Consumers

• Consumer


  A person who pays for goods, services and products for their personal use
• Needs

  • What we need to survive (e.g. Water, Food, Clothes)
• Maslow's hierarchy of needs


  A system where people or things are ranked according to status of importance
• Levels of Maslow's hierarchy


  • Basic needs for survival (e.g. Food, Water, Shelter, Sleep)
  • Protection from harm (e.g. Physical safety, Stability, Security)
  • The need for love (e.g. Affection, Belonging, Meaningful relationships)
  • Self esteem (Confidence, Achievement, Respect) and Esteem of others (Recognition, Reputation)
  • Highest level; involves the fulfilment of one's potential (e.g. Personal growth)
• Consumer rights


  • Access to basic needs
  • Ability to choose
  • Safety
  • Be heard/Object
  • Claim repair/refund on goods + services
  • Receive consumer education
  • Healthy environment
  • Quality products and services
  • Fair prices
  • Courteous treatment
• Consumer responsibilities


  • Be informed
  • Pay promptly
  • Be honest
  • Don't damage goods
  • Use correct channels for complaints
  • Act politely
  • Stick to your budget
  • Protect the environment
• Decision making


  The process when different solution to a problem are considered in order to make a choice
• Types of decisions


  • Impulsive decisions (made suddenly without much thought)
  • Decision of habit (made automatically; based on routines/patterns)
  • Feeling/intuitive decisions (based on gut feelings, emotion, intuition)
  • Rational decisions (made through logic and thought process)
• Steps to making a rational decision

  1. Identify the goal or problem

  2. Look for solutions and alternative information

  3. Consider pros and cons; evaluate alternatives

  4. Choose the best solution/alternative

  5. Evaluate the outcome; take responsibility for your decision
• Consumer


  A person who pays for goods, services and products for their personal use
• Sustainable consumption


  The way people satisfy their basic needs using resources in a way that don't damage the environment
• Principles of sustainability


  • Reduce
  • Reuse
  • Recycle
• What we need to survive


  • Water
  • Food
  • Clothes
• Sustainable consumer choices


  • Choose biodegradable goods
  • Make good purchasing decisions choose organic products, grow your own, choose solar power, buy from stores with a good reputation, avoid using unnecessary packaging, only buy products that are needed, support local producers, be aware of additional costs like delivery, study the of products, use organic products, focus on good buying habits, purchase products labelled with SABS)
• What we would like to have; not essential

  • Car
  • Phone
  • Hand bag
• Maslow's hierarchy of needs


  • A system where people or things are ranked according to status of importance
• Consumer behaviour


  The way in which a consumer acts to choose and use a product or service
• Maslow's hierarchy of needs


  • Basic needs for survival
  • Protection from harm
  • The need for love
  • Self esteem (Confidence, Achievement, Respect)
  • Highest level; involves the fulfilment of one's potential
• Factors influencing buying behaviour


  • Psychological factors (motivation, needs, personality, perception, knowledge, values, attitudes, life style)
  • Socio-cultural factors (personal characteristics, reference group, family, social status, culture)
  • Socio-economic factors (food practices, education, attitudes and values, emotions, influence of other people)
• Consumer rights


  • Access to basic needs
  • Ability to choose
  • Safety
  • Be heard/Object
  • Claim repair/refund on goods + services
  • Receive consumer education
  • Healthy environment
  • Quality products and services
  • Fair prices
  • Courteous treatment
• Psychological factors


  • Motivation + needs
  • Personality
  • Perception
  • Knowledge
  • Values
  • Attitudes
  • Life style
• Consumer responsibilities


  • Be informed
  • Pay promptly
  • Be honest
  • Don't damage goods
  • Use correct channels for complaints
  • Act politely
  • Stick to your budget
  • Protect the environment
• Socio-cultural factors


  • Personal characteristics (age, gender, profession, financial status)
  • Reference group
  • Family
  • Social status
  • Culture
• Decision making


  The process when different solution to a problem are considered in order to make a choice
• Socio-economic factors


  • Food practices
  • Education
  • Attitudes and values
  • Emotions
  • Influence of other people
• Types of decisions


  • Impulsive decisions
  • Decision of habit
  • Feeling/intuitive decisions
  • Rational decisions
• Food practices


  • Traditional cultural groups
  • Islamic religion
  • Jewish religion
  • Christian religion
  • Hindu religion
  • Buddhism religion
• Steps to making a rational decision

  1. Identify the goal or problem

  2. Look for solutions and alternative information

  3. Consider pros and cons; evaluate alternatives

  4. Choose the best solution/alternative

  5. Evaluate the outcome; take responsibility for your decision
• Socio economic factors influencing food practices


  • People with lots of money usually chose foods that contain high content of fat and sugar
  • Busy social + work life = little time to make food
  • Convenience food and dining is popular
  • Choose where they want to make food purchases
  • A lot of money doesn't mean that meals are balanced
• Sustainable consumption


  The way people satisfy their basic needs using resources in a way that don't damage the environment
• Attitudes and values influencing food practices


  • Preferences
  • Dislikes
  • Emotions
• Principles of sustainability


  • Reduce
  • Reuse
  • Recycle
  • Thrift
• Emotions influencing food practices


  • Comfort eater
  • Habit eater
  • Infrequent eater
  • Overeater
  • PMS eater
• Sustainable consumer choices


  • Choose biodegradable goods
  • Make good purchasing decisions
  • Grow your own
  • Choose solar power
  • Buy from stores with a good reputation
  • Avoid using unnecessary packaging
  • Only buy products that are needed
  • Support local producers
  • Be aware of additional costs like delivery
  • Study the warranty of products
  • Use organic products
• Influence of other people on food practices


  • Peer
  • Family
  • Advertisements, magazines, tv
• Consumer behaviour


  The way in which a consumer acts to choose and use a product or service
• Nutrition


  The way the body uses food/nutrients for energy to grow + maintain health
• Factors influencing buying behaviour


  • Psychological factors
  • Socio-cultural factors
  • Personal characteristics
• Malnutrition

  When to many or too little foods are consumed resulting in a poor diet
• Psychological factors

  • Motivation + needs
  • Personality
  • Perception
  • Knowledge
  • Values
  • Attitudes
  • Life style