buyer behaviour

buyer behaviour

the purchasing decisions of BUYERS as shaped by their functional and psychological motivations and needs. A broad distinction can be made between industrial buyers and consumers in general. Industrial buyers purchase products purely on the basis of functional or technical requirements: the producer of a motor car, for instance may seek to buy suitable components such as tyres, batteries, etc. for incorporation into a particular car model. Consumers too buy many products on the basis of some functional or physical requirement, for example a consumer may decide to purchase a motor car as a means of personal transport. However, a consumer's decision to buy a product such as a car is also influenced by his or her personality and the image he or she desires to project to others (‘extrovert’, ‘sporty’, ‘affluent’, etc.).

It is thus important for producers of consumer goods to understand the psychological impulses of prospective buyers of their products as well as their practical needs. This requires careful MARKET RESEARCH into the motivation and perception of buyers aimed at matching products with identified customer needs, and the deployment of appropriate MARKETING MIX strategies (product quality pricing, advertising, etc.) designed to maximize sales potential. See PRE-PURCHASE BEHAVIOUR, POST-PURCHASE BEHAVIOUR, PRODUCT IMAGE, PSYCHOLOGICAL PRICING, ADVERTISING, LIFE STYLE, MOTIVATIONAL RESEARCH, BUY-RESPONSE METHOD, BUY.

Collins Dictionary of Business, 3rd ed. © 2002, 2005 C Pass, B Lowes, A Pendleton, L Chadwick, D O’Reilly and M Afferson