Consumer Behaviour and Market Research

This assignment explores consumer behavior at the UK-based retailer Primark, examining factors driving purchasing decisions. It delves into market research techniques, emphasizing the design of a customer satisfaction survey to gauge consumer perceptions of Primark products. The report analyzes theoretical frameworks and practical applications for understanding and responding to consumer needs.

Marketing
Intelligence
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INTRODUCTION
The report will help in understanding about the purchase making decision on what steps are
involved in the decision making process while making the purchase. How the marketing
techniques are used to do the overall development of the market and in what ways it can
contribute. The entire focus is upon the behaviour of the consumer and how he behaves while
making the purchase. Everything related o his preferences, taste, trend and market culture is been
studied to make the concept very clear. It will describe the meaning of various terms like
reliability of the market, research findings and how to make the use of the secondary resources
data.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
TASK...............................................................................................................................................4
1.1 Purchase decision making process in reference to Primark...................................................4
1.2 Theory of buyer behaviour....................................................................................................5
1.3 Factors affecting buyer’s behaviour......................................................................................5
1.4 Brand loyalty, corporate image, repeat purchase at Primark.................................................6
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................7
2.1 Market research techniques...................................................................................................7
2.2 Marketing research objective through marketing research objective....................................7
2.3 Validity and reliability of market research finding................................................................8
2.4 Research plan for collecting the information.........................................................................9
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................10
3.1 Market size trends................................................................................................................10
3.2 Competitor analysis.............................................................................................................10
3.3 Opportunities and threat of the Primark..............................................................................11
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................12
4.1 Techniques of assessing customer response........................................................................12
4.2 Customer satisfaction survey...............................................................................................12
4.3 Criteria for successful survey..............................................................................................13
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15
Books and journals....................................................................................................................15
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TASK
1.1 Purchase decision making process in reference to Primark
The purchase making decision making is the journey of the customer which let him decides his
priority and preferences while making the purchase. There are various steps through which he
goes while making the purchase. The behaviour of the buyer is not important for the salesman
but also for making the effective sales strategy to sustain in the competitive market.
1. Problem or identifying the need- The first and foremost step involved in the process is
that when the customer identifies his need and problem that is when the question arises
why is he need the particular product and how much urgent or important it is for him.
2. Information search- The next stage is when the consumer searches about the product
and tries to find out the relevant information regarding the product about the may be
through print, visual ads, etc.
3. Evaluation of the alternatives- After this the customer make the evaluation , he selects
the best option out of the various prevailing alternative which is most suitable for him.
4. Purchase decision- And then the customer takes the final decision of what he is really
going to purchase to satisfy his needs.
5. Post purchase decision- Lastly he compares his expectations with his satisfaction level
with the past product decision.
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Need
recognition
Information
search
Evaluate
activities
Purchase
decision
Post
purchase
behaviour

1.2 Theory of buyer behaviour
Rational actor theory under this theory it has been stated that the customer makes
decisions on the rational bases where he finds out what would be the most suitable for
him and predict that which course of action will benefit him the most and will satisfy his
needs and demands and accordingly they make the decisions. Secondly there is new
institutional economics theory this theory says that the rationality of the buying behaviour
is unknown here as the customer according to this theory is unaware of the future
prediction. For an instance if the consumer buys the ticket of the cricket match, there may
be the chance of rain or any other uncertainly thirdly theories of perception this theory
defines that every individual has different perception and different taste regarding the
purchase and the product for an instance some of the people look after the quality may
that be expensive where some of the customers believe in buying trending and cheap cost
product.
1.3 Factors affecting buyer’s behaviour
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Psychological
Factors
Social Factors
Cultural
factors
Economic
factors
Personal
Factors

Psychological factors – The buying behaviour of the consumer depends upon the various
factors which influences the customer.
1.Motivation – The consumer gets motivated if his need is urgent or very important for
e.g. the need of thirst or hunger or any type of his basic need then the consumer gets
motivated by that and its becomes a factor for buying.
2. Perception – Another important thing which comes into this category is the term
perception. Humans have considerably more than 6 senses. As they do not make the
decision while keeping only single factor in their mind but by focusing upon various
other factors as well like reviews from friend, relatives, radio, visuals etc. Social Factors
As the humans are nothing but the social animal and lives in the society of humans where
socialism has become an important part. The customer makes the decision by taking
feedback from his friends and from his experience, references, status. Cultural factors
explains that the customer make the purchase by also considering his caste, culture,
values and religion. Economic factors plays an vital role while making the purchase as it
is totally dependent upon the customer’s personal income, family income, expected
income, savings. Liquid assets, personal property. Personal factors includes the age, life
style, living standard, occupation, qualification, education which affects or can be said
influenced by such factors.
1.4 Brand loyalty, corporate image, repeat purchase at Primark
Brand loyalty is the kind of positive feeling of the customer towards the brand and also
their dedication and trust related to the brand which provokes or influences him to recite
to the same brand over and over again despite of the various competitors in the market or
any prevailing changes in the environment. The influence can also be through the various
feedbacks of the customer or might be demonstrate through word of mouth. Whereas the
Corporate image is entirely the mental picture or image which comes first in the mind of
the customer’s when they talk about any company or bran. It is the positive or negative
image one carries in their mind. As it is never constant or remains the same but it keep on
changing with the change in the trend and the change in the prevailing environment. This
also changes with the media, coverage, reputations, goodwill, and also the public
perception regarding the brand or the product. Changes could appear over night. And so
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there are companies who uses various techniques and methods to promote or enhance
their image in the market they also use the method of dress code. This helps to build the
strong image. Where if we talk about the repeat purchasing it is when the consumer buys
the product of the same brand previously and buys the same over and over again is
known as repeat purchasing. This also determines the measure of trust and loyalty of the
customer towards the brand and the company.
TASK 2
2.1 Market research techniques
Surveys –Using this straight forward and concise method we could easily underrated the
preferences of the consumer and their taste. Surveys are of different types which include
telephone surveys which are usually expensive and require good communication to deal
with the consumers and ask them about their tastes and the preferences regarding the
product or the brand, another one-in person surveys which are one on one personal
interviews with the customer where you can ask direct questions to the consumer and can
know about their queries. Also people are given sample products to use them and get
immediate feedback from the same. Then there are also mail surveys which are relatively
expensive way to reach to the broader audience. And another one is online survey where
usually customers are asked to rank the product may be quality wise brand wise or in any
other aspect. Focus groups Under this technique the moderator uses the guideline method
to discuss among the various focused groups and make sure he records each and every
feedback which comes out from each and every member of the group and their personal
Reponses. This usually goes on for some 2 hours.
2.2 Marketing research objective through marketing research objective
The first and the foremost objective of the company are to understand the needs and the
preferences of the customer, to know what they are actually looking forward into the
business market. Secondly to know what they are expecting out of the product or nay other
particular brand and knowing about their past experience if any related o the same product to
the brand. To identify the response of the consumer regarding the product or services so that
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you may understand their behaviour more closely. To seek maximum and relevant
information related to the consumer personal factors such as his age, income, family income,
expected income, his savings, and personal assets if he has any all come under the market
research objective. To know the real and the actual position of the company in the market,
knowing at what potion you are standing in the prevailing market. Identifying the prevailing
competitors if the market and to determine your strength and weaknesses and working hard
upon them. To identify and finding the real problems of the company and solving them in the
best possible manner.
2.3 Validity and reliability of market research finding
Research reliability explains about how much reliable the market research finding could
be. It states that this research finding is only applied on certain selected group. As one
can’t be sure if the same theory will be applied to other group as well. Also it is not
certain that it will provide the same results to those who applied the same method. For
e.g. if we select some 200 people out of 4000 people in the organisation regarding the
survey of some phone network let’s say, Does the Airtel company provides the best
network? and the answer from the those 200 will be yes than that does not mean the
entire 4000 people think the same there may be difference in the thoughts. Such type of
phenomenon is termed as the research reliability whereas the Research validity Research
validity comes to the researcher when he is asked to collect the relevant information
regarding the market or the product. It becomes very complex task for him to gather a lot
of information from the market through various methods and techniques. For an instance
a marketing company asks to find out the relevant information regarding the consumer
preferences and behaviour where the research validity helps to know that whether the
research is valid or not and also did it meet the expectations. The information you
collected was actually needed or not. While making the final evaluation of the research
validity the researcher must ask some questions like that is the research measuring what it
was suppose to measure? And if the research validity has the doubt regarding that
research and it is sure the problems will appear the same into the final result as well.
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2.4 Research plan for collecting the information
Firstly you need to set your goals the first important thing is o set the desired goals and
objectives of doing the work you must know what is the actual reason behind the research
you are going to do .It will help you to analysis the future feedbacks and the barriers
which might come through your way while doing the research. So setting the goal is the
despotic part. You must be very clear about the product or services you are going to deal
with in the coming course of action then lay out your collection channel after setting the
goals the second most important t thing is to define your channel that from which source
or channel you are going to collect t the information. Also you must be very specific
regarding selecting your channel of collection for this you can also select the target group
as per your requirement it could also be taken through feedback, mobile, survey, social
media or others. After which you can start the process of brainstorming that is raising
questions which will help you to take the right decisions also will give you an insight
about the subject you are dealing with. It will provide you the most relevant information
about the market lastly assign the collected questions – Now assign all the questions
together that through what channel you will collect the information so that you will get to
make the final decision regarding the source.
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1.Set your goals
2.Collection channel
3.Brainstorming
4.Asign the questions

TASK 3
3.1 Market size trends
It describes about the size of the market that is the market in which you will sell your product
might be large or small or could lie between that general. Knowing the size of the market is very
important before commencing any type of business as it gives you the clear picture about the
market, competitors and else everything that relates to the market size. Market size lets you
know about the current market growth. Knowing the market size is not enough but it is also
important to know your targeted area, region or location where you are going to sell your product
is an important issue. Also here we are talking about the market trends which are another
despotic issue. After defining the market trend one should understand the market trend that is
prevailing fashion, trend, tastes, preferences of the consumer. The trends could also be identifies
through the personal income, family income, their lifestyle, standard of living, sex, age ,
religion , caste etc. which influences the consumer while making the purchase and becomes his
trend. Knowing the trends of the market will help the seller to understand that what kind of
products he can deal with and which of them will benefit him the most. Hence, market size and
market trends are the major factors to be studied before commencing any type of business.
(Fleisher and Bensoussan,2015).
3.2 Competitor analysis
Competitor analysis is one of the most important techniques to know the prevailing competitors
in the market and their source in the market. It helps to know the complete scenario of the
market, what will affect you the most. Also it helps in analysing the SWOT that is your strength,
weaknesses, opportunity and threat in the market so you may work hard upon them. Through the
technique of competitor analysis it will become flexible for you to find out the prior information
regarding the competitor. Where most of the organisation lack in conducting these techniques
and are not able to judge their flaws and leakages.
Knowing your competitors before is the most advantageous factor for any organisation. This
helps the organisation to build its foundation so concrete and strong. Being unknown with this
fact will lead you nowhere and you won’t be able to sustain in the market for the longer duration.
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Such technique comes in the category of corporate strategy as well as this is the first of every
business organisation to know their competitors without which they might not experience the
real success or growth into the market. Customers obviously recite to those which are more
effective in the market and we all know that customers re the king of the entire market.
3.3 Opportunities and threat of the Primark
Strength – Primark has over 161 stores.
Primark majorly focuses upon providing maximum employment and job opportunities and have
employees over 27,000 people. The most attractive thing about Primark is thy offer affordable
good quality products to the customers. Their key objective is to focus upon the employees
rights. Also their goods production and work labour rights matter. Primark is also a part of the
Ethical Trading Initiative.
Weakness – Poor working conditions and disrespecting workers right is an issue found in the
organisation like Primark. Also due to the less interest in advertisements the Primark lacks
behinds from its competitors in the prevailing market. in the past there was also such report that
Primark used child labour to produce their goods. Also even after being the member of Ethical
Trading Initiative there have been found many negative cases about Primark.
Opportunities – There are various opportunities which dwell in the field of garment store and
other products along with it. As the Primark is been established at very huge level. so they have
large opportunities as they are selling their product to the broader range of people so can take
their reviews and feedback face to face, also it can take the interview by asking direct questions
regarding the products and various brands they deal with. Also questionnaire could be distributed
to the potential customers in which you can design the desired questions which they want to
know from their customers and through which they can know the preferences of their customers,
their taste, choice, expectations regarding the product and work upon them so that they may be
able to satisfy the needs of their potential customers. (Hill, Roche and Allen ,2007).
Threats – The major threat for Primark would be that if any similar mall would open next to it
or at any other location which might become the competitor for Primark. As the preferences and
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the choices of the customer changes with the change in time and environment. So there is no
such surety whether the customers will recite to Primark always.
TASK 4
4.1 Techniques of assessing customer response
Customer service questionnaire this is one of the best technique o know the response of
the customer where the customers are provided with the questionnaire and they are
required to answer the questions like how was the product, how was their experience
after buying the product, do they have any complains related with the product they
purchased, also what they like the most it might be related to the size , colour or any such
thing related to the product and this is how you can know about the customer satisfaction
and response. Secondly Customer expectation this is again another tool for assessing the
response of the customer by knowing their expectations, what they were expecting from
the product of the brand to launch?, what quality they were actually looking for, or any
other suggestions if they could give to add values to the product so that the company may
do the improvisation to satisfy the further needs of the consumer. Thirdly Home customer
survey another successful technique where the customer is required to go nowhere to
give his suggestions or feedback related to the product and even it becomes convenient
for them as well as becomes easy for the company to reach the customers where the
agents of the company go door to door and ask questions to the customers about their
satisfaction level, ask their suggestions, complains or solve the queries if they have any.
(Alone, 2006)
4.2 Customer satisfaction survey
Preparing the survey design for the customer is not an easy task but it’s not that complex too.
(Albrecht, 2016) .Constructing the appropriate survey by writing down the proper questions will
always give you the better outcome. The questions which can make your survey effective would
be-
What quality are you or do you expect from us?
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How was your experience after buying the product?
Are you satisfied with the product we are providing to you?
Do you need some additions or plus points in the product?
Any suggestions would you like to give from your personal experience?
Did you have faced bad experienced after purchasing our product?
Is the price ok or should be a petty less?
Do you think any kind of element is missing in our product?
At any time it became difficult for you to operate our product?
What do you think how long our product will sustain?
4.3 Criteria for successful survey
The first criteria are very important that is based on the clearly specified population.
An explicitly unit of analysis
The third important criteria would be already deterring the desired sample size on which you
are supposed to do the survey on.
After that you must be clear about how and thorough what procedure who will do the section
process for the same.
Then you must have the described rate of the respondents and the non respondents so to get a
tentative out of it.
Demonstrate of the appropriate estimation procedure must be chosen.
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CONCLUSION
The report has been successful in providing the most practical and theoretical framework. The
entire report is best on the organisation named Primark located in the UK. It has explained the
sense of behaviour of the consumer while making the purchase. What factors influences them
while buying the product. It will also help you to know how to do the research finding of the
market, how the customer satisfaction survey is designed to know their satisfaction level with
any particular product. Also, it will provide an insight about various techniques to assess the
response of the customers regarding the product.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Albrecht,m.C., 2016. Customer response to interactional service experience: The role of
interaction environment. Journal of Service Management.27 (5). pp.704 – 729.
Alon,I., 2006. Executive insight: evaluating the market size for service franchising in
emerging markets. International Journal of Emerging Markets. 1 (1). pp.9 – 20.
Fleisher,S.C., and Bensoussan,E.B., 2015. Business and Competitive Analysis: Effective
Application of New and Classic Methods.
Hill,N., Roche,G., and Allen,R., 2007. Customer Satisfaction: The Customer Experience
Through the Customer's Eyes. The Leadership Factor.
Hollis,M., Bright,K., 1999. Surveying the surveyors. Structural Survey.17 (2).pp.65 – 73.
Jones,T., and et. Al.,2010. Service customer commitment and response. Journal of Services
Marketing.24 (1). pp.16 – 28.
Lado,N., Martínez‐Ros,E., and Valenzuela,A., 2004. Identifying successful marketing
strategies by export regional destination. International Marketing Review.21 (6). pp.573 –
597.
Min ,S., Kim ,N., and Zhan ,G., 2017. The impact of market size on new market entry: a
contingency approach. European Journal of Marketing.51 (1). pp.2 – 22
Sarstedt,M., and Mooi,E.,2014. A Concise Guide to Market Research: The Process, Data, and
Methods Using IBM SPSS Statistics. Springer.
So,T.J., Parsons,G.a., and Yap,F.S., 2013. Corporate branding, emotional attachment and
brand loyalty: the case of luxury fashion branding . Journal of Fashion Marketing and
Management: An International Journal 17(4). pp.403 – 423.
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Walters,D.,2008 Demand chain management+response management=increased customer
satisfaction. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management.38
(9).pp.699 – 725.
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