How do you decide what to buy?

Many people focus only on price when they shop.  That is essentially their only concern and other issues don’t feature in their decision making process. Are there really any other factors?

Well there are other things that affect consumer’s decisions.

Location

The most expensive items with the highest profit margins are often located at eye level. Makes sense right?

Well this is based  on the assumption that the shopper’s eyes will go to the middle of a display so this is where the high-margin product will be placed.

Major items are often placed in the middle of aisles so that the shopper has to walk the furthest and pass the most items to reach them.
Essential items like bread and milk are often placed at the back so that shoppers have to walk all the way down an aisle to reach them.

At the point of sale, you will often find magazines and sweets which are tempting as you and the children wait to pay for your selections.

This certainly does not help when you trying to stay on budget! It helps to focus on the things in your cart and not look around the racks.

I know of persons who will not buy certain brands even if they are cheaper than their favourite brand. This kind of brand loyalty affects choice partly because they are drawn to the familiar and partly because advertising has created some sort of subliminal image around the product.

However, most supermarkets have their own brand names which can compete with the more established brands and are often cheaper, so why not give them a try?

Influence of others

Consumers are also affected by the purchasing decisions made by others. For example, people often choose to shop at a particular store on the basis of the recommendations of relatives and friends. Of course, bad experiences can also take a toll on businesses as consumers trust the reports of family and friends and as a result the business will lose customers.

Information on comparison web sites or social media can persuade someone either to try a new flavour of an established product or ignore it due to bad reviews online.

Quality

Of course there are some consumers that make decisions based on the quality of the product or service.  There is an adage that states: ‘you get what you pay for.’ So some consumers don’t mind paying extra as long as they are getting the quality they want.

So how do you make your shopping decisions?

Let me hear from you!

Teri Ann Renee Paisley

Gleaner online writer

Tags: consumer decisions, shopping, stores, supermarkets