1. The Consumer Decision Process (CDP) Model
• Need Recognition
• Search for Information
• Pre-Purchase Evaluation
• Purchase
• Consumption
• Post consumption evaluation
• Divestment
As the model above states the various steps involved in the decision process of a customer, it signifies
their co-relatedness, as any of the former establishes the basis for the later.
Need Recognition:
Customers only act to buy something, if the need is felt. This state arises from the degree of difference
between the desired and actual state of affairs. Thus the need is the base of every decision
Recognition of the need of the customer and provision of the value accordingly is main driver of success
for every company.
The primary objective of every restaurant is to provide the feasible and versatile meal for the customers
at a price, same in our scenario of Campus Kitchen, the objective remains to be same with an addition to
it that the prices should be affordable.
During the need recognition phase of the Campus Kitchen business, we need to consider aspects like the
versatility of the food, for example operating in a multi-cultural environment where the customers
include foreigners as well as Indians; the penetration rate would be slow if the environmental and
individual influences are not considered. In other words Indians would prefer spicy foods while
foreigners mostly prefer a low-fat and less spicy food items.
Search for Information:
Once the customers get to know that they need something, they would rush to gain the appropriate
information on the basis of which they would make an appropriate decision.

2. The search for information can be from various sources. We would like to disseminate the appropriate
and sufficient information in a timely mannered fashion to the customers to each corner.
The provision of information for the customers would include various communication strategies, like
posting of the information on the university sites, publishing posters and banners in every foot-falls of
the university
We will also reap the benefit of the social networking sites in disseminating and wide spreading the
information of Campus Kitchen.
As far as the information is concerned, we will try to fill every gap so that to ensure that the quality and
sufficient piece of information is always available to the decision makers.
Pre-Purchase Evaluation:
The customers always prefer the best, and would like to be profited every time; hence their decisions
are mostly based upon a proper evaluation before implementation.
Proper access to the proper information will help facilitate the pre-purchase evaluation of the
customers, as the customers would get the answers for every question which they have for the product
in consideration.
Our strategy will be to help the customers avail the right and sufficient information at the right time
about Campus Kitchen, which makes the comparison decision easy.
The main challenge is to stimulate the customers to go for our product, because the subsequent
purchases would be gained by the satisfaction. Once the customers are encouraged to avail the services
of Campus Kitchen and get served there, our service and food quality will ensure their future visits.
Purchase:
The purchase phase of the decision encompasses the actual delivery of the good which is already
evaluated among the alternatives against the price paid for it.
This phase is the implementation of the decision, it is undertaken with the hope to fulfill the need to the
widest extent possible.
Once our customers get the information about the Campus Kitchen, we would like to provide all the
possible facilities to their convenience, for example we might provide them packing of meals, home-
delivery etc. Based on our provision of the services, our customers will have an option of the mode of
purchase.

3. Consumption:
The good purchased maybe consumed or stored, it depends upon the nature of the product, but once
it’s consumed the feedback for the product arises.
If the feedback is positive it is said to have gained the satisfaction level, or in other words the need is
fulfilled, but if it’s negative it is said that either the product had some shortcomings or the expectation
level was high. The former case mostly leads in the promotion of the product while the later may affect
vice versa.
As far as the nature of the fast-food is concerned, it is to be consumed on the time of purchase or within
a short span of time; hence the consumption occurs close to the purchase. Our strategy would be to
provide the consumption facility like chairs and tables and all the requirement for the customers to have
their meal in the premises of the Campus Kitchen, but if a customer desires to take the food away, we
will be ready to pack the meal in a manner that the quality and durability of the food is ensured.
Post Consumption Evaluation:
As stated earlier the customers while consuming a product, are either satisfied or unsatisfied. The level
of satisfaction and dissatisfaction lies upon the degree of the need fulfillment.
There is no single product which is not evaluated after consumption. Indeed post consumption
evaluation is inevitable.
In case of our product, the customers would definitely provide their feedback by frequent visit from
Campus Kitchen, or by decrease in the number of the consumers. The latter case would suggest for a
behavioral study of the customers that what makes them not to buy a product of our kitchen.
Divestment:
The last stage of the CDP model emphasize on the fact that the demand for a particular product will not
remain the same it may decline after a certain period of time. The availability of the close substitute for
the product and unfair pricing models may result in reduction of the demand level.
So we have a strategy to go with variety of foods and meals because the customers should never get
bored of having the same menu. The strategy will be expansion rather than replacement, it means that
additional items would be added to the menu so that the customers find enough ground to exactly get
their order placed.

4. It’s noticeable that every steps of CDP is to be followed and considered carefully in order to establish a
well-base for the operation of a business. Our business of Campus Kitchen as well require due
consideration. Consumers are the decision makers and we can never force them to buy something they
don’t like, meanwhile no one can force them not to buy something they like.
Hence the customers may escape a step but the sequence remains same, for instance a customer might
not search for information or might not undergo the pre-purchase evaluation stage, but purchase the
product and undergo the subsequent stages. It means that the customers need not necessarily go all the
eight steps of the CDP model, but the sequence remains same, as in the above case a customer will still
consume what he purchase and will declare a post-consumption behavior.