Buyer Behavior Marketing Project

8/13/2019 Buyer Behavior Marketing Project

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Marketing 382 Project

Zachary Morales

W00911239

12/5/12

Profiles…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2

Questions…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………. 4

Interview Analysis……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6

Theory Discussion……………………………………………………………………………..………………………….………… 20

Diagrams………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 22

Notes…………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………. 27



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Profiles

I chose my subjects from different cohorts. I have a subject near age 20, near age 40, near age 60, and

near age 80. I wanted to focus on the differences age plays in buyer behavior.

David – 22 year old single white male, Bellingham, WA

David Whitney is my best friend. We met at a card shop in Richland ten years ago. Aside from a common

extinct hobby, we still see each other frequently because we both chose to attend WWU after

graduating from Richland High School together. I feel as if I have a good pulse on the man’s behavior;

let’s see if I can make sense of his buyer behavior.

David was the third in a line of four children of the Whitney clan. He was born in Garland, Texas,

although he and his family moved to Richland, Washington while he was very young. Being a part of a

larger family in the middle class, David has instilled in him a sense of financial conservatism, which is

portrayed accordingly in his interview. As a single college student, he shops for himself alone, althoughhaving a serious girlfriend implies, to me, that he is broadening his shopper perspective as he

accommodates her increasingly important role in his life.

Michael – 45 year old single white male, Welcome, WA

Michael Iris owns the recording studio I work at. We met in March of this year when Michael needed an

audio engineer to assist with a project. He contacted my instructor in the audio program at Fairhaven

College with his request, and my instructor recommended me as a capable engineer. Since that

weekend, I have continued to work with Michael as an audio engineer and as a marketing intern.

Michael was born in Virginia. Raised into a conservative family on the east coast, Michael attendedcollege at the University of Virginia. His passion for audio engineering and a liberal lifestyle, however,

brought the aspiring musician to California to pursue his passion. While there, he had a son, Dominic,

now 16. Michael never married Dominic’s mother, who Dominic lives with today. In the 90s, Michael

moved up north, and continued his audio engineering career at Bad Animals studio in Seattle. In 2002,

Michael continued his ascent north and moved to the house in which he currently resides, in Welcome,

WA, 17 miles east of Bellingham. Michael claims to be a part of the middle class. He shops for himself,

although he frequently entertains guests.

Karen – 59 year old married white female, Richland, WA

Karen Morales is my mother. Born into the middle class to a highly successful NYC curtain salesman and

a stay-at-home mother in Philadelphia, and raised in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, she is a proud Jersey Girl.

She wears this title proudly: seeing Bruce Springsteen’s first concert in a small club is one of her

proudest memories. She became a full-time nurse after graduating from Gloucester County College in

1977, and continued to live in New Jersey until 1982, when she moved to Florida. She met my father in

1989, and in 1990 the newly married Mr. and Mrs. Morales moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, where I was



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born. In 1994, the three of us moved to an upper-middle class suburb of Richland, Washington, the town

and social class in which I was predominately raised, and the town and social class in which my parents

still reside. She shops for herself, for her husband and for me when I visit.

Herbert – 87 year old widowered Hispanic male, Mt. Dora, FL

Herbert Morales is my grandfather. He was born in Puerto Rico and moved to the States at a young age.

He has also lived in Spain. He is the most nationally nomadic of my subjects; he has additional global

credibility as a famous radio show host on the internationally focused Voice of America. These days,

Herbert enjoys a quiet, middle-class life in a small Florida town. He was married twice, and bore two

children with his first wife. His daughter was living with him until recently, so he is currently adjusting to

living alone.



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Questions

I chose the questions that I did because I believe they best fit the requirements of the

assignment. I included some more open-ended original questions like “Can you think of any

remarkable ways in which specific brands have made an impact on your life?” to supplementthe more direct assignment-related questions to get my subjects to open up and reveal a little

bit more about their specific personalities. Interestingly, the older the participant, the more

they had to say, here. I attempted to receive the most genuine answers possible, and I hope to

promote this organic approach throughout the entirety of my paper.

Run me through a typical grocery shopping trip. Do you make a list?

Do you have a routine?

When do you break it?

Where do you shop and why? What are your alternatives?

What do you ALWAYS and NEVER buy?

How do you apply your shopping rules?

What are your brand beliefs?

o For which items do you buy the brand, and for which items do you buy the

generic and why?

Food

Electronics

Automobiles

Clothing

What brands do you view positively and negatively and why?

How does advertising affect your perception of brands?

Can you think of any remarkable ways in which specific brands have made an impact on

your life?

How often, per year, do you shop for each and why?

How do you shop for each and why?

Has your shopping routine changed in the past 10 years?

A new product enters the marketplace. What do you need to know about it first?

Do you like to hold an items in your hands before you purchase it?

Were you conscious of your brand beliefs before I asked?

Who taught you how to shop?

What were you taught?

How did you learn to shop?

Do you shop how you were taught?

Do you see yourself as different from yourself, others, or yourself 10 years ago?



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In what other ways have you changed as a consumer over the past 10 years?

Has the internet changed your shopping habits or buyer behavior?

How do you get to the store?

How do you pay for your items? Is this different for automobiles?



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Interview Analysis

Some of my respondents, when questioned on category-neutral products like the internet, advertising

and the logistics of paying, had a lot to say that did not necessarily apply to an individual category,

although they would frequently include an example from one category in their answer. I thought these

tidbits were nonetheless interesting, so I have included them in the category I felt most appropriate, and

made the necessary efforts to tie them into the larger category context.

Additionally, some respondents, when questioned on the consideration of brands, responded more

heavily with knowledge or favoritism toward brands in particular categories. Rather than push for each

respondent to cite favorite brands by category, I chose to omit this prodding question because I believe

the answers I have received are more organic and true-to-character.



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Food Category

David

“Walk to Haggen, grab a basket. Grab apples, bananas, look at cereal, get oatmeal. Stock up on canned

beans and pasta. Get yogurt or soy milk. In the event of immediate hunger, get a candy bar. Spend $20-30.”

David follows a routine, going grocery shopping three times a month. He will break his routine for

convenience, like if he is offered a ride to Fred Meyer. With exception to the proximity of Haggen to his

apartment, between Fred Meyer and Haggen, David is indifferent. Preference based solely upon walking

distance. If two equidistant stores existed, he would choose based on price and in-store environment

(he does not prefer a chaotic store).

David keeps a small mental shopping list of basic foods to stock up on. He tries to maintain a modest

pantry at home, which is reflected in his modest shopping basket. David always buys apples, bananas,

bread, beans and pasta. He never buys meat – he jokes that he is a vegetarian due to budget.

He prefers to stay under $20 with his shopping trips. He will break his Staple Rules and his budget from

time to time when he is shopping with others –David is highly susceptible to peer pressure at the

supermarket. (I cheekily note, here, that I successfully convinced him to buy a large package of cookies

with me a month ago.)

David buys generic brands whenever possible because of price and because he is skeptical that name

brands are actually superior for his staples. He expressed a concern that the name brands contain excess

ingredients that might compromise the healthiness of the products. He breaks this rule only for Pop

Tarts, because he maintains a larger sense of perceived enjoyment with them than with the off-brands.

David’s grocery habits are motivated by living alone, without a car, and with college tuition to pay. He

has not made a conscious decision to shop differently from or similarly to his parents. He lives within his

means, financially. He believes he is different from many of his peers who seem to have less self-

imposed restrictions.

David uses a debit card for most purchases, due to convenience. His nearest bank is not a convenient

distance away for the carless David, so it does not make sense to him to go out of his way to get cash for

his regular purchases. He uses cash for bars and in social settings where multiple people split purchases,

like pizza.

Michael

His shopping routine first involves making a physical list on his iPhone, acknowledging what he can buy

in bulk at Costco far in advance. He likes to maintain a well-furnished pantry. He is a self-described

“frugal vegetarian.” He also claims to be the best chef he knows, and his love of cooking leads him to

buy the highest quality ingredients. To that end, he buys his veggies and other fresh foods at the Co-Op

in Mount Vernon – the best food store in the state, according to Michael. He holds the store with such



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high regard because the local farms are the best in the region. It is apparent that he is willing to travel

for his food – although he typically only makes a visit when he is driving home from Seattle, a drive he

makes almost weekly. On the off weeks, he prefers to do his grocery shopping at Haggen in Bellingham,

because they have better produce than other grocery stores, and the workers are more attentive. He

also enjoys using his Haggen card to take advantage of unique sales. However, he generally only

purchases fresh vegetables and beer at Haggen. Dried and other foods that are not perishable Michael

purchases at Costco. Michael spends $300-500 a month at the members-only superstore.

Michael claims that convenience is not a huge factor for him. Due to the distance he must travel to go

shopping in the first place, any additional time is not relatively significant. He describes his taste in food

as “picky.” Consequently, he seeks out unique stores that appeal to his unique tastes. One such store is

the Spice Hut in Seattle, where Michael exclusively buys spices. He also enjoys shopping at Crossroads in

Maple Falls and wishes it was located closer to his home. He tries to support local businesses as

frequently as he can. He also supports regional businesses: Michael loves that he can get all of his

shopping done at Fred Meyer, so he visits from time to time when he needs to buy clothes and food in

the same trip.

Michael has a routine regarding the meals he prepares for himself. His biggest –and sometimes, only –

meal of the day is breakfast. He alternates daily between two basic recipes. One meal is “The Big

Breakfast,” which contains quinoa, organic eggs, peppers, tomatoes, rosemary and coffee. The second is

a granola meal – he makes his own hemp seed granola and enjoys it with keefer, tea, spirulina and

bananas. These ingredients always need to be well-stocked for him, so he finds himself purchasing these

items on almost every trip to the store. A committed vegetarian, he NEVER buys meat, but he also tries

to avoid processed food whenever possible.

When questioned on brand beliefs, the first brands that came to Michael’s mind were microbrews, fresh

veggies (of which he did not specify a brand as much as a store), Veganaise, Chia seeds (on

Amazon.com), the best quality vanilla ice cream he can find, and organic detergent. He tends to pick

favorites and stick with them once he has deemed their brand the best brand available. Money is less of

an object for him, at this end. He also has other concerns with his purchases, like what is safest for his

septic system.

He shops at Costco once a month, and the Co-Op three times a month. He visits Haggen four times a

month.

Michael believes his shopping habits are self-taught, and he believes that he is a consumer anomaly.

Over the years, he has learned to discern quality and value, his favorite traits to shop for. “Eating isvoting for your health,” claims Michael. He wishes that somebody had taught him to shop the way he

does now – while his parents were also frugal, he and them share opposing views on quality, and they

would experiment and buy more stuff off the list compared to Michael. He thinks their reluctance to buy

organic represents ignorance, and compares it to a music fan who listens to wildly criticized yet popular

band Nickleback –a strong opinion if I’ve heard one. He thinks becoming a vegetarian is the best thing

that’s ever happened to him, because it changed his “filter of reality.”



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Ten years ago, he would still buy items at Costco in bulk, and he would shop online from time to time,

but not as frequently as he does today. He was still a focused buyer, making lists even without the

convenience of his iPhone. Ten years ago, he lived in Seattle. Now that he lives as far away from

shopping centers as he does, he thinks the distance has helped him to become a better shopper because

he no longer focuses on convenience.

The internet changed everything for Michael. He buys hemp seeds in bulk at Amazon.com. He shops on

the internet almost daily, but only commits to his shopping cart once or twice a week. “Amazon’s gonna

take over the world,” claims this happy shopper. He pays with a credit card for Amazon, which is stored

on the site. He pays with a separate credit card for Costco.He pays cash for small items, like meals out.

Karen

Karen shops weekly, on Thursday mornings. During the week, she makes a scratch list of what she needs

to buy when she goes shopping, based mostly on need, like what runs out and needs to be replaced. On

Wednesday she and my father coordinate recipes that they want to make over the weekend, and on

Thursday morning she sits down with the recipes to consolidate the ingredients from the recipes with

her scratch list from earlier. The organized manner in which she arranges her shopping trips, she

confesses, was learned from her tidy mother. She breaks this routine occasionally, perhaps once every

two months, when she has prior commitments.

She shops almost exclusively at Fred Meyer, because it “has EVERYTHING.” Karen supplements her

weekly grocery trip by checking out the plants and occasionally purchasing clothing. She estimates that

she ends up buying something besides groceries every week at Fred Meyer. Among the groceries, Karen

feels that their produce is “especially good,” and the food in general is cheaper than Albertson’s, the

other conveniently-located large grocer in Richland. She confesses, however, that she visits Albertsons

when time is a factor in her shopping trip or if she was looking for something that Fred Meyer did nothave. Karen does not visit Albertson’s enough to warrant quantizing. Around twice a year she visits

Yoke’s, a local-focused grocer, “just to try something different.” Indeed, variety is the spice of life for

Karen.

Summer is the season that provides the most variety for Karen: four times a season, she visits the local

farmer’s market for the fresh corn and tomatoes. She enjoys shopping at farmers’ markets because they

offer more selection than traditional grocers, and it gives her a chance to support local farmers. She

doesn’t want her town to succumb to overdevelopment, so she also believes in visiting farmers’ markets

for political reasons.

Karen also shops at Costco with my father, approximately two or three times a month. She prefers

Costco for fresh fish and meat, along with paper products and other items she can buy in bulk, which are

cheaper.

On a typical shopping trip, Karen always buys milk, because she and her husband drink quite a lot of it –

at least one glass a meal. Other staples include the household term “lunch stuff,” which basically means

bread and sandwich meat, but occasionally includes variants like wasabi mayo or pesto. She never buys



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packaged fish, because it isn’t fresh, fried food, because it is not a part of her diet, or takeout food,

because she and her husband prefer to cook at home.

The brands Karen views favorably include Hunt’s tomatoes, because she read a kind magazine review for

it, Cheerio’s, because my father prefers them, Florida’s natural orange juice, because she likes that the

juice is always made in the USA, Foster Farms chicken, because they don’t have hormones, and Dave’sKiller Bread because it is healthier and tastier than any other bread she has had before. Note that her

favoritism toward Cheerios is derived exclusively because her husband prefers them; Karen, here, has

married in her mind her perceived enjoyment of the breakfast cereal to her husband’s.

She buys generic products in the event she has no preference about the product, or if she thought the

generic brand was adequate for her needs. Generally, she buys generic for about half of the products in

her life.

Interestingly, she is not the only opinionated member of her household. The cat, Soy Sauce, holds a

strict preference for Whisker Lickin’s and crunchy cat food, and dislikes fresh salmon. What a brat!

Karen’s affinity for writing detailed lists was taught to her by her mother. She does not follow some

other traditions her parents maintained, like purchasing exclusively Ford and Buick vehicles. She learns

by herself when she makes shopping mistakes, like purchasing overpriced Bounty paper towels when

the generic brand suits her needs perfectly. She claims to not be married to brands. The speed and

efficiency of her shopping routine has been internalized at this point. She explicitly remembers learning

this when she had a child, because the more time she had to commit to raising me, the less time she had

to shop, so her organized routine happened out of necessity. Before having a child, she would shop less

frequently. Her life was different then: when she lived alone, she worked 12-hour shifts at the hospital

she worked at, so she would eat largely cafeteria food or prepare simple things at home, with nobody to

entertain. She prefers her lifestyle more today. Cooking fresh food “makes your life better,” shebelieves. To save money, she does not eat out as often compared to others, in her mind, although she

holds no opinion on others’ diets: “my schedule works for me.”

Since ten years ago, not much has changed. She still makes detailed lists and eats home cooked meals

with her family, although the departure of her firstborn to college has enabled her to have more time to

cook. She also actively makes more leftovers, to have extra meals on hand in the event of a busy night

for her or her husband. (I suspect that she has noticed more leftovers because I’m not home to eat

them!) Today, she also looks for more diverse ingredients, to spice up her cooking and enjoy a variety of

meals.

Karen drives to shop because there is no other reasonable alternative for her. (She was incredulous

when I asked if she would consider an alternative, like riding the bus or biking.) The sparsely-populated

Richland has a lacking transit system and carrying groceries on a bike is inconceivable for her. She pays

for her groceries with a credit card because it is the easiest, fastest, and safest method of payment for

her needs. In another life, she must have been a horror story writer: She morbidly envisions a day in

which she pays for her groceries in a thick wad of cash and gets followed back to her car in the parking

lot and gets mugged. Gruesome. She pays cash when eating out, and for other “small stuff.”



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Herbert

Herbert goes grocery shopping every other day. He shops so frequently because in his old age, he

prefers to carry light grocery loads. He usually prepares a shopping list and expects to spend between

$40 and $65 with each outing. While he may not be completely diligent with preparing his shopping

lists, there is more stability in the timing of his shopping trips: he shops exclusively in the early morningto avoid “large, unwashed” crowds, in his own words. While his daughter lived with him, he would shop

a little more frequently, and occasionally share the shopping duties with her.

Herbert’s favorite stores are Wal-Mart and Publix. Generally he prefers Wal-Mart for their lower prices

and convenient location, but Publix wins out when he is in the mood for better service and “nicer stuff,”

like fresh fruits and veggies. Upon entering the store, he will start with any non-perishables on his list.

Next, he moves on to his staples, which are cereal, coffee, yogurt, orange juice, salads, veggies, fruit,

sliced turkey, and bread. These foods, he claims, are best for his diet. He will also occasionally purchase

cookies, crackers and olive oil. He NEVER buys candy – except dark chocolate. Everyone has their vices.

Besides these general diet guidelines, he does not maintain strict rules for himself. His diet is basedaround his self-described “health-protective mechanism,” which is his way of saying he has learned over

time to improve his health by eating less red meat and drinking less martinis.

Herbert purchases brands more often than not, but he was hard-pressed to recite specifics during our

interview. He buys generic brands for raisins, prunes, oatmeal, and powdered milk, for price reasons.

He recalls some effective candy advertisements seen in New York City subways as a teenager, one of

which read “Candy is delicious food. Eat some every day.” (He did.) There was a lemon advertisement

that read “The juice of one lemon in a glass of water, first thing on arising.” (He tried it, but not for long.)

If the wages of sin is death, he believes he’s been dead for a long time.

Herbert is aware of the role advertising plays in his life, and has been since his childhood. His awareness

is derived from making mistakes and learning the hard truth about some products. These days, he

perceives modern ads as annoying, mostly, but he is willing to try new things. If he has a positive

experience with these new things, he is even willing to buy them again. However, he believes that more

products have cluttered his mind, the older he has become.

Herbert does not recall being taught to shop in a particular way. He believes he is a successful shopper

because he is observant, listens to others’ comments, and learns by trial and error. “The process never

ends,” he adds. His perspective on shopping is easily skewed at the first taste of a food he likes. Corn

Flakes, he recalls, he loved for years, although today he is indifferent.

He claims he is a different consumer from others. He is “startled” at the food and clothing choices by

some consumers. He also acknowledges that his shopping habits have changed dramatically over time.

Ten years ago, his second wife was still alive, and they shopped together all the time. Fifty years ago, his

life was completely different. He was married to his first wife and he was in charge of raising two

children. He does not believe he has taught his children much about how to shop.



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The internet has had little to no impact on Herbert’s shopping behavior. He uses the technology almost

exclusively for communication and for reading news. Additionally, my questions have not incited any

change in perspective regarding shopping. This man is firm in his ways.

He drives to grocery shop, because it is most convenient and logical for his lifestyle and distance from

grocery stores. He pays in cash whenever possible, although he uses credit and debit cards on occasion,and checks for larger purchases.

Compare & Contrast

In this category, David and Herbert appear to be similar. They each buy very small amounts of food with

each trip out, and they have informal rules regarding favorites. This is a stark contrast to Michael and

Karen, who both appreciate having a well-stocked pantry, which makes sense because both of them

frequently cook and entertain guests. These two are also very fond of Costco, a store which supports

their stocked-pantry personas with its great deals on products in bulk.

David and Karen are similar in that they do not necessarily always prefer to see brand names in theirshopping basket. Michael and Herbert frequently purchase their favorite brands.

Michael’s shopping routine is clearly the most convoluted among the bunch, and this is illustrated later,

in the Diagrams section. Due to his picky tastes, vegetarian diet, frequent travelling and rural location,

his shopping trips are the most variable. David, Karen, and Herbert each maintain a more predictable

routine.

Neither of the respondents had an easy time tracing the origins of their shopping habits back, besides

maybe Karen, who recalls learning how to make good shopping lists from her mother. In spite of this,

each respondent claims to learn how to shop mostly over time.



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Automobile Category

David

If David were to purchase a car, he would first consider the size of the car he was interested in, and then

ask his friends or other experienced buyers about their experiences. He would probably buy used. Heestimates he will be ready to make his purchase about three weeks after deciding to buy a car. He uses

the time to see and discuss his options.

His family has had bad experiences with Ford, which taints his view of their vehicles. He states no

preference between buying American- or foreign-made cars. Because he has never purchased a vehicle

before, it is unfair to estimate how often he buys cars. He would look to his parents for advice on car

shopping. In this department, he might deter to what his parents have taught him.

Michael

Michael does as much research as he can before he makes his vehicle purchase. He determines what tobuy first based on need, and then based on the best deal he can find. He owns a Eurovan which he

purchased 10 years ago, a truck that he purchased five years ago, and two motorcycles, one of which he

purchased five years ago, and the other two years ago. He estimates he buys a new automobile every

few years. He has no brand preference.

He doesn’t trust banks, and never indulges the option to “pay later” when purchasing large items. Due

to his frugal nature, he can’t stand to pay interest. He would rather stop going out over having to pay

interest. When purchasing a car, he will use financing if he has to, but if he does, he uses as little as

possible.

Karen

Karen feels as if estimating how often she purchases a vehicle is unfair, because there has been no

stable pattern in her vehicle-purchasing throughout her life. In the past 23 years, she has owned four

cars. Her first step in car shopping is doing research; She frequently will begin her research one year

before she plans to make a purchase. When she has narrowed down her prospects, she will check the

cars out at the dealership and give them a test drive. In a car, she is mostly interested in AWD, for

safety, but she also wants to know if it is fun to drive, has a competent audio system, is comfortable and

the proper size for her needs, and has decent gas mileage. Karen currently drives an Audi A4, which

satisfies all of her above prerequisites.

Regarding brands, she views Audi and Lexus most favorably. Appropriately, these brands were the last

two she purchased. She maintains a negative view on Chevrolet vehicles because her family never

bought them. (Interestingly, her mother held a belief that she should never purchase Japanese vehicles,

because in her mind she is still supporting the Japan from WWII.) Karen also enjoys BMWs, because my

dad drives them. Regarding logistics, Karen pays for new cars with a check because her bank prefers it.

She never takes out an auto loan.



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Herbert

Herbert prefers Japanese cars, after enduring “much suffering” with American cars. He currently drives a

16-year old Nissan, which has served him “fine for *his+ limited use” since he purchased it upon retiring.

Again, he was apathetic regarding new models, but if he were pressed to choose, he would consider a

Honda, or any car whose functionality trumped its looks. He reiterated that purchasing a new car is notlikely, given his age.

When asked to mention one incident in which a brand really impressed him in the past, he recited the

story of his 1956 6-cylinder Ford. In retrospect, he thought it was impressive, perfect, and wanted to last

forever. This regret stems from his decision to sell the car for an American Motors car, which treated

him poorly. “No wonder the company died. *The car+ almost killed me before it croaked.”

Compare & Contrast

Herbert and David are again similar at the outset of the Automobile Category. Both had anemic answers

regarding their shopping habits at this point – David, out of necessity, and Herbert, out of apathy. Bycontrast, both Karen and Michael have purchased a large number of vehicles and had an easy time

describing their procedure for buying a new vehicle.

Karen was the only respondent that could mention a favorite car brand. David was ignorant of the

market, and could really only speak to what brands he saw unfavorably. Michael does not consider

favorites as much as he considers what his needs are at the moment of intent to purchase. Herbert has a

preference in Japanese cars, but was not forcefully picky.

Conversely, David, Karen, and Herbert each hold negative views of American car brands. (Perhaps I

should pass this report along to Ford.)



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Electronics Category

David

For electronics, David believes a brand name is not worth a large price bump. As a nonessential

purchase, David had trouble recalling the last time he purchased an electronic product, because in thepast he has predominately received all of his electronics as gifts. That said, he could not define how

frequently he buys electronics himself.

An interesting phenomenon I noted here – when I asked him how he purchases electronics, he

immediately began recounting to me his skepticism about buying products at Best Buy. Because I had

not brought up the words Best Buy, I suspect that in David’s mind, “going shopping for electronics” and

“going to Best Buy” are married concepts. While he enjoys physically holding an item before purchasing

it, shopping online is more convenient and often cheaper for him, so he will generally prefer to buy

these things online. Larger purchases he would prefer to see in person before purchasing.

Upon learning of a new product, the first things David wants to know are (1) its price and (2) its features.

David asks himself, do the features justify the price to upgrade? When asked if he was conscious of my

questions, David responded that he had not previously considered where his habits originated or why he

purchases so few electronics. He did note, however, that his parents will often visit an electronics store

and purchase an item they’re interested in on a whim. This is not how David shops.

He believes his parents are more willing to spend money on electronics, and that they do not shop

around as frequently as he does. I observe a potential pattern here that the older generations impulse-

buy more frequently than the younger generations.

Michael

Regarding electronics, he purchases on need. These days, he prefers to buy online at B+H Photo Video. If

he needs to try out, he might buy it in person – he recalls purchasing a large television at Costco and an

iPhone at the Apple Store, in recent history. He likes to buy computers that are a generation behind the

leading models, to take advantage of the huge price drop that follows recently outdated models.

The first thing he wants to know about a new product is its functionality. Will it serve his needs? He

explicitly values value over hype. Regarding new products, he’s always curious if the product has a

justifiable hype cost. Michael has no interest in what he believes is a passing fad.

Karen

Karen is quick to draw the line: “I’m not in charge of buying electronics for the house.” That

responsibility belongs to her husband, who she consults about any electronic items that look interesting

to her. She estimates she purchases electronics less than once a year. Regarding electronic brands, she

hates Pioneer. When the family’s 50” Pioneer HDTV broke, she was personally involved in dealing with

their “terrible customer service.” Besides that sour memory, she holds no strong brand beliefs on



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electronics. She regularly reads Consumer Reports to be educated on “big ticket items” and performs

other research online when she is interested in a product.

She does not generally prefer to hold an electronic item in her hands before committing to a purchase,

although she says she would rather try out a frequently-used item like a phone first. She is considering

buying a Kindle soon, because her husband recently purchased one and gleefully uses it regularly. Again,here’s another example of her matching my father.

The last item she bought was a Windows phone, which she enjoys. One of the biggest factors in her

phone-buying process was the fact that the phone has a keyboard, although she has come to regret this

decision. Generally, when shopping for an electronic product, she looks for compatible features that fit

her basic needs and are not convoluted.

She maintains a similar system regarding automobiles, electronics, and cars, too. Today, she learns more

from the internet, and she NEVER goes to the mall to shop. She starts her shopping online for

everything, to do initial research or just to shop around on a Sunday afternoon. She enjoys the access to

variety that the internet has provided her, and notes that the internet makes gift-giving and purchasing

especially more convenient. Convenience is important to her these days, along with accessibility and the

ability to effortlessly comparison-shop. She has also maintained a growing distrust for the intentions of

salespeople, so the ability to shop online without direct pressure is also attractive to Karen.

For electronics, she also pays with her credit card.

Herbert

Herbert is no longer interested in electronics, so he has no opinion on new products. He has a cell

phone, but his daughter is in charge of his cell phone budget “as needed.” He does not make regular

purchases.

Herbert muses that advertising has always made him laugh with its absurdity, although today he

believes humor has given way to deceptive promotion, which there is too much of today. These

deceiving advertisements trick him on occasion, like when he recently purchased a high-maintenance

steam mop that has only given him more work to do before, during, and after cleaning.

Compare & Contrast

Each of my respondents responded to my questions about electronics with skepticism, or another

statement of indifference. David hardly ever purchases electronics, because he has learned to craft his

budget around them. Michael buys exclusively on need and would not be caught dead tempting his

frugal nature browsing Best Buy. That said, Michael is the most focused electronics shopper of my

subjects. Karen does not hold many opinions on electronics, because her husband buys them for her.

Herbert is no longer interested in electronics and holds no opinions.

I’d like to point out, here, that none of my respondents have shown signs of Apple fanaticism . This is

compelling to me, because as we noted in class after most students presented their reports on Monday,



17

Apple is a technological titan and holds massive influence over most subjects’ electronics opinions and

brand beliefs. David, Michael and Karen each have iPods, but they each use them somewhat

infrequently. Michael owns exclusively Apple computers, as is the recording studio industry standard,

but has complained to me on more than one occasion outside this survey that he is fed up with their

preposterous pricing.

Karen and Herbert were the only subjects to hold grudges with brands that have disappointed in the

past: Karen, with Pioneer, and Herbert, with his steam mop.

The internet plays a monumental role in how the first three subjects shop for electronics. David has a

hard time visiting an electronics store logistically, so he has built a lifestyle around online shopping for

what isn’t closely available by bus. Michael tries to buy his electronics online at his favorite website,

B+H. He also does most of his general browsing and shopping online, which makes sense given his

distance from the closest shopping center. Karen keeps up to date with electronics using the internet,

and would generally use Amazon if she had to make a purchase. Herbert wants little to do with

electronics or the internet.



18

Clothing Category

David

He buys clothes a few times a year, depending on his needs. He does not “go shopping” for the sake of

going shopping. He avoids big brand names like Abercrombie and Aeropostale, avoids logos, but he isnot picky, otherwise. He generally gets his clothes at Target, JC Penny, Kohl’s, Ross, and TJ Maxx. He

believes in spending a low price on clothing.

David believes the convenience of online shopping encourages him to not spend his afternoon on busses

getting to and from shopping districts.

Michael

Michael shops for clothing infrequently – once a year for pants, and three times a year for shirts. He

seeks out his favorite brands on Amazon because he generally finds the best price online. He buys

“cheap” jeans at Fred Meyer. He prefers to shop at REI for his outdoor clothing needs. Michael pays witha credit card on Amazon, and lets Amazon remember his card for easier purchases down the line.

Karen

Karen purchases clothing six to eight times a year. She frequently shops online at Land’s End and

Amazon, the latter she prefers to visit when she is shopping just out of curiosity. She likes Land’s End

because they have good material, they are comfy, have good value and quality, and they are consistent.

She also shops at Fred Meyer, however, when she is in the mood for something cheaper, she wants a

little more selection, or for convenience, when she is out shopping.

She pays with her credit card for most clothing purchases and cash when picking up dry cleaning.

Herbert

Herbert is “totally indifferent on clothing,” although he preferred well-known brands in the past. He

does not shop for clothing, these days, but he will occasionally purchase new socks “if they look

comfortable,” and new slippers as needed.

Compare & Contrast

Karen is the only subject here who would consider buying clothes exclusively out of want. This is

different from David and Michael, who buy mostly out of need and shop a few times a year at most, andit is very different from Herbert, who no longer buys clothes except for out of need.

Karen and Michael are similar in that they each enjoy clothes shopping on Amazon.com and dread

visiting clothing stores. These two will also consider purchasing clothing at Fred Meyer occasionally

while they purchase groceries.



19

None of my subjects valued fashion highly when formulating their responses. The first three subjects

look for value and quality first, and while they may have a favorite brand, these brands match the value

and quality standards held by each subject. Herbert was consciously quiet on his past history with

clothing, but he noted that he tended toward well-known brands. I suspect his reason for this is similar

to that of the other respondents.

Michael and Karen were more specific than David in reporting their favorite brands. Again, David’s

frugality is showing.



20

Theory Discussion

The most important dividing factor between each of my subjects is motivation. Each of their responses

was varied, because they are each lead dramatically different lives.

As a dedicated graduate school-bound math major, David is too focused on his schoolwork and too cash-strapped from tuition to shop liberally. Working under this strict framework for four years now, he has

established his situation-appropriate routine. As such, he requires a large driving force to buy any

product, which is why when I questioned him about his grocery shopping routine he told me right away

that he has never spent more than $30 a trip at the grocery store. In his words, he is practically a

vegetarian “due to budget.” I’ve eaten many burgers with this man, so I can vouch for his deep

enjoyment of good red meat. Indeed, he accepts this “temporary pain,” to quote the MKTG 382 website

in order to dedicate his finances to his scholastic ambitions. He does not have a car; he had not even

considered purchasing one before I asked him during the interview. With empty pockets and full focus,

the man manages his motivation appropriately.

Michael, the “picky” vegetarian and music producer is another compelling motivation case. As a single

man in his 40s, he has had many decades to define his beliefs and values, without an immediate family

to attend to. Accordingly, his compiled savings have permitted him to enjoy a lavish organic lifestyle that

is the envy of scores of “switched-on” Western hippies students. His values include living within his

means, financially and ecologically, supporting local industries (and conversely, actively not supporting

as many corporations as possible), and eating the healthiest diet possible to treat his body with respect.

His interview reflects this value set well, but from where do these values derive?

As the MKTG 382 website states, “motivation and emotion are inseparable.” A man of the arts, Michael

is acutely in tune with his emotions when he plays and produces music. In working with the man at his

recording studio, I have observed these emotions in action. He tends to produce music using as little

processing as possible, allowing the instruments and vocalists to cut through the audio mix as naturally

as possible. Michael is a unique case, a self-described “consumer anomaly,” whose buyer behavior

speaks volumes.

Karen is a professional consumer. She has the most organized, efficient routines out of each of my

subjects, which she follows religiously. The most relevant subtheme of motivation for her is in the

definition of need, which is “the discrepancy between present state & ideal state,” on the MKTG

website. Karen is in a holding pattern; by marrying the man of her dreams and seeing her only child off

to college she has achieved her ideal state, so her motivation lies in maintaining the person and

consumer state she has so proudly built.

At this point, I would like to highlight a trend. There is a decreasing amount of temporary pain endured

by each subject, the older they age. This pattern supports the class concept that people learn to accept

this temporary pain in a bid to achieve a more pleasant overall state. As a low-class consumer, David

endures a lot of pain as he finds his bearings with his career. Michael has it more figured out. He has

developed a consumer system that permits him to live out the lofty vision he has for his studio. Karen is



21

living the dream as a consumer. Because she has achieved her ideal state, she is skeptical about new

consumer fads like the tablet computer: At home, I encourage her to buy one, because she is looking for

a new portable computer, but why should she believe me when I tell her it is more compatible with her

needs than a new laptop? She has scaled the summit of Maslow’s pyramid without it, and the

motivation isn’t there for her to take her chances.

The next logical step beyond Karen’s recently achieved ideal state is found in Herbert’s consumer

apathy. This man has seen the rise and fall of countless consumer trends, from the absurdity of Ivory

soap in the 1940s (“’It floats!’? Of course it did, it’s made of air!”) to the decline of American

manufacturing (“ The 1956 6-cylinder Ford was an impressive car… [Later] I knew misery with an

American Motors car. No wonder the company died, it almost killed me before it croaked. Sic transit…”) .

Herbert initially shocked me with his indifference regarding all things electronic and clothing, but he has

earned the right to criticize the artificial involvement structure composed by brands; He’s running a

consumer victory lap.

Recalibrating the scale of motivation in each consumer, I must ask the question if my respondents are

unnaturally aversely motivated to purchase products. David hardly makes any purchases at all. Michael

claims to be as frugal as possible. Karen buys a lot of groceries to support her family’s passion for

cooking, but requires a high level of motivation to purchase electronics and automobiles. Herbert is

totally indifferent to almost everything. Are my subjects abnormal? What is normal? Certainly these

questions require a larger sample size than four to draw a compelling conclusion.



22

Diagrams

I wanted to directly compare Karen with David regarding their automobile purchase decision processes

because these two would consider purchasing a vehicle for completely different reasons: David, out of

need, and Karen, out of want. Accordingly, Karen’s process uses vocabulary such as “does this car

INTEREST her,” whereas David does not attach his personality in the process. His question uses the

vocabulary “is this car AGREEABLE?” Interestingly, both subjects do share some common ground. They

each have three Decision Points, each of which offers feedback to prior steps. Both subjects also place a

lot of importance on the research prerequisite for the car purchase, although whereas David confides

primarily in his friends and family to tell him about cars, Karen’s first resource is the internet.

The most convoluted decision process must be Michael’s decision process regarding going grocery

shopping. Accordingly, his graph has the most Decision Points, as well as other steps and detours. His

self-described “picky” diet is clearly illustrated in this diagram. As a point of comparison, I made a

diagram for Karen’s grocery shopping, although I thought it might be more interesting to give her

diagram a specific dilemma to address. In the event she is running low on milk, her number one staple,

this chart reflects her decision process. Compared to Michael’s, Karen has more of a predictable routine,

which is shown in the graph due to the high number of Decision Points that are concerned with

Thursday, the day she goes shopping every week.



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Karen’s Decision Process of Buying an Automobile

Karen realizes her car no longer suits her needs.

Karen conducts new car research.

Karen tries a new medium of car research

(online, Consumer Reports, etc).

Has she found

a car that

interests her?

Karen shares the interesting car with her husband.

Does he agree

w/ the inter-

esting car?

The new car dilemma is now Tom’s problem as well.

Tom and Karen visit car dealerships and take a test drive.

Is it fun to

drive? Is it

comfortable?

Karen purchases the interesting car.

Karen’s vehicle needs are once again satisfied.

NO

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO



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David’s Decision Process of Buying an Automobile

YES

David realizes he needs an automobile.

David consults a friend or family member.

Does he know

enough to be-

gin shopping?

David visits a used car dealership.

David conducts research.

Has he found

an agreeable

vehicle?

Is the vehicle

well-

reviewed?

David purchases the vehicle.

David owns his first automobile.

David considers what size of vehicle would suit his needs.

NO

YES

NO

YES

YES

NO



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Michael’s Decision Process of Buying Groceries

Michael’s pantry is not sufficiently stocked.

Michael makes a shopping list on his iPhone.

Does he need

perishables?

Can he find

this on

Amazon?

Is he planninga trip to

Seattle soon?

Does he

needclothes?

He visits

Amazon. He goes

to Costco.

He goes to the Mt.

Vernon Co-O .

He goes to Fred Meyer. He goes to Haggen.

Michael makes his urchase.

Michael’s credit

card is on file.

Michael uses his

Haggen card.

Michael’s pantry is sufficiently stocked.

YESNO

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

YES



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Karen’s Decision Process of Buying Milk

Karen realizes she is running low on milk, a grocery staple.

Is there

enough to

last until TR?

She goes to Albertson’s. She adds milk to her shopping list.

Is it

Thursday?No action.

Does she want

to try some-

place different?

She goes to Fred Meyer.

She goes to Yoke’s.

Can she find

the milk shewants?

She uses her Fred

Meyer Rewards Card.

Karen urchases milk.

Karen has enough milk.

YES NO

NO

YES

NO

YES

NO

YES



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Notes

David

Routine

o Walk to Haggen, grab a basket

Apples, bananas, consider cereal, oatmeal, canned beans, pasta, yogurt, soy

milk, maybe a candy bar

$20-$30

<1x/wk

o Has a routine

o Will break routine for convenience

i.e. getting a ride to Fred Meyer

o Prefers Haggen for convenient location

If another store were conveniently located

o Would choose based on price/in-store environment

ALWAYS buy apples, bananas, bread, beans, pasta

NEVER buy meat, “vegetarian due to budget”

Rules

o Stay under $30 – break occasionally when shopping with others

Keep a small mental shopping list of basics

Brands

o Prefers generics – price

o Skeptical about name brands actually being better

o Skeptical of ingredients in name brandso Buys Pop-Tarts

Larger sense of perceived enjoyment vs. generic

Electronics

o Brand name not worth a price bump

o “Nonessential” purchase

o Mostly received as gifts, do not regularly purchase

o “Best Buy” married to “buying electronics”

o Enjoys seeing product in person, prefers shopping online

Convenient, often cheaper

o Larger purchases worth seeing in persono New product

(1) price (2) features

“is this worth $$$ to upgrade?”

Automobiles

o Think about size

o Ask advice from experienced buyers



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o Buy used – budget

o Needs to see/discuss options

o Would spend 3 weeks researching before buying

o Bad experience with Ford – tainted view of vehicles

o Not limited to American cars

Clothing – 3x/yr

o Avoid brand names with logos, not picky

o Generally Target, JC Penny, Kohl’s, Ross, TJ Maxx (low price)

o Need-based

Origins

o Grocery habits motivated by living alone, no car, college

o No conscious decision to shop differently/same as parents

o Live within means

o Different from peers with larger budgets

“Less self -imposed restrictions”

o Parents more willing to spend on electronics, less shopping around

o Would look to parents about advice on car shopping

o Online convenience – no spend afternoon on bus to go shopping

o Had not considered origin of habits/electronics budget before questions

Logistics

o Debit card – convenience

o Cash for bars, social settings/split purchases

Michael

Lives far away 17 mi away

Plan, make lists, buy bulk

Well-furnished pantry

Non-perishables in bulk @ Costco

Vegetarian, frugal

Best chef, loves to cook

High quality ingredients

Veggies, etc – Co-Op in Mt. Vernon – 3x/mo

o Favorite store in WA

o Why? More local farms

o Better farms

o Willing to travel

o Coming home from Seattle

Or Haggen in Bham – 4x/mo

o “better produce, closer”

o “more attentive”

o FM inconvenient to get to?



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o Only buy fresh veggies + beer at Haggen – organic is important

o Haggen card – “good deals”

Spend $300-$500/mo @ Costco

o Visits 1x/mo

Have a routine

“picky” not convenience

Shop at favorite stores like Spice Hut in Seattle, Crossroads in Maple Falls

Support local businesses

FM “love you can get all your shopping done”

o If need to do clothes + food

ALWAYS have

o Routine – every other day – quinoa, eggs, peppers, tomatoes, rosemary, coffee,

o Homemade hemp seed granola + Kefir + tea, spirulina + banana

NEVER have meat, gin, processed food

Brand beliefs

o Microbrews, veggies N/A, veganaise, chia seeds on Amazon

o Best quality vanilla ice cream

o Pick favorites, stick with them

o Money is less of an object

o Safe for septic system

o Organic detergent

Electronics

o Depends on need

o Buy B+H these days

o If need to try it out, buy in person – big TV @ Costco, phone @ Apple storeo Computer – generation behind – big price drop

New product – first thing?

o Functionality – will it serve his needs?

o Value/hype – justify hype cost – no fads

Internet changed everything

o Bulk hemp seeds

o Shop on internet daily – commit 2x/wk

o Physical list on phone

o “Amazon’s gonna take over the world”

Automobiles – 1x/few yrso Ton of research – fit needs-efficient

o Best deal

o Eurovan – 10 yrs

o Truck – 5 yrs

o Motorcycles – 5yrs/2yrs

Clothing – pants 1x/yr, shirts 3x/yr



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o Seek out favorites, buy Amazon

Best price

o FM for jeans

o “Cheap?”

o REI for outdoor

Self-developed shopping

o “Life journey”

o “Consumer anomaly”

o Learning to discern quality or value – frugal

o Eating is voting for health

o Wish somebody taught me

o Parents were frugal

o Different view on quality

o Adventure, experiment

o Nickleback ignorant ex.

o Veg – best thing ever happened to me – changed filter of reality

10 years ago – new

o Costco in bulk

o Online shopping

o Focus buy – make lists

o Now living farther away – helped him be a better shopper

Logistics

o Amazon – c. card on file

VERY convenient

o Costco – different credit card

o Mostly cash – small items

o Don’t trust banks

o NO “pay it later” – NO interest – frugal nature

Stop going out/pay interest

o Car – use financing – as little as possible

Karen

Typical trip

o Make list

o Put in order

o Thursday routine – 1x/wk

o 3 meals/trip

Break routine?

o 1x/2mo

FM

o Has EVERYTHING



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o Clothing, plants, etc

o Every time

o Produce “especially good”

o Cheaper than Albertsons

o Would go if closer or FM did not have

o 2x/yr Yoke’s, just to try something different o Would not switch

Farmers’ market – 4x/summer

o Fresh corn/tomatoes

o More selection, supporting local farmers –don’t want overdevelopment

Costco

o Specialty -1x/2wk

o Fresh fish, meats, paper products, bulk stuff

o Cheaper

ALWAYS

o Milk – drink a lot of it

o “staples” – “lunch stuff”

NEVER

o Packaged fish – not fresh

o Fried foods – not part of diet

o Takeout – prefers cooking at home

BRAND BELIEFS

o Hunt’s tomatoes – magazine review

o Cheerios – dad prefers

o Florida’s natural juice – made in USA o Foster Farms chicken – no hormones etc

o Dave’s Killer Bread – healthy/taste

Buy generic

o If no preference

o “thought it was adequate”

o About 50/50

Electronics – “not in charge,” <1x/yr

o Hate Pioneer – terrible customer service

o No strong beliefs – read reviews

o Consumer Reports for “big ticket items”

o Shop – research first – online/CR

o Talk w/dad – not trial

o Would check out phone

o Recently bought Windows phone

o Buying Kindle soon

o Most important thing for phone



32

Keyboard – regretted it

Look for compatible features

No convoluted features

Basic needs

Cars – 4 cars in 23 years

o First research – 1 yr

Online, Consumer reports

o Test drive

o Look for (1) AWD, (2) fun to drive, (3) good audio, (4) comfort/size, (5) gas mileage

o Like Audi, Lexus – dislike Chevy

Family never bought Chevy

o Like BMW

Clothing – 6-8x/yr

o Online/FM/Land’s End/Amazon

o LE – good material, comfy, value, quality, no surprises o FM – cheaper, selection, convenience

Groceries – how did learn?

o Her mom – list

o Learn from her mistakes – Bounty

o Not married to brands

o Internalized – quick/efficient

o Having a child – less time/more organized

o Shopped less beforehand

o Cooking fresh food “makes your life better”

o When single, ate cafeteria food/simple stuff o “Mine works for me”

o Do not eat out as often compared to others – save money

10 years ago

o Not much has changed

o More time to cook now

o Make more leftovers

o Look for more ingredients

o Spice it up now

o Try more stuff – variety

Electornics/automobiles/clothes

o Same system

o Learned from internet

o NEVER go to mall

o Start online for everything

o Access to variety – gifts always

o Selection, convenience, accessibility, comparison shop



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o Salespeople not as trustworthy

Soy Sauce

o Prefers Whisker Lickin’s

o Dislikes fresh salmon

Logistics

o Drive because duh

o Inconceivable to carry groceries on a bike

o Pay on CC because it’s easier/faster

Safer – “somebody follows you out to parking lot”

o Else – CC

o Auto – check – bank does it that way

Never auto loans

o Pay cash for small restaurant bills, dry cleaners, small stuff

Final thoughts

o Brand loyalty is interesting

o Parents only bought Ford/Buick

o NEVER buy Jap cars

Herbert

Routine— every other day, usually shopping list

o Prefers light loads

o Spends $40-$65/trip

o Very early in a.m. to avoid “large, unwashed” crowds

o While daughter lived with him, shopped more frequently/shared shopping duties

Always start with non-perishables

Prefers Wal-Mart and Publix for ease of accessibility

o Wal-Mart – no highway crossing

o Publix – better service, “nice stuff” – fresh fruits/veggies

o Enjoys service but prefers prices

o Generally shops more frequently at Wal-Mart

ALWAYS buys cereal, coffee, yogurt, orange juice, salads, veggies, fruit, sliced turkey, bread

o Best for his diet

Occasionally cookies, crackers, olive oil

NEVER candy, except dark chocolate

Does not maintain hard rules for himself

o “automatic health-protective mechanism”

Learned over time to improve health

E.g. from abundant red meat to none

Other mistakes: too many martinis

Drives



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Buys mostly brands

Buys generic for raisins, prunes, oatmeal, powdered milk for price

No longer interested in electronics

o No opinion on new products

o Daughter is in charge of his cell phone budget “as needed”

o “simple stuff”

Prefers Japanese cars

o “much suffering” with American cars

o Bought a Nissan upon retiring and stuck with it

o Currently drives 16-yr old Nissan

o “fine for my limited use”

o Does not care about looks, cares about functionality

o If shopping for a new car, maybe Honda

But not likely given his age

Totally indifferent on clothing, preferred well-known brands in the past

“Never” buys electronics or clothing

o Occasionally socks “if they look comfortable”

o New slippers “as needed”

Response to advertising

o “Always made me laugh” – “absurd”

o “It floats!” – Ivory soap in 1940s

“of course it did, it’s full of air”

o Too much deceptive promotion, but falls into traps on occasion

Recently bought a steam mop

“more work, before, during, and after”

o Recalls effective candy advertisements in NYC subways as a teen

“Candy is delicious food. Eat some every day.” – he did

“The juice of one lemon in a glass of water first thing on arising”

Tried it, not for long

“The wages of sin is death”

“I’ve been dead for a long time!”

o Modern ads – annoying

o Willing to try things, if positive experience would buy again

Remarkable brand relationship in past:

o 1956 6-cylinder Ford Impressive, perfect, wanted to last forever

Sold it for an American Motors car – regretted this decision

“No wonder the company died. It almost killed me before it croaked.”

Aware of the role advertising plays in life

o “Even as a child”

o Awareness grew from mistakes



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o More products crowd the mind with age

“Not especially” taught how to shop

o Is observant

o Listens to comments

o Learned by trial and error

o “The process never ends”

Experiences that changed his perspective on shopping

o Generally the first taste of something he likes

o Loved Corn Flakes for years, now indifferent

Different from others

o “Startled” at food/clothes choices for some

o Very different from 10 years ago

Had a different wife

o Totally different from 50 years ago

Had a wife + kids

Internet

o “Not at all” changed how he shops

Pays in cash whenever possible, sometimes credit/debit

o Checks for homes/cars

Believes my survey has no influence on future shopping

Has not taught kids much about shopping

Further opinions

o Hates not having an option to buy American (not Chinese)

o Hates that U.S. manufacturers hire cheapest labor – more unemployment here

o Hates “hospitalists” at hospitals, prefers doctors

o Hates cash-obsessed business owners

o Hates that the government promotes practices that hurt American workers

o Bothered when favorite shoes are now manufactured overseas

o “Now show me a pair of shoes made in America!”

Buyer Behavior Marketing Project

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