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The Niceties of Consumer Behaviour in purchasing Home Appliances in India

Kameswara Rao Poranki


Professor in Department of Marketing, FAFS, Al Baha University, Saudi Arabia (KSA)
Email: kamesh_p2001@yahoo.com & kamesh_p2001@rediffmail.com
&
Mohammed Abul Khair
Associate Professor in Department of Marketing, FAFS, Al Baha University, Saudi Arabia
Email: mohammed.abulkhair@gmail.com
&
Elrayah Mohammed Ishag Osman
Associate Professor in FAFS, Al Baha University, Saudi Arabia
Email: drelrayah@gmail.com
Abstract
The striking fact in today's globalized economy of India many marketers have zeroing on the target
markets by understanding the consumer behavior as a top priority. In order to survive in the stringent
competitive market of India many home appliance companies are devising their strategies to attract
the present and potential consumers. As India is marching ahead with the liberalization and
globalization policy measures by the government, many MNCs are putting their all out efforts to
capture the market share in India. Also, as the consumers in India are become more educated and
realistic in their specific brand purchase based on their fair assessment of the companies due to their
quality consciousness. Hence, Indians are buying better quality home appliances for their use by
looking into various alternatives and analyzing the companies for better quality, low price, durability,
after sales service and warranty offered by the companies. The researchers of this paper have focused
on the consumer behaviour of the potential consumers of these home appliances in Visakhapatnam,
Andhra Pradesh, India.
Keywords: White goods, Home appliances and Consumer Behaviour etc.
Originality/value: In this research paper the Niceties of Consumer Behaviour in purchasing
Home Appliances in India is conducted at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Paper type: Research paper
Introduction
It is rightly pointed out that developing superior consumer marketing strategies relies upon many
psychological forces. The below Figure-01 tells us that trained marketers are conversant with a myriad
of the methods used to master consumer marketing in areas such as:

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Figure-01: Psychology of Consumer Behaviour

Source: http://www.launchengineering.com/Consumer_Marketing.htm
Motivation: Need hierarchy, Interdependency, Frustration, Projection are studied
Perception: Sensation & Threshold, Perceptual organisation, selection & interpretation, Imagery,
Positioning, Perceived Risk are important.
Learning: Conditioning, experience, cognition, reinforcement, discrimination, attitudes, decisionmaking, brand loyalty are the variables.
Personality: Traits, brand usage, Acceptance, segmentation, repositioning, promotions management
are identified.
Attitudes: Action-Tendency, exposure, conditioning, interpersonal influences, cognitive dissonance,
ego-defensive function, association.
Communications: Types, audience, source, medium, message, integration, Group Dynamics &
Consumer Reference Groups: Group dynamics. Consumer relevance, family life cycle, influencers &
influences are important.
Opinion leadership: Dynamics, measurement, profile, overlap, communication flow, stimulation,
promotions management, and group opinion & group opinion leaders can be used.
Social class & culture: Core values, implications, management, sub-cultures as market segments,
cross-cultural consumer analysis are useful.
Diffusion of Innovation: Adoption & adoptive process, barriers, characteristics are important.
Consumer Decision Making: Economic consumer, passive consumer, problem-solving consumer,
input-process-output are dependent on the above variables.
Comprehensive Models of Consumer Behaviour: Nicosia Model, Howard Sheth Model, Egel Kollat
Blackwell Model, Family decision making model are the standard models of consumer behaiour.

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Literature Review
We may understood that the Consumer behaviour focuses on how individuals make decisions to spend
their available resources (time, money, effort) on consumption-related items that includes what they
buy, why they buy, when they buy it, where they buy it, how often they buy it, how often they use it,
how they evaluate it after the purchase and the impact of such evaluations on future purchases, and
how they dispose of it. According to the researchers like Blackwell, the Consumer behaviour is
defined as a combination of emotional, mental and physical activity of an individual for purchase and
use of goods and services for a demand or need. Consumer behaviour is a field of study concentrating
on consumer activities (Rogers D. Blackwell). Also, Blackwell propounds that the consumer
includes both personal consumers and business, industrial, organizational consumers. According to
Kotler and Armstrong (2001), consumer buying behaviour refers to the buying behaviour of the
individuals and households who buy the goods and services for personal consumption as well as the
consumption of their friends. It is interesting to note that there are many components, which influence
consumer behaviour namely: cultural, social, personal and psychological. In the home appliances,
durable goods are those which dont wear out quickly, yielding utility over time rather than at once.
There are some examples of consumer durable goods include electronic equipment, home furnishings
and fixtures, photographic equipment, leisure equipment and kitchen appliances. Some other
researchers have further classified as white goods, Brown goods and Consumer Electronics. As per the
researchers like (Janki & Santhi (2013) in their study analyses customer response to the marketing
stimuli of home appliances and found that education and income of the respondents are the two socioeconomic variables which have significant association in all the stages which the buyers undergo while
purchasing home appliances. Another researcher, Rajput et al. (2012) in their research found positive
relationship between price and buying behaviour and negative relationship between quality and buying
behaviour in Pakistan. They found consumer as price sensitive so they are more price conscious rather
than quality. An Indian researcher, Vyas (2010) in his research found after sales service as important
variable in purchase of durables. Nowadays manufacturers are paying attention more towards
providing after sales services to the consumer to give immense satisfaction to the consumers. We may
witness in the present globalised economic scenario, it brought different cultures closer; now people
behave and consume in more similar manner than previous decades. Consumer society has become an
interesting topic for research works from different activities, which attempt to understand why people
try to identify themselves through consumption. This has results in an increase in the number and
variety of technological products is one of the reasons behind the interest in product experience (Demir
et al., 2006). The consumers have the product experience has three components: aesthetic experience,
experience of meaning and emotional experience (Desmet and Hekkert, 2007). It focuses to know the
main purpose of products is to satisfy consumers needs and desires. But nowadays, products must
satisfy beyond the functional and utilitarian needs of consumers. The consumer emotions enrich our
daily life, and hence, a new function for products is emerging, they must relate to consumers
emotionally to satisfy their emotional appeals. In a doctoral thesis Poul (2001) opined that advertising
fills the consumer information gap but the specific meanings attributed to advertising should be
viewed from different angles. He believed that based on this study, advertisers could interpret how
consumers form attitudes towards the advertisement and for their brands. The prevalent belief
according to Cramphom (1996) that successful advertising represents successful communication with
consumers. It was known that consumers evaluation and selection of major household appliances
involve various attributes, which impact on the environment in different ways. As per the new
researcher Chui, it was found that consumer prefers to have a price and quality rather than technical
aspects in durable goods (Chui et al. 2006). It is very important to note that the Customer Satisfaction
also to be studied while making assessment of consumer behaviour. So, the customer satisfaction is a
measure of how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation
(Kameswara Rao Poranki, Yusuf Perwej and Asif Perwej, January 2015). The authors in their research
paper has opined that (Kameswara Rao Poranki, Mohammed Abul Khair and Abdulaziz Khalid
Alotaibi, April 2014) customer satisfaction through standards tools of research however it was
understood that Customer satisfaction is a measure of how products and services supplied by a
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company. According to the first author of this research paper (Kameswara Rao Poranki 2014 and
2015) has defined as "the number of customers, or percentage of total customers, whose reported
experience with a firm, its products, or its services exceeds specified satisfaction goals in the present
globalized economic scenario. Also, Vyas (2010) in his research found after sales service as important
variable in purchase of durables. The factors influencing buying decision for example a television was
explained by Das et al. (2008) that price, quality, advertisement, recommendation from near and dears
etc. are very important factors. These researchers also stated that that the consumers perception on
buying color television is mostly affected by the factors such as structural add-ons, Word of mouth,
Technical features, Durability and Ground reality. In his research, Fukuyama (1992) argues that in the
era of the global triumph of capitalism, consumer goods begin to play a key role in satisfying the
human desire for recognition. Therefore, the role of brands and products becomes more important and
must be studied from different views in different markets. Consumers give identity to brands and
products. Brand forms in consumers mind by brands-related experiences and their emotions.
Marketers perceive brands as business and consumers perceive brands as an image. Finally, it is
noteworthy to mention that consumer may be wrong about their beliefs or perception about a product
or brand, but they have no misconception about their emotional responses toward them
(Chaudhuri,2006). However, emotion is not the only influential factor in consumer purchase behavior;
there are other factors which involve emotion both directly and indirectly.

Research Methodology
The researchers have taken a sample of 253 respondents of which 115 were men and 138 were women
in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. The sampling unit of the study was all users of home
Appliances in the age group of 25-50 yrs. of standard income group and primary and secondary data
was collected. We have used Frequency analysis and ranking method was used to analyze the
information given by respondents. The researchers have used Well-structured questionnaire was
framed and used for collection of data by contacting them in person.
Objectives
1. To assess the Niceties of Consumer Behaviour in buying home appliances.
2. To identify the information used by customers for decision making of branded of home
appliances.
3. To understand the features for which the prospective consumers' views when they buy any
branded home appliances.
4. To understand the consumer buying decision process
Hypotheses
1. It was hypothesized that there is no significant relationship between demographics and
consumer behaviour.
2. It was hypothesized that there is relationship between consumer behaviour and selection of
selective brand of Home Appliances.
Conclusion
We the researchers of this paper of the opinion that with the advent of high growth in consumer
markets due to flourished economic conditions in the present government of India and there is a
growing spending on consumer goods like home appliances. The researchers have conducted this study
at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. As per this study, the researchers concluded that, people in
Visakhapatnam city has relevant knowledge about varied brands of the Electronic Home Appliances.
The factors like factors like age, gender, marital status, qualification, occupation, income and family
type discerning the buying behavior of home appliances is based on this study the awareness level of
home Electronic Home appliances are reasonable in this City. The respondents have the relevant
knowledge on the renowned brands like Godrej, Whirlpool, LG, Samsung and other company brands.
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Based on grades and rankings given by respondents, the main factors involved in selecting home
appliances are price then brand name, then quality, then service and the last are the other offers given
by the retailer. Respondents are not much biased by retailers information is key in this research.
However, the media and advertising furnishes more necessary information when compare to other
medium of dissemination of information to the public. In the case of TV, respondents are influenced
by picture quality first, then sound, then screen quality, then size and color. And in the case of
refrigerator, respondents are influenced by efficiency first, then capacity, then sturdy, then storage
space, and then aesthetic of the refrigerator. In the case of washing machine, respondents are
influenced by efficiency first, then capacity, then sturdy, then storage space, and then aesthetic of the
Washing Machine. As in the case of air cooler respondents are influenced by cooling capacity first,
then efficiency then aesthetic. In the case of Microwave oven the respondents are influenced by
heating capacity first, then grill fry and storage, then defrost, and then aesthetic of the microwave
oven. Finally, the researchers recommend the future researchers to conduct this kind of research in
wider areas or cities in India to get plausible results.
References
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Thomson
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15) Kameswara Rao Poranki (2015) & Yusuf Perwej & Asif Perwej, 'The Level of Customer
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17) Poul, Jojo. (2001), Creativity in Advertising: Impact on communication effect and consumer
purchase behaviour.
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consumer buying behavior: Evidence from Pakistan. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary
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22) http://www.launchengineering.com/Consumer_Marketing.htm

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ANNEXURE
Table-001: Respondents age profile
S. No.
1
2
3

Age Group Respondents


25-35
94
35-45
83
45-50
76
Total
253

Percentage
37.15
32.81
30.04
100.00

Table-002: Respondents Gender


S. No.
Gender
Respondents Percentage
1
2

Male
Female
Total

115
138
253

45.45
54.55
100.00

Table-003: Respondents Marital Status


S. No.
Marital Status Respondents Percentage
1
2

Unmarried
Married
Total

47
206
253

18.58
81.42
100.00

Table-004: Respondents Educational Qualifications


S. No.
1
2
3
4

S. No.
1
2
3

S. No.
1
2
3
4

Qalifications

Respondents

Percentage

SSC
HSSC
Graduate
Post Graduate
Total

24
38
112
79
253

9.49
15.02
44.27
31.22
100.00

Table-005: Occupation of Respondents


Occupation
Respondents Percentage
(Job Sector wise)
Government Sector / Private
143
56.52
Business Sector
57
22.53
House wife
53
20.95
Total
253
100.00
Table-006: Monthly income of Respondents
Income
Respondents
Percentage
(Indian Rupees)
Rs.10000 -15000
83
32.81
Rs.15000-25000
116
45.85
Rs.25000-35000
32
12.65
Above Rs. 40000
22
08.69
Total
253
100.00

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Table-007: Family Type of Respondents


S.No
Type of Family
Respondents
Percentage
1 Nuclear Family 114
45.06
2 Joint Family
139
54.94
Total
253
100.00

Table-008: Brand Information source of Respondents





S.No.
1
2
3
4

TV Ads
157
62.06
Newspaper / Magazine 36
14.23
Hoardings
12
04.74
Exhibitions
48
18.97
Total
253
100.00
The above table tells us the brand information source of the Respondents

Table-009: Brand Awareness of Respondents

Brand Information Source Respondents Percentage

S.No
Brand Awareness
1 Below 3
2 Above 2
Total

Respondents
Percentage
118
46.64
135
53.36
253
100.00

Table-010: Influence of Advertisement on Respondents


S.No

Influences of Advertisements

Respondents

Percentage

1
2
3
4

Strongly persuaded
46
18.18
Persuaded
98
38.74
Fairly Induced
81
32.02
Not Induced / Motivated
28
11.06
Total
253
100.00
The above table tells us the influence of Advertisements on Respondents
Table-011: Consumer buying pattern of various brands of Home Appliances
Sl. No. Home Appliances
Microwave Owen
1
Television
2
Washing machine
3
Refrigerator
4
Air cooler
5

Samsung Whirlpool
127
53
0
106
89
41
57
65
68
71

LG
0
21
24
28
12

Godrej
61
87
61
67
48

Others Total
12
253
39
253
38
253
36
253
54
253

The above table tells us the Consumer buying pattern of various brands of Home Appliances

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Table-012: Consumer buying behaviour (features of Microwave Ovens)


Sl. No. Features Weight Samsung Whirlpool LG Godrej
Others Weighted Average
1
Capacity
4
63
58
55
54
23
253
2
Efficiency
5
60
53
58
51
31
253
3
Storage
3
53
50
53
49
48
253
4
Aesthetic
2
57
51
54
58
33
253
5
Sturdy
5
49
42
60
64
38
253

The above table tells us the Consumer buying preferences (features of Microwave Ovens)
Table-013: Consumer buying behaviour (features of TVs)
Sl. No.
Features
Weight Samsung Whirlpool LG Godrej Others Weighted Average
1
Picture Quality
5
0
106
35 94
18
253
2
Sound Quality
4
0
79
22 66
86
253
3
Screen Quality
3
0
56
45 77
75
253
4
Size
4
0
24
36 49
144
253
5
Color
5
0
64
69 61
59
253
The above table tells us the Consumer buying preferences (features of TVs)
Table-014: Consumer buying behaviour (features of Washing Machines)
Sl. No. Features Weight Samsung Whirlpool LG Godrej Others Weighted Average
1
Capacity
4
60
42
51
29
71
253
2
Efficiency
5
56
39
48
35
75
253
3
Storage
3
63
58
47
43
42
253
4
Aesthetic
2
47
56
49
55
46
253
5
Sturdy
5
49
45
54
51
54
253
The above table tells us the Consumer buying preferences (features of Washing Machines)
Table-015: Consumer buying behaviour (features of Refrigerators)
Sl. No.
Features
Weight Samsung Whirlpool LG Godrej Others Weighted Average
1
Cooling Capacity
5
25
31
27
29
141
253
2
Efficiency
4
31
37
29
31
125
253
3
Space
2
37
34
31
36
115
253
4
Aesthetic
3
32
35
34
31
121
253
5
Sturdy
2
34
30
38
32
119
253
The above table tells us the Consumer buying preferences (features of Refrigerators)

Sl. No.
1
2
3
4
5

Table-016: Consumer buying behaviour (features of Air Coolers)


Features
Weight Samsung Whirlpool LG Godrej Others Weighted Average
Heating Capacity
5
41
46
59
48
59
253
Grill Fry
4
55
51
54
49
44
253
Defrost
3
62
51
60
57
23
253
Storage
4
59
57
51
60
26
253
Aesthetic
1
65
61
63
59
05
253
The above table tells us the Consumer buying preferences (features of Air Coolers)

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