An exploratory investigation into the role of extrinsic factors in consumer decision-making for interior soft furnishings

Abstract

OPSOMMINGTe midde van toenemende belangstelling in interieuromgewings en die gevolglike gebruik van besittings om lewenstyl te reflekteer, kon min inligting gevind word wat lig werp op verbruikers se keuseprosesse ten opsigte van interieurprodukte. Belangstelling in hierdie produkkategorie spruit uit die besondere estetiese waarde daarvan en die moontlikheid dat hierdie produkte doelbewus gekies kan word -soos wat in die simboliese interaksionisme aangevoer word -om die selfbeeld van 'n verbruiker te projekteer (Hawkins et al, 2001:429). Daarby moet die produkte ook aan sekere kriteria voldoen om optimaal te funksioneer tydens gebruik. Bewys dat winkel-en handelsmerkbeeld oënskynlik gebruik word om verbruikersbesluite te rig, veral ten opsigte van visueel opvallende produkte (YounKyung & Seunghae 2000:58), kan belangrike implikasies vir verbruikers se kritiese bewustheid van produkeienskappe inhou. Hierdie navorsing het ten doel gehad om 'n bydrae tot die teorie, spesifiek wat die verstaan van verbruikers se aankoopgedrag ten opsigte van 'n spesifieke kategorie interieurprodukte, te maak. Hierdie produkte is geïdentifiseer as voorbeeld van visueel opvallende produkte. Implikasies vir die handel in terme van verbruikersfasilitering en gevolge in terme van verantwoordelike, ingeligte verbruikersbesluitneming, is geïdentifiseer. Doelbewuste steekproefneming is gebruik (Babbie, 1989:204) om jong onafhanklike stedelike verbruikers uit hoër sosio-ekonomiese groepe vir deelname aan 'n kwalitatief georiënteerde navorsingsprojek te werf. Data-opname is in verskillende stadia gedoen.Daar is gevind dat verbruikers neig om handelsmerke en winkelbeeld met generiese produkkenmerke te assosieer. Deelnemers kon nie oortuig dat hulle oor die vermoë beskik om produkte se intrinsieke kenmerke objektief te beoordeel nie. Hoewel die gebruik van surrogaat indikatore gerieflik blyk te wees, mag dit dui op 'n onvermoë of traagheid om relevante aankoopkriteria te formuleer, die afwesigheid van 'n kritiese bewustheid van funksionele produkkenmerke en 'n verskuiwing van die verantwoordelikheid na die handel om verbruikersbehoeftes te antisipeer. Sulke aankoopgedrag is strydig met die basiese sentiment van verbruikerswese en kan nadelige langtermyngevolge inhou wat aangespreek 10 behoort te word ter wille van verantwoordelike, ingeligte verbruikersbesluitneming. Die feit dat daar tydens produkevaluering oënskynlik op die handelaarsbeeld gesteun word, is in ooreenstemming met wat die simboliese interaksionisme voorhou, naamlik dat die komplekse samelewing op simbole staatmaak om betekenis te verkry. Interieurprodukte sal dus waarskynlik by sekere handelaars gekoop word wat vir verbruikers aanvaarbaar is omdat simbole wat bepaalde realiteite teenwoordig, daar verkrygbaar is. -Ms NC Sonnenberg

Profiling consumers in home ware stores according to their decision‐making process: an exploratory study

“…The home furnishings found indoors reflect the aesthetic taste of consumers and forms an extension of their lifestyle (Anonymous, 2001;Elsasser, 2004). This lifestyle can be described in terms of shared values or tastes, which manifests in consumers' needs, preferences and the specific type of purchasing behaviour (Arnould et al, 2004;Sonnenberg and Erasmus, 2005). Similarly, the purchasing decision made by the consumer can alter or reinforce their lifestyle (Arnould et al, 2004).…”

“…Individuals are free to select products that reinforce their definitions of self and their unique lifestyle in a modern society (Solomon, 2004) to acquire satisfaction in life and express selfconcept (Richins and Dawson, 1992;Griffin et al, 2002). Consumers may perceive products and possessions as an extension of their personalities, hence the deliberate product choice that matches some aspect of the self and communicates a desired image (Solomon, 2004;Sonnenberg and Erasmus, 2005). Research provides evidence that materialistic individuals view possessions as the most appropriate symbol to use in the process of symbolic self-completion (Yurchisin and Johnson, 2004).…”

“…A larger consumer interest in home furnishings and home decorating has emerged over the past few years, as the media gives more attention to home furnishings (Anonymous, 2001). The introduction of several new home ware outlets to the South African market bears testimony of the same phenomenon (Sonnenberg and Erasmus, 2005). Consumers also spend an increasing amount of time indoors, have become more aware of their interior surroundings and are more interested in current home furnishings and in home decorating (Rodemann, 1999;Anonymous, 2001).…”

“…Characteristic aspects such as lifestyle, the individual's personality, temperament and cultural exposure, influence the selection of home ware designs (Rodemann, 1999). Despite these influences on consumers' home ware decisions, individual differences and situational factors make it difficult to predict consumer decisions beforehand (Sonnenberg and Erasmus, 2005), while the taste of the consumers is wide-ranging and constantly changing (Elsasser, 2004). These changes may influence consumers' decision making regarding home ware.…”

“…Erasmus et al (2001) warned against the generalization of consumer decision-making models and suggested that it should be studied in a context-specific and product-specific manner. Furthermore, it was argued that a prediction of consumers' home ware decisions is difficult (Sonnenberg and Erasmus, 2005), while the final purchasing decision of the consumer will differ between individuals (Du Plessis and Rousseau, 2003). Thus, existing decision-making models, decision styles and profiles cannot be directly applied to unique purchasing situations where consumers' level of involvement varies (Du Preez, 2003), such as home ware.…”