Advances in technology have changed the way business is conducted. In particular, the advent of internet/online banking in the financial sector, has revolutionised the banking industry. Despite the introduction of online banking in the 90's, the number of consumers converting to the offering has progressed slowly. There are numerous reasons for this, one of them being lack of infrastructure, high Internet costs and more importantly the mindset of the customer. Banks are competing on the basis of technology and service offering to win a sizeable share of the online market. However very little is known about the factors influencing consumer behaviour in the South African online banking market. This study aims to investigate the psychological and cultural factors influencing consumer behaviour in the online banking sector. It will also investigate the process of decision making that result in consumer behaviour outcomes in the online banking sector. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

The exact nature of the point of sale can vary considerably, from huge hypermarkets to roadside stalls and cafes. At each of these, the consumer is faced with a dizzy array of products to choose from. In all of these instances, packaging can provide the trigger for differentiating the product and hence to purchase it. In the Fast Moving Consumer Goods industry, almost 70% of the purchase decision are taken at the point of sale. Effective packaging at the point of sale can render huge opportunities for a company, as this can allow the product to stand out against competitors, evoking emotions from the consumer to purchase their product. Unilever is the second largest consumer goods company in the world. Predominate product categories include the food and home care businesses. In South Africa they dominate the laundry market with well-known brands such as OMO, Skip, Sunlight, Surf etc. As part of their growth strategy, much focus is placed on harmonisation of product and packaging development. Apart from aligning product formulations, this strategy also includes aligning pack designs. It is therefore critical that before any decision is made on changing pack designs to conform to global standards, that an in-depth study be undertaken in order to assess how changes in packaging elements affect the South African consumer. It is also important that all involved in the local packaging value chain, ie artwork agencies, packaging suppliers, company brand development members, are in tune with what the local consumers want. The objective of this research is to establish which (combination of) packaging elements (ie colour, shape, materials and design) in laundry products are most effective in influencing consumers purchasing decision. The study focussed specifically on Surf LSM 7-8 consumers in Durban. The research further looked at which packaging elements associated with the Surf brand influence purchase decision as perceived by members of the packaging value chain (artwork agencies, packaging suppliers and company's brand development) and compared this to findings in the consumer segment. This was done to evaluate how effective the packaging value chain is in delivering an effective package to the target consumer. The research was carried out as follows: 1. A literature review to gather knowledge about packaging elements and its communicating capability of messages in order to identify which elements have these capabilities. 2. A quantitative study to gain insight into which attributes of packaging elements are most effective in communicating specific product attributes associated with the Surf platform. 3. A semi-quantitative study to gain insight into which attributes of packaging elements are effective in influencing a consumers purchasing decision It was found that respondents from brand development had a good understanding of Surf consumers' current image of the brand. Artwork agencies and packaging suppliers need to become more involved with consumer research and immersions in order to bridge the gap in better understanding what the brand stands for. The colour blue still remains the main visual cue linked to the Surf brand. There could be an opportunity for the colour red to be used effectively in order to depict brightness. There is also a possibility that flexible packaging would be more appealing provided that opening/closing could be improved. Holographic designs should definitely be incorporated onto a Surf pack. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

Living Standards Measures (LSMs) are a way of segmenting or classifying the adult population of a country based on access to and use of a wide range of goods and services. LSMs are a very strong tool for grouping people for the purposes of target marketing rather than demographic segmentation. In any country with third world characteristics where a large portion of the economy is informal rather than formal, understanding consumer behaviour for the purpose of targeting consumers effectively becomes a formidable challenge. A research has been conducted, centered on LSM3-10 consumer behaviour with regard to purchase and consumption of non-alcoholic beverages in Zimbabwe. Beverage consumption patterns are revolving since Zimbabwe started experiencing an economic downturn from 1992 and subsequently went into recession. Beverage consumption patterns continue to change as the economic climate changes, and hence, the need to understand consumer beverage consumption patterns to Zimbabwe's changing harsh economic conditions. A hypothesis has been put to test, that is, "LSM3 to LSM10 will maintain their beverage consumption irrespective of the country's economic conditions". The methodology used in this survey is quantitative and descriptive with use of observation data, desk research and a survey instrument, the questionnaire which was designed for the purpose of the study. The research findings show that the motivation goal for a shopping trip have evolved from obligatory motive to circumstantial. On the cultural factors, life styles and social influences have also changed hence affecting shopping behaviour across all LSMs. It is empirically concluded that the hypothesis is false given the fact that the research findings show a shift in shopping behaviour as outlined above. It is therefore recommended that from a product development perspective, marketers develop products and services that are aligned to socio-economic changes in a country whether positive or negative. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

This study investigated whether changes occurred in consumer buying behavior within the retail clothing industry during difficult economic climates. The significance of the study was to determine whether the lack of disposable income and increasing inflation swayed consumers to pursue value for money clothing opposed to international branded products. The important factor was to establish whether the consumers shift in purchasing would be temporal or permanent. This research involved various research tools and designs which assisted in finding a feasible conclusion. Quantitative research was used with structured questionnaires being given to consumers. These findings were annotated accordingly in tables and diagrams with publications and literature to reiterate the findings and in turn enable this study to conclude that consumers buying patterns of clothing does change during difficult economic climates. The research was conducted in Durban with a sample of 133 respondents. Some salient findings emanating from this study included: consumer’s perceptions had influenced their behaviour, and preference as opposed to logical choice and need. Focus was concentrated on one of the most acknowledged value retailers in South Africa, Mr Price clothing. Seventy three percent of the respondents said that Mr Price offered value for money, seventy-six percent stated that they offered quality products. A further ninety six percent felt that Mr Price clothing offered choice of style. These percentages are undisputedly indicative that Mr Price clothing has obtained the winning formula especially in times when minimal disposable income and a clamp on the ease of getting or increasing credit options are scarce. The findings indicated that Mr Price was indeed the retailer of choice, with a staggering eighty eight percent stating that they would continue to frequent Mr Price clothing even after their finacial situation improved. Further testing also indicated that quality and price were the two crucial deciding factors that influenced consumers. This supports the fact that consumers are still looking for value for money. Perceptions and social status do influence the supply and demand theory when it involves clothing. A recommendation for further study would involve using different demographic market segments based on income, gender and race amongst others. Internet influence in clothing purchases would also be an influencing factor going forward along with the effect of advertising. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2009.

Ms Jennie Chua, President and Chief Operating Officer of Raffles International, Singapore once said that if "high-tech" represents the higher spectrum of industries in the manufacturing sector, then "high-touch" would represent the pinnacle of the service industry. "High-touch" is the art of service. It is the personal touch, the extra effort, the Attention and alertness to customer needs and preferences. Excellent service is both a skill and an attitude. Training equips our people with the know-how to provide good service. Excellent service exudes warmth and friendliness, not cold efficiency. Yet how many of our catering companies have reached that pinnacle? For our enterprises to stay productive and competitive in the midst of high business and labour cost, offering excellent service is one differentiating factor. This study was concerned with analysing the Fedics division of KZN, with special emphasis on the customer service. According to Strauss and Frost (2001), there are many trends that are apparent about individuals and businesses, which are important in developing marketing strategy that involves the catering industry. The research analyses the effects of buying behaviour and makes recommendations for the improvement of Customer service, which is an important strategy for any service related organization to survive and grow. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2006.

All of us are consumers. We consume products such as bread and milk and services such as education, banking and transportation. A fundamental understanding of consumer behaviour forms the backbone of all marketing activities and is an imperative prerequisite for the success of businesses. Consumers' wants and needs in today's competitive world are continuously changing. Therefore companies are forced to understand how consumers make purchasing decisions before an effective marketing strategy could be designed. (Skinner, 1994:218) According to Lamb et al (2000:66) in order to design an appropriate marketing mix for their defined market, marketing managers must be able to understand consumers' behaviour thoroughly. This is essential because it will determine how successful the marketing strategy would be. Mowen (1995:5) define consumer behaviour as "the study of the buying units and the exchange processes involved in acquiring, consuming, and disposing of goods, services, experiences and ideas." In a nutshell, to stress the importance of understanding consumer behaviour, Assael summarises it by saying that "marketers have come to realise that their effectiveness in meeting consumer needs directly influences their profitability and the better they understand the factors underlying consumer behaviour, the better able they are to develop effective marketing strategies to meet consumer needs" (Assael,1998:5) This study examined toothpaste purchasing amongst Pietermaritzburg (PMB) consumers. The specific objectives were to evaluate which marketing stimuli affect the purchase of toothpaste in PMB, to evaluate the attributes consumers look for in toothpaste purchasing, to identify the various demographic variables that influence the purchase and finally to identify which brand of toothpaste has preference amongst PMB consumers. Theoretical reviews of the factors influencing consumer behaviour, which are categorised into marketing stimuli as well as environmental and individual factors are first discussed. These are followed by a brief description of the toothpaste industry and the various product attributes. The methodology used for the data collection as well as the interpretation procedures are also outlined. The key findings were Colgate Herbal was top on the list with 16.3% of respondents selecting it while Aquafresh All-in-One came in second with 15.3% of respondents having chosen it. Consumers attach different levels of importance to the different attributes of the toothpaste and the study found fresher breath to be the most important product attribute consumers look for when purchasing their toothpaste. The significance test done between brand preference and demographic variables indicated differences between racial groups. Based on the findings recommendations are then made for appropriate segmenting and positioning of the product that will be of use for manufacturers and retailers in the toothpaste industry. / Thesis (M.B.A.)- University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

Of the various channels to market, one that has probably received the greatest attention and produced the highest expectations of impact and adoption is the Internet (Wright and Clark, 2- 005: 1). According to Feher and Towell (1997), and Paul (1996), as cited by Vijayasarathy and Jones (1998: 322), the Internet promises a number of benefits to both businesses and consumers. From a business perspective, the Internet can be a powerful medium to establish a unique relationship with consumers (Pattinson and Brown, 1996: 31). For the consumer, the Internet can be a valuable communication medium to facilitate controlled, non-linear search for up-to-date information, simulated product and service testing, and provide assistance with comparison- shopping and decision-making (Hoffman et ai, 1996: 26). The Internet has grown at an incredible rate. By March 2006, there were approximately 1023 million Internet users worldwide (internetworldstats, 2006: 1). However, the Internet has not grown in South Africa at the pace that it has grown in first world countries such as America, Japan and the United Kingdom (internetworldstats, 2006: 1). According to Computer Industry Almanac Inc (2005: 1), South Africa had 4 780 000 million Internet users in 2005. This is approximately 0.5% of the worlds Internet users. Global studies have been conducted on why Internet users purchase online, but not much information is available on why South African Internet users purchase online. Moreover, this limited information is mainly available only commercially. South African Internet research companies such as Webcheck, World Wide Worx and eMarketer generally charge between R6000 and R14 000 (2005 Rand prices) for South African online shopping studies, which generally deal more with Internet usage, buying behaviour in terms of products and services purchased, online shopping trends and to a limited extent factors that influence South African Internet users purchasing online. Due to South Africa's diversity and unique situation in terms of its economy (what is (commonly referred to as it's digital divide), the factors that influence South African Internet users purchasing online may not be the same as the factors influencing Internet users from other countries purchasing online. In order to investigate the factors that influence South African Internet users purchasing online, the following research objectives were identified: • Primary Research Objective. To identify factors that influence South African Internet users purchasing a product or service online. • Secondary Research Objective Number 1. To determine the significance of the identified factors that influence South African Internet users purchasing a product or service online. • Secondary Research Objective Number 2. To determine the relative importance of the identified factors that influence South African Internet users purchasing a product or service online. A questionnaire (provided in Annexure One) was developed to investigate the above research objectives and was distributed, via e-mail to 437 employees of Ninham Shand (Pty) Ltd. A response rate of 269 was achieved. The research found that the following factors were rated important to the sample purchasing online: (1) the price of the product or service being purchased; (2) the convenience to the Internet user; (3) the experience as an Internet user; (4) the web site layout; (5) the ease of use of the web site; (6) the brand of the product or service; (7) the type of product or service; (8) the availability of online information on the product or service; (9) the method of payment; and (10) the web site security features. From the above factors, the web site security features was ranked as the most important factor influencing respondents purchasing a product or service online, the ease of use of the web site was ranked as the second most important factor and the web site layout was ranked as the third most important factor influencing respondents purchasing a product or service online. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the results from this study can contribute to the body of knowledge on online consumer behaviour theory and knowledge of South African Internet users. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

Low-literate consumers display distinctive behaviour in the marketplace, and in the first phase of a mixed method study, the aim was to explore the challenges and coping strategies of low-literate clothing consumers. Due to fairly high levels of low-literacy in South Africa and limited research, this research was undertaken to better understand the behaviour of low-literate clothing consumers in the marketplace. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data, and through inductive, interpretative data analysis three broad themes were identified, namely personal (cognitive, social, financial and affective), product (types and format of product information, evaluative criteria) and store-related (store assistants’ behaviour, store selection and in-store information) challenges and associated coping strategies. The results of this study can be used to advise marketers regarding the needs of these consumers, and were also used to develop a quantitative measuring instrument to investigate low-literate consumers’ use of clothing labels in the retail setting. In the second quantitative phase of the study, the use of clothing label information amidst low-literate respondents’ personal- (reading and numeracy skills, concrete and pictographic thinking) and product-related challenges (the format of labels, care-label knowledge and evaluating clothing products’ quality) were investigated. The study sample consisted of 450 black female consumers with literacy levels between Grades 5 and 8, residing in the Emfuleni Local Municipality area, in the southern part of Gauteng, South Africa. Interviewer administered questionnaires were filled out, and it was examined for validity and reliability. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and correlations were drawn between reliable factors, and practical significant correlations were reported. ANOVA’s indicated statistically significant differences with mostly medium effect sizes between the occupation of respondents and selected factors. Respondents indicated that they do read and understand clothing labels, but results revealed that they did experience problems when using information on labels. Their numeracy skills were average, and abstract thinking related to numeracy, were fair. Pictographic thinking was evident in their preference for symbolic and graphic presentation of size format, but not when they were presented altered store logos. Care label knowledge was poor, and clothing products were evaluated concretely. Some of the respondents, especially the older respondents were inclined to follow the peripheral route of elaboration when reading clothing label information. / Thesis (PhD (Consumer Sciences))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Low-literate consumers display distinctive behaviour in the marketplace, and in the first phase of a mixed method study, the aim was to explore the challenges and coping strategies of low-literate clothing consumers. Due to fairly high levels of low-literacy in South Africa and limited research, this research was undertaken to better understand the behaviour of low-literate clothing consumers in the marketplace. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data, and through inductive, interpretative data analysis three broad themes were identified, namely personal (cognitive, social, financial and affective), product (types and format of product information, evaluative criteria) and store-related (store assistants’ behaviour, store selection and in-store information) challenges and associated coping strategies. The results of this study can be used to advise marketers regarding the needs of these consumers, and were also used to develop a quantitative measuring instrument to investigate low-literate consumers’ use of clothing labels in the retail setting. In the second quantitative phase of the study, the use of clothing label information amidst low-literate respondents’ personal- (reading and numeracy skills, concrete and pictographic thinking) and product-related challenges (the format of labels, care-label knowledge and evaluating clothing products’ quality) were investigated. The study sample consisted of 450 black female consumers with literacy levels between Grades 5 and 8, residing in the Emfuleni Local Municipality area, in the southern part of Gauteng, South Africa. Interviewer administered questionnaires were filled out, and it was examined for validity and reliability. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and correlations were drawn between reliable factors, and practical significant correlations were reported. ANOVA’s indicated statistically significant differences with mostly medium effect sizes between the occupation of respondents and selected factors. Respondents indicated that they do read and understand clothing labels, but results revealed that they did experience problems when using information on labels. Their numeracy skills were average, and abstract thinking related to numeracy, were fair. Pictographic thinking was evident in their preference for symbolic and graphic presentation of size format, but not when they were presented altered store logos. Care label knowledge was poor, and clothing products were evaluated concretely. Some of the respondents, especially the older respondents were inclined to follow the peripheral route of elaboration when reading clothing label information. / Thesis (PhD (Consumer Sciences))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Time and expense has been spent on developing the functional aspects of packaging to ensure food safety, while providing innovations such as plastic trays that can go in the oven, microwave and freezer. Now, consumers are being faced with increasing changes in the way that their favourite products look on the shelf, as companies undertake sometimes large operations to update packaging. The beverage industry is one among the front-liners where massive investments are being made for expansion and technological upgradation. The packaging of beverages both carbonated and non-carbonated, is a complex technological branch in the Food Processing /Packaging industry. The traditional returnable glass bottle has given way to newer plastic containers as well as cartons. The current trend is to improve the conventional containers, extend their share in the large market, extend the shelf-life of the products, provide greater consumer convenience and ultimately to produce economic packages. Due to increasing self-service and changing consumers’ lifestyle the interest in package as a tool of sales promotion and stimulator of impulsive buying behaviour is growing increasingly. So package performs an important role in marketing communications, especially in the point of sale and could be treated as one of the most important factors influencing consumer’s purchase decision. Literature analysis on question under investigation has shown that there is no agreement on classification of package elements as well as on research methods of package impact on consumer’s purchase decision. This dissertation reports on an investigation into the role of packaging and how it influences the consumer when buying their choice of beverages. The study was limited to University of KwaZulu-Natal students. Taking into consideration that package could be treated as a set of various elements communicating different messages to a consumer; the research model was developed and tested in order to reveal impact of visual and verbal package elements on consumer’s purchase decisions. Five research questions were developed to address the objectives and the aim of the study. The study concluded that the packaging plays a big role in attracting the consumer’s attention and influencing them when buying their choice of beverages. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.