cold drinks

1. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Consumer buying behaviour is a human behaviour with a procedure associating
numerous events which involves analyzing, feeling and behaving, as an individual
address the existing needs. As a field of study, consumer behaviour is the science of
studying a set of value-seeking activities in exchange of their existing resources such
as; time, money and effort of consumers which is motivated by addressing real needs.
The aim of marketing is to meet and satisfy target customers needs and wants. The
field of consumer behaviour studies how individuals and organizations select buy,
use, and dispose of goods, services, ideas or experiences to satisfy their needs and
desires. Understanding consumer behaviour and “knowing consumers “are never
simple. Customers may say one thing but do another. They may not be in touch with
their deeper motivations. They may respond to influences that change their mind at
the last minute.
Consumer Behaviour:
The starting point for understanding buyer is the stimulus response model. Marketing
and environmental stimuli enter the buyer’s consciousness. The buyer’s
characteristics and decision process lead to certain purchase decisions. The marketers
taste is to understand what happens in the buyer’s consciousness between the arrival
of outside stimuli and buyer’s purchase decision. A consumer’s buying behaviour is
influenced by cultural, social, personal, psychological factors. Cultural factors exert
the broadest and deepest influence
Existing Findings
CASE I: As stated by Solomon, consumer behaviour is the study of process when
individuals make selection, usage or disposal of products and services during
purchase in order to meet their needs and fulfil their desires (Solomon, Bamossy,
Askegaard, & Hogg, 2010).
CASE II: Consumer behaviour focuses on the behaviour of frequently changing
human needs and wants that an individual parade in searching for, purchasing,
utilizing, evaluating the products and services that they expect will fulfil their wants
and desires (Schiffman, Kanuk, & Hansen, 2012).

2. CASE III: Consumers make different types of decisions in everyday life. The
decision consumer makes while purchasing is the focal point that marketers try to
study. In this competitive business world, it has become important for every
organization to put great effort on researching consumer buying behaviour to
find out detailed information on what consumers purchase, where, when and why
they purchase, how and how much they purchase (Kotler & Armstrong, 2012).
CASE IV: Problem recognition appears when consumer sees a significant difference
between his/her current state of affair or actual state and some desired or ideal state
(Belch & Belch, 2003). A person’s actual state can decline if they are not satisfied
with the current state of affairs, or if they are out of stock, or if new needs or
wants are evolved (Solomon, Bamossy, Askegaard, & Hogg, 2010).
CASE V: In general consumer behaviour theory, a need can be triggered by either
internal stimuli such as hunger and thirst or external stimuli such as advertisement or
suggestion from friends (Kotler & Armstrong, 2012). Consumer will acquire
information after the problem has been recognized. The information can be obtained
from various sources like family, friends, acquaintances, websites, trader, mass
media, promotion and displays in shops, advertising, or using the product (Kotler &
Armstrong, 2012).
CASE VI: In stage of evaluation, consumers will upgrade their own evaluation
standard by comparing acquired alternatives from various information search. Criteria
of evaluation that consumer can use may be objective like price and subjective
attributes such as image and performance (Belch & Belch, 2003).
CASE VII: Purchase decision is an outcome of evaluation of alternatives. Blech and
Blech (2003) describe this stage as the end goal of a customer which starts with mind
makeup of the product that customer desires or wishes to purchase. Buyer solves
his/her problems and satisfy his/her needs and desires and evaluate various
alternatives and make product selection and ultimately make a purchase. This
ultimate stage is the stage of purchase decision.

3. CASE VIII: Kotler (2012) stated that “a marketer’s job does not end when the
product is bought”. Also, Blech and Blech (2003) mentioned post purchase evaluation
as an important stage for marketers where customers evaluate and analyses the
product after experiencing its performance if the purchase met their expectations,
exceeded expectations or left them disappointed.
CASE IX: According to the Debadutta (2012) connecting communities across
continents have shrunken the world into the small desktop. Tremendous flows of
information and revolution in communication technology have pivotal impact on the
world community and global business. The conglomerates around the globe plugged
into this information super highway in order to ensure their competitive edge in the
global commerce. In this direction mobile handsets contribution is revolutionary.
CASE X: Justin Beneke has done a study to examine the influence of perceived
product quality, relative price and risk, respectively, on perceived product value
and, ultimately, consumers’ willingness to buy Fast Moving Consumer Goods. The
particular context is that of store brand household cleaning products. Respondents
were recruited through an in-store survey and the data analyzed using PLS path
modelling. The results verify those proposed by Sweeney, Soutar & Johnson (1999).
Strong relationships between perceived relative price and perceived product value, as
well as between perceived product value and willingness-to-buy, were found to exist.
A powerful negative relationship was observed between perceived product quality and
perceived risk. The results indicate that establishing a value perception is critical in
the buying process. Tangible cues exhibiting high quality (e.g. packaging, shelf space,
media placement, etc) need profound attention. Furthermore, it is suggested that risk,
which plays an important part in the consumer decision process, is minimized through
optimal retail service quality and customer reassurances.

4. CASE XI: Bala, Kumar& Rao (2012) have done a study to analyze the existing
buying behaviour of Instant Food Products by individual households and to predict
the demand for Instant Food Products of Hyderabad city in Andra Padesh. All the
respondents were aware of pickles and Sambar masala but only 56.67 per cent of
respondents were aware of Dosa/Idli mix. About 96.11 per cent consumers of
Dosa/Idli mix and more than half of consumers of pickles and Sambar masala
prepared their own. Low cost of home preparation and differences in tastes were the
major reasons for non consumption, whereas ready availability and save time of
preparation were the reasons for consuming Instant Food Products.
Retail shops are the major source of information and source of purchase of Instant
Food Products. The average monthly expenditure on Instant Food Products was found
to be highest in higher income groups. The average per capita purchase and per capita
expenditure on Instant food Products had a positive relationship with income of
households. High price and poor taste were the reasons for not purchasing
particular brand whereas best quality, retailers influence and ready availability
were considered for preferring particular brand of products by the consumers.
CASE XII: Xihao & Yang’s study investigating the difference of reference group
influences on consumer behaviour in cell phone purchasing decisions between the cell
phone users in the U.S. and China. Specifically, three types of reference group
influence (informational influence, utilitarian influence, and value-expressive
influence) are examined in this study. The data for this study are collected from a
web-based questionnaire survey with over 200 participants in each country. The
preliminary results indicate that there are significant differences in the cell phone
consumer purchasing patterns in terms of those social reference group
influences, due to differences in some fundamental cultural and social traditions
between the U.S. and China. Based on the results of this study, managerial insights
and practical implications for marketing strategies in the cell phone market are
recommended accordingly.

5. Variables:
X1: usage or disposal of products and services during purchase
X2: behaviour of frequently changing human needs and wants
X3: put great effort on researching consumer buying behaviour to find out
detailed information on what consumers purchase
X4: A person’s actual state can decline if they are not satisfied with the current
state of affairs, or if they are out of stock, or if new needs or wants are evolved
X5: information can be obtained from various sources
X6: objective like price and subjective attributes such as image and performance
X7: satisfy his/her needs and desires and evaluate various alternatives and make
product selection and ultimately make a purchase
X8: customers evaluate and analyses the product after experiencing its
performance
X9: ensure their competitive edge in the global commerce
X10: study to examine the influence of perceived product quality, relative price
X11: High price and poor taste were the reasons for not purchasing particular
brand whereas best quality, retailers influence and ready availability were
considered for preferring particular brand of products by the consumers.
X12: consumer purchasing patterns in terms of those social reference group
influences