Who is a consumer? This is a person or group of people who buy something. This may be the purchase of goods or services for personal consumption, for sale or for rent. All buyers are different from each other, they can be divided into groups.
The consumer and the concept of need
Marketing Study Objects:
- need;
- need;
- consumer;
- consumption;
- demand.
Need and need differ rather conditionally. In some situations, the terms are interchangeable. The need is considered a desire, and a need is an acute shortage of something. According to the marketing definition, the concept of need is a feeling that occurs in the absence of a product or service. Because of this, damage to human he alth, lifestyle can be caused.
What is a need is a conscious understanding of the need. Assumes a physical form according to personality.
Who is a consumer - this is a subject who uses material or spiritual we alth for his owngoals.
Consumption is a process in which one's desires are satisfied through the use of material or spiritual goods.
Demand is a need placed on the market backed by money.
Rights and obligations of the buyer
The state and social movements regulate the relationship between the buyer and the business entity: seller, manufacturer, performer. The Federal Law on Consumer Rights determined that the buyer has the right to:
- For information.
- To safety.
- Choice.
- Be heard.
- For damages.
- For consumer education.
- For basic needs.
In practice, the rights and obligations of the buyer look like this.
For example, a person who has not yet bought a product, but accidentally broke it, is not obliged to pay for it. By law, the risk of accidental damage to the product lies with the buyer from the moment the seller handed over the trade item and received the money for it.
When entering a supermarket, a person is not obliged to hand over their things to the storage room. Having closed the bag in the storage room, a person concludes an agreement with the store on the storage of things, which, of course, is not necessary to do. In addition, if the customer comes to the store with other goods, the store employees are not en titled to demand the corresponding receipt.
The Federal Law on consumer rights states that only the police have the right to conduct a search, as well as inspect personal belongings.
For poisoningonly the owners of the outlet are responsible for products from the store. But to prove it, you will need a receipt and CCTV footage.
All goods from the store can be returned after no more than 14 days, not counting the day of purchase. The product must be in good condition, without damage. To return, you must keep the presentation of the item, have all the seals, labels. Must have a sales receipt or proof of payment.
Classification of needs
The following groups of needs exist.
- Biological. Designed to satisfy hunger, thirst, protect from the cold, allow you to breathe fresh air. This group includes housing, clothing, food, sleep.
- Social connections, communication, caring for a person, attention - this is a social group. It also includes friendship, love, creativity, labor activity.
- The group of spiritual needs includes self-expression, self-affirmation, knowledge of the surrounding world, the meaning of existence.
Behavioral signs
Main types of consumers:
- Custom type.
- Family.
- Intermediary.
- Representatives of the firm.
- Responsible persons.
Individual consumers buy goods to use them themselves. They are interested in how useful the purchased product is, whether it is affordable in terms of financial capabilities, its external design, and the quality of packaging.
Food and non-food items are bought inmostly family type.
Intermediaries - the main consumers of products not for personal consumption, but for resale. Representatives of this species are interested in the absolute price, profitability, shelf life. The quality of the product is the least of their concerns.
Suppliers carry out the purchase, subjecting it to a clear formalization. They take into account the price, characteristics of each product, the speed of delivery of the product, the cost of transportation. They pay attention to the completeness of the range, reputation, the possibility of obtaining a loan.
Officials purchase goods and services not at their own expense. They use public money, so the process is strictly formalized and bureaucratic.
Traditional classification
Distribution of buyers according to the classical classification.
- Goods and services are divided into men's and women's.
- Age is taken into account.
- Education.
- Socio-professional criteria.
- Highlight the speed of reaction to new information. The fastest type of buyers are innovators, the next type are adepts who make the product known, progressives provide mass sales, skeptics are connected at the saturation stage, conservatives buy the product when it becomes traditional.
- The type of personality is taken into account: sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric, melancholic.
Attitude towards product innovations
People react differently to new products. One group buys only proven categories of goods, the other, on the contrary, is readytry anything new.
Types of consumers in relation to new products:
- Superinnovators.
- Innovators.
- Ordinary shoppers.
- Conservatives.
- Super conservatives.
Superinnovators are always willing to experiment and take risks. The percentage of the total is 2.5%. As a rule, they have a high social status, they have a large income.
Innovators buy carefully, they don't take risks. Their number is 13.5%.
Ordinary consumers of services try not to take risks, they have an active life position. They occupy 1/3 of the total.
Most of the conservatives are older people, people with low incomes, work in low-prestige jobs, do not approve of innovations. Just like ordinary ones, they occupy 33%.
Superconservatives are vehemently opposed to change. Deprived of aesthetic flair and creative imagination. At a conscious age, they follow the habits of their youth.
Purpose of using the purchased goods
In marketing, there are types of consumers that differ in the direction of use of trade items.
- Customized.
- Mass.
- Producers.
Target consumer of the first type buys goods exclusively for personal life. Uses material goods, services to ensure the convenience of life. With the help of purchases of various products, he supports the habitual way of life, spiritual culture.
Legal entitiesor mass buyers make purchases for professional activities. This category does not include trade or production. Purchases are made on behalf of an organization, institution, company, association.
Manufacturing purchases goods exclusively for trading or manufacturing. These can be cooperatives and trade enterprises, as well as enterprises in the service sector.
Psychological characteristics
On the buying process, the speed of choice is influenced by the nature of the person. In marketing, there are 4 groups of consumers, divided by psychological characteristics.
- Driven by need. These are low income people. Their main task is to ensure their daily existence. They don't shop for the long haul.
- Psychologically stable middle-aged people with decent earnings are integrated personalities. They have an education, they know the sense of proportion, they participate in charity.
- Extroverts are divided into three types. Workers and pensioners are stable conservative people. Imitators have average education, they have a good income. The last one is the leaders, they have their own business. They occupy a high position in society, have a good income.
- Introverts are young impulsive people, their opinion often changes. Active cheerleaders with a good income and education. Members of society who are interested in the outside world, the future. They are aware of their purpose in the modern world, they have a decent income, they are engaged in personal growth.
Attitude to price
The choice of a certain group of goods is made depending on the level of one's earnings. Low income causes people to shop less often, usually low quality products. On the contrary, people with a good income can shop very often, experiment with new brands. But as practice shows, the size and scale of purchases do not always depend on the level of income.
There are four types of consumers in relation to price:
- Economical.
- Apathetic.
- Rational.
- Personalised.
The first type focuses solely on the price level. He is prone to buying low quality products, pays attention to promotions and discounts. The apathetic type does not pay attention to the price, but only to the company. For him, the main thing is quality and prestige. Rational consumers view purchases in terms of value for money. A personificist buys a product regardless of price or quality, he is interested in the image of the product.
Communication
In specialized stores or a wide range of consultants offer various brand new products, give a try to a new product. In order to sell goods, they communicate, establish contact in various ways. People react differently to an offer to buy something. Some remain silent, others calmly keep up the conversation, the rest are quite rude, and some can communicate as if with an old friend.
In marketing, there are three types of consumers in relation to price:
- Squeezed.
- Indifferent.
- Unchained.
Squeezed people are a group of consumers with complexes who hardly come into contact. They require increased attention.
Indifferent - do not pay attention to the representative of the company, do not show interest in communication.
Uninhibited people easily start a dialogue.
