Situational Influences and Eating Habits

What and how people choose to eat is not a conscious decision; it is affected by colors, smells, lighting, plate size and culture. Numerous studies on eating habits have revealed some surprising facts:

• A bigger spoon causes people to eat 15% more.
• A bigger plate causes people to eat 25% more.

• A cold restaurant will make people eat more food, as will fresh flowers on the table.
• People will eat 28% more food if the plates are cleared from the table, rather than piled up.
• Red tablecloths will increase the appetite and people will eat more.

• Teens who buy lunch with cash buy more junk food than if they use a debit card.
• People will eat more M&M’s if they are in 10 colors rather than 7 because they’ll crave the variety. People who have more menu options eat more and if there is any semblance of variety (colors) it ups the intake even more.
• In an experiment, people in a movie theater were given tubs of stale popcorn, those who got bigger tubs still ate 35% more.
• Professional bartenders cannot overcome this one– they always pour more alcohol into a short wide glass rather than a tall skinny glass.
• People who eat at Subway, thinking it is healthy, compensate later by filling up on more snacks than a McDonalds eater.

by Mkt Teachers

8 Traits of Online Shoppers

i. Adventurous Explorers (30% of online spending) are a small segment that presents a large opportunity. They require little special attention by Internet vendors because they believe online shopping is fun. They are likely the opinion leaders for all things online. Retailers should nurture and cultivate them to be online community builders and shopping advocates.

ii. Shopping Lovers (24% of online spending) enjoy buying online and do so frequently. They are competent computer users and will likely continue their shopping habits. They also spread the word to others about joys of online shopping whenever they have the opportunity. They represent an ideal target for retailers.

iii. Business Users (19% of online spending) are among the most computer literate. They use the Internet primarily for business purposes. They take a serious interest in what it can do for their professional life. They don't view online shopping as novel and aren't usually champions of the practice.

iv. Suspicious Learners (15% of online spending) comprise another small segment with growth potential. Their reluctance to purchase online more often hinges on their lack of computer training, but they are open to new ways of doing things. In contrast to more fearful segments, they don't have a problem giving a computer their credit card number. Further guidance and training would help coax them into online buying.

v. Fearful Browsers (5% of online spending) are on the cusp of buying online. They are capable Internet and computer users, spending a good deal of time "window shopping." They could become a significant buying group if their fears about credit card security, shipping charges and buying products sight unseen were overcome.

vi. Shopping Avoiders (3% of online spending) have an appealing income level, but their values make them a poor target for online retailers. They don't like to wait for products to be shipped to them and they like seeing merchandise in person before buying. They have online shopping issues that retailers will not easily be able to overcome.

vii. Technology Muddlers (3% of online spending) face large computer literacy hurdles. They spend less time than any other segment online and show little excitement about increasing their online comfort level. They are not an attractive market for online retailers.

viii. Fun Seekers (2% of online spending) are the least wealthy and least educated market segment. They see entertainment value in the Internet, but buying things online frightens them. Although security and privacy issues might be overcome, the spending power of the segment suggests that only a marginal long-term payback would be possible.

by Mkt Teachers

Situational Influences and Online Shopping

a. Why consumers shop online

i. Convenience: What could be easier than shopping from your own home (or on the go with a smartphone) anytime you want?

ii. Communication: Instantly correspond with other consumers, sellers and company representatives to easily gather information about a purchase.

iii. Choice: Consumers can rapidly search through multiple stores from all over the globe instantly. Consumers can also easily research a company/product capabilities and popularity.

iv. Cost: Consumers feel empowered when they can shop around at such a fast speed, they can make more informed purchasing decisions especially when it comes to prices. Companies need to make sure they are offering prices comparable to their competitors, because customers will figure it out and not purchase from them!

v. Customization: Another positive aspect of the Internet is the ability for the customer to purchase a product exactly how they want it; and the company avoids paying inventory storage costs and overhead for a retail location since the products are made and then shipped directly to the customer. Dell Computers turned their small operation into a multi-million dollar company on this marketing idea.

vi. Control: Customers seem to have more control over quantity, size, style, color, price and the type of vendor that they purchase from when using the Internet. Purchases for second-hand products can be made on e-bay, creating a whole new genre of stores.

b. The 7 C’s of Driving Website Commerce

i. Context: A website’s layout, visual design and use of colors, white space, graphics and information have to all create a theme that makes sense for the company and products.

ii. Commerce: A website’s ability to allow customers to make purchases safely, and also to make returns.

iii. Connection: Links to other websites. The amount of links depends on the company and the products.

iv. Communication: A website can allow communication between the company and the consumer, some sites use live chat capabilities, others use a message board or email.

v. Context: A websites use of text, fonts, sounds, music, video demonstrations to convey a theme or help convince customers to purchase.

vi. Community: Some websites will allow customers to talk to each other via message boards or leave comments about products.

vii. Customization: A website can be customizable by the customer and tailor itself to different users. Amazon.com makes personal recommendations based on past purchases. Some gaming websites will allow the user to choose to see information on only the games they own.

c. Online Consumer Lifestyle Segmentation

i. Click and Mortar— Only shop online for research, then go to the physical store to make purchases.

ii. Hunter Gatherers— Enjoy going online for the thrill of auctions and bargain hunting

iii. Brand Loyalists– Enjoy going online, but only to look at websites and products they are comfortable with.

iv. Time Sensitive Materialists– Only go online for news update, stock updates.

v. Hooked, online and Single— Young, (tweens, teens, college students) who are extremely tech proficient and use the Internet for news, networking and shopping.

vi. Ambivalent Newbies— Not technologically proficient, may only go online occasionally or to check e-mail.

by Mkt Teachers

Situational influences on consumer behavior (outlet selection)

Shopping is an activity that everyone in the world participates in, but what exactly is it? Is a store necessary for shopping to take place? What motivates someone to shop?

Marketers, retailers and manufacturers spend lots of money to get consumers to shop, but not every shopping trip results in a purchase. Shopping is an important factor in any economic system and changes the standard of living. Economic systems depend on consumers buying products and services. Companies depend on loyal customers and repeat purchases to bring in sales and profit and to pay their employees. Employees become consumers as they spend their earned paycheck on products and services. Consumers depend on purchases to give them value and satisfaction.

The motivation to shop can depend on factors that cannot be controlled by the consumer or the marketer; if the consumer is in a hurry or relaxed, shopping alone or with friends or with their kids, if the store is crowded or empty—situational influences can affect purchasing decisions. Situational Influences are factors specific to a time and place that a customer reacts to.

A. Atmospherics and Situational Influences

B. Time

C. The Science Behind Shopping

D. Shopping Habits

E. Online shopping Habits

F. Eating Habits

by Mkt Teachers