The increasing prevalence of e-commerce and online shopping, particularly throughthird-party sites, signifies a significant shift in the consumer decision-making process inthe era of digitalization. Despite the overall reduction in market time, the continuedtime spent shopping online suggests that online platforms are pivotal in thedecision-making process. However, from a consumer perspective, the extent to whichonline information and e-commerce influence decision-making and the reliability ofonline sources are areas that necessitate further exploration. A comprehensiveunderstanding of the role and impact of online platforms in the decision-making processwill provide invaluable insights to the study. Our aim with this study was to describe the effects of digitalization and e-commerce onthe consumer decision-making process of buying a car from a consumer perspective.More specifically, we want to understand how consumers use online platforms asthird-party sites in their decision-making process and to see whether the followingfactors in a website design, such as functionality, product variety, information,reliability, and service quality, simplify their process. The thesis showed thatdigitalization and e-commerce have hugely benefited the decision-making process;respondents highlighted through interviews which factors they deem most important onan online platform to simplify their process and create an enjoyable shoppingexperience. These were simple web design, easy to navigate, good functionality,product variety, and reliability.

The traditional type of marketing is more directed towards big customer segments in specified areas. Due to technological improvement marketing has evolved into an extreme form of segmentation where marketing target the individual consumer based on their personal needs and preferences. This has led to a discussion of whether personalized marketing is something that create privacy concerns or benefits in the eyes of the consumer.     The purpose of this thesis is to explore the consumer perception of personalized marketing and how the perception affects the purchase decision-making process.   A conceptual framework was developed based on earlier research within personalized marketing. A qualitative method with an abductive approach has been used. Our primary data was collected through 8 different semi-structured interviews and consisted of men and women in the age span of 40-59 years’ old who had engaged in e-commerce at least once during the last six months.   Our empirical data has been analyzed out of the literature review, which founds the basis for our findings. Our findings show that the consumer perception of personalized marketing affect the consumer decision-making process in varying ways. A positive perception of the personalized marketing makes the consumer more susceptible to it, which further impacts the different stages in the process.

Labels serve as a source of external information during the consumer decision–making process, and frequently contribute to consumers’ prior knowledge of different products as well as their search activities prior to purchase of furniture. Labelling of a wide range of products, such as food and clothing has been investigated with regard to the effectiveness of the label, to convey information and draw consumers’ attention to the product, and the usage of the labels by consumers. However, no literature suggests the existence of labels with regard to furniture items, or consumers’ expectations about furniture labels. It is believed that labels on furniture items could assist consumers during the pre–purchase information search of the decision–making process. The current study investigated consumers’ expectations of furniture labels, during the pre–purchase information search of the consumer decision–making process, in order to propose furniture labels. The objectives of the study were to determine what questions regarding product information consumers frequently ask store assistants prior to furniture purchasing; to determine consumers’ expectations regarding furniture labels in terms of the product information on the label, the appearance of the label and the placement of the label on furniture items; and finally to suggest a preliminary furniture label according to consumers’ expectations. A mixed–method research approach was followed, using a two–phase exploratory design. Qualitative findings indicated that consumers enquire about the type of materials used for the manufacturing of furniture items, finishes used on items, quality, guarantees, warrantees, design, performance, maintenance, care instructions and colours of items. Similarly, quantitative results showed that the majority of respondents deemed the price, materials used, cleaning instructions, guarantee and warrantees important to be displayed on the furniture label. Appearance characteristics were summarised and preliminary furniture labels were suggested accordingly. These labels can be used by product developers, marketers, and the furniture industry to assist consumers during their pre–purchase information search of the consumer decision–making process. / Thesis (M. Consumer Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Labels serve as a source of external information during the consumer decision–making process, and frequently contribute to consumers’ prior knowledge of different products as well as their search activities prior to purchase of furniture. Labelling of a wide range of products, such as food and clothing has been investigated with regard to the effectiveness of the label, to convey information and draw consumers’ attention to the product, and the usage of the labels by consumers. However, no literature suggests the existence of labels with regard to furniture items, or consumers’ expectations about furniture labels. It is believed that labels on furniture items could assist consumers during the pre–purchase information search of the decision–making process. The current study investigated consumers’ expectations of furniture labels, during the pre–purchase information search of the consumer decision–making process, in order to propose furniture labels. The objectives of the study were to determine what questions regarding product information consumers frequently ask store assistants prior to furniture purchasing; to determine consumers’ expectations regarding furniture labels in terms of the product information on the label, the appearance of the label and the placement of the label on furniture items; and finally to suggest a preliminary furniture label according to consumers’ expectations. A mixed–method research approach was followed, using a two–phase exploratory design. Qualitative findings indicated that consumers enquire about the type of materials used for the manufacturing of furniture items, finishes used on items, quality, guarantees, warrantees, design, performance, maintenance, care instructions and colours of items. Similarly, quantitative results showed that the majority of respondents deemed the price, materials used, cleaning instructions, guarantee and warrantees important to be displayed on the furniture label. Appearance characteristics were summarised and preliminary furniture labels were suggested accordingly. These labels can be used by product developers, marketers, and the furniture industry to assist consumers during their pre–purchase information search of the consumer decision–making process. / Thesis (M. Consumer Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Background Today the hotel industry has become very digitalized compared to when there was only a travel catalogue to look in. Nowadays people search for information about hotels and read reviews from past guests online. There are different kinds of accommodations and lately it has become popular with shared services like Airbnb. With the rise of digitalization the hotel market competition has increased tremendously, therefore it is important for the hotels to keep a good reputation. Services like a hotel stay can be experienced differently from person to person and thus it is important for the service personnel to possess emotional intelligence.  Purpose The purpose with this study is to find out how the consumer behavior changes depending on the reviews. The study should give knowledge to hotel management about how it is possible to improve their relationship with guests by service, reviews and the use of digitalization. This study wants to update the research on the topic reviews and how it affects the consumers when booking a hotel with new information since the technology changes constantly and thus some research about the field in the past might not mirror the reality today.  Method This study was conducted using a quantitative method survey study in the form of an internet questionnaire. This questionnaire contained mostly closed ended questions however there were some open questions that allowed the participants to name a factor that was important for them. The survey used convenience sampling to be able to receive a lot of answers quickly. To ensure that the answers were of good quality anonymous answers has been applied and there was a qualification question that can sort out unqualified and spam answers to obtain the best quality. To analyze the results from the survey, descriptive analytics and statistical inference will be used and compared with previous research. The statistical analysis will be done by SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) and Excel.  Conclusion  The study has come to the conclusion that reviews affect and have an impact on all the different stages in the consumer decision making process. The study also conclude that it is important for the hotel to try to increase the number of reviews since with the rise of reviews the more trustworthy the reviews will be. The study also concluded that it has become important with digitalization in the hotel industry and that 29,5% of the study participants use the mobile app when booking a hotel. Thus, the hotel management must follow and adapt the hotel to the new way of communication.

This study will examine the importance of Country-of-Origin, Price, Quality and Expiration date, in the consumer decision making process for fresh meat. Country-of-Origin has earlier been investigated, however the research has been focusing on manipulating one single cue. With the recent scandals in the fresh meat industry, were animals being abused and expiration dates being changed, it is interesting to investigate how important the consumers find the four attributes; Country-of-Origin, price, quality and expiration date.In order to answer the research questions, and fulfil the purpose, the authors will use a mix of different data collection methods. Qualitative data will be gathered by performing interviews and quantitative data will be gathered by conducting a pilot study and an experiment. The data will be retrieved with the use of SPSS 17.0 and the conjoint analysis procedure. Country-of-origin has been found to be the most preferred attribute for consumers in their purchasing process for fresh meat, closely followed by expiration date. The consumer did find price and quality to be of importance, however the attributes were not found to be as important as Country-of-Origin and expiration date. As Country-of-Origin was found to be the most significant attribute for consumers in their decision making process, this indicates that the consumers are ethnocentric in their behaviour, i.e. they consider their own country and culture to be above others, which leads to a purchase of Swedish meat. It has also been found that the purchasing process of fresh meat is of great complexity, especially with the negative attention the fresh meat industry has induced.

<p>This study will examine the importance of Country-of-Origin, Price, Quality and Expiration date, in the consumer decision making process for fresh meat. Country-of-Origin has earlier been investigated, however the research has been focusing on manipulating one single cue. With the recent scandals in the fresh meat industry, were animals being abused and expiration dates being changed, it is interesting to investigate how important the consumers find the four attributes; Country-of-Origin, price, quality and expiration date.In order to answer the research questions, and fulfil the purpose, the authors will use a mix of different data collection methods. Qualitative data will be gathered by performing interviews and quantitative data will be gathered by conducting a pilot study and an experiment. The data will be retrieved with the use of SPSS 17.0 and the conjoint analysis procedure. Country-of-origin has been found to be the most preferred attribute for consumers in their purchasing process for fresh meat, closely followed by expiration date. The consumer did find price and quality to be of importance, however the attributes were not found to be as important as Country-of-Origin and expiration date.<strong> </strong>As Country-of-Origin was found to be the most significant attribute for consumers in their decision making process, this indicates that the consumers are ethnocentric in their behaviour, i.e. they consider their own country and culture to be above others, which leads to a purchase of Swedish meat. It has also been found that the purchasing process of fresh meat is of great complexity, especially with the negative attention the fresh meat industry has induced.</p>

Background: The emergence of mobile phones today and in history proves to beexceptionally unique in the consumer electronics market as well as the telecommunicationmarket. The reason behind the huge growth of the industry has been the exceptional evolutionof the technology used in the mobile devices in terms of performance and miniaturization. Purpose: The purpose of the research is to investigate the different stages within theconsumer decision making process and the influencing factors that have a grip overconsumers and shape the consumer behaviour towards smartphones. The study is aimed atexploring the main reasons that affect the buying decision of students regarding a specificcase, which is the iPhone product and its student users in the Swedish market. By focusing ona specific segment of the iPhone consumers, the research will present more accurate and clearresults. The theoretical perspective of the study will be using the traditional five-stagedecision-making model as a backbone thus putting the main focus of the analysis on theconsumer behaviour of the respondents. Method: Additionally, the paper will take the customers’ point of view in order to portray theinfluencing factors that exist within the consumers’ decision-making. For the purpose of thestudy, 12 iPhone users will be interviewed through semi-structured interviews and thegathered data would be analysed and coded in order to find and synthesize the results into aframework that will be developed specifically for the case. Conclusion: According to findings that were made regarding the iPhone case, there were afew factors that stood out as the most relevant when it comes to the students’ purchasedecision - brand loyalty, culture and society, perceived risk, financial influence, usage andproduct features. After the initial purchase of an iPhone which is mainly influenced by socialinfluences, it can be concluded that brand loyalty plays a key role in the repurchase behaviourof customers.

In recent years there has been a remarkable distribution of the omnichannel environment, which has emerged as a significant factor in the fashion industry. Today's society is characterized by customers who possess extensive knowledge and easy access to information online, with the added convenience of constantly available e-commerce. As consumer awareness has escalated, it has become imperative for businesses to understand how customers' needs, pain points, and desires impact their customer journey in an omnichannel environment. Consequently, the aim of this research is to gain a comprehensive understanding of how Generation Z customers' needs, pain points, and desires influence their behavior throughout the customer journey within the fashion industry's omnichannel landscape. This study aims to contribute new and crucial insights to the existing body of knowledge, given the lack of recent research on this topic from the consumer perspective. To achieve these research objectives, empirical data was collected through a qualitative multi-method study comprising five focus groups and five semi-structured interviews, with a total of 25 participants. The participants consisted of individuals of Swedish origin who were born in, and belong to, Generation Z. The collected data was afterwards analyzed and discussed, which meant comparing and contrasting the results with previous research on the topic. The conclusion of this thesis reveals remarkable observations about Generation Z in Sweden, where this study has identified the most common combinations of different channels in omnichannel atmospheres. Overall, this study highlights a clear preference among female participants to use the services provided by e-commerce, while male participants show a propensity for physical, traditional commerce. In addition, this report sheds new light on the information search and evaluation process, which constitutes the initial stage of the consumer's decision-making process. Finally, needs, pain points and desires based on each step in the customer journey are identified, as well as how the problems can be resolved with initiatives from the companies.

Fast fashion brands provide consumers with constantly available opportunities to update,not only their wardrobes, but themselves. As our identities have become a constant projectto work on, consumption of fast fashion involves the possibilities of trial and error ofpersonal development. Consumers are predisposed to shape or change their personalities byusing brands as additional traits. This is conceptualized as Brand Engagement in SelfConcept (BESC) to explain how consumers build and express identities. Even if FastFashion is recognized to make trends available for a democratized audience who continuallyevolve temporary identities, it is a limited researched area where Brand Engagement in SelfConcept (BESC) is addressed. As this tendency to involve brands in consumers' self-concept(BESC) is defined as an individual trait to be measured, there is still no qualitative researchto our knowledge that provides deeper insights of how this subjective objective is displayedor affecting the pre-purchase stage within the context of fast fashion.The purpose of this degree project is to develop a deeper understanding of consumers'tendency to incorporate brands as a part of their self-concept and how brand engagement inself-concept (BESC) influences the pre-purchase stage in the decision-making process inthe context of fast fashion. In order to fulfil this purpose, a qualitative study wasimplemented by applying semi-structured interviews with six individuals with the propertyof being consumers of generation Z. Pursuant to previous research that states how thesegeneral tendencies of BESC varies amongst individuals, we were able to identify diversegeneral tendencies in the empirical findings of involving brands in self-concept.These various indications of involvements were represented by the identified themesreflecting how the consumers are applying the silent, but expressive languages of clothing,regarding their representation of themselves through what they wear, awareness of trendsand the extent of purchasing.With regard to these identified indications of involving brands in self-concept to differentextent, our empirical findings resulted in themes, addressing how the pre-purchase stagewas influenced in the context of fast fashion. Our results show how the pre-purchase stageis initiated by recognizing a need or opportunity congruent with the self-concept.Additionally, as information is searched, this stage is influenced by the involvement ofbrands in the self-concept by the identified themes: inspiration, coincidence and familiarity.As the evaluation of alternatives is made, the themes of “considerations to social context”and “the fit” are identified as being influenced by BESC. The consumers' self-concept hasbeen found to be defining the extent of influence, in terms of composing the reference tocompare fast fashion brand personalities with. Consequently, we draw the conclusion thatthe negative associations of fast fashion limited the involvement of fast fashion brands inthe self-concept as these personalities were considered unappealing by representing cheap,quick compliance, low quality and unethical values. Our results demonstrate how the needfor social consistency and approval motivates young consumers to involve fast fashionbrands in their self-concept. This is contradicting displayed in terms of buying the basicassortments with the absence of fast-moving trends.