Woolworths & Consumer Behavior: An Analysis of Utilitarian Products

This report analyzes the research article by Chen, Lee, and Yap (2017) on how control deprivation motivates the acquisition of utilitarian products, particularly household cleaning agents, due to their problem-solving association and quality. The research suggests that consumers compensate for a perceived loss of control by purchasing these products. The study's findings highlight the importance of offering consumers choices and tangible service recovery. It also compares hedonic and utilitarian consumption, recommending strategies to encourage consumers to choose healthier, utilitarian food options. The report further recommends that Woolworths maintain a balance between hedonic and utilitarian products, emphasizing the need for problem recognition, information search, and brand loyalty to cater to consumer preferences and overcome potential challenges.

Findings of the research article;
Chen, C. Y., Lee, L., & Yap, A. J. (2017). Control deprivation motivates acquisition of
utilitarian products. Journal of Consumer Research, 43(6), 1031-1047.
The research article investigates the fundamental desire for the control that affects the
acquisition of the products. It opines the fact that consumer behavior in an organization is
essentially required and it has huge impact on the organization. The article concentrates on
the utilitarian products. From a deep analysis of the article this can be mentioned that a
research has been conducted on the nature of the customers on buying the products and it has
been observed by the authors that the consumers compensate for a loss of perceived control
by buying the utilitarian products that is the household cleaning agents (Habibi, Laroche &
Richard, 2016). The reason for this is the association of the products with the fact of solving
the problems. This includes the quality factor that promotes the sense of control. This is the
first study. The second and third study includes the fact that the framing of a product as
utilitarian moderates the effect of control on the intention of purchase (Oliver, 2014). The
fourth study shows the fact that there is a generalized tendency of solving the problem that
mediates the effect of control on eagerness in order to pursuit the consumption of the
utilitarian products. The research that is included in the article includes the fact that the given
pervasiveness and the ease of using the acquisition of the product as an effective means to
cope with the psychological threat. The research has important implication on both theory
and practice (Xiang, Magnini & Fesenmaier, 2015).
The study argues the fact that the choice of control of the consumers should be given
more choice so that they can receive tangible service recovery. This is an effective way to
hold the attention of the customers. The customers should be given a choice of recovery. The
current study provides the evidence that the categorization of the food flexibility can facilitate

both hedonic and the utilitarian preferences (Solomon et al., 2014). The research gives
instances of the comparison between the hedonic and the utilitarian consumption. The
findings offer specific preparations for encouraging the customers to choose the utilitarian
and relatively more healthful food options that in turn will improve the general welfare of the
society. The research is a summary of the relationship between the desire for the control and
acceptance of new products (Maehle et al., 2015). It has been observed that there has been
innumerable interventions to increase the acceptance of new products that is based on the
idea that new products threatens the sense of control of an individual. The research is a
comparison between the hedonic products and the utilitarian products. The utilitarian brands
and the products are usually rated high than the hedonic products. However the research also
shows that the hedonic products are preferred by the consumers who prefer luxury lifestyle.
The intention of the consumers are clearer while purchasing the utilitarian products (Chen,
Lee and Yap, 2017).
Recommendation
The organization that has been taken into account in this assignment is Woolworths.
From the above research this can be recommended that the company should not only keep the
hedonic products but also the utilitarian products. The article includes the process of problem
recognition and the problem-solving. The problem-solving attitude, mediates the effect of
control on the eagerness to pursue the consumption of the utilitarian products. This is the
reason the problem recognition should be done in a planned manner. In order to avoid the
problems the company should recognize the problem. In this case the problem can be the less
availability of the hedonic products than the utilitarian ones. The company have to take care
of the choice of the customers and have to keep in mind the accepting capacity of the
customers.

The company have to keep in mind the information search through which the
company can make a research on the likes and the dislikes of the customers. The reason for
this is the customers usually searches for appropriate information to make a reasonable
decision. The search usually covers the internal as well as the external information. The
customers usually involve in the evaluation of the alternative products. The company in that
case should study the features of the rival company and it should make an attempt to maintain
the brand loyalty so that the customers will come back to Woolworths after making the
comparative evaluation. Therefore, from the above study this can be mentioned that the
company should keep in mind the choice of the consumers must form strategies to overcome
the probable strategies to overcome the problems that the company might face. The company
ultimately have to work according to the needs of the customers and have to consider the
choice of the consumers and should prioritize them.