Research in Marketing

Abstract

The buying pattern of consumers is an intricate process that always depends on factors such as making the right decisions, the conditions that determine the present state of an economy and the varying trends in markets. Consumer behaviour is a topic that has interested researchers and analysts over the years mainly due to its ever changing nature. Another reason for this interest is the unpredictability that is associated with it and its uncontrollable nature. The fact that consumers are the most important factors in successful business operations anywhere across the globe makes consumer behaviour a very important topic to study and research upon especially during times of financial crunch which evidently shows its presence in buying patterns of consumers. The researcher has expressly attracted attention to the effect of the current economic situation on the buying patterns of consumers in the UK.

Aim of Research

The aim of this research is to find out the changes in the consumer behaviour in the UK using the supermarket industry as a measuring parameter for analysis. These changes refer to the pattern shift since the advent of global recession that began by the end of the year 2007 and crippled businesses all over the world. It eventually had huge impact on the consumers who were victim to job losses, pay cuts and overall financial burden. This would drastically change the buying pattern of consumers. There is a significant amount of literature available on the changing trends of the consumer buying patterns but there is little evidence of the same in the supermarket industry in UK. This research aims to close that information gap with the help of secondary evidence available in the form of already written literature and primary evidence that will be undertaken through in-depth interviews and focus groups as mentioned in the research report. This research will have its significance as it can provide valuable information on the situation at grass root levels of the industry. It will prove as a framework through which solutions can be obtained for the negative impact caused by the economic recession on consumer buying behaviour and the market on the whole.