flowchart LR C[Cultural] --> B[Buying Behaviour] S[Social] --> B P[Personal] --> B PS[Psychological] --> B style B fill:#FCE4EC,stroke:#AD1457
61 Consumer and Industrial Buying Behaviour
61.1 What is Buying Behaviour?
Consumer behaviour is the study of how individuals, groups and organisations select, buy, use and dispose of goods, services, ideas or experiences to satisfy their needs and wants (kotlerkeller2022?; schiffmankanuk2019?). Understanding it lets marketers design value propositions, communications and channels that fit how people actually decide.
TipThree Working Definitions
| Author | Definition | What it foregrounds |
|---|---|---|
| Kotler & Keller | “The study of how individuals, groups and organisations select, buy, use and dispose of goods and services to satisfy their needs and wants.” | Whole consumption cycle |
| Engel-Blackwell-Miniard | “Those activities directly involved in obtaining, consuming, and disposing of products and services, including the decision processes that precede and follow these actions.” | Decision processes |
| Schiffman & Kanuk | “Behaviour that consumers display in searching for, purchasing, using, evaluating and disposing of products, services and ideas they expect will satisfy their needs.” | Search → use → evaluate |
61.2 Factors Influencing Consumer Behaviour
Kotler groups influences into four families (kotlerkeller2022?):
TipFour Families of Influences on Consumer Behaviour
| Family | Examples |
|---|---|
| Cultural | Culture, sub-culture, social class |
| Social | Reference groups, family, roles, status |
| Personal | Age, life-cycle stage, occupation, lifestyle, personality |
| Psychological | Motivation, perception, learning, beliefs and attitudes |
61.3 The Consumer Buying-Decision Process
The classical Kotler/Engel-Blackwell-Kollat five-stage model (kotlerkeller2022?; engelblackwell1968?):
TipFive Stages of the Buying-Decision Process
| # | Stage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Need / Problem recognition | Triggered by internal or external stimuli |
| 2 | Information search | Personal, commercial, public, experiential sources |
| 3 | Evaluation of alternatives | Compare on attributes; form preferences |
| 4 | Purchase decision | Choice modified by attitudes of others, situation |
| 5 | Post-purchase behaviour | Satisfaction, dissonance (Festinger), repeat or churn |
61.4 Types of Consumer Buying Behaviour (Assael)
Henry Assael’s classification combines involvement with brand differentiation (assael1987?):
TipAssael’s Four Types of Consumer Behaviour
| Type | Involvement | Differences between brands | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complex buying | High | Significant | Cars, homes |
| Dissonance-reducing | High | Few | Carpet, life insurance |
| Habitual buying | Low | Few | Salt, soap |
| Variety-seeking | Low | Significant | Snacks, soft drinks |
61.5 Models of Consumer Behaviour
TipFive Classical Models of Consumer Behaviour
| Model | Authors | Core idea |
|---|---|---|
| Howard-Sheth | Howard & Sheth (1969) | Inputs → perceptual & learning constructs → outputs (extensive, limited, routine problem-solving) |
| Engel-Blackwell-Miniard (EBM) | Engel et al. | Decision-process flow with environmental and individual influences |
| Nicosia | Francesco Nicosia | Firm-consumer-feedback loops |
| Black box (S-O-R) | Stimulus-Organism-Response | Marketing stimuli → consumer’s “black box” → buying response |
| Consumer involvement (Krugman) | Herbert Krugman | High vs low involvement |
61.6 Industrial / Organisational Buying Behaviour
B2B / industrial buying differs from B2C in scale, complexity, and rationality. The standard model is Webster and Wind’s Organisational Buying Behaviour (1972) (websterwind1972?).
TipB2C vs B2B Buying
| Feature | B2C | B2B |
|---|---|---|
| Buyers | Many, dispersed | Fewer, concentrated |
| Purchase value | Smaller | Larger |
| Decision | Often individual / family | Group / buying centre |
| Demand | Direct | Derived (depends on B2C demand) |
| Relationship | Often transactional | Long-term, contractual |
| Process | Less formal | Highly formal — RFP, tender, negotiation |
61.6.1 The Buying Centre — Six Roles
Webster & Wind identified six roles in an organisational buying centre (websterwind1972?):
TipSix Roles in the Buying Centre
| Role | What this person does |
|---|---|
| Initiator | Identifies the need |
| User | Will use the product |
| Influencer | Shapes the decision (technical, financial advice) |
| Decider | Makes the final call |
| Buyer | Has formal authority to purchase |
| Gatekeeper | Controls information flow (assistants, procurement) |
61.6.2 Buying Situations — Robinson’s BUYGRID
Patrick Robinson’s BUYGRID identifies three B2B buying situations (robinson1967?):
TipThree B2B Buying Situations (Robinson)
| Situation | What it captures |
|---|---|
| New task | First-time purchase; high effort, many decisions |
| Modified rebuy | Existing supplier with changed terms |
| Straight rebuy | Routine reorder of an established item |
The full BUYGRID matrix combines these with eight buyphases — anticipation of need → product specification → search for suppliers → proposal solicitation → evaluation → supplier selection → order routine → performance review.
61.7 Practice Questions
Q 01
Process
Easy
The first stage of the consumer buying-decision process is:
View solution
Correct Option: B
The five stages: Need recognition → Information search → Evaluation → Purchase → Post-purchase.
Q 02
Assael
Medium
In Assael's framework, buying salt would be best classified as:
View solution
Correct Option: C
Salt = habitual buying — low involvement, few perceived differences between brands.
Q 03
Howard-Sheth
Medium
The classical Howard-Sheth model identifies three problem-solving levels. Which is one of them?
View solution
Correct Option: A
Howard-Sheth: Extensive · Limited · Routine problem-solving.
Q 04
Buying Centre
Medium
In Webster & Wind's six-role buying centre, the role that controls the flow of information to other members is the:
View solution
Correct Option: C
Gatekeeper controls information flow — secretaries, procurement officers. Six roles: Initiator · User · Influencer · Decider · Buyer · Gatekeeper.
Q 05
BUYGRID
Medium
Robinson's BUYGRID identifies three B2B buying situations. Which is NOT one of them?
View solution
Correct Option: D
Robinson (1967): three situations — New task · Modified rebuy · Straight rebuy.
Q 06
Demand
Medium
B2B demand is described as "derived" because it:
View solution
Correct Option: A
Industrial / B2B demand is derived from final-consumer demand — steel demand depends on car demand depends on car-buyer demand.
Q 07
Influences
Medium
"Reference groups" influencing consumer behaviour fall under which family of influences?
View solution
Correct Option: B
Reference groups, family, roles and status are social influences.
Q 08
Dissonance
Medium
Post-purchase doubt or anxiety, often after expensive purchases, is referred to as:
View solution
Correct Option: A
Cognitive dissonance (Festinger, 1957) — the psychological discomfort of post-purchase doubt. Marketers reduce it through reassurance and warranties.
ImportantQuick recall
- Consumer behaviour = how individuals/groups select, buy, use, dispose of offerings.
- Four families of influences: Cultural · Social · Personal · Psychological.
- Five stages: Need recognition → Information search → Evaluation → Purchase → Post-purchase. Festinger’s cognitive dissonance sits in stage 5.
- Assael’s four types: Complex · Dissonance-reducing · Habitual · Variety-seeking.
- Models: Howard-Sheth, EBM, Nicosia, S-O-R, Krugman’s involvement.
- B2B vs B2C: fewer, larger, derived, group decision, formal, long-term.
- Webster & Wind’s buying centre (6 roles): Initiator · User · Influencer · Decider · Buyer · Gatekeeper.
- Robinson’s BUYGRID — three situations: New task · Modified rebuy · Straight rebuy × eight buyphases.