CHP 10: Buying & Disposing

Question 1

What 3 factors influence consumer decisions?

Answer 1

1. Antecedent States - Situational factors; Usage contexts; Time pressure; Mood; Shopping orientation
2. Purchase Environment - shopping experience; point of purchase stimuli; sales interaction
3. Post-Purchase Processes - Consumer satisfaction; Product disposal; Alternative markets

Question 2

Explain the effect of 2 situational factors (antecedent state) on consumer behaviour

Answer 2

SITUATIONAL EFFECTS:
1. Store design and environment -Decor, smell, temperature, and colour

2. Number and type of consumers in the store
   - Presence of others (co-consumers) can function as a product attribute
   - presence of other consumers can lead people to opt for a more expensive brand
   - Consumer contamination: another customer touches a product (leads to negative evaluation)
   - Large presence of people creates arousal; more intense setting

Question 3

Explain the effect of temporal factors (antecedent state) on consumer behaviour

Answer 3

Economic time: must be divided among activities
* Different time style in different countries
* e.g., Japan (fast) vs. Mexico (slow)
* Products to save consumer time in “fast” countries

Psychological time: experience of time is subjective

Flow time - Perceived wait time
* How to reduce perceived waiting time?
* Keep consumers occupied
* Background color/music
* Influence perceived value of services
* Duration heuristics
* Is the perceived value related with the duration of the service?

Question 4

Explain the effect of mood (antecedent state) on consumer behaviour

Answer 4

Mood biases consumer information processes

Factors influencing mood
* Store design/atmosphere, background music, weather, etc.

Good mood: like things better, open minded, willingness to try new things, pay less attention to details in the ad, rely more on heuristics

Question 5

Explain the effect of the utilitarian vs hedonic shopping orientation (antecedent state) on consumer behaviour

Answer 5

Utilitarian: task-oriented, buying
- Arousing, exciting store environment  less pleasant

Hedonic: recreation-oriented, browsing
- Arousing, exciting store environment  more pleasant  more visit, purchase

Question 6

Explain 4 aspects of the how the shopping experience (purchase environment)

Answer 6

Retail theming: creation of store environments that provide stimulation

Store image: a store’s personality (location, merchandise suitability, and staff knowledge)

Atmospherics: use of space and physical features to evoke effects

Impulse purchases - context dependent

Question 7

Explain how point of purchase stimulus (purchase environment) influences consumer behaviour

Answer 7

Elaborate product display or demonstration
Coupon-dispensing machine
Free samples

Question 8

Explain how the sales person (purchase environment) influences consumer behaviour

Answer 8

Exchange theory: every interaction involves an exchange of value
Gender difference in what they want from the sales person
Similarities between the sales person and the customer

Question 9

Explain the effect of post-purchase on consumer behaviour

Answer 9

• Customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction is determined by the overall feelings, or attitude, a person has about a product after it
  has been purchased
• Expectancy disconfirmation model: perception of a products quality is influenced by prior expectations regarding the level
  of quality
• To manage expectations: change product quality, change expectations, or abandon customers