No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Consumer behaviour focuses on how individuals make decisions to spend their available resources (time, money, effort) on consumption-related items. The objective of this research study was to determine the factors that influence the decision-making process of the black middle class when purchasing a passenger vehicle in South Africa. Results of the study confirmed that the steps in the decision making process were followed by this segment of the population. Further analysis resulted in establishing both the product and situational factors that played a vital role in influencing the purchase decision. It was concluded that the majority of the black middle class, purchase vehicles primarily out of necessity and circumstances. Information sources including but not limited to influential family members were extensively used by this segment, resulting in an informed decision. This study also established that extensive alternative evaluation of vehicle brand options were conducted by the black middle class. Risks factors were also determined which suggested a strong weighting towards financial implications of such a decision. The majority confirmed that that they were satisfied with their choices and the value derived from their purchases. It was concluded that the same or a similar process of decision-making would be followed by the black middle class when purchasing a passenger vehicle. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

In the highly competitive and dynamic world of fashion retailing, developing and retaining loyal customers is a requirement for survival, let alone success. Marketing practitioners have found that to keep customers loyal, a firm must go beyond merely satisfying to truly delighting them (Schlossberg, 1990; Arnold, Reynolds, Ponder and Lueg, 2005). However, only Arnold et al. (2005) explored the concept of customer delight in a generic (multi-format) retail environment. To the author’s knowledge, there has not been any similar research conducted in the South African retail environment and none specific to fashion apparel retailers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine customer delight in the context of fashion retailing. Specifically, qualitative research was conducted to determine the antecedents and outcomes of delightful shopping experiences for these customers. Critical incident analysis of 33 depth interviews with shoppers revealed several factors associated with delightful shopping experiences and the resultant business outcomes. Together with presenting a model that fashion retailers can use to stage delightful shopping experiences, a number of strategic implications are discussed, and limitations and directions for future research are also addressed. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

No description available.

Mr. H.B. Klopper

When standard economic theories failed to be consistent predictors of consumer behaviour, Thaler (1980, 1985) developed the theory of mental accounting, which takes behavioural factors into consideration. Prelec&Loewenstein (1998), Heath&Soll (1996) and Gourville&Soman (1998) extended Thaler’s (1980,1985) work to develop the theories of prospective accounting, mental budgeting, and payment depreciation of the sunk cost effect. The purpose of this research is to use the methodologies of Prelec& Loewenstein (1998), Heath&Soll (1996), and Gourville&Soman (1998) to determine whether their theories of mental accounting exist amongst South African consumers. If this is found to be the case, the findings can be used by marketers towards the creation of a strategy that could exploit these effects. This research shows that there is insufficient evidence for the existence of mental budgeting amongst South African consumers. However, there is significant evidence for the existence of prospective accounting and the sunk cost effect. In addition, a variation of payment depreciation was found to exist. Thus, mental accounting has been shown to exist amongst South African consumers. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

In recent years, the increase in social networks has led consumers to spend a lot of time online, getting a lot of information about different products and services that are of interest to them. It is in this context that companies have reoriented their strategies, in order to use social networks as a new means of advertising communication. There are different social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; however, Facebook is one of the social networks that has taken great strength in recent years and companies have had to direct their advertising communications towards this medium. There is research that focuses on consumer attitudes towards advertising on Facebook. However, we found little literature that addresses this same issue focusing on the young consumer and a specific product category. In this context, this exploratory study focuses on understanding young women’s attitudes towards advertising in the clothing and accessories category presented on Facebook. To this end, fourteen interviews were conducted with university students in the city of Lima, selected on the basis of convenience sampling, which revealed that despite the fact that young university women have other social networks, they still use Facebook and show a positive attitude towards advertising on Facebook as long as the advertising is not invasive, entertains them, has relevant information, uses images that generate affinity with them and contains attractive messages according to their age.

Fairtrade is one way to reach sustainable development in emerging countries, for example South America and Africa. Lately, Fairtrade has become highlighted and popular. This has led to studies on consumers’ view on Fairtrade, for instance in Belgium and America. Among the previous studies, the ethical consumer has been identified. At the moment, there is no research done in Sweden on who the Swedish Ethical Consumer is, regarding purchases of Fairtrade coffee. Therefore, with this thesis we want to fill the research gap on identifying the Swedish Ethical Consumer and which factors that influence him or her in the purchase decision. The study was performed on Swedish coffee consumers on Facebook. Different factors such as consumer related, environmental related, and product related, are measured to see if there is any relationship between these factors and how they influence the Swedish Ethical Consumer. With help from a snowball sampling technique and a self-administrated survey, 111 answers were collected. From that, we could identify the Swedish Ethical Consumer, given this sample. The result showed that product and demographics seemed to be the most affecting factors on ethical consumer behaviour. For this sample, brand (taste) of the product was by far the most popular product related factor to consider when buying coffee. From the environmental factors, the demographics were of greatest matter. Attitudes and knowledge were the most important consumer related factors. It seems like a majority of the respondents who think that Fairtrade is important (attitudes) also do buy Fairtrade coffee. Also, the respondents who possess much information (knowledge) about it tend to buy it. This study contributes to fill the gap in the lack of studies of Swedish Ethical Consumer behaviour. The conclusions can be used as a guideline and tool for companies to brand a new product. It could also be helpful for organisations to provide more information about Fairtrade to the consumers.