Question 2 OR (b)

Whether consumers pass through every buying stage: low- and high-involvement purchases compared

4 marks

Time to write
About 8 minutes
Topic
Consumer behaviour

Question

Question 2 OR (b) · 4 marks

Do all consumers pass through every stage in buying, as is the case with: (2+2)

  1. Buying a Shampoo or buying a personal computer.

  2. Buying a Double-door fridge and buying toilet soap

Reworded from the university paper; the task is the same. The original paper belongs to the University of Delhi. See DU's question bank.

Before you write

Read off the question and its marks

8 minfor 4 marks

Read from the question

  • (2+2)The paper splits the marks itself: 2 + 2. Give each part its share.

What the paper leaves open

As printed, the question names "a Shampoo or a personal computer" and "a Double-door fridge and toilet soap"; each pair is read as one low-involvement and one high-involvement purchase, to be compared.

Write it in this order

The parts stand alone: start with the one you are surest of.

  1. Read; underline the asks; jot your points 1 min
  2. 1 Shampoo and personal computer compared 2 marks 3 min
  3. 2 Double-door fridge and toilet soap compared 2 marks 3 min
  4. Check: every ask answered, key terms underlined 1 min

Short on time? A few lines on every part beat a full answer to one: each part is capped at its own marks.

Try it first. About 8 minutes for 4 marks. Write it out, then open the solution.

Solution

Hover or tap a marked figure, like 72,000, to see how it is made and where else it appears.

The general answer

No. Consumers do not always pass through all five stages: need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision and post-purchase behaviour. How many stages they go through depends on their involvement in the purchase: its cost, risk, importance and how often it is bought. In high-involvement purchases every stage is followed carefully; in low-involvement, routine purchases the buyer moves almost directly from need recognition to purchase, by habit.

Picture itWhether consumers pass through every buying stage: low- and high-involvement purchases compared

1The old phone dies mid-call, again—Sunita has had enough.

Need recognitionThe old phone has become slow, its battery fails, its screen breaks.

2On the bench, with husband and daughter, she asks everyone what they use.

Information searchThe buyer collects information from personal sources (friends, family, colleagues).

3Three boxes, one notebook: price, camera, battery, side by side.

Evaluation of alternativesThe buyer compares a short list of models on attributes such as price, camera, battery.

4Card out, the chosen box crosses the counter.

Purchase decisionThe buyer decides on the brand, model, seller.

5The first family selfie decides it: she chose well—and tells her friend so.

Post-purchase behaviourAfter use the buyer is satisfied or dissatisfied.

(i) Shampoo and personal computer

  • Shampoo is a low-priced, frequently bought, low-risk product. When it runs out, the buyer usually picks the familiar brand from a nearby shop or an app, with little or no information search or comparison. Stages two and three are largely skipped; behaviour is habitual. A new buyer, or one with a scalp problem, may compare a little.
  • A personal computer is costly, technical and bought rarely. The buyer passes through all stages: seeks information from reviews and friends, compares specifications, prices and service, and weighs the decision carefully. Doubts after purchase are also common.

(ii) Double-door fridge and toilet soap

  • A double-door fridge is a high-involvement durable. The buyer goes through every stage: compares capacity, energy rating, features, brand reputation, warranty and price across stores and websites, consults family, and evaluates satisfaction after use.
  • Toilet soap is a low-involvement convenience product bought routinely. The buyer recognises the need and buys a familiar brand, perhaps influenced by an offer on the shelf, skipping detailed search and evaluation.

So the stages are fully followed for the computer and the fridge, and shortened for the shampoo and the soap.

Where the 4 marks sit

#ComponentMarks
1Shampoo and personal computer compared2
2Double-door fridge and toilet soap compared2
Total4
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