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Shopping Attitudes

People either love shopping or they hate it. Research shows that females tend to enjoy shopping more than males. Shopping is the only way that we can acquire goods and services that we want need and want. Individuals go shopping for two main reasons: for utilitarian (functional) reasons or hedonic (pleasurable) reasons. 

Marketers have identified hedonic shopping motives:

Social experiences: People may go to the mall for social experiences. Especially, if the individuals live in a region with colder weather. There are less options for social activity during the winter. Recently, the pandemic has decreased  social activities even more. Being a resident of  New York, I have found that social activities in the winter are limited to: going to a movie theater, going shopping, going ice skating, going skiing or snow boarding (if you are talented enough) and staying at home playing video games online. Due to COVID-19, the movie theaters have been shut down since March. I find myself going to the mall about once a week to pass the time, get some exercise, and engage in social activity. There are many "mall walkers," mostly elderly people who will walk the mall multiple times for fun and exercise. You can spot them by looking at how they are dressed. They normally have sneakers and sweats on. A lot of them tie their jackets around their waists. 


Sharing of common interests: Stores offer specialized goods that allow people with common interests to communicate. The best example I can think of is Ulta. Ulta is always bringing in the latest beauty products and most shoppers in Ulta share a common love for cosmetics. The consumers may have differing opinions about certain brands and products, however they all understand the basics of beauty. 

Status: Many consumers like the experience of being waited on. Stores are aware of this and many ensure that their salesman approach you when you walk in. They want to make sure you are being helped and can find the right product to fit your needs. Also, if they form a personal connection with you and remember you when you return to the store, they know that it will make you feel special and want to keep buying products from them. Best Buy is a great example of this. 

The thrill of the hunt: Many consumers will do their research beforehand to find the best product for the best price. Many stores, such as Target and Best Buy, have a price match guarantee. They are aware that other stores may discount products in order to get rid of them and make room for new ones. If they do not offer the price match guarantee, then they will lose your business. Consumers like to hunt for the best prices online and "score" when shopping. Seeing how much money they saved makes them ecstatic. 

Group pressure: Have you ever wondered why certain brands, such as Mary Kay, do not have physical stores? They chose to have individual representatives go to house parties and show some of the products offered and how well they work. These representatives have catalogues that customers can order from as well as some physical products that customers can purchase. They convince people how great their product is. The host of the house party often gets a portion of the money that the representative earns, often in the form of credit towards their purchase. These house events work so well because of group pressure. Individuals will purchase more when they shop with someone than shopping alone. If they are surrounded by a whole group of friends and/or acquaintances who are showing great interests in the products and purchasing them then you will most likely follow suit. Your friends may convince you to buy the products. 








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