Consumer Behaviour Case Study

Indian Consumers: Shopaholics by Chance, Dealaholics by Choice? (B): Impulsive vs Compulsive Buying Motives

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Abstract:
While the prequel, case study (A) sets the impetus to derive the conclusions, case study (B) provides rigour to it by analysing the impact of deals on the buying behavioural motives of Indian consumers and their implications on the marketers thereof. It takes the cue from drawing the fine line between compulsive and impulsive buying behaviour and examines what are the possible chances of these behaviours to take the shape of disorders.

Set in mid-2010, the case study meanders, evaluating the nuances whether ‘attraction towards discount prices’ is an induced or deduced behavioural pattern that pops up in the Indian consumers. The case further probes whether the promotional sale-offers have conditioned the minds of the consumers or they are brought up as such? Or their rising purchasing power and affordability makes them shopaholics? Or it is that the Indian consumer craves for ‘value for money’ in toto? Answering all these dilemmas, the case study provides ample information to address this dilemma – who creates whom? The marketers create the dealaholics or is it the other way round?

Pedagogical Objectives:

• To understand the differences between impulsive buying behaviour and compulsive buying behaviour and debate on the marketing/selling implications of such behavioural differences
• To discuss and debate on the nature of relationship between impulsive buying behaviour and dealaholics and compulsive buying behaviour and shopaholics
• To examine the nature of Indian consumers’ behaviour of being ‘value seekers’ and debate on whether Indian consumers can broadly be construed as shopaholics or dealaholics or both?

Keywords : Consumer Behavior, Retailing, Shopaholics, Dealaholics, Impulsive Vs Compulsive Buying Behavior, Indian Consumers' Behavior, Indian Retailing, Discounts, Price Deals, Freebies, Value, Value Retailing, Price Bundles, Product Bundles, Anchoring Bias, Price Discounts, Marketing Mix, Buyer Behavior towards Deals