Consumer Buying Decisions

Consumer Buying Decisions

Determine what you need such as grocery items, fruits, vegetables, milk, medicine and personal beauty products etc. Planning helps to avoid buying unnecessary items.

Decide on the quantity of the items to be bought. This is helpful in avoiding wastage of items. Evaluate the products by looking at products brand, label, price, and quality marks such as I.S.I and AGMARK. This will help the consumer to buy good quality food at a cheaper rate.

1. What to Buy

A consumer should plan the list of items based on needs and requirements within the budgeted resources.

2. Where to Buy

It indicates the decision about the place of purchase.

Items that are used daily are best bought through cooperatives because items are cheap, and of good quality.

If large quantities are required, one should go to whole sale shops. Buying through whole sale shop is not only cheaper than retail shops but also of superior quality.

Always shop at reliable stores.

Customary store shop seller is more receptive to bargaining for price concessions and quality products.

3. When to Buy

It indicates the time of purchase.

The best time to purchase things is when the shop is less crowded. One can read labels carefully, choose at ease and shop around leisurely to learn more about new products in the market.

Food stuffs such as vegetable and greens should be bought early in the morning

In the case of purchase of consumer durables like refrigerator, fans, the most efficient time is during off season, because they are cheaper.

Buy perishable foods like fruits and vegetables only if they are seasonal because they are cheaper and fresh.

Non-perishable items can be bought in larger quantities during April and May and stored for 3 to 6 months, or a year.

One can make use of discount sales, during festival times in trade fair and state- run emporia when they offer genuine discount upto 20%.

4. How to Buy

There are a number of ways in which one can buy goods.

Cash purchase: This is the most usual method of buying in exchange for money. This is the simplest method of getting what one wants.

Credit purchase: Instalment buying is the method usually adopted while purchasing expensive items like television, mixie, refrigerator, car etc. which an average consumer cannot afford to pay at one time. In Instalment purchase, a down payment is made and the rest of the amount is paid in easy monthly instalments.

5. How much to Buy

It indicates the amount of items to be purchased.

A consumer should buy fresh foods according to the quantity one can use daily.

If he has a refrigerator or Janatha refrigerator (mud cooler) he can buy vegetables once a week and store the items.

Dry provisions can be bought and stored for a month. If the place permits, the items can be stored for 6 months to one year.