Consumer Behaviour

This study explores the nature of consumer behaviour and its impact on marketing strategies. It focuses on the services, communication, and processes used by Harvey Norman, a multinational retail company, to influence customer behaviour. The aim is to identify the services and processes incorporated in the Harvey Norman retail website that help in persuading customer behaviour.

Running head: CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Consumer Behaviour
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author notes:

1CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Discussion..................................................................................................................................2
Services..................................................................................................................................2
Communication......................................................................................................................3
Processes................................................................................................................................3
Summary and Recommendation................................................................................................4
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................5

2CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Introduction
In order to gain competitive advantage in a particular market, marketers of every
organisations needs to carry out research regarding the taste and preferences of the customer
community. Consumer behaviour is the nature of behaviour of the customer community of a
specific market in accordance with their demands and preferences mechanism (Stephen,
2016). It is crucial for companies to carry out market research to identify the behaviour that
the consumers subject to (Wirtz et al., 2016). This helps the marketer of companies in
framing strategies and developing products or service in accordance to the behaviour of the
consumer. Furthermore they can implement marketing tactics through which they can
influence and persuade the customers’ behaviour. The aim of the study is to identify the
services and processes that are incorporated in the Harvey Norman retail website, that help in
persuading the behaviour of the customers.
Discussion
Harvey Norman is a multinational retail company that is based in Australia. The
company offers electronics, furniture and household products to the market by operating as
franchises across Australia and the headquarters of the company is in NSW, Australia
(Harveynorman.com.au, 2019). Their retail website has been used to motivate purchase
decision of the customers and incorporates a great deal of sales promotional activities that are
intended towards increasing the turnover generated by the company.
Services
There exists a vast array of services that are highlighted in the retail website of the
company. The website incorporates catalogues, it offers flexibility through the store finder
facility and the service of gifting apart from form the regular products that are offered in their
website. The website provides a sense of flexibility to the visitors of the websites. The

3CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
website has listed products that range from electronics, computer appliances, kitchen
products, healthcare and home care appliances (Harveynorman.com.au, 2019). It can be said
that the company have put forward all the services that would be offered in the physical retail
store and thus have shown their affiliation to the needs of the consumers.
Communication
The company has effectively developed their website in accordance to the needs of a
vast section of customers. Through their website, they have been able to effectively
communicate about their products to the consumers. From the website, it has been found that
the company has incorporated a great deal of sales promotional activities that are supposedly
devised to increase the turnover of the company and persuade the prospective customers into
actual customers. The company has showcased affinity to the needs of the customers by
providing lucrative offers through constant sales that are being extensively carried out.
Furthermore, they have been able to incorporate an online chat support that is intended to
help the customers in making their purchase decisions. They main aim of the latter is to help
customers with required counselling regarding their offers and to make the purchase decision
hindrance free for the customers.
Processes
In order to generate sales and create an urge in the customers, the marketing division
of a company has to go through some steps. These steps help in turning prospective
customers into actual customers. Following is the process that is employed by companies in
facilitate consumer purchase decision;
1. Need generation: The first stage of generating turnover is creation of the need in the
mind of the customer (Yap & Yazdanifard, 2014). The need can be generated in the
customers by carefully scrutinising the needs of the customers.

4CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
2. Gathering of information: In order to generate customer purchase decisions the
companies should carry out extensive market research regarding the taste and
preferences of the customers. Information can thus be used by the companies and
strategies devised according to the needs, are devised in the websites.
3. Alternative evaluation: The website has an array of products from which the visitors
can choose from. This is an opportunity that has been identified by the company as
prospective ground of exposing the customers to sales promotional activities.
4. Purchase decision: A smooth and simple process is implemented in the period of
purchase. The consumers receive guidance regarding the steps which smoothens the
process.
5. Post purchase behaviour: The post purchase behaviour is monitored by taking
feedback and by providing support and grievance redressal.
Summary and Recommendation
The company has been able to implement a fair amount of sales promotional activities
in their retail websites. These activities are aimed at implementation of consumer purchase
decisions. The activities carried out by the company influence the behaviour of the consumers
and thus help in generation of increased amount of turnover. The latter is backed up by
favourable, services, communication and processes.
The company has favourable processes and policies. However it lacks marketing.
Thus it is recommended that the company should employ a decent amount of marketing
activities such as advertising and PR events.

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REFERENCES
Harveynorman.com.au. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.harveynorman.com.au/about-
harvey-norman-online
Harveynorman.com.au. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.harveynorman.com.au/
San Yap, C. W., & Yazdanifard, R. (2014). How consumer decision making process differ
from youngster to older consumer generation. Journal of Research in Marketing, 2(2),
151-156.
Stephen, A. T. (2016). The role of digital and social media marketing in consumer
behavior. Current Opinion in Psychology, 10, 17-21.
Wirtz, B. W., Pistoia, A., Ullrich, S., & Göttel, V. (2016). Business models: Origin,
development and future research perspectives. Long range planning, 49(1), 36-54.