GCSE Home Economics (updated July 2013)

Barriers and Influences

Affecting Consumer
Behaviour

Barriers
The following factors can act as barriers...
disability
age
ethnicity
knowledge
resources (time, money, location)

Disability
Physical barriers
Perceived barriers

Hidden disabilities
Socially isolated
BBC Learning Zone Clip:

disabled people have

a fear of
complaining which
is related to their low
levels of confidence
Quote from Consumer
Proficiency research1

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/6034.bb.wmv
N.B. Left click in slide show to activate internet link to clip (also referenced in Effective
Consumer materials list)
1.Consumer Knowledge well, what do you know? March 2004

Age Older Consumers

Those who cant

jump into a car are
losing out and are at
the mercy of family
and friends, home
help or deliveries.

Those buy
one get one
free are no
good for me
because by
the time I use
one, the other
is out of date.

Cooking information
is usually small and
virtually unreadable,
very difficult to
compare like with
like.

Quotes from: Silver Service? Are supermarkets meeting the needs of older
consumers? Consumer Council in partnership with Age Concern, November 2007
>>>Play Silver Service DVD (copies available on request from the Consumer Council)

Age Older Consumers

Levels of online shopping are lowest amongst
older people aged 65+
Only 10 per cent of over 65s shopped online at
least once a month and 82 per cent never
shopped online

Source: Canny Consumers? Are consumers standing up for their rights?

Consumer Council, August 2012 www.consumercouncil.org.uk/publications

Age Younger Consumers

Young consumers aged 16-24 considered themselves
to be not well informed about their consumer rights
However, 69 per cent of 16-24 year olds say they feel
confident in speaking up if something goes wrong with
goods or services theyve bought.

Source: Canny Consumers? Are consumers standing up for

their rights. Consumer Council, August 2012

Ethnicity
Language barriers
Prejudice
Cultural differences
Social isolation

Knowledge
In general, consumer skills remain less well
developed among:
young people (15-24)
older people (55+)
those living on a low income
Source: Canny Consumers? Are consumers standing up for their rights.
Consumer Council, August 2012

Other barriers
1 in 4 people of working age in Northern Ireland have
low literacy levels.
Discuss the problems this could cause a
consumer

Resources
Time
Working
hours

Money
Low
income

Location
Rural

Dependents Access to
credit

Food deserts

Lack of time Financial

to do
capability
research

Transport

Quote from Consumer Council Disability Panel member

N.B This list

is not
exhaustive!

Shopping
around is a
luxury that
some cant
afford

7 Consumer Tests*
Access: can people get the goods or services they need or want?
Choice: is there any?
Safety: are the goods or services dangerous to health or welfare?
Information: is it available, accurate, accessible and useful?
Fairness: are some consumers unfairly discriminated against?
Redress: if things go wrong, is there a system for putting them right?

Representation: do consumers have a say in how goods or services

are provided?

* The 7 consumer tests were developed in the 1970s and are still used today to
measure the delivery of goods and services in private and public sectors

Influences on Consumer Behaviour

i.e. What makes us shop where and for

what?

Impact of Marketing
Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they
dont have for something they dont need. Will Rogers
I have always believed that writing advertisements is the second
most profitable form of writing. The first of course is ransom
notes Philip Dusenberry

In 1937, Disney licensed Snow Whites image before the film

release, creating demand for Snow White goodstoday, we still see
childrens filmed linked with marketing for toys, clothing, burger
meal deals etc

Targeting Young Consumers

advertising at its best is making people feel that without their

product, youre a loser. Kids are very sensitive to that. If you
tell them to buy something, they are resistant. But, if you tell them
that theyll be a dork if they dont, youve got their attention.
You open up emotional vulnerabilities

Nancy Shalek, Shalek Agency, cited in Juliet. B. Schors Born to Buy: the

commercialised child and the new consumer culture, Scribner, 2004

Targeting Young Consumers

The average 10 year old had internalised 300 400

brands 20 times the number of wild birds they could
name!
Nickeodean study 2001

Social Psychology of Food

Parents struggle hard to protect their children from

bullying and make sure that their childrens

lunchboxes are as full as their classmates. In this way,
snacks like crisps or chocolate are not seen as luxuries
but a way for their children to participate in
conventional behaviour

Middleton, S., Ashworth, K. and Walker, R., Family Fortunes: pressures on parents and children in the
1990s, Child Poverty Action Group, 1994

Influencing Factors
Cultural
Economic
Environmental and ethical
Personal
Physiological
Psychological and
Social

Influencing Factors
Cultural

Someone of Chinese origin might shop for

specific ingredients at an Asian
supermarket
Can you think of other examples?

Influencing Factors
Economic

A person living on a tight budget would be

unlikely to buy luxury items as part of their
weekly food shop.

Can you think of other examples?

Influencing Factors
Environmental and ethical

A shopper opposed to animal cruelty may

choose not to buy products that have been
tested on animals.

Can you think of other examples?

Influencing Factors
Personal
A teenager might feel more comfortable
downloading music online, whereas an
older consumer might prefer to purchase a
CD.

Can you think of other examples?

Influencing Factors

Physiological
Someone who is trying to lose weight may
wish to avoid fast food and high sugar
snacks.

Can you think of other examples?

Influencing Factors
Psychological
Some shops play music designed to make
consumers feel good, stay longer and buy
more.

Can you think of other examples?

Influencing Factors
Social
Some consumers are influenced by trends
and want the latest must-have toys,
fashion items or technology.

Can you think of other examples?

You Were Spotted! Activity

Cultural
Economic
Environmental and
ethical
Personal
Physiological
Psychological and
Social

Taken from the What

influences consumer
behaviour lesson plan,
match the character(s) to
the activity and say what
the influencing factors is

You Were Spotted! Activity

1. Spottedshopping for chilies,
sausages and sweet potatoes at
Saturdays Farmers Market.

2. Spottedbuying fresh haddock

reduced to 1 because its nearing
its use-by date.

3. Spotteddisposing of used
plastic carrier bags at the
supermarket collection bin.

5. Spottedloading a trolley with

half price bedding plants and
compost.

4. Spottedcoming back from the

sales, trying to juggle several
shopping bags whilst chatting on
the mobile.

6. Spottedat the till,

filling a rucksack with
shopping essentials.

8. Spottedat the electrical counter

in Tesco discussing the merits of a
camera phone with the salesperson.

10. Spottedat the cinema with a

home-made picnic of sandwiches,
crisps and fruit juices.

7. Spottedqueuing at a
late night Spar to buy
milk.

9. Spottedtaking
delivery of shopping
which was ordered
online.

Recap on resources
Lesson Plans
Being a consumer
What influences consumer behaviour
What type of yoghurt are you?
Multimedia
BBC Learning Zone Clip re: disability
Silver Service DVD re: older consumers
Buy Rights Have Your Say re: young consumers