Types of Consumer Buying

Behaviors/Consumer Decision Making

• 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).
– Complex Buying Behaviour
– Dissonance-Reducing Buying Behaviour
– Habitual Buying Behaviour
– Variety-Seeking Buying Behaviour
Types of Consumer Buying Behavior
High involvement Low
involvement
Significant Complex buying Variety seeking
differences behavior  behavior 
between
brands
Few differences Dissonance buying Habitual
between behavior  buying
brands behavior 
 Consumer Involvement
• Consumer involvement refers to degree of
information processing or extent of
importance that a consumer attaches to a
product
• When more expensive products are to be
purchased, the consumer gets more involved
in purchase process
 Levels of Involvement
• Low involvement purchases are not really
important to consumers, have little relevance
and need very limited information processing.
• Medium involvement purchases are of little
bit important to customers. It includes some
evaluation of alternatives.
• High involvement purchases are those which
are important to consumers such as complex,
expensive, risky or ego-intensive products &
require extensive information processing.
 Contd…
• Significant differences between brands:- it
means when there are many differences
between brands.
• Few differences between brands:- it means
when there are very less differences between
brands.
 Levels of Involvement

Low Medium High

Involvement Involvement Involvement

Habitual decisions Lengthy decisions

Simple decisions

eg. Tea, Toothbrush, eg. Skin eg. Jewellery, Car

washing Cream, Snacks
powder
 Complex buying behavior
• When the consumer is highly involved in the
purchase and have the knowledge about
significant differences between brands
• Consumer must get relevant information
about the product attribute and
• The marketer must develop brand preference
to provide detailed information regarding the
product attribute.
• Eg: Buying a television or air conditioner 
 Variety Seeking Behavior
• In this case there is low involvement of the
consumer regarding the product and there are
significant differences between brands.
• Consumers generally buy different products not
due to dissatisfaction but due to seek variety.
• Like every time they buy different soap just for
variety.
• In this case the marketer must encourage the
consumer to buy the product by offering
discounts, free samples and by advertising the
product a lot.
 Dissonance Reducing Buying
Behavior
• Dissonance is ‘a conflict of people's opinions,
actions or characters’.
• Dissonance-Reducing Buying can be seen
when there is an anxiety after purchase.
• This usually happens in the case of high
involvement purchases where there are few
differences between brands.
 Dissonance Reducing Buying
Behavior
• In this case the consumer does not have
enough information based on which to make a
decision.
• Therefore the consumer will try to reduce
his/her anxiety by not believing on any
negative information about the brand
purchased.
 Habitual Buying Behavior
• In this case there is low involvement of the
consumer regarding the product and there are
few differences between brands.
• The consumer just goes to the market and
buys the product.
• For eg. Salt.
Types of Consumer Buying Behavior
High involvement Low
involvement
Significant Complex buying Variety seeking
differences behavior (television) behavior (soap)
between
brands
Few differences Dissonance buying Habitual
between behavior  buying
brands (wall paints) behavior (salt)