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Marketing 382 Project
Zachary Morales
W00911239
12/5/12
Profiles…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Questions…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………. 4
Interview Analysis……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6
Theory Discussion……………………………………………………………………………..………………………….………… 20
Diagrams………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 22
Notes…………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………. 27
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Profiles
I chose my subjects from different cohorts. I have a subject near age 20, near age 40, near age 60, and
near age 80. I wanted to focus on the differences age plays in buyer behavior.
David – 22 year old single white male, Bellingham, WA
David Whitney is my best friend. We met at a card shop in Richland ten years ago. Aside from a common
extinct hobby, we still see each other frequently because we both chose to attend WWU after
graduating from Richland High School together. I feel as if I have a good pulse on the man’s behavior;
let’s see if I can make sense of his buyer behavior.
David was the third in a line of four children of the Whitney clan. He was born in Garland, Texas,
although he and his family moved to Richland, Washington while he was very young. Being a part of a
larger family in the middle class, David has instilled in him a sense of financial conservatism, which is
portrayed accordingly in his interview. As a single college student, he shops for himself alone, althoughhaving a serious girlfriend implies, to me, that he is broadening his shopper perspective as he
accommodates her increasingly important role in his life.
Michael – 45 year old single white male, Welcome, WA
Michael Iris owns the recording studio I work at. We met in March of this year when Michael needed an
audio engineer to assist with a project. He contacted my instructor in the audio program at Fairhaven
College with his request, and my instructor recommended me as a capable engineer. Since that
weekend, I have continued to work with Michael as an audio engineer and as a marketing intern.
Michael was born in Virginia. Raised into a conservative family on the east coast, Michael attendedcollege at the University of Virginia. His passion for audio engineering and a liberal lifestyle, however,
brought the aspiring musician to California to pursue his passion. While there, he had a son, Dominic,
now 16. Michael never married Dominic’s mother, who Dominic lives with today. In the 90s, Michael
moved up north, and continued his audio engineering career at Bad Animals studio in Seattle. In 2002,
Michael continued his ascent north and moved to the house in which he currently resides, in Welcome,
WA, 17 miles east of Bellingham. Michael claims to be a part of the middle class. He shops for himself,
although he frequently entertains guests.
Karen – 59 year old married white female, Richland, WA
Karen Morales is my mother. Born into the middle class to a highly successful NYC curtain salesman and
a stay-at-home mother in Philadelphia, and raised in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, she is a proud Jersey Girl.
She wears this title proudly: seeing Bruce Springsteen’s first concert in a small club is one of her
proudest memories. She became a full-time nurse after graduating from Gloucester County College in
1977, and continued to live in New Jersey until 1982, when she moved to Florida. She met my father in
1989, and in 1990 the newly married Mr. and Mrs. Morales moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, where I was
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born. In 1994, the three of us moved to an upper-middle class suburb of Richland, Washington, the town
and social class in which I was predominately raised, and the town and social class in which my parents
still reside. She shops for herself, for her husband and for me when I visit.
Herbert – 87 year old widowered Hispanic male, Mt. Dora, FL
Herbert Morales is my grandfather. He was born in Puerto Rico and moved to the States at a young age.
He has also lived in Spain. He is the most nationally nomadic of my subjects; he has additional global
credibility as a famous radio show host on the internationally focused Voice of America. These days,
Herbert enjoys a quiet, middle-class life in a small Florida town. He was married twice, and bore two
children with his first wife. His daughter was living with him until recently, so he is currently adjusting to
living alone.
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Questions
I chose the questions that I did because I believe they best fit the requirements of the
assignment. I included some more open-ended original questions like “Can you think of any
remarkable ways in which specific brands have made an impact on your life?” to supplementthe more direct assignment-related questions to get my subjects to open up and reveal a little
bit more about their specific personalities. Interestingly, the older the participant, the more
they had to say, here. I attempted to receive the most genuine answers possible, and I hope to
promote this organic approach throughout the entirety of my paper.
Run me through a typical grocery shopping trip. Do you make a list?
Do you have a routine?
When do you break it?
Where do you shop and why? What are your alternatives?
What do you ALWAYS and NEVER buy?
How do you apply your shopping rules?
What are your brand beliefs?
o For which items do you buy the brand, and for which items do you buy the
generic and why?
Food
Electronics
Automobiles
Clothing
What brands do you view positively and negatively and why?
How does advertising affect your perception of brands?
Can you think of any remarkable ways in which specific brands have made an impact on
your life?
How often, per year, do you shop for each and why?
How do you shop for each and why?
Has your shopping routine changed in the past 10 years?
A new product enters the marketplace. What do you need to know about it first?
Do you like to hold an items in your hands before you purchase it?
Were you conscious of your brand beliefs before I asked?
Who taught you how to shop?
What were you taught?
How did you learn to shop?
Do you shop how you were taught?
Do you see yourself as different from yourself, others, or yourself 10 years ago?
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In what other ways have you changed as a consumer over the past 10 years?
Has the internet changed your shopping habits or buyer behavior?
How do you get to the store?
How do you pay for your items? Is this different for automobiles?
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Interview Analysis
Some of my respondents, when questioned on category-neutral products like the internet, advertising
and the logistics of paying, had a lot to say that did not necessarily apply to an individual category,
although they would frequently include an example from one category in their answer. I thought these
tidbits were nonetheless interesting, so I have included them in the category I felt most appropriate, and
made the necessary efforts to tie them into the larger category context.
Additionally, some respondents, when questioned on the consideration of brands, responded more
heavily with knowledge or favoritism toward brands in particular categories. Rather than push for each
respondent to cite favorite brands by category, I chose to omit this prodding question because I believe
the answers I have received are more organic and true-to-character.
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Food Category
David
“Walk to Haggen, grab a basket. Grab apples, bananas, look at cereal, get oatmeal. Stock up on canned
beans and pasta. Get yogurt or soy milk. In the event of immediate hunger, get a candy bar. Spend $20-30.”
David follows a routine, going grocery shopping three times a month. He will break his routine for
convenience, like if he is offered a ride to Fred Meyer. With exception to the proximity of Haggen to his
apartment, between Fred Meyer and Haggen, David is indifferent. Preference based solely upon walking
distance. If two equidistant stores existed, he would choose based on price and in-store environment
(he does not prefer a chaotic store).
David keeps a small mental shopping list of basic foods to stock up on. He tries to maintain a modest
pantry at home, which is reflected in his modest shopping basket. David always buys apples, bananas,
bread, beans and pasta. He never buys meat – he jokes that he is a vegetarian due to budget.
He prefers to stay under $20 with his shopping trips. He will break his Staple Rules and his budget from
time to time when he is shopping with others –David is highly susceptible to peer pressure at the
supermarket. (I cheekily note, here, that I successfully convinced him to buy a large package of cookies
with me a month ago.)
David buys generic brands whenever possible because of price and because he is skeptical that name
brands are actually superior for his staples. He expressed a concern that the name brands contain excess
ingredients that might compromise the healthiness of the products. He breaks this rule only for Pop
Tarts, because he maintains a larger sense of perceived enjoyment with them than with the off-brands.
David’s grocery habits are motivated by living alone, without a car, and with college tuition to pay. He
has not made a conscious decision to shop differently from or similarly to his parents. He lives within his
means, financially. He believes he is different from many of his peers who seem to have less self-
imposed restrictions.
David uses a debit card for most purchases, due to convenience. His nearest bank is not a convenient
distance away for the carless David, so it does not make sense to him to go out of his way to get cash for
his regular purchases. He uses cash for bars and in social settings where multiple people split purchases,
like pizza.
Michael
His shopping routine first involves making a physical list on his iPhone, acknowledging what he can buy
in bulk at Costco far in advance. He likes to maintain a well-furnished pantry. He is a self-described
“frugal vegetarian.” He also claims to be the best chef he knows, and his love of cooking leads him to
buy the highest quality ingredients. To that end, he buys his veggies and other fresh foods at the Co-Op
in Mount Vernon – the best food store in the state, according to Michael. He holds the store with such
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high regard because the local farms are the best in the region. It is apparent that he is willing to travel
for his food – although he typically only makes a visit when he is driving home from Seattle, a drive he
makes almost weekly. On the off weeks, he prefers to do his grocery shopping at Haggen in Bellingham,
because they have better produce than other grocery stores, and the workers are more attentive. He
also enjoys using his Haggen card to take advantage of unique sales. However, he generally only
purchases fresh vegetables and beer at Haggen. Dried and other foods that are not perishable Michael
purchases at Costco. Michael spends $300-500 a month at the members-only superstore.
Michael claims that convenience is not a huge factor for him. Due to the distance he must travel to go
shopping in the first place, any additional time is not relatively significant. He describes his taste in food
as “picky.” Consequently, he seeks out unique stores that appeal to his unique tastes. One such store is
the Spice Hut in Seattle, where Michael exclusively buys spices. He also enjoys shopping at Crossroads in
Maple Falls and wishes it was located closer to his home. He tries to support local businesses as
frequently as he can. He also supports regional businesses: Michael loves that he can get all of his
shopping done at Fred Meyer, so he visits from time to time when he needs to buy clothes and food in
the same trip.
Michael has a routine regarding the meals he prepares for himself. His biggest –and sometimes, only –
meal of the day is breakfast. He alternates daily between two basic recipes. One meal is “The Big
Breakfast,” which contains quinoa, organic eggs, peppers, tomatoes, rosemary and coffee. The second is
a granola meal – he makes his own hemp seed granola and enjoys it with keefer, tea, spirulina and
bananas. These ingredients always need to be well-stocked for him, so he finds himself purchasing these
items on almost every trip to the store. A committed vegetarian, he NEVER buys meat, but he also tries
to avoid processed food whenever possible.
When questioned on brand beliefs, the first brands that came to Michael’s mind were microbrews, fresh
veggies (of which he did not specify a brand as much as a store), Veganaise, Chia seeds (on
Amazon.com), the best quality vanilla ice cream he can find, and organic detergent. He tends to pick
favorites and stick with them once he has deemed their brand the best brand available. Money is less of
an object for him, at this end. He also has other concerns with his purchases, like what is safest for his
septic system.
He shops at Costco once a month, and the Co-Op three times a month. He visits Haggen four times a
month.
Michael believes his shopping habits are self-taught, and he believes that he is a consumer anomaly.
Over the years, he has learned to discern quality and value, his favorite traits to shop for. “Eating isvoting for your health,” claims Michael. He wishes that somebody had taught him to shop the way he
does now – while his parents were also frugal, he and them share opposing views on quality, and they
would experiment and buy more stuff off the list compared to Michael. He thinks their reluctance to buy
organic represents ignorance, and compares it to a music fan who listens to wildly criticized yet popular
band Nickleback –a strong opinion if I’ve heard one. He thinks becoming a vegetarian is the best thing
that’s ever happened to him, because it changed his “filter of reality.”
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Ten years ago, he would still buy items at Costco in bulk, and he would shop online from time to time,
but not as frequently as he does today. He was still a focused buyer, making lists even without the
convenience of his iPhone. Ten years ago, he lived in Seattle. Now that he lives as far away from
shopping centers as he does, he thinks the distance has helped him to become a better shopper because
he no longer focuses on convenience.
The internet changed everything for Michael. He buys hemp seeds in bulk at Amazon.com. He shops on
the internet almost daily, but only commits to his shopping cart once or twice a week. “Amazon’s gonna
take over the world,” claims this happy shopper. He pays with a credit card for Amazon, which is stored
on the site. He pays with a separate credit card for Costco.He pays cash for small items, like meals out.
Karen
Karen shops weekly, on Thursday mornings. During the week, she makes a scratch list of what she needs
to buy when she goes shopping, based mostly on need, like what runs out and needs to be replaced. On
Wednesday she and my father coordinate recipes that they want to make over the weekend, and on
Thursday morning she sits down with the recipes to consolidate the ingredients from the recipes with
her scratch list from earlier. The organized manner in which she arranges her shopping trips, she
confesses, was learned from her tidy mother. She breaks this routine occasionally, perhaps once every
two months, when she has prior commitments.
She shops almost exclusively at Fred Meyer, because it “has EVERYTHING.” Karen supplements her
weekly grocery trip by checking out the plants and occasionally purchasing clothing. She estimates that
she ends up buying something besides groceries every week at Fred Meyer. Among the groceries, Karen
feels that their produce is “especially good,” and the food in general is cheaper than Albertson’s, the
other conveniently-located large grocer in Richland. She confesses, however, that she visits Albertsons
when time is a factor in her shopping trip or if she was looking for something that Fred Meyer did nothave. Karen does not visit Albertson’s enough to warrant quantizing. Around twice a year she visits
Yoke’s, a local-focused grocer, “just to try something different.” Indeed, variety is the spice of life for
Karen.
Summer is the season that provides the most variety for Karen: four times a season, she visits the local
farmer’s market for the fresh corn and tomatoes. She enjoys shopping at farmers’ markets because they
offer more selection than traditional grocers, and it gives her a chance to support local farmers. She
doesn’t want her town to succumb to overdevelopment, so she also believes in visiting farmers’ markets
for political reasons.
Karen also shops at Costco with my father, approximately two or three times a month. She prefers
Costco for fresh fish and meat, along with paper products and other items she can buy in bulk, which are
cheaper.
On a typical shopping trip, Karen always buys milk, because she and her husband drink quite a lot of it –
at least one glass a meal. Other staples include the household term “lunch stuff,” which basically means
bread and sandwich meat, but occasionally includes variants like wasabi mayo or pesto. She never buys
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packaged fish, because it isn’t fresh, fried food, because it is not a part of her diet, or takeout food,
because she and her husband prefer to cook at home.
The brands Karen views favorably include Hunt’s tomatoes, because she read a kind magazine review for
it, Cheerio’s, because my father prefers them, Florida’s natural orange juice, because she likes that the
juice is always made in the USA, Foster Farms chicken, because they don’t have hormones, and Dave’sKiller Bread because it is healthier and tastier than any other bread she has had before. Note that her
favoritism toward Cheerios is derived exclusively because her husband prefers them; Karen, here, has
married in her mind her perceived enjoyment of the breakfast cereal to her husband’s.
She buys generic products in the event she has no preference about the product, or if she thought the
generic brand was adequate for her needs. Generally, she buys generic for about half of the products in
her life.
Interestingly, she is not the only opinionated member of her household. The cat, Soy Sauce, holds a
strict preference for Whisker Lickin’s and crunchy cat food, and dislikes fresh salmon. What a brat!
Karen’s affinity for writing detailed lists was taught to her by her mother. She does not follow some
other traditions her parents maintained, like purchasing exclusively Ford and Buick vehicles. She learns
by herself when she makes shopping mistakes, like purchasing overpriced Bounty paper towels when
the generic brand suits her needs perfectly. She claims to not be married to brands. The speed and
efficiency of her shopping routine has been internalized at this point. She explicitly remembers learning
this when she had a child, because the more time she had to commit to raising me, the less time she had
to shop, so her organized routine happened out of necessity. Before having a child, she would shop less
frequently. Her life was different then: when she lived alone, she worked 12-hour shifts at the hospital
she worked at, so she would eat largely cafeteria food or prepare simple things at home, with nobody to
entertain. She prefers her lifestyle more today. Cooking fresh food “makes your life better,” shebelieves. To save money, she does not eat out as often compared to others, in her mind, although she
holds no opinion on others’ diets: “my schedule works for me.”
Since ten years ago, not much has changed. She still makes detailed lists and eats home cooked meals
with her family, although the departure of her firstborn to college has enabled her to have more time to
cook. She also actively makes more leftovers, to have extra meals on hand in the event of a busy night
for her or her husband. (I suspect that she has noticed more leftovers because I’m not home to eat
them!) Today, she also looks for more diverse ingredients, to spice up her cooking and enjoy a variety of
meals.
Karen drives to shop because there is no other reasonable alternative for her. (She was incredulous
when I asked if she would consider an alternative, like riding the bus or biking.) The sparsely-populated
Richland has a lacking transit system and carrying groceries on a bike is inconceivable for her. She pays
for her groceries with a credit card because it is the easiest, fastest, and safest method of payment for
her needs. In another life, she must have been a horror story writer: She morbidly envisions a day in
which she pays for her groceries in a thick wad of cash and gets followed back to her car in the parking
lot and gets mugged. Gruesome. She pays cash when eating out, and for other “small stuff.”
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Herbert
Herbert goes grocery shopping every other day. He shops so frequently because in his old age, he
prefers to carry light grocery loads. He usually prepares a shopping list and expects to spend between
$40 and $65 with each outing. While he may not be completely diligent with preparing his shopping
lists, there is more stability in the timing of his shopping trips: he shops exclusively in the early morningto avoid “large, unwashed” crowds, in his own words. While his daughter lived with him, he would shop
a little more frequently, and occasionally share the shopping duties with her.
Herbert’s favorite stores are Wal-Mart and Publix. Generally he prefers Wal-Mart for their lower prices
and convenient location, but Publix wins out when he is in the mood for better service and “nicer stuff,”
like fresh fruits and veggies. Upon entering the store, he will start with any non-perishables on his list.
Next, he moves on to his staples, which are cereal, coffee, yogurt, orange juice, salads, veggies, fruit,
sliced turkey, and bread. These foods, he claims, are best for his diet. He will also occasionally purchase
cookies, crackers and olive oil. He NEVER buys candy – except dark chocolate. Everyone has their vices.
Besides these general diet guidelines, he does not maintain strict rules for himself. His diet is basedaround his self-described “health-protective mechanism,” which is his way of saying he has learned over
time to improve his health by eating less red meat and drinking less martinis.
Herbert purchases brands more often than not, but he was hard-pressed to recite specifics during our
interview. He buys generic brands for raisins, prunes, oatmeal, and powdered milk, for price reasons.
He recalls some effective candy advertisements seen in New York City subways as a teenager, one of
which read “Candy is delicious food. Eat some every day.” (He did.) There was a lemon advertisement
that read “The juice of one lemon in a glass of water, first thing on arising.” (He tried it, but not for long.)
If the wages of sin is death, he believes he’s been dead for a long time.
Herbert is aware of the role advertising plays in his life, and has been since his childhood. His awareness
is derived from making mistakes and learning the hard truth about some products. These days, he
perceives modern ads as annoying, mostly, but he is willing to try new things. If he has a positive
experience with these new things, he is even willing to buy them again. However, he believes that more
products have cluttered his mind, the older he has become.
Herbert does not recall being taught to shop in a particular way. He believes he is a successful shopper
because he is observant, listens to others’ comments, and learns by trial and error. “The process never
ends,” he adds. His perspective on shopping is easily skewed at the first taste of a food he likes. Corn
Flakes, he recalls, he loved for years, although today he is indifferent.
He claims he is a different consumer from others. He is “startled” at the food and clothing choices by
some consumers. He also acknowledges that his shopping habits have changed dramatically over time.
Ten years ago, his second wife was still alive, and they shopped together all the time. Fifty years ago, his
life was completely different. He was married to his first wife and he was in charge of raising two
children. He does not believe he has taught his children much about how to shop.
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The internet has had little to no impact on Herbert’s shopping behavior. He uses the technology almost
exclusively for communication and for reading news. Additionally, my questions have not incited any
change in perspective regarding shopping. This man is firm in his ways.
He drives to grocery shop, because it is most convenient and logical for his lifestyle and distance from
grocery stores. He pays in cash whenever possible, although he uses credit and debit cards on occasion,and checks for larger purchases.
Compare & Contrast
In this category, David and Herbert appear to be similar. They each buy very small amounts of food with
each trip out, and they have informal rules regarding favorites. This is a stark contrast to Michael and
Karen, who both appreciate having a well-stocked pantry, which makes sense because both of them
frequently cook and entertain guests. These two are also very fond of Costco, a store which supports
their stocked-pantry personas with its great deals on products in bulk.
David and Karen are similar in that they do not necessarily always prefer to see brand names in theirshopping basket. Michael and Herbert frequently purchase their favorite brands.
Michael’s shopping routine is clearly the most convoluted among the bunch, and this is illustrated later,
in the Diagrams section. Due to his picky tastes, vegetarian diet, frequent travelling and rural location,
his shopping trips are the most variable. David, Karen, and Herbert each maintain a more predictable
routine.
Neither of the respondents had an easy time tracing the origins of their shopping habits back, besides
maybe Karen, who recalls learning how to make good shopping lists from her mother. In spite of this,
each respondent claims to learn how to shop mostly over time.
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Automobile Category
David
If David were to purchase a car, he would first consider the size of the car he was interested in, and then
ask his friends or other experienced buyers about their experiences. He would probably buy used. Heestimates he will be ready to make his purchase about three weeks after deciding to buy a car. He uses
the time to see and discuss his options.
His family has had bad experiences with Ford, which taints his view of their vehicles. He states no
preference between buying American- or foreign-made cars. Because he has never purchased a vehicle
before, it is unfair to estimate how often he buys cars. He would look to his parents for advice on car
shopping. In this department, he might deter to what his parents have taught him.
Michael
Michael does as much research as he can before he makes his vehicle purchase. He determines what tobuy first based on need, and then based on the best deal he can find. He owns a Eurovan which he
purchased 10 years ago, a truck that he purchased five years ago, and two motorcycles, one of which he
purchased five years ago, and the other two years ago. He estimates he buys a new automobile every
few years. He has no brand preference.
He doesn’t trust banks, and never indulges the option to “pay later” when purchasing large items. Due
to his frugal nature, he can’t stand to pay interest. He would rather stop going out over having to pay
interest. When purchasing a car, he will use financing if he has to, but if he does, he uses as little as
possible.
Karen
Karen feels as if estimating how often she purchases a vehicle is unfair, because there has been no
stable pattern in her vehicle-purchasing throughout her life. In the past 23 years, she has owned four
cars. Her first step in car shopping is doing research; She frequently will begin her research one year
before she plans to make a purchase. When she has narrowed down her prospects, she will check the
cars out at the dealership and give them a test drive. In a car, she is mostly interested in AWD, for
safety, but she also wants to know if it is fun to drive, has a competent audio system, is comfortable and
the proper size for her needs, and has decent gas mileage. Karen currently drives an Audi A4, which
satisfies all of her above prerequisites.
Regarding brands, she views Audi and Lexus most favorably. Appropriately, these brands were the last
two she purchased. She maintains a negative view on Chevrolet vehicles because her family never
bought them. (Interestingly, her mother held a belief that she should never purchase Japanese vehicles,
because in her mind she is still supporting the Japan from WWII.) Karen also enjoys BMWs, because my
dad drives them. Regarding logistics, Karen pays for new cars with a check because her bank prefers it.
She never takes out an auto loan.
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Herbert
Herbert prefers Japanese cars, after enduring “much suffering” with American cars. He currently drives a
16-year old Nissan, which has served him “fine for *his+ limited use” since he purchased it upon retiring.
Again, he was apathetic regarding new models, but if he were pressed to choose, he would consider a
Honda, or any car whose functionality trumped its looks. He reiterated that purchasing a new car is notlikely, given his age.
When asked to mention one incident in which a brand really impressed him in the past, he recited the
story of his 1956 6-cylinder Ford. In retrospect, he thought it was impressive, perfect, and wanted to last
forever. This regret stems from his decision to sell the car for an American Motors car, which treated
him poorly. “No wonder the company died. *The car+ almost killed me before it croaked.”
Compare & Contrast
Herbert and David are again similar at the outset of the Automobile Category. Both had anemic answers
regarding their shopping habits at this point – David, out of necessity, and Herbert, out of apathy. Bycontrast, both Karen and Michael have purchased a large number of vehicles and had an easy time
describing their procedure for buying a new vehicle.
Karen was the only respondent that could mention a favorite car brand. David was ignorant of the
market, and could really only speak to what brands he saw unfavorably. Michael does not consider
favorites as much as he considers what his needs are at the moment of intent to purchase. Herbert has a
preference in Japanese cars, but was not forcefully picky.
Conversely, David, Karen, and Herbert each hold negative views of American car brands. (Perhaps I
should pass this report along to Ford.)
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Electronics Category
David
For electronics, David believes a brand name is not worth a large price bump. As a nonessential
purchase, David had trouble recalling the last time he purchased an electronic product, because in thepast he has predominately received all of his electronics as gifts. That said, he could not define how
frequently he buys electronics himself.
An interesting phenomenon I noted here – when I asked him how he purchases electronics, he
immediately began recounting to me his skepticism about buying products at Best Buy. Because I had
not brought up the words Best Buy, I suspect that in David’s mind, “going shopping for electronics” and
“going to Best Buy” are married concepts. While he enjoys physically holding an item before purchasing
it, shopping online is more convenient and often cheaper for him, so he will generally prefer to buy
these things online. Larger purchases he would prefer to see in person before purchasing.
Upon learning of a new product, the first things David wants to know are (1) its price and (2) its features.
David asks himself, do the features justify the price to upgrade? When asked if he was conscious of my
questions, David responded that he had not previously considered where his habits originated or why he
purchases so few electronics. He did note, however, that his parents will often visit an electronics store
and purchase an item they’re interested in on a whim. This is not how David shops.
He believes his parents are more willing to spend money on electronics, and that they do not shop
around as frequently as he does. I observe a potential pattern here that the older generations impulse-
buy more frequently than the younger generations.
Michael
Regarding electronics, he purchases on need. These days, he prefers to buy online at B+H Photo Video. If
he needs to try out, he might buy it in person – he recalls purchasing a large television at Costco and an
iPhone at the Apple Store, in recent history. He likes to buy computers that are a generation behind the
leading models, to take advantage of the huge price drop that follows recently outdated models.
The first thing he wants to know about a new product is its functionality. Will it serve his needs? He
explicitly values value over hype. Regarding new products, he’s always curious if the product has a
justifiable hype cost. Michael has no interest in what he believes is a passing fad.
Karen
Karen is quick to draw the line: “I’m not in charge of buying electronics for the house.” That
responsibility belongs to her husband, who she consults about any electronic items that look interesting
to her. She estimates she purchases electronics less than once a year. Regarding electronic brands, she
hates Pioneer. When the family’s 50” Pioneer HDTV broke, she was personally involved in dealing with
their “terrible customer service.” Besides that sour memory, she holds no strong brand beliefs on
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electronics. She regularly reads Consumer Reports to be educated on “big ticket items” and performs
other research online when she is interested in a product.
She does not generally prefer to hold an electronic item in her hands before committing to a purchase,
although she says she would rather try out a frequently-used item like a phone first. She is considering
buying a Kindle soon, because her husband recently purchased one and gleefully uses it regularly. Again,here’s another example of her matching my father.
The last item she bought was a Windows phone, which she enjoys. One of the biggest factors in her
phone-buying process was the fact that the phone has a keyboard, although she has come to regret this
decision. Generally, when shopping for an electronic product, she looks for compatible features that fit
her basic needs and are not convoluted.
She maintains a similar system regarding automobiles, electronics, and cars, too. Today, she learns more
from the internet, and she NEVER goes to the mall to shop. She starts her shopping online for
everything, to do initial research or just to shop around on a Sunday afternoon. She enjoys the access to
variety that the internet has provided her, and notes that the internet makes gift-giving and purchasing
especially more convenient. Convenience is important to her these days, along with accessibility and the
ability to effortlessly comparison-shop. She has also maintained a growing distrust for the intentions of
salespeople, so the ability to shop online without direct pressure is also attractive to Karen.
For electronics, she also pays with her credit card.
Herbert
Herbert is no longer interested in electronics, so he has no opinion on new products. He has a cell
phone, but his daughter is in charge of his cell phone budget “as needed.” He does not make regular
purchases.
Herbert muses that advertising has always made him laugh with its absurdity, although today he
believes humor has given way to deceptive promotion, which there is too much of today. These
deceiving advertisements trick him on occasion, like when he recently purchased a high-maintenance
steam mop that has only given him more work to do before, during, and after cleaning.
Compare & Contrast
Each of my respondents responded to my questions about electronics with skepticism, or another
statement of indifference. David hardly ever purchases electronics, because he has learned to craft his
budget around them. Michael buys exclusively on need and would not be caught dead tempting his
frugal nature browsing Best Buy. That said, Michael is the most focused electronics shopper of my
subjects. Karen does not hold many opinions on electronics, because her husband buys them for her.
Herbert is no longer interested in electronics and holds no opinions.
I’d like to point out, here, that none of my respondents have shown signs of Apple fanaticism . This is
compelling to me, because as we noted in class after most students presented their reports on Monday,
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Apple is a technological titan and holds massive influence over most subjects’ electronics opinions and
brand beliefs. David, Michael and Karen each have iPods, but they each use them somewhat
infrequently. Michael owns exclusively Apple computers, as is the recording studio industry standard,
but has complained to me on more than one occasion outside this survey that he is fed up with their
preposterous pricing.
Karen and Herbert were the only subjects to hold grudges with brands that have disappointed in the
past: Karen, with Pioneer, and Herbert, with his steam mop.
The internet plays a monumental role in how the first three subjects shop for electronics. David has a
hard time visiting an electronics store logistically, so he has built a lifestyle around online shopping for
what isn’t closely available by bus. Michael tries to buy his electronics online at his favorite website,
B+H. He also does most of his general browsing and shopping online, which makes sense given his
distance from the closest shopping center. Karen keeps up to date with electronics using the internet,
and would generally use Amazon if she had to make a purchase. Herbert wants little to do with
electronics or the internet.
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Clothing Category
David
He buys clothes a few times a year, depending on his needs. He does not “go shopping” for the sake of
going shopping. He avoids big brand names like Abercrombie and Aeropostale, avoids logos, but he isnot picky, otherwise. He generally gets his clothes at Target, JC Penny, Kohl’s, Ross, and TJ Maxx. He
believes in spending a low price on clothing.
David believes the convenience of online shopping encourages him to not spend his afternoon on busses
getting to and from shopping districts.
Michael
Michael shops for clothing infrequently – once a year for pants, and three times a year for shirts. He
seeks out his favorite brands on Amazon because he generally finds the best price online. He buys
“cheap” jeans at Fred Meyer. He prefers to shop at REI for his outdoor clothing needs. Michael pays witha credit card on Amazon, and lets Amazon remember his card for easier purchases down the line.
Karen
Karen purchases clothing six to eight times a year. She frequently shops online at Land’s End and
Amazon, the latter she prefers to visit when she is shopping just out of curiosity. She likes Land’s End
because they have good material, they are comfy, have good value and quality, and they are consistent.
She also shops at Fred Meyer, however, when she is in the mood for something cheaper, she wants a
little more selection, or for convenience, when she is out shopping.
She pays with her credit card for most clothing purchases and cash when picking up dry cleaning.
Herbert
Herbert is “totally indifferent on clothing,” although he preferred well-known brands in the past. He
does not shop for clothing, these days, but he will occasionally purchase new socks “if they look
comfortable,” and new slippers as needed.
Compare & Contrast
Karen is the only subject here who would consider buying clothes exclusively out of want. This is
different from David and Michael, who buy mostly out of need and shop a few times a year at most, andit is very different from Herbert, who no longer buys clothes except for out of need.
Karen and Michael are similar in that they each enjoy clothes shopping on Amazon.com and dread
visiting clothing stores. These two will also consider purchasing clothing at Fred Meyer occasionally
while they purchase groceries.
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None of my subjects valued fashion highly when formulating their responses. The first three subjects
look for value and quality first, and while they may have a favorite brand, these brands match the value
and quality standards held by each subject. Herbert was consciously quiet on his past history with
clothing, but he noted that he tended toward well-known brands. I suspect his reason for this is similar
to that of the other respondents.
Michael and Karen were more specific than David in reporting their favorite brands. Again, David’s
frugality is showing.
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Theory Discussion
The most important dividing factor between each of my subjects is motivation. Each of their responses
was varied, because they are each lead dramatically different lives.
As a dedicated graduate school-bound math major, David is too focused on his schoolwork and too cash-strapped from tuition to shop liberally. Working under this strict framework for four years now, he has
established his situation-appropriate routine. As such, he requires a large driving force to buy any
product, which is why when I questioned him about his grocery shopping routine he told me right away
that he has never spent more than $30 a trip at the grocery store. In his words, he is practically a
vegetarian “due to budget.” I’ve eaten many burgers with this man, so I can vouch for his deep
enjoyment of good red meat. Indeed, he accepts this “temporary pain,” to quote the MKTG 382 website
in order to dedicate his finances to his scholastic ambitions. He does not have a car; he had not even
considered purchasing one before I asked him during the interview. With empty pockets and full focus,
the man manages his motivation appropriately.
Michael, the “picky” vegetarian and music producer is another compelling motivation case. As a single
man in his 40s, he has had many decades to define his beliefs and values, without an immediate family
to attend to. Accordingly, his compiled savings have permitted him to enjoy a lavish organic lifestyle that
is the envy of scores of “switched-on” Western hippies students. His values include living within his
means, financially and ecologically, supporting local industries (and conversely, actively not supporting
as many corporations as possible), and eating the healthiest diet possible to treat his body with respect.
His interview reflects this value set well, but from where do these values derive?
As the MKTG 382 website states, “motivation and emotion are inseparable.” A man of the arts, Michael
is acutely in tune with his emotions when he plays and produces music. In working with the man at his
recording studio, I have observed these emotions in action. He tends to produce music using as little
processing as possible, allowing the instruments and vocalists to cut through the audio mix as naturally
as possible. Michael is a unique case, a self-described “consumer anomaly,” whose buyer behavior
speaks volumes.
Karen is a professional consumer. She has the most organized, efficient routines out of each of my
subjects, which she follows religiously. The most relevant subtheme of motivation for her is in the
definition of need, which is “the discrepancy between present state & ideal state,” on the MKTG
website. Karen is in a holding pattern; by marrying the man of her dreams and seeing her only child off
to college she has achieved her ideal state, so her motivation lies in maintaining the person and
consumer state she has so proudly built.
At this point, I would like to highlight a trend. There is a decreasing amount of temporary pain endured
by each subject, the older they age. This pattern supports the class concept that people learn to accept
this temporary pain in a bid to achieve a more pleasant overall state. As a low-class consumer, David
endures a lot of pain as he finds his bearings with his career. Michael has it more figured out. He has
developed a consumer system that permits him to live out the lofty vision he has for his studio. Karen is
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living the dream as a consumer. Because she has achieved her ideal state, she is skeptical about new
consumer fads like the tablet computer: At home, I encourage her to buy one, because she is looking for
a new portable computer, but why should she believe me when I tell her it is more compatible with her
needs than a new laptop? She has scaled the summit of Maslow’s pyramid without it, and the
motivation isn’t there for her to take her chances.
The next logical step beyond Karen’s recently achieved ideal state is found in Herbert’s consumer
apathy. This man has seen the rise and fall of countless consumer trends, from the absurdity of Ivory
soap in the 1940s (“’It floats!’? Of course it did, it’s made of air!”) to the decline of American
manufacturing (“ The 1956 6-cylinder Ford was an impressive car… [Later] I knew misery with an
American Motors car. No wonder the company died, it almost killed me before it croaked. Sic transit…”) .
Herbert initially shocked me with his indifference regarding all things electronic and clothing, but he has
earned the right to criticize the artificial involvement structure composed by brands; He’s running a
consumer victory lap.
Recalibrating the scale of motivation in each consumer, I must ask the question if my respondents are
unnaturally aversely motivated to purchase products. David hardly makes any purchases at all. Michael
claims to be as frugal as possible. Karen buys a lot of groceries to support her family’s passion for
cooking, but requires a high level of motivation to purchase electronics and automobiles. Herbert is
totally indifferent to almost everything. Are my subjects abnormal? What is normal? Certainly these
questions require a larger sample size than four to draw a compelling conclusion.
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Diagrams
I wanted to directly compare Karen with David regarding their automobile purchase decision processes
because these two would consider purchasing a vehicle for completely different reasons: David, out of
need, and Karen, out of want. Accordingly, Karen’s process uses vocabulary such as “does this car
INTEREST her,” whereas David does not attach his personality in the process. His question uses the
vocabulary “is this car AGREEABLE?” Interestingly, both subjects do share some common ground. They
each have three Decision Points, each of which offers feedback to prior steps. Both subjects also place a
lot of importance on the research prerequisite for the car purchase, although whereas David confides
primarily in his friends and family to tell him about cars, Karen’s first resource is the internet.
The most convoluted decision process must be Michael’s decision process regarding going grocery
shopping. Accordingly, his graph has the most Decision Points, as well as other steps and detours. His
self-described “picky” diet is clearly illustrated in this diagram. As a point of comparison, I made a
diagram for Karen’s grocery shopping, although I thought it might be more interesting to give her
diagram a specific dilemma to address. In the event she is running low on milk, her number one staple,
this chart reflects her decision process. Compared to Michael’s, Karen has more of a predictable routine,
which is shown in the graph due to the high number of Decision Points that are concerned with
Thursday, the day she goes shopping every week.
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Karen’s Decision Process of Buying an Automobile
Karen realizes her car no longer suits her needs.
Karen conducts new car research.
Karen tries a new medium of car research
(online, Consumer Reports, etc).
Has she found
a car that
interests her?
Karen shares the interesting car with her husband.
Does he agree
w/ the inter-
esting car?
The new car dilemma is now Tom’s problem as well.
Tom and Karen visit car dealerships and take a test drive.
Is it fun to
drive? Is it
comfortable?
Karen purchases the interesting car.
Karen’s vehicle needs are once again satisfied.
NO
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
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David’s Decision Process of Buying an Automobile
YES
David realizes he needs an automobile.
David consults a friend or family member.
Does he know
enough to be-
gin shopping?
David visits a used car dealership.
David conducts research.
Has he found
an agreeable
vehicle?
Is the vehicle
well-
reviewed?
David purchases the vehicle.
David owns his first automobile.
David considers what size of vehicle would suit his needs.
NO
YES
NO
YES
YES
NO
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Michael’s Decision Process of Buying Groceries
Michael’s pantry is not sufficiently stocked.
Michael makes a shopping list on his iPhone.
Does he need
perishables?
Can he find
this on
Amazon?
Is he planninga trip to
Seattle soon?
Does he
needclothes?
He visits
Amazon. He goes
to Costco.
He goes to the Mt.
Vernon Co-O .
He goes to Fred Meyer. He goes to Haggen.
Michael makes his urchase.
Michael’s credit
card is on file.
Michael uses his
Haggen card.
Michael’s pantry is sufficiently stocked.
YESNO
YES
YES
NO
NO
NO
YES
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Karen’s Decision Process of Buying Milk
Karen realizes she is running low on milk, a grocery staple.
Is there
enough to
last until TR?
She goes to Albertson’s. She adds milk to her shopping list.
Is it
Thursday?No action.
Does she want
to try some-
place different?
She goes to Fred Meyer.
She goes to Yoke’s.
Can she find
the milk shewants?
She uses her Fred
Meyer Rewards Card.
Karen urchases milk.
Karen has enough milk.
YES NO
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
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Notes
David
Routine
o Walk to Haggen, grab a basket
Apples, bananas, consider cereal, oatmeal, canned beans, pasta, yogurt, soy
milk, maybe a candy bar
$20-$30
<1x/wk
o Has a routine
o Will break routine for convenience
i.e. getting a ride to Fred Meyer
o Prefers Haggen for convenient location
If another store were conveniently located
o Would choose based on price/in-store environment
ALWAYS buy apples, bananas, bread, beans, pasta
NEVER buy meat, “vegetarian due to budget”
Rules
o Stay under $30 – break occasionally when shopping with others
Keep a small mental shopping list of basics
Brands
o Prefers generics – price
o Skeptical about name brands actually being better
o Skeptical of ingredients in name brandso Buys Pop-Tarts
Larger sense of perceived enjoyment vs. generic
Electronics
o Brand name not worth a price bump
o “Nonessential” purchase
o Mostly received as gifts, do not regularly purchase
o “Best Buy” married to “buying electronics”
o Enjoys seeing product in person, prefers shopping online
Convenient, often cheaper
o Larger purchases worth seeing in persono New product
(1) price (2) features
“is this worth $$$ to upgrade?”
Automobiles
o Think about size
o Ask advice from experienced buyers
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o Buy used – budget
o Needs to see/discuss options
o Would spend 3 weeks researching before buying
o Bad experience with Ford – tainted view of vehicles
o Not limited to American cars
Clothing – 3x/yr
o Avoid brand names with logos, not picky
o Generally Target, JC Penny, Kohl’s, Ross, TJ Maxx (low price)
o Need-based
Origins
o Grocery habits motivated by living alone, no car, college
o No conscious decision to shop differently/same as parents
o Live within means
o Different from peers with larger budgets
“Less self -imposed restrictions”
o Parents more willing to spend on electronics, less shopping around
o Would look to parents about advice on car shopping
o Online convenience – no spend afternoon on bus to go shopping
o Had not considered origin of habits/electronics budget before questions
Logistics
o Debit card – convenience
o Cash for bars, social settings/split purchases
Michael
Lives far away 17 mi away
Plan, make lists, buy bulk
Well-furnished pantry
Non-perishables in bulk @ Costco
Vegetarian, frugal
Best chef, loves to cook
High quality ingredients
Veggies, etc – Co-Op in Mt. Vernon – 3x/mo
o Favorite store in WA
o Why? More local farms
o Better farms
o Willing to travel
o Coming home from Seattle
Or Haggen in Bham – 4x/mo
o “better produce, closer”
o “more attentive”
o FM inconvenient to get to?
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o Only buy fresh veggies + beer at Haggen – organic is important
o Haggen card – “good deals”
Spend $300-$500/mo @ Costco
o Visits 1x/mo
Have a routine
“picky” not convenience
Shop at favorite stores like Spice Hut in Seattle, Crossroads in Maple Falls
Support local businesses
FM “love you can get all your shopping done”
o If need to do clothes + food
ALWAYS have
o Routine – every other day – quinoa, eggs, peppers, tomatoes, rosemary, coffee,
o Homemade hemp seed granola + Kefir + tea, spirulina + banana
NEVER have meat, gin, processed food
Brand beliefs
o Microbrews, veggies N/A, veganaise, chia seeds on Amazon
o Best quality vanilla ice cream
o Pick favorites, stick with them
o Money is less of an object
o Safe for septic system
o Organic detergent
Electronics
o Depends on need
o Buy B+H these days
o If need to try it out, buy in person – big TV @ Costco, phone @ Apple storeo Computer – generation behind – big price drop
New product – first thing?
o Functionality – will it serve his needs?
o Value/hype – justify hype cost – no fads
Internet changed everything
o Bulk hemp seeds
o Shop on internet daily – commit 2x/wk
o Physical list on phone
o “Amazon’s gonna take over the world”
Automobiles – 1x/few yrso Ton of research – fit needs-efficient
o Best deal
o Eurovan – 10 yrs
o Truck – 5 yrs
o Motorcycles – 5yrs/2yrs
Clothing – pants 1x/yr, shirts 3x/yr
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o Seek out favorites, buy Amazon
Best price
o FM for jeans
o “Cheap?”
o REI for outdoor
Self-developed shopping
o “Life journey”
o “Consumer anomaly”
o Learning to discern quality or value – frugal
o Eating is voting for health
o Wish somebody taught me
o Parents were frugal
o Different view on quality
o Adventure, experiment
o Nickleback ignorant ex.
o Veg – best thing ever happened to me – changed filter of reality
10 years ago – new
o Costco in bulk
o Online shopping
o Focus buy – make lists
o Now living farther away – helped him be a better shopper
Logistics
o Amazon – c. card on file
VERY convenient
o Costco – different credit card
o Mostly cash – small items
o Don’t trust banks
o NO “pay it later” – NO interest – frugal nature
Stop going out/pay interest
o Car – use financing – as little as possible
Karen
Typical trip
o Make list
o Put in order
o Thursday routine – 1x/wk
o 3 meals/trip
Break routine?
o 1x/2mo
FM
o Has EVERYTHING
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o Clothing, plants, etc
o Every time
o Produce “especially good”
o Cheaper than Albertsons
o Would go if closer or FM did not have
o 2x/yr Yoke’s, just to try something different o Would not switch
Farmers’ market – 4x/summer
o Fresh corn/tomatoes
o More selection, supporting local farmers –don’t want overdevelopment
Costco
o Specialty -1x/2wk
o Fresh fish, meats, paper products, bulk stuff
o Cheaper
ALWAYS
o Milk – drink a lot of it
o “staples” – “lunch stuff”
NEVER
o Packaged fish – not fresh
o Fried foods – not part of diet
o Takeout – prefers cooking at home
BRAND BELIEFS
o Hunt’s tomatoes – magazine review
o Cheerios – dad prefers
o Florida’s natural juice – made in USA o Foster Farms chicken – no hormones etc
o Dave’s Killer Bread – healthy/taste
Buy generic
o If no preference
o “thought it was adequate”
o About 50/50
Electronics – “not in charge,” <1x/yr
o Hate Pioneer – terrible customer service
o No strong beliefs – read reviews
o Consumer Reports for “big ticket items”
o Shop – research first – online/CR
o Talk w/dad – not trial
o Would check out phone
o Recently bought Windows phone
o Buying Kindle soon
o Most important thing for phone
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Keyboard – regretted it
Look for compatible features
No convoluted features
Basic needs
Cars – 4 cars in 23 years
o First research – 1 yr
Online, Consumer reports
o Test drive
o Look for (1) AWD, (2) fun to drive, (3) good audio, (4) comfort/size, (5) gas mileage
o Like Audi, Lexus – dislike Chevy
Family never bought Chevy
o Like BMW
Clothing – 6-8x/yr
o Online/FM/Land’s End/Amazon
o LE – good material, comfy, value, quality, no surprises o FM – cheaper, selection, convenience
Groceries – how did learn?
o Her mom – list
o Learn from her mistakes – Bounty
o Not married to brands
o Internalized – quick/efficient
o Having a child – less time/more organized
o Shopped less beforehand
o Cooking fresh food “makes your life better”
o When single, ate cafeteria food/simple stuff o “Mine works for me”
o Do not eat out as often compared to others – save money
10 years ago
o Not much has changed
o More time to cook now
o Make more leftovers
o Look for more ingredients
o Spice it up now
o Try more stuff – variety
Electornics/automobiles/clothes
o Same system
o Learned from internet
o NEVER go to mall
o Start online for everything
o Access to variety – gifts always
o Selection, convenience, accessibility, comparison shop
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o Salespeople not as trustworthy
Soy Sauce
o Prefers Whisker Lickin’s
o Dislikes fresh salmon
Logistics
o Drive because duh
o Inconceivable to carry groceries on a bike
o Pay on CC because it’s easier/faster
Safer – “somebody follows you out to parking lot”
o Else – CC
o Auto – check – bank does it that way
Never auto loans
o Pay cash for small restaurant bills, dry cleaners, small stuff
Final thoughts
o Brand loyalty is interesting
o Parents only bought Ford/Buick
o NEVER buy Jap cars
Herbert
Routine— every other day, usually shopping list
o Prefers light loads
o Spends $40-$65/trip
o Very early in a.m. to avoid “large, unwashed” crowds
o While daughter lived with him, shopped more frequently/shared shopping duties
Always start with non-perishables
Prefers Wal-Mart and Publix for ease of accessibility
o Wal-Mart – no highway crossing
o Publix – better service, “nice stuff” – fresh fruits/veggies
o Enjoys service but prefers prices
o Generally shops more frequently at Wal-Mart
ALWAYS buys cereal, coffee, yogurt, orange juice, salads, veggies, fruit, sliced turkey, bread
o Best for his diet
Occasionally cookies, crackers, olive oil
NEVER candy, except dark chocolate
Does not maintain hard rules for himself
o “automatic health-protective mechanism”
Learned over time to improve health
E.g. from abundant red meat to none
Other mistakes: too many martinis
Drives
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Buys mostly brands
Buys generic for raisins, prunes, oatmeal, powdered milk for price
No longer interested in electronics
o No opinion on new products
o Daughter is in charge of his cell phone budget “as needed”
o “simple stuff”
Prefers Japanese cars
o “much suffering” with American cars
o Bought a Nissan upon retiring and stuck with it
o Currently drives 16-yr old Nissan
o “fine for my limited use”
o Does not care about looks, cares about functionality
o If shopping for a new car, maybe Honda
But not likely given his age
Totally indifferent on clothing, preferred well-known brands in the past
“Never” buys electronics or clothing
o Occasionally socks “if they look comfortable”
o New slippers “as needed”
Response to advertising
o “Always made me laugh” – “absurd”
o “It floats!” – Ivory soap in 1940s
“of course it did, it’s full of air”
o Too much deceptive promotion, but falls into traps on occasion
Recently bought a steam mop
“more work, before, during, and after”
o Recalls effective candy advertisements in NYC subways as a teen
“Candy is delicious food. Eat some every day.” – he did
“The juice of one lemon in a glass of water first thing on arising”
Tried it, not for long
“The wages of sin is death”
“I’ve been dead for a long time!”
o Modern ads – annoying
o Willing to try things, if positive experience would buy again
Remarkable brand relationship in past:
o 1956 6-cylinder Ford Impressive, perfect, wanted to last forever
Sold it for an American Motors car – regretted this decision
“No wonder the company died. It almost killed me before it croaked.”
Aware of the role advertising plays in life
o “Even as a child”
o Awareness grew from mistakes
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o More products crowd the mind with age
“Not especially” taught how to shop
o Is observant
o Listens to comments
o Learned by trial and error
o “The process never ends”
Experiences that changed his perspective on shopping
o Generally the first taste of something he likes
o Loved Corn Flakes for years, now indifferent
Different from others
o “Startled” at food/clothes choices for some
o Very different from 10 years ago
Had a different wife
o Totally different from 50 years ago
Had a wife + kids
Internet
o “Not at all” changed how he shops
Pays in cash whenever possible, sometimes credit/debit
o Checks for homes/cars
Believes my survey has no influence on future shopping
Has not taught kids much about shopping
Further opinions
o Hates not having an option to buy American (not Chinese)
o Hates that U.S. manufacturers hire cheapest labor – more unemployment here
o Hates “hospitalists” at hospitals, prefers doctors
o Hates cash-obsessed business owners
o Hates that the government promotes practices that hurt American workers
o Bothered when favorite shoes are now manufactured overseas
o “Now show me a pair of shoes made in America!”