17
Purchasing Process and Outlet Selection

Customer satisfaction is affordable and profitable because the customer becomes your salesman forever.

The selection of outlet is given due importance by the customer. The reader must understand:
• The importance and dimensions of the outlet
• Customer characteristics and risks involved
• Influences altering brand choice
• Store atmospherics

CHAPTER 17
Purchasing Process and Outlet Selection

17.1 Introduction
As the number of products and brands are increasing in the market, so are the retail outlets, and it becomes very confusing for the customer to choose the retail stores. The selecting of a retail store also involves almost the same process as selecting a brand. A retail outlet relates to a service or a product which caters to the consumer. The retail trade occurs from the stores, but it also occurs from catalogues, direct mail via print media, television and radio. Retailing is also done in weekly markets which are put up in different areas of a city on different days. It is also done from consumer to consumer, by means of various media. It has become very challenging and exciting, both for consumers and marketeers. The consumer may give first preference to the store or the product or, he may give equal importance to both. Sometimes, one prefers a store first, where he can get friendly and logical advice to buy the product, and prefers to buy a product/brand of second priority, if he is assured of proper service and proper guidance, rather then buying a product of his choice on first priority and missing out on other important aspects of purchase.
We shall therefore first study the purchase process. This is a decision-making process and consists of 5 steps as shown in the diagram. The steps how separately been dealt in detail in individual chapters.

Consumer Purchase Process
The