Shopping Trends in Leeds UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Shopping Trends in Leeds UK - Essay Example It is an important marketing aspect for any firm since consumer behavior and response to certain products is fundamental to the firm’s success and survival in the market (Jackson, 2005). The decision process undertaken by a consumer to determine whether to purchase a product or not, involves several stages. Apparently, the actual purchasing is only one step among several others. These stages begin with the actual recognition of need or desire for a certain product. This desire can be stimulated by different factors ranging from hunger to an advertisement. The consumer then proceeds to do a search of the available options whilst doing comparisons and seeking referrals. Evaluation of the available alternatives then follows, with the buyer establishing a personalized criterion according to tastes and preferences. This is normally followed by the purchase decision and the actual purchase of the product. Post-purchase evaluation is also an important aspect of consumer behavior. It involves the outcome and post-consumption analysis of the buyer (Dobson, 2007). As noted earlier, consumer behavior can be influenced by word-of-mouth and referrals from friends and/or family. This is evident in cases where students are great determinants when it comes to triggering of new trends that are later adopted by the rest of the society. Students, and other youth, influence the choice of products amongst themselves and other peers. Most young people like to be involved in purchases of newest trends. This factor, therefore, makes this age group (18-25) the best to study on consumer behaviors. Task 1 This paper seeks to identify and analyze the internal influences that affect the consumer behavior of young people aged between 18 and 25. The importance of the investigation done by this paper has far reaching implications. First, there is the interest to inform consumers about environmentalism aspects when purchasing products. In the United Kingdom, the most prominent pressure groups fro consumer behavior have been friends, consumer groups and the government. Literature review This section aims at providing a review of literature that discusses the factors influencing buyer behavior, especially among the young people. Jackson (2005) provides a comprehensive literature review on the behavior of consumers and the corresponding behavior change. He recommends that policy makers in the consumer sector should encourage lifestyles that depict sustainability. Consumer behavior researchers attribute a lot of importance to the factors that influence consumer behaviors especially among peer groups. According to Dobson (2007), consumer behavior that is oriented towards sustainable development by observing environmentalism lasts longer than consumer behavior motivated by financial incentives. The environmental policy in the United Kingdom is strategized for sustainable development. Harrison et al (2005) discusses some ethical practices by the consumer that may influen ce the seller or product. On the other hand, De Pelsmacker et al (2005) argue that there are some factors contributing towards reduced consumption of green products. These factors include lack of information among consumers and their increasing disbelief in green product campaigns. Apparently, the information given to the consumers is complex and sometimes conflicting, and this overwhelms them