Imagine the most mind-numbing choice you’ve faced recently, one in which the possibilities almost paralyzed you: buying a dress, choosing a degree major, figuring out which restaurant for dinner?
I found it’s more significant when there is overload of options and information available in online for us to decide. Indeed, research shows that overload of options may actually paralyze people or push them into decisions that are against their own best interest (Tugend 2010). Consequently, when they encounter a new decision they must make, they react with a decision that seemed to work before (Tugend 2010).
According to Solomon, Russell-Bennett and Previte 2010, when we purchase something, we will go through consumer decision making process to evaluate and choose products. It can be broken down into 5 steps: (1) problem recognition, (2) information search, (3) evaluation of alternatives, (4) product choice and (5) post purchase. For example, one month ago, I had decided to buy a Fuji Instax Mini Film and I went through a series of decision making process stages before I bought it.
- Problem recognition
The first stage of the process is working out what exactly customer needs.
In my case I noticed that I had almost finished all instax films for my Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Camera, and I decided to buy more packs of the film to restock in case of need.
- Information search
Information search is the process by which consumers survey their environment for appropriate data to make a reasonable decision (also called pre-purchase search).
I have known what specific brand that I need to buy but I was now faced with a choice of where to buy. Due to my prior purchase experience of the product, I’m trying to look for two pack of 10 films for no more than $25. So I’ve been searching around both in store and online, which includes Officework, K-Mart, JB-HiFi, Wish and E-bay. (All of the stores were within my ‘Evoked Set’)
- Evaluation of alternatives
After gathering relevant information, this step is to evaluate the various alternatives available in the market and choose the best option available as per his need, taste and pocket.
I compared several websites about the price and the quality of product. Through online research, I found that most of the stores sell it for around $27 for 2 packs while Wish are having a promotion sales and only sell for $28 for 6 packs!!!!!
- Product choice
The customer has now decided based on the knowledge gathered what to purchase and where to purchase what they desire.
I’ve choose Wish! Despite of the long waiting and functional risk that I might face, I choose the cheapest one because it does not cost much and I’m willing to take the risk.
- Post purchase
Post purchase evaluation refers to a customer’s analysis whether the product was useful for him or not.
After purchase the instax film online, it took around one month to delivery to my house. And the instax film are totally fine which so far I’ve not encountered any functional problem.
References
Tugend A 2010, ‘Too many choices: A problem that can paralyze’, The New York Times, assessed 23/3/ 2019, February 26, <https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/your-money/27shortcuts.html>
Solomon, R, Russell-Bennett, R & Previte, J 2019, ‘Consumer behaviour: buying, having, being’, 4th edn, Pearson Australia, VIC.
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