IGNOU Study Notes | BRL-002 Unit-2 Part-2 (Understanding Shopper And Shopper's Behaviour)

Unit-2 | UNDERSTANDING SHOPPERS AND SHOPPER'S BEHAVIOR
Part-2

Structure

2.5 Stages of Counsumer Decision Process
2.6 Types of Consumer Decision Making Process
2.7 Influence of Situational Vaiables on Shopping Behavior
2.8 Consumer Images of Retail Stores.

2.5 STAGES OF COUNSUMER DECISION PROCESS

The Consumer Decision-Making Process

→ The first step in this process is of course to recognize that you need a new cell phone. Though you may have an idea of which phone you would like to purchase, you probably want to do some research in order to narrow down a few alternatives.
→ You go online to investigate manufacturers, resellers, and idependent consumer orgnaizations, you ask friends and colleagues for advice, and you visit a few stores to check yourself.
→ You compare your options and finally decide to purchase what seems to be the best, alternative, based on different criteria such as design, features, price, and trustworthiness of the supplier.
→ This buying process is an iteractive process, where people collect information from different sources and repeatedly return to re-evalute and compare, the information they have found. By understanding coustomer needs and concerns as they progress through the decision making process, marketers can build better and more successful retail marketing mix.

2.6 TYPES OF CONSUMER DECISION MAKING PROCESS

The Customer Sieve an Online Retailng

→ The web as you will agree ha turned out to be a great tool for information research, and studies show that the Internet is becoming the primary means by which people get key information. This counts for commerce in particualr. People expect to he able to find information about products they are considering buying even it a company doesn't setll it its products online.
→ Considering peoples high expectations about the information and services available online, it's distrubuing to see just how has commerce web site are at selling.
→ Studies show that out of 100 purchase-ready customer completely intended on buying a product, only 34 will accompish their goals.

Knowing the Customer's Decision-Making Process

→ The most interesting thing about consumer decision process is that while critical usability problems do exist in the design of the commerce site, such as users not being able to find products and bad design of checkout, the majority of dropouts happend because of inadequate information :
• Customers couldn't identify purchase options from the products list.
• Customer couldn't decide if the products would satisfy their needs.
• The product persentations and descriptions raised, wrong expectations, which made customers return thier purchases

Information Search Online
→ The basic prerequisites for customers to make their way through the information search stage are that they are able to find products and that they can easily identify purchase options from the product list pages.
• Which keywords will customers use when browsing and searching for purchase options?
• What basic information do customers need in order to identify purchase options?
• What educational information do novices need in order to decide which product criteria are improtant to them?

Evaluation of Alternatives
→ The problem at times with consumer decision making process is that there's no one to ask if you have a question.
• What detailed product information does the customers need when evaluting product alternatives?
• Which products evaluation criteria will customers use and which are most improtant to customers?
• Which concerns will the customers have about the products and how can we address them proactively?
• How can we encourage customers to contact the sales and support depatment if they have further questions?

2.7 INFLUENCE OF SITUATIONAL VARIABLES ON SHOPPING BEHAVIOR

→ Situational variables as you need to understand refer to all those factors particualr to a time frame and place of observation which do not follow form a Knowledge of personal (intra individual) and stimulus (choice alternative) attributes.
(1) Physical setting
(2) Social setting
(3) Tempral setting

Physical Setting :

→ The physical setting covers geographical location of the retail outlet but can also mean the environment in which the consumer resides to access the shopping center.
→ The are 'far shoppers' i.e. those who travel for more than half hour to reach the destination shopping point and hear 'near shoppers' who take less time to travel there.
→ At the same time there are late shoppers who shop in the late hoours of the day and early shoppers who take the morning ride to the retail outlet.

Social Setting :

→ The social setting describes the presence to absence, together with thier social roles, role attributes and opportunites of interaction.
→ The shoppers who are accompanied by others are referred to as 'social shoppers' and those who shop alone are designated as 'solitary shoppers'.

Temporal Aspects :

→ This refers to the constraints such as time available for shopping and factors such as seasonal variables which is particualrly visible in the context of both fashion shopping and perishable such as milk purchase normally at day time and fashion apparel at the later part of the day.

2.8 CONSUMER IMAGES OF RETAIL STORES

→ A consumer's image of a store is the summation of his attitube towards various aspects of the store. Every retail store has an individual that differentiates it from its competitros.
→ A retialer must device stratgies to communicate it's individuality acorss its target segment of consumers to build confidence in its merchandise and services.
→ Therefore the service level in a store is what determines the consumer image of retail stores.

Retail Image Dimensions
→ To measure the image of a retail store, it is essntial to identify and aggregate the relevant consumer attitude to the merchandise displayed, sales force deployed, and location of store and the price levels of the goods to be purchased.
→ The dimensions which shape relevant counsumer attitube for a retail store are:

1) Location convenince which covers the following determinates
• Access routes
• Traffic barrier
• Travel time
• Parking Availability

(2) Merchandise Suitability
• Number of brands stocked
• Quality of line of merchandise
• Breadth of assortment
• Depth of assortment
• Number of outstading departments in the store

(3) Price Points
• Price of item
• Price of same item in other store
• Tradding stamps or coupons and discount.

(4) Sales Force and Service
• Courtesy of sales force
• Reliability of advertising and match with attributes
• Billing procedures
• Delivery promptness and care
• Eating facilities in store

(5) Congeniality
• Development
• Store layout
• Store decor
• Merchandise displays
• Class of customers visiting store
• Store traffic and congestion

(6) Post Transaction Satisfaction
• Satisfaction with goods is use
• Satisfaction with returns and adjustments
• Satisfaction with price paid
• Satisfaction with accessibility of store.