15A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

Introduction
      I used two of the same people that I interviewed for the last assignment while choosing a third new individual who also fits the same market segmentation that I used for the last assignment.

Alternative Evaluation
      Out of the three people I interviewed, all of them stated that price and quality matters when buying a product, however one of the three people, that being of the younger market segment, stated that she may choose price over quality only when it is a matter of convenience or time is of the essence. All of them however did not see style as a large factor when buying products that they need or enjoy using, however I was not really asking questions that regarding "fashionable" items that would be purchased, mostly just talking about necessities or things they buy regularly.

How? Where?
      Two of the people I interviewed were close to my age range, and they said they do most of their shopping online, however needs are done out of convenience in-stores. They both said that they only use cash when they have it, but mostly use cards. The other person I interviewed is 42 years old, and does most of their shopping in stores, and only finances when it is something expensive. The two younger people I interviewed do not buy many things in which they needed to finance for.

Post-Purchase Evaluation
      This question was pretty unanimous in that my interviewees all agreed that they are very mindful when they purchase items and most of their thought process is based on need and saving their money, which I think is a "rightful" way to go about spending anyways. However, they also stated that when a purchase was a "bad idea", it is when they bought something that was expensive, not good quality, and not something that they needed at all.

Conclusion
      Considering that my market segment is quite broad, I thought that these interviews helped narrow down the age ranges of the segment. The younger customers pay more attentiveness to what they are spending and how much they are spending, while the older customers have the money the spend so spend a little more freely every now and again. I think that this makes sense since some college students are focused more on money and saving it, and other adult middle-class citizens who have full-time careers feel the right to treat themselves more.