Buyer Decision Making Process

The buyer’s decision-making process is a way to better understand how consumers go about purchasing a product or service. It gives marketers a great insight into the world of buyers and the factors that affect their final decision, such as emotions, environment, and attribute-based decisions. It is a complex process in which internal and external factors have an impact on the buying decisions of the consumer. There are five stages through which a consumer passes, before coming to a decision on the final product or service to be purchased. These stages guide the consumer in their decision and buying process when purchasing a product. However, it is not necessary that customers get through every stage, nor is it necessary that they proceed in

As I gathered from my interview with the retailer the purchase of one item may lead to the purchase of another. For example, if a consumer purchases a dress in Compagnie L, they may also consider buying matching shoes to go with the dress. Consumers are generally satisfied if their purchase meets or exceeds their expectations. The buying experience must be pleasant for the consumer. If the product has been successful in delivering satisfaction to the consumer, he will then, in the future minimize the stages of information search and evaluation. The consumer will buy the same brand as he previously did and this will produce customer loyalty for the retailer. In contrast, if the experience with the product brought disappointment to the consumer, he will repeat the five stages of the consumer decision process. Compagnie L has a strong belief in making their consumers feel comfortable from the moment they walk into the boutique. From my interview, I learned that it’s not about the now sale but about the residual sale after that. The consumers know that the salespeople in Compagnie L are not forceful and therefore they feel comfortable enough to be able to go and try something on without having to make a purchase. The higher the consumer satisfaction is, the greater the benefit to the retailer in that there is positive word of mouth referrals and repeat purchasing. This leads to increased sales and profits for the retailer. Yet (Boone, 2011) analyses that if dissatisfaction is present future purchase behaviour may result in brand switching and negative word of mouth communication. Consumers may experience post purchase anxiety which is called cognitive dissonance. This anxiety comes from an imbalance of a person’s beliefs, attitude and knowledge. Dissonance is more likely to increase when the purchase decision has a major effect on the buyer. It