Consumer Behaviour

0 The consumer is the focus of all retail business and it is important to appreciate how

00 consumers are influenced in their buying decisions. Most of consumers, before making a

34 purchase, gather information and evaluatewiththe alternatives, but the extent to which

35 they look for information depends on the type of purchase. For example, in the case of

36 routine grocery purchases most consumers respondtoautomatically. However, for

37 purchases where the risk of making the wrong decision is greater, like buying a new

38 car,sothe search for information is more important. The decision to purchase is never a

39 single decision but a number oftheseseparate decisions, and at any time during this

40 process, consumers can change their mindsaboutand choose an alternative route. For

41 example,althougha consumer may have decided where to buy a product only to realise

42 at the last moment that this is, in fact,havingthe wrong choice. The price in the store may

43 be too high or the staff unhelpful. On the other hand, a lack of queues, favourable credit

44 facilities and efficient staff all lead to atoopositive impression, so retailers should

45 remember how difficulties in these areasthatcan affect a sale or even lose a customer permanently.