Consumer

Behaviour
Dr. Vibhuti Tripathi
Associate Professor
School of Management Studies
Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad
Prayagraj -211004

Email- vibhuti@mnnit.ac.in
 Analysing Consumer Markets and Buying Behaviour

Why People Shop ?????

Consumers Mind is a Black Box

Any individual who purchases goods and services
from the market for his/her end-use is called a
consumer.

In simpler words a consumer is one who

consumes goods and services available in the
market.

Behaviour is defined as “the series of innumerable

responses portrayed by individuals in response
to efforts of company and experience to ones he
knows.

Consumer Behaviour is a sum total of all the

actions directly involved in obtaining,
consuming and disposing off products both goods
& services including the decision making process
which proceeds
and follow these actions.
Consumer Behaviour is a branch which deals with the
various stages a consumer goes through before purchasing
products or services for his end use.

There are several factors which influence buying decision of

a consumer ranging from psychological, social, economic
and so on.
The study of consumer behaviour explains as to:

▪Why and why not a consumer buys a product? (Necessity, for

releasing stress, for status, for socialising etc.)

▪When a consumer buys a product ? (Occasions, Festivals,

Monthly, Frequently, Less frequently)

▪How a consumer buys a product ? (During Sale, High

Quantities, Only Branded, Only through organised retailers,
from flee markets, different products from different places in
different quantities etc. )
• The buyer/consumers may not follow any rigid rules while
taking the purchase decisions.

• Everyday they are exposed to a world full of information -

Sources of information could be:

▪ Personal Sources- (Friends, Family, Relatives,
Colleagues)

▪ Commercial Sources - (Advertisements, Press

Conferences, other Marketing Communication Modes)

▪ Public Sources - (Opinion of the public in news, shows,

other forums)

▪ Personal Experience- (Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction,

Delight)

• Due to this human behaviour is changing constantly

affecting an individual’s purchase decision.
The main catalyst which triggers the buying decision of an
individual is need for a particular product/service.
Consumers purchase products and services as and when
need arises.

For satisfying them it is important for an organisation to

analyse consumers’ behaviour for

• Consumers’ reactions to a firms marketing strategy.

(Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning)

• The marketing concept stresses that a firm should create a

Marketing Mix (7 Ps) that satisfies (gives utility to)
customers, therefore there is a need to analyse the what,
where, when and how consumers buy.

• Marketers can better predict how consumers will respond to

marketing strategies if they know -

• How Consumers make purchase decision

• What influences their purchase decision
Decision Making Decision Making
Consumers have
certain beliefs about
how their needs can
be satisfied

Needs/ Wants Beliefs

Customer’s experience &

Consumers have certain
Disposition experience of others
notions due to their
to Buy which play an important
culture subculture/
role in purchase decision

Buying Without Wanting Buying Without Deciding Deciding Before Buying

Impulse Purchase We plan to buy but don’t We plan to buy specific brands/
Sometime we don’t plan have specific brands/ styles/ styles/ colours/ quantities in
to purchase yet we buy colours/ quantities in mind mind
• When making a decision to buy a product from many
competing products, a consumer unknowingly passes
through a few stages of the decision process.

• Consumers does not pass through all the stages

before purchasing a product.

• The need for a given product is activated by

• Internal stimuli - Personality, experience

•External stimuli - Advertising, culture,

sub-culture
 Model of Consumer Behaviour

Organizations can control the stimuli through managing their strategies (STP) and tactics
(7Ps), also there are uncontrollable stimuli related to external business environment and
socio-cultural environment of an individual.

They are always striving to understand the buyers black box (like an aircraft carries all
information) which contains the reasons why consumers buy or don’t buy

Buyers response is an out come of VALUE they receive, satisfaction and dissatisfaction,
usually uncontrollable yet can be managed through ensuring satisfaction or delight
 Socio Cultural Environment
INPUT 1. Family
Firm’s Marketing Efforts
2. Informal Sources
1. Product 3. Non Commercial Sources
2. Promotion 4. Social Class, Culture
3. Price
4. Channels of Distribution
P
R
O Need Recognition
C Psychological Field
E Pre Purchase Search Motivation
S Perception
S Learning, Personality
Evaluation of Alternatives
Experiences

Purchase
Trial
OUTPUT Repeat Purchase
Post Purchase Evaluation
 Consumer Decision Making Process
The Consumer or Buyer Decision Making Process is a
method used by marketers to identify and track the
decision making process of a customer journey from start
to finish.

There are FIVE stages identified through which a consumer

transits
1. Need

1.Need Recognition
2. Alternatives

2. Information Search
3. Best for Me (The brand and
drink type)
3. Information Evaluation
4. Purchase

4. Purchase
5. Satisfaction /Dissatisfaction
5. Post Purchase Behaviour
 Need Recognition
The realization by the consumer that there is a difference
between “what is” and “what should be”.

The customer feels like something is missing and needs to

address it to get back to feeling normal.

Organisations should determine when the target demographic

develops these needs or wants.

The needs and wants are influenced by marketing stimuli and

internal stimuli
 Information Search
Stage in the consumer decision-making process in which the consumer
perceives a need and actively seeks out information concerning products
that will help satisfy that need.
Information is not only gathered about the products via marketing communication
but also from people via recommendations and through previous experiences.

In this stage a customer is also thinks about risk management.

A customer makes a pro’s vs. con’s list to help make their decision.

People often don’t want to regret to make a decision so they take extra time in
information search.

Organizations should ensure to disseminate information

about their offerings through every possible communication
Vehicle like TV, News Paper, Magazines, Hoardings,
Internet, Emails, SMS, Calls etc.
 Information Evaluation

umers determine the criteria to be used for evaluation of products.

assess the relative importance of each criteria and,

uate each alternative based on the identified criteria.

the customer has determined what will satisfy their want or need
will begin to seek out the best deal.

may be based on price, quality, or other factors that are important to them.

omers read many reviews and compare prices, ultimately choosing the one that satisfies most of their para

nizations should ensure to understand the parameters on which consumers evaluate their purchase.
 Purchase
maller quantity and it would be also termed as Exploratory phase.
samples, offer testers, sell small quantities to induce trials. (There could be many other creat

ly related to brand loyalty, which firms try to encourage because it contributes to greater stab

expectations
 Purchase sub-decisions
• Brand Decision Creating right positioning and
brand image

Neighbourhood shop,
•Vendor Decision Exclusive Showroom,
Mall, Multibrand outlet
Location

• Quantity Decision Ensure different pack

sizes to cater to different
Target markets with the
same product

• Timing Decision Recognise occasions

when your product
Is bought most

Cash
• Payment Methods Credit Card
Debit Card
Cheque
 DECISION MAKING SET
CHOICE SET
TOTAL SET Best preferred choices
CONSIDERATION SET
All brands and out of consideration set
After evaluation of all
variety available in
alternatives few are matching
the market
the specific needs or expected
value and would be chosen in
case of non-availability of the
one of the chosen brands

DECISION
 Post Purchase Behaviour

The purchasing process does not end when a consumer buys a product .
After the purchase consumers tend to evaluate their experience to decide if they
are satisfied or dissatisfied.

There are multiple criteria to evaluate

According to expected benefits and value
perceptions (functional & Emotional benefits
And monetary & non-monetary costs)

The information is used for future reference and for passing on information to
others who seek advice.

Outcomes of
Satisfaction

Loyalty Repeat Purchases Referrals

What influences consumer behaviour ?
1. Cultural Factors

People’s shared customs, beliefs, values t

generated from generation to generation.

Includes religion, language, history, artefa

smaller groups within cultural

framework with common life
experiences and situations.

relatively homogeneous and

enduring divisions in a society.

Division of members of the society into hie

distinct status classes

Members of each class have same status w

members of different groups may have hig
status
 Influence of Cultural Factors on Buying Behaviour

Example- Food, Apparels, Lifestyle

It affects what consumers need and how
they perceive that need

Example - Authenticity of
How consumers are likely to search for various information sources
information like friends, family, experts
etc.

Example- Colour,
Importance placed on certain attributes of Technology Acceptance,
products /services Size

Example - Perception of value

Price negotiations during purchase process for Money, More purchases
during SALE time
Example - International cuisines/
How consumers use or consume products food but with Indian taste
 2. Social Factors

Factors that are prevalent in the society where a

consumer lives. 

The society is composed of several individuals that have

different preferences and behaviors.

These varied behaviors influence the personal

preferences of the other set of individuals as they tend to
perform those activities which are acceptable to the
society.
Reference Group

Family

Roles & Status

 A. Reference Group
t to be called as a

common buying behavior and have a strong influence over each other.

Close Friends

Primary Membership Group Primary Membership Group

Childhood Friends Colleagues

Informal and Frequent Interactions Formal and less frequent interactions

Aspirational Group
Higher social status
Celebrities
A Professional group
Dissociative Groups - A group to which one never wishes to belong to

Dissociative Group
Lower Social Status
Certain groups within reference group

The marketers should try to identify the roles within the reference
group that influences the behavior of others.

Opinion Leaders - a well-known/ popular individual that has the ability

to influence the opinion of those who are in the reference group.

There could be different opinion leaders within the group for different
product categories like fashion, mobile phones, gadgets, holidays etc.

Opinion leadership depends on the expertise / interest of an

individual about different product categories.
 B. Family
Persons related by blood, marriage or adoption who
reside together is a family

The family members play a crucial role in designing one’s

preferences and behavior.

It offers an environment wherein the individual evolves,

develops personality and acquire values.

A child develops his buying behavior and preferences by

watching his parents and tend to buy the same products
or services even when he
grows old.

Different individuals in the family play different

consumption roles

Influencers, deciders, buyers/ purchasers, users,

maintainers
 Role of family members in case of buying a refrigerator
There seems to be a need to change the refrigerator for a long time but parents are ignoring it.

Son or daughter of the family may become an INFLUENCER by highlighting the need and
collecting information on latest refrigerators available in the market

Mother or Father may decide that it is high time the refrigerator is changed

Mother the DECIDER generally would decide about the capacity and other features of the
refrigerator like convertible selves / water dispenser on the door etc.

Mother or Father may BUY / PURCHASE

Entire family USES

On any fault in the refrigerator the children may call

Engineers or learn through manuals in order to maintain
 C. Roles and Status
ut the life.

also influences his buying behavior.

es like at her organization she may have a responsibility as senior manager but

change.

an individual in their target group plays

e more targeted marketing mix.

Such a woman will have different

needs to play different roles
 3. Personal Factors

at strongly influence their buying behavior.

on that results in a different set of perceptions, attitudes and behav

Basically personal factors define the

individuality of a person alongside few
psychological factors
 A. Age & Lifecycle

Age and life-cycle have potential impact on the consumer

buying behavior.

It is obvious that the consumers change the purchase of

goods and services with the passage of time.

Young Single professional will have different spending pattern

and consumption preferences in comparison to when he/she
gets married

The choice of products, leisure, entertainment, saving

patterns everything change with the transition of life cycle
stages.

Organizations should keep a continuous watch on the

demographic shift in their earlier defined target population in
 B. Occupation
The occupation of a person has significant
impact on his buying behavior.

The people tend to buy those products and

services that advocate their profession and role
in the society.

For example, the buying patterns of the lawyer

will be different from the other groups of people
such as doctor, architect, businessman, etc.
C. Economic Situation
Product Choice is greatly affected by economic circumstances of an
individual like:

stability, time duration and level of income, Spendable income,Sav

credit availability, Family Income
 D. Lifestyle
Lifestyle is a person’s pattern of living in the world reflected in activities,
interests, opinions and shapes his whole pattern of acting and interacting in the
world.

Lifestyle could be unique to an individual irrespective of belonging to a Family/

Reference Group/ Social Class/ Culture.

Choice of products/services is influenced according to lifestyle

Healthy lifestyle could be the choice of an

Individual .

Not influenced by other influencing factors like

 E. Personality

Personality: individual’s distinguishing psychological

Characteristics like - self confidence, dominance, sociability,
adaptability, introvert, extrovert etc.

Personality is not what one wears; rather it is the totality of behavior of a man in
different circumstances.

Consumers buy products which will match their personality

 3. Psychological Factors

The Psychological Factors are the factors that talk about

the psychology of an individual that drive his actions to
seek satisfaction.
Motivation - a drive, which propels a person
towards achieving his goals

Perception -the process by which an individual selects,

organizes and interprets information inputs to create a
meaningful picture.

Learning - involves changes in an individual’s behavior arising

from experience. It is a continuous process

Attitude & Belief - these are the tendency to respond to a given

situation in a particular way.
 A. Motivation
A need becomes a motive when sufficiently backed with intensity.

There are different motives for which consumers buy.

The level of motivation influences the buying behavior of the

consumers.

Maslow’s need hierarchy theory comprising of basic needs,

security needs, social needs, esteem needs and self-
actualization needs.

People satisfy their most important needs first. The needs are placed in a
hierarchical order.

Freud’s Theory: Psychological forces shaping up peoples’ behavior are largely

unconscious and that a person can not fully understand his or her own motivation.

Organizations must identify the needs and latent motives behind buying their
products to ensure creating value accordingly - Functional or emotional benefits
 B. Perception
Perceptions can vary widely among individuals exposed to same situation.

Three perceptual processes;

1. Selective Attention- People pay attention to those things which

in which they are interested

2. Selective Distortion- People comprehend the information or

situations according to their background knowledge

• Selective Retention- People tend remember those things /

situations which are of interest / relevance to them.

Organizations should understand the perception of targeted consumers and

the perceptual process they go through to ensure effective marketing
communication
 C. Learning
Consumers can be made to learn the desired behaviour.

The individual’s learning depends on the skills, knowledge

and intention.

The skills are developed through practice while the

knowledge and
intention are acquired with the experience.

Organisations introducing innovative products/ new usages

of the same product / adding new users may make the
consumers learn

1.About benefits of the product / service

•How to use the product
•What kind of people use the product
•Change the wrong perception about the product
 D. Attitudes & Beliefs
Attitudes and Beliefs are the tendency to respond to a given
situation in a particular way.

These are developed by doing and learning.

Attitudes tend to be enduring, and because they are based on

people’s values and beliefs, they are hard to change.

Consumers purchase products/services based on their opinions

which they form towards them.

A product might be really good but if the consumer feels it is

not worth, he would never buy it.
 Types of Buying Behaviours
• Consumers would demonstrate different buying behaviour
based on;

Involvement- Interest in buying

Nature of Products - Less/more frequently purchased,

Socially visible/ closely consumed

Toothpaste / Brush / Soap etc. - Low Involvement

Car / Bike - High Involvement - less frequently purchased,

Socially visible

Apparels - High Involvement - Socially visible

• Complex and expensive purchases are likely to involve more

buyer deliberation and more participants.
 Different types of Buyers.

• Ones who know exactly what they want.

•Visitors who some what know what they want.

• The window shoppers,

• Non-Prospects
 Experts have suggested FOUR types of buying behaviours
which depend on involvement a consumer has with the product
and differentiation offered by the organization.

High involvement:- when the consumer is highly involved while

buying a product. Generally this situation happens in case of
expensive
or luxury goods.

Low involvement:- when the consumer is not highly involved

while buying a product. It happens in case of low price goods.

Significant differences between brands:- when there are

significant differences between brands.

Few differences between brands:- it means when there are

very little differences between brands.
 Types of Buying Behaviours

High Involvement Low Involvement

Significant Differences
Between Brands Complex Buying Variety Seeking
Behaviour Buying Behaviour

Dissonance
Few Differences Reducing Buying Habitual Buying
Between Brands
Behaviour Behaviour
 Complex Buying Behaviour

Complex buying behaviour:- when the consumer is highly

involved in the buying and there is significant differences
between brands then it is called complex buying
behavior.

Consumer makes cautious efforts to collect sufficient

information about the product features through various
sources (advertisements, internet, reference groups).

Organisations must provide detailed information

regarding the product attributes/ benefits/Value
proposition they offer through various sources.

For eg. Consumer while buying a motor cycle is highly

involved in the purchase and has the knowledge about
significant differences between brands.
 Variety Seeking Buying Behaviour

Variety seeking behaviour:- in this case consumer

involvement is low while buying the product but there are
significant differences between brands.

Consumers generally buy different products not due to

dissatisfaction from the earlier product but in order to
seek variety.

Like every time they may buy different flavours of snacks/

fragrances/ styles/ designs etc. to break monotony.

Organizations should ensure to retain consumers by way

of introducing complete product lines like - oral care
solutions (Tooth paste, mouthwash/ tooth brush)/ skin care
solutions.

Organizations continuously launch new variety in same

product category (Line extension) or they also launch new
products in new related product categories with the same
 Dissonance Reducing Buying Behaviour
Dissonance buying behavior:- Consumer is highly
involved in the purchase but there are few differences
between brands.

Dissonance is anxiety or conflict of pre or post purchase decision.

Consumers many times are unsure about their purchase decision

organisations in such cases should pass on relevant information through all
possible marketing communication channels to reduce pre-purchase
dissonance

Similarly in order to reduce post purchase dissonance they should repeatedly

advertise and ensure to have robust Customer Relationship.
 Habitual Buying Behaviour
Habitual buying behavior:- in this case there is low
involvement of the consumer and there are few differences
between brands.

The consumer buys the product quickly without making

information search or making extra effort to travel to a
specific location/ waiting for the availability. There is no
strong attitudes for any brand.

They buy brands because -

1.They have been using that brand for extended period of

time thus being familiar with the brand

2. There is only a particular brand available in their

neighbourhood
conveniently.

Organizations must ensure availability of their products from

where consumers generally buy the product.