years, there has been an increase in cereals (17%), yoghurt/cultured milk (9%), canned vegetables (6%) and biscuits (6%). Figure 1.3 CEREALS...

Words: 2427 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Consumer Behavior

...Question 01: How do consumers culture, social, personal and psychological characteristics affect their cosmetics shopping behavior? Answer: The behavior that the cosmetic consumers display in searching, purchasing, using, evaluating and disposing a product that they expect will satisfy their needs is very important to create a market. It mainly focuses on how individuals make decisions to spend their time, money and effort on that cosmetic. That includes what they buy, why they buy it, when they buy it, where they buy it, how often they buy it, how often they use it, how they evaluate it after the purchase and the impact of such evaluations on future purchases, and how they dispose it. 1. Cultural Factors: Culture has a profound influence on all aspects of human behavior. Culture is a pervasive influence which underlies all facets of social behavior and interaction. It is embodied in the objects used in everyday life and in modes of communication in society. Different cultures react differently to a new product, as the meanings, values, ideas and beliefs of a social group are articulated through various cultural artifacts. One’s own personal culture guides the selection of cosmetics. The language and the symbols used on the package influences the selection of cosmetics and the ritual which we perform has an effect on the use of cosmetics too. While selecting cosmetics, culture influences their selection. For example, complexion of Asians is darker than Europeans...

Words: 1908 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Consumer Behavior Models and Consumer Behavior in Tourism

...Consumer Behavior Models in Tourism Analysis Study Muhannad M.A Abdallat, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Hesham El –Sayed El - Emam, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Tourism and Hospitality, Faculty of Tourism and Archeology King Saud University ABSTRACT The theories of consumer decision-making process assume that the consumer’s purchase decision process consists of steps through which the buyer passes in purchasing a product or service. However, this might not be the case. Not every consumer passed through all these stages when making a decision to purchase and in fact, some of the stages can be skipped depending on the type of purchases. The reasons for the study of consumer’s helps firms and organizations improve their marketing strategies by understanding issues such as: • The psychology of how consumers think, feel, reason, and select between different alternatives (e.g., brands, products); • The psychology of how the consumer is influenced by his or her environment (e.g., culture, family, signs, media); • The behavior of consumers while shopping or making other marketing decisions; • Limitations in consumer knowledge or information processing abilities influence decisions and marketing outcome; • How consumers’ motivation and decision strategies differ between products, that differ in their level of importance or interest that they entail for the consumer; and • How marketers can adapt and improve their marketing campaigns and marketing strategies...

Words: 8162 - Pages: 33

Free Essay

Consumer Behavior

...witness the shift in shopping attitude and perception for buying goods of various kinds including inexpensive goods like clothes, watches, sun-glasses or any other household goods and expensive goods viz. kitchen appliances, digital gadget, electronics items or jewellery. Thus the objective of this study is to know attitude and behaviour of consumer towards jewellery items. The study puts light on the jewellery buying behaviour of online shoppers of Lucknow. The study also wraps up main factors for their attitude towards shopping behaviour. The taxonomy for jewellery is developed based on our analysis. Online shopping researches are presented and discussed in light of existing empirical studies. Keywords: Online shopping, consumer attitude, consumer behaviour, e-retailing, empirical study etc. Introduction As a matter of fact that the computer literacy rate is increasing by leaps and bounds in India especially school and college going students and those who are working in any organisation. The resulted into the shopping behaviour drastically. Increasing computer literacy rate has changed the life-style and buying behaviour of the consumers everywhere in urban areas especially state capitals. The current transition of our life has emerged a new opportunity for all marketers across the globe. Eretailing has become one of the essential characteristics in the Internet era. According to UCLA Center for Communication Policy (2001), online shopping has become the third most popular Internet...

Words: 2202 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Unethical Consumer Behavior

...625 Unethical Consumer Behavior Dr. McFaul January 20, 2013 Unethical Consumer Behavior Introduction Today’s consumer is looking for the best value and some consumers find ways to take advantage of a business through unethical consumer behaviors. Consumer ethics is defined as “moral rules that apply to consumers, such as the choice to return a used item for a refund, shoplift, and engage in software piracy, as well as the steps, the company takes to counter these actions, such as charging restocking fees and limiting returns” (Shiffman, 2010, p. G-2). Consumers have caused businesses additional costs through unethical consumer behavior. Anytime a consumer is unethical it costs the business money in lost profits. Unethical Behavior Many consumers find ways to cheat a company through unethical behavior. Piracy is an ongoing issue that many companies face through consumers illegally recording movies, music, software, and ringtones. Many consumers are stealing these products and do so because it saves the consumer from having to buy these products. Consumers also take the time to buy pirated material at a reduced cost than they can purchase these products at a retailer price. The downside to pirating is that this behavior costs every element of the supply chain money. Those affected are other consumers that have to pay inflated costs, Manufactures, retailers, and inventors or producers of the materials. Some consumers may be performing unethical behavior without knowing...

Words: 736 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Consumer Behavior Paper

...Environmental and Consumer Influences Analysis PSY/322 Abstract In this analysis of environment and consumer influences we will analyze the psychological and social factors that that influence the “all natural/organic” consumers to purchase products. As of June 2011 nearly 7 out of 10 U.S. consumers search for sustainable products and were active green buyers. Green buying behavior seems to be crossing over to all socioeconomic classes. In 2011 only 23% of Americans are consistent green shoppers across multiple product categories. According to a 2014 organic market overview, consumer demand for organic & natural products has continuously shown double-digit growth since 2011. Organic products are now available in around 20,000 natural food stores, 3 out 4 conventional grocery stores and a growing number of organic product retail venues are rising all across the country. As consumers become more environmentally and health conscious, they are demanding more information about what they put in and on their bodies. Environmental and Consumer Influences Analysis Going green means, implementing certain lifestyle changes to help you live in a more eco-friendly way. There are many reasons consumers make the decision to “go green”. In the beginning of green consumer era the primary reason for going green would be to preserve the natural state of the planet Earth for the generations to come. However, in the past decade it has taken on an even greater newer meaning....

Words: 1155 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Consumer Behavior Insights

...Consumer Behavior Insights Name : Student Number : Course title : Marketing Course : Assignment topic : Consumer Behaviour Insights Lecturer : Author : Name : Student Number : Course title : Marketing Course : Assignment topic : Consumer Behaviour Insights Lecturer : Author : Assignment Coversheet The Faculty of Business STUDENT INFORMATION STUDENT NO. | | SURNAME | | PHONE NO. | | GIVEN NAMES | | E-MAIL | | Instructions for submission are found in the course description. Assignments with Cover Sheets not signed at the bottom will be returned unmarked and ma y then incur a penalty for late submission. ASSESSMENT INFORMATION COURSE NAME | | COURSE CODE | | ASSIGNMENT DETAILS (title) | | LECTURER / TUTOR’S NAME | | Campus / Provider | | DUE DATE | | SUBMITTED ON | | PLAGIARISM The Faculty and the University regards as a very serious matter the action of a student who acts dishonestly or improperly, including plagiarism or cheating, in connection with his or her academic work. Under University Regulation 6.1.1 “Plagiarism” is defined as “…the presentation of the works of another person / other persons as though they are one's own by failing to properly acknowledge that person / those persons”. Plagiarism may take many forms including:  direct copying of sentences, paragraphs or other extracts from someone else’s published work (including on the Internet and in software) without acknowledging...

Words: 4540 - Pages: 19