Profiling Botswana consumers of furniture, appliances and electronics : demographics, lifestyle, values, shopping motivation, product-attitudes and information sources

[摘要] ENGLISH SUMMARY : Retail is an indispensable part of modern human life, with the acquisition of furniture, appliances and electronics (FAE) integrally linked to the improvement of the standard of living of most consumers. FAE retail in Southern Africa has been under pressure in recent years, with the collapse of the biggest chain and store closures in other chains. Under these circumstances, having a better understanding of and insights into consumer behaviour could constitute a competitive advantage for a furniture retail chain operating in this market. Improved segmentation and profiling of consumers could result in better product positioning and marketing and promotions tailored to consumer needs.Despite the importance of FAE, published research on this category specifically is rare and seemingly non-existent in Botswana, which, despite its small population, is an attractive target market and deserving of more research.The main objectives of this study were to determine to what extent FAE consumers in Botswana could be clustered and/or segmented according to demographics, lifestyle (activities, interests, and opinions), values, shopping motivation, product attitude and information sources; and to profile the different clusters of FAE consumers.The study was exploratory, quantitative, and descriptive. A non-random convenience sample was drawn from consumers who had made an FAE purchase in one of the nationwide stores within a large Botswana retail chain during the data collection period. The store intercept method was used for data collection, using a survey instrument consisting of three sections, namely section A, a general section (type of product, price paid, payment options and product attitude); section B that dealt with lifestyle, values and shopping motivation, and section C that contained questions on demographics. A sample of 343 respondents realised (n = 343). Data analysis included descriptive statistics, reliability analyses, principal component analyses, a clustering analysis aiming to identify FAE segments or clusters, and concluded with ANOVA analyses to determine the differences between the identified clusters.Consumer motivation is commonly classified based on the distinction between utilitarian (functional, task focused) and hedonic (experiential, pleasurable, sensory) consumption needs. The main findings indicated that the respondents could be clustered by differences in shopping motivation and were predominantly functionally motivated. Four clusters were identified, namely Moderate Shoppers (37%); Pragmatic Shoppers (26%); Shopping Avoiders (20%) and Involved Shoppers (16%). The Involved Shoppers, being more hedonically motivated than the other clusters, had a higher preference for a hedonic prize, and were more prone to impulse buying. The clusters also differed on the time spent from making the decision to buy to the actual purchase, with the Moderate Shoppers, the youngest in age, taking the longest time.The findings and recommendations provide guidance to Botswana FAE retail management about where to focus their efforts to improve the shopping experience of their consumers, and how to target marketing practices to fulfil the diverse needs of their consumers. The limitations of the study are noted and future research possibilities are highlighted.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University