An Analysis of Consumer Behavior at Whitbread and Industry Trends

This report provides an analysis of consumer behavior within the context of Whitbread, a major player in the UK's hospitality industry. It examines the various factors influencing consumer behavior, including cultural, social, and personal elements, and their impact on purchasing decisions. The report delves into the challenges Whitbread faces in providing quality services, particularly in understanding and meeting evolving customer expectations. It also explores the significant changes in consumer trends driven by digital technology, such as increased customer awareness and demand, and the need for Whitbread to adapt by adopting new technologies like voice assistants and social media marketing. Furthermore, the report highlights emerging consumer trends, including catering to millennials, a growing focus on health and wellness, and the importance of staff training to provide personalized services. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of understanding consumer behavior for organizations to survive and thrive in a competitive global market.

Hospitality
Consumer
Behaviour Insight

Table of Content
 Introduction
 The different factors that influence consumer behaviour and attitude
 Challenges while providing quality services
 Changes in consumer trends due to digital technology
 Emerging customers trends
 Conclusion
 References

INTRODUCTION
Consumer behaviour is related to evaluate the behaviour of individuals and groups
related to purchase, use and disposal of products and services in order to satisfy their
needs and wants. Investigation of consumer behaviour for an organisation is essential
as it helps them in operating their all business activities as per market segments which
enables them to cover a big marketplace in a limited period of time. This report is
based on the Whitbread which is a British multinational hotel and restaurant company
that headquarters are situated in UK and Dunstable. This following PPT will cover
about the several factors which have great influence on the consumers behaviour and
describing all the current market trends of hospitality industry.

The different factors that influence
consumer behaviour and attitudes
Consumer behaviour indicates to the buying behaviour of the customers while
purchasing a product and service from the marketplace. Many factors are available
like culture, subculture, background, social class, personality and many more
which lead the huge impact on the customer behaviour and attitude. By analysing
or identifying all those factors the business organisation like Whitbread can make
effective strategies, unique brand value and appropriate advertising campaign with
more efficiency which enables them to attract its target customers and earn higher
profitability. Some of these factors are describe below:

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 Cultural factors: Consumer behaviour
is greatly affected by cultural factors
which includes buyer culture, social
class, belief and values. Due to all these
customers are bifurcated into several
class like lower, middle and upper.
Impact of these factors on the consumer
behaviour can be assessed by choosing
the hotel as a upper class person always
select five star hotel whereas a middle
class person always prefer to go in five
star hotel.

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 Social factors: In this, several factors are included such as family, role, status and
reference groups. All these factors have greatly influenced the consumers buying
decisions of hospitality industry. Like if the service of a hotel is reflected by its higher
facilities and customers satisfaction then the reference group power will high which is
profitable for the company.
 Personal factors : Herein, all the factors are related the personality of a customer which
is different of each consumer like lifestyle, age, occupation, economic situation etc. These
factors have huge impact on the customers buying behaviour like a person who belongs
from a higher class family always prefer to go in five or seven star hotel where he can get
all the services under one roof whereas a person who has lower income always prefer to
stay in three star hotel.

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In order to get the success and growth in the business manager of Whitbread needs to gives
their focus on providing quality services to their customers so that the satisfaction of them
can be increased. But in this aspect, manager have to face various challenges which needs
to cope up in terms to meet the customers demand and expectation. Some of the
challenges are as follow:
Understanding customer expectations: As within the hospitality industry a range of
activities are included due to which it becomes more difficult for the organisation to
analyse the diverse customers needs, perceptions and expectation which enables them to
attain the higher customers and attention towards their services.

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While providing the quality services within the hospitality industry an organisation have to face
various challenges to meet their customers expectations and requirements which are as
follow:
 Understanding customer expectations: this is related to understand the needs of diverse
and continuously changing customers expectations. It is difficult for a hotel to understand
the needs, preferences, opinions of different customers in order to provide them higher
quality services.
 Assurance: It depicts attention of an organisation towards employing and sustaining
skilled workforce which will help them to deliver higher quality service to the customers.

Changes in consumer trends due to
digital technology
In the present modern world, digital technology have taken a big place in market as
with the help of this a customer is able to stay aware and introduce with various
hotel services which allows them to select a most perfect hotel for themselves as
per their convenience. As due to this customers become more demanding which
offer biggest opportunities as well as issue sometimes for hospitality organisation.
In order to maintain the business position manager of Whitbread needs to adopt
various technologies like voice assistant, social media, digital marketing and many
others. As it will enables them to attract various customers in their services which
results higher profitability and succession of the business.

Changes in consumer trends due to
digital technology
Customers behaviour and decision-making is greatly affected by the digital
technology as due to this they remain more aware towards selecting a most
suitable hotel by taking all required information about it. Due to the
development of digital technology at present customers are more
demanding which have direct impact on their behaviour and attitude. This
create hurdles and conflicts for the hotel like Whitbread they have to give
their more focus on adopting the new technologies in their business in
order to sustain their position for a long time.

Emerging consumer trends
Catering to millennials: As Whitbread is listed in luxurious hotel and its target
customers is high class people due to which it is essential for them to consider
updated technology in their business and make their strategies according to them
so that they can cater their customers more efficiently and effectively.
Increases focus on health: In the current world scenario, most of the population is
now more concern for their health which makes it essential for the manager of
Whitbread to provide proper services to their guests like healthy food, flourishing
ambience, exercise equipments and others in terms to increase satisfaction of their
guests.

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New roles for staff: As now customers are taking more interest in being digitalize
so that they can book their hotel and get check-in facility digitally. In this aspect,
Whitbread requires to give effective training to their employees so that they can
enhance the skills and knowledge of their employees so that they will be able to
give personalisation services to each customer effectively.