Types of Consumer Buying Behavior

Mainly there are four major types of consumer buying behavior which are based on
the intensity of involvement in buying and the alternative options of the product
(brand). These are as follows.

1. Complex Buying Behavior

Each of these is discussed one by one.

1. Complex Buying Behavior:

Complex buying behavior is exhibited by the consumers when the involvement level in a
purchasing is high and also there are different brands available in the market that
represent different values. In such cases the product searched for buying is relatively
expensive and risky.

The product also covers the aspect of self-expression and the frequency of purchase is
also occasionally. This means that the customer searching for such types of
products wants to understand the category of the product completely.
He makes efforts in this regard to obtain a highly beneficial product that can best meet
his requirements. For example, if a consumer wants to purchase a personal computer,
then he cannot get a clear idea of the computer through his RAM, Processor, etc.

Instead, he first tries to make his beliefs about the categories of different brands of
computers. After which he develops his attitudes and finally purchases a certain
personal computer on the basis of his learning process. The companies should
understand the behavior of consumers in the gathering of information and its
evaluation.

The marketers of the companies need to explain the attributes and the importance of
the different offered brands to such consumers. They should reflect the features and
benefits of each brand to motivate the consumer for making a purchase of high
involvement.

2. Dissonance Reducing Buying Behavior

Dissonance Reducing Buying Behavior represents such a case in which the involvement
of the consumers is high, but the available brands show fewer differences. The
purchase of the product is relatively quicker in this kind. For example, in case of
purchasing a carpet by a consumer, he first learns all the available brands with their
relative specifications like price, etc.

As carpet is also a self-expressive and expensive product, but its alternative brands
have little difference among them. So, the consumer tries to check every brand quickly
and make a purchase mostly on the basis of the given price or the ease of purchase.

After purchase, there may also a problem of post-purchase dissonance by the

3. Habitual Buying Behavior

Habitual Buying Behavior is one of the types of Consumer Buying Behavior in which the
involvement of consumers in the purchase is low along with the few differences among
the alternative brands. In this case, the products offered are cheap and purchased
frequently.

For example, if a consumer purchases sugar from the market, he exhibits habitual
behavior in such a way that he does not inquires about different brands and prices of
sugar. Instead, he buys it simply from the first shop without making any extra efforts.
In habitual buying, the consumers are not involved in the learning process of
understanding the features of brands, nor they develop attitudes to make a purchase.
Instead, they are involved in passive learning in which they get brand familiarity
through different sources like magazines, advertising, television, etc.

When consumers are familiar with any brand, they just buy it without exhibiting post-
purchase evaluation because they are not fully involved in the purchase. The companies
offering low involvement product with few brand differences should use the factor of
price and sales promotion to increase their sales of products.

The company should use the symbols and images to create brand awareness because
these things can easily be remembered. Moreover, television is preferred for advertising
in which short duration ads are shown repeatedly so that the consumers can easily
remember the brand.

Another trick in this regard is that the companies should link their low involvement
products to certain relative issues. Just like any toothpaste manufacturing company can
link its toothpaste to prevent cavities. This linking would make a low involvement
product into high involvement, which in turn increases the sales of the company.

4. Variety-Seeking Buying Behavior

The fourth type of Consumer Buying Behavior is variety-seeking buying behavior in

For example, a consumer wants to buy a cookie, so he does not try to learn different
brand and specifications of cookies, rather, he simply buys a certain brand of cookie
and makes use of it to make an evaluation, and the next time he may buy another
brand of cookie.

This switching of consumers from one brand to another is not based on dissatisfaction,
but on the base of testing the variety. Companies should adopt different marketing
strategies based on market share. The market leaders should promote habitual buying
by keeping the larger shelf space, increased stocks on the shelves and showing
repeating advertising messages.

While the firms holding a little market share should adopt different marketing
strategies, which encourages variety-seeking behavior by reducing prices of products,
coupons, free samples, special deals along with the advertising that provides reasons to
test something new.