The document summarizes observations from a study on consumer buying behaviour of perfumes and deodorants. The study was conducted by silently observing customers in the perfume and deodorant section of a retail store. Most customers were between 20-40 years old and purchases were made mostly by males and females in equal numbers. The observations found that while some purchases were planned, most were impulsive. Customers spent time looking at multiple brands across different price points before deciding. The most important factors for customers were quality and price, with quality being more important. The study had limitations due to a short observation window, observing customers one at a time, and disturbances from the number of customers in the store during observations.

1. AN OBSERVATOIN EXERCISE ON CONSUMER BUYING
BEHAVIOUR
OBJECTIVE: Understanding Consumer Buying Behaviour through Observation
PRODUCTS CATEGORY ON WHICH THE OBSERVATION WAS UNDERTAKEN:
Perfumes and Deodorants.
OBSERVATIONS ABOUT: Consumer Buying Behaviour
PRODUCT: Perfumes and Deodorant.
TECHNIQUE USED: Silent observation and slight interview (in a few cases).
PLACE OF OBSERVATION: Deodorant section of Easy Day retail store.
I visited perfume and deodorant section of Easy Day retail outlet. The buyers were
mainly within the 20-40 age groups, male as well as female in nearly equal proportion. As per
our inference, there were buyers who were buying it for their own use while some intended it
to be used as a gift. The former category of buyers were usually more discerning, and spent a
lot of time evaluating various brands across multiple price categories. The buyers in the latter
category were less discerning and the purchase decision was made faster and the concern was
largely in adhering to a particular price band rather than any particular quality of the product.
In both categories, buyers did not seem to have much information about the various products
and brands available. Buyers were however particular about the qualities of the product and
described the same in their own words like “Hard Hitting”, “Fresh” etc. In some cases the
buyer was accompanied by one or more friends or family members; however the presence of
friends or family did not seem to influence the purchase decision significantly.
The shopping was more impulsive than planned, as most buyers appeared undecided
about what brand or type of perfume to buy. Sometimes buyers tried a lot of product across
multiple, often posh, categories and settled on a cheaper product, like a deodorant. This leads
us to infer that a lot of the purchases were impulsive. The buyers generally looked across
multiple brands and price bands before deciding on a final purchase; only a few times I could
find buyers having fixed choices. The two most important factors that the consumers seemed
to be interested in were the quality and the price; the former being a more important deciding
factor.
If we go round the way through the observation in terms of factors like apparently
appealing packaging, effect of eye level display, time consumption in making purchase
decision, pattern or randomness existing in purchase on behalf of gender, age or

2. psychographics. It is really difficult to relate among the outcomes of the observation exercise.
The next table represents the observations made at the store:
Observation
Male
Female
No. of visitors
38
24
Purchase made
24
16
Pre disposition (prev.product) purchase
Planned purchase
17
10
4
2
For self use
23
16
Impulse purchase
18
10
1
0
Purchase made as the
effect of any other
factor**
** The other factor in the only existing case was a good friend’s suggestion.
From the above given glimpse of data following points may be drawn:
In the observation window the number of males was higher than number of females.
Number of buyers was more than 60% of total foot fall of male consumers.
Number of buyers was more than 65% of total foot fall of female consumers.
70% of males and 62.5% of females bought Deodorant before the disposition of
previous purchase.
Only 8.3% of males and 12.5% of females performed a planned purchase.
Only a negligible sum bought it for gifting purpose.
Most of the purchases were made as impulse ones; factors being numerous as
discussed above.
A male buyer was motivated to make a purchase of a particular brand by his friend’s
suggestion.
There were significant linkages were found relating purchases to age, sex, time
invested or other particulars.
The most affecting limitation of the observation was limited time observation
window.
Only one subject was in observation at a time.
Footfall in the store was higher than usual because of it being a new year’s evening.
Huge number of customers was a constant disturbance during the observation process.
A few consumers felt anxious being under observation.