Essay About Kinds Of Products And Main Criterion Of Evaluation

Marketing Paper
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Executive Summary:
Marketing I, Group Assignment 1, Section APage 1
Consumer behaviour is influenced by numerous factors – some observable and some not
so observable. Factors such as age and demographics are immediately observable but
psychological factors cannot be observed. After observing 4 kinds of consumers while
shopping for 2 kinds of products we have summarized our observations on consumer
behaviour as follows.
Product: Furniture – Dining Table
Customer 1: Middle-aged Couple
Venue: Home Town, near PVR Cinemas
Day: Sunday, 1700hrs
The product was being purchased by a middle aged couple for their dining hall. They arrived
in a car, dressed in smart casuals. They seemed to belong to the upper middle class. It seemed
like a planned purchase as the couple walked straight to the dining section and made no other
purchases but the dining table. They didnt seem particularly brand conscious and moved
towards the products with aesthetic appeal. The husband sat down on a chair and picked up
the display cocktail glass to get a feel of how the table would fit into their home. The couple
discussed among themselves about the looks, durability, and price of the table.
The sales guys role was mostly passive during the entire process. He followed them around
the shop and his opinion was sought mainly in the price and durability. He didnt seem to
have much influence in the decision making. His work mostly involved making them aware
of the various offers available on the products.
In their 1.5 hours stay at the store, the couple checked 8 tables in all. They were price
conscious and were interested in the offers that the sales guy informed them about. The final
decision was made by the wife that was readily accepted by the husband. They bought an
Odetta 6-seater dining set for Rs 21,000 (net, after a 36% discount). The mode of payment
was credit card.
Product: Furniture – Drawing room interior
Customer 2: A Young Couple with a Kid
Venue: Home Town, near PVR Cinemas
Day: Sunday, 1800hrs
The couple arrived in a car with a small kid, around 5 years old. They had an idea of
Marketing I, Group Assignment 1, Section APage 2
what they wanted but since it was for the entire drawing room, they were more willing to
experiment compared to the first couple. Their main criterion of evaluation seemed to be how
the items would fit in their residence. They informed the sales person of the dimensions of
their drawing room and inquired about availability of different sizes, and colour variety. The
sales guy also informed them about the different payment options available, like EMI, and
also about the painting and flooring offers that the store presented. During the course of the
discussion, the kid started crying and the sales guys directed the couple to the store cafeteria.
They went through several options but were constrained by the lack of choices in colour and
size. Although, they liked some individual products, like a cabinet and a sofa set, they could
not settle on a whole package. They spent around an hour in the store but did not make any
purchase.
Inferences
The shopping for furniture is mostly planned. The customer has a fair idea of what he wants
but is willing to experiment in terms of looks and colour. Brand is not a major consideration
but price is. The stores try to place the products in a way that resembles the actual setting in
the houses, using props at places. For instance, the garden swings are decorated with artificial
leaves and flower pots. Cabinets have artificial TV sets, etc. As customization of products is
not possible, people tend to purchase individual products more often as compared to entire
packages where they look for more flexibility. Also, it was interesting to note that people
were enthusiastic about the several small offers available on the products worth up to 1 lakh.
This reaffirmed the silver lining principle talked