consumer buying behaviour

The buying behaviour of individuals and households who buy goods and services for personal consumption. A number of different people, playing different roles, have been identified in the decision to make a specific purchase:

• initiator, the person who first suggests or thinks of the idea of buying a particular product or service;

• influencer, a person whose views or advice influences the buying decision;

• decider, the person who ultimately makes the decision to buy (or any part of it); this decision includes whether to buy, what to buy, how to buy, and where to buy;

• buyer, the person who makes the actual purchase;

• user, the person who uses the produce or service. It is usual to regard a consumer's decision to make a specific purchase as having five stages: This model emphasizes that the decision process is sequential and combines both mental and physical activities. In broad terms, the first four of these stages constitute the decision phase. This is followed by the actual purchase, and the subsequent experience of using the newly acquired product. If this experience is positive it can act as a reinforcement to make further similar purchases. A negative experience will encourage a change to another product or supplier.