Question

Analyse the purchase decision process for:

1. A candy bar

2. An automobile

Detail each step in the consumer decision process for a "typical" buyer. For example, explain how a person "becomes aware" of the want/need. Next, discuss the typical information search a buyer goes through. Carry this approach through each step after discussing your experiences.

Answer 1

1. Candy Bar

• The person is hungry and he thinks about the candy bar or he sees someone having a candy and feels like having one. There is an event happening at the home or in the workplace and the person has to buy candy bars for it.These are some of the instances where the person will be encouraged to think about buying candy bars.
• The person then think about the specific candy bar he wants to buy
• Then he thinks about the different options he has to buy and he might recollect the different TV ads he has seen or the products used by his loved ones. He also might have his favorite candy bar in his mind when he is making the decision.
• He will then think about the taste and quality of the different options he has to choose from. He will choose one based on the above factors.
• The next step would be to think about the pricing and how buying a specific candy bar can help in saving money. He will think how many he can buy from the money he has.
• Next thought would be to decide the place to buy the candy bar. He will look for a place that can guarantee the best price and quality.
• The person will go to the store and then see the available options again and then buy the candy bar that he finds good for the price he is paying.

An Automobile:

• The person has no personal vehicle and is facing problems with the transportation. The local transportation is not reliable and is very expensive. The person wants a safe mode of transportation for him and also his family members. The person wants to upgrade and buy a new vehicle. These are some of the possible scenarios where the person would think about buying a new vehicle.
• The person thinks about the different automobile manufactures in the region and the latest vehicles from them.
• The person will look for the information on the best vehicle to buy on the internet and also he will talk to people that he trust for their expert opinion.
• He will search for specific features in the vehicle and how much it would cost for different vehicles from different manufacturers.
• He will finalize few options based on the information he got from various sources.
• He will visit the showrooms and take the test drives for both petrol and diesel variants.
• He has to decide which variant to buy based on the usage, mileage, and the cost of the vehicle.
• He will look for the best offers available in the showrooms for the selected variant and then he will negotiate on the price with the different showrooms.
• He will take the consent of the family members and see if they are happy with the choice.
• He will go with the one that offers a better price, service, and good customer support after the purchase.