The Consumer Decision-Making Process
Before purchasing a product from stores such as smartphones, game consoles, or laptops, we would like to be certain that the products are what we want and need at the price we can afford. Some of us would take more time to decide than others but we all will go through the five stages of the consumer decision-making process. Let’s go through each of them.
Stage 1: Need Recognition
This is the stage where we become aware of unsatisfied needs/wants. For example, we realise that we need to upgrade our smartphones because some apps cannot be installed due to the operating system not being up-to-date. This problem results in us recognizing our unsatisfied needs and wanting to buy a new phone.
Stage 2: Information Search
In the Information Search stage, we will begin to gather information that is relevant to our needs and how the needs would be satisfied. Some of us will most likely do internet searches in every online retailer we could think of. Others will get recommendations from their friends and family about certain brands. Also, we would probably physically go to the stores and find the information we need to purchase, in this case, new phones. We do this because we want reliable information before deciding to buy the product.
Stage 3: Evaluation of Options
As we have gathered information, we will now create a list of our criteria for the phones we need. The criteria for the list would include price, model, size, brand, colour, operating system, memory capacity, and camera specification. The list would provide us with all the alternatives to help us decide on how to better allocate our money and at the same time to get the product that will satisfy our needs.
Stage 4: Purchase
After going through the list of phone criteria, we chose to purchase a new phone from one of the phone brands at a certain price. In this stage, it is also common that we decide not to buy the product we intend to due to the product availability or being influenced by the sellers to purchase other phones. The purchase takes place when we choose the product and pay for it.
Stage 5: Post-Purchase Evaluation
After buying the product we choose, we will most likely evaluate the purchasing decision. As we now have the product, we can continue to evaluate our choices and understand whether the product satisfies our needs. In this stage, we want to be assured that we purchase the right product and receive good value for our money.
Through the different stages in the decision-making process, we are influenced by a number of factors which are the situation we are in, the group we belong to, and who we are as an individual
| Disclaimer: This article was written with the assistance of AI technology. The author utilized her own experience and knowledge to construct the content, while the AI provided support in ensuring clear writing and proper grammar. All ideas presented in this article are the sole property of the author. |
Author :
Office Manager, Finance Officer
Tag:blog, sagufoundation
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