Proceedings of 8th Asia-Pacific Business Research Conference
9 - 10 February 2015, Hotel Istana, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ISBN: 978-1-922069-71-9
Decoding the Young Indian Consumer - A Study on the Purchase
Drivers
Lipi Choudhury
Background: The demographic profile of India’s population shows that more than 50% of the Indians
are aged below 25 years and more than 65% hovers below the age of 35. This segment also has a
huge appetite for fashion and lifestyle products. The young consumers seek to establish their own
identity through their consumption patterns. They are eager to experiment and are vocal about their
experiences. Marketers also see in them a potential group of loyal customers. However, although this
segment is lucrative, it is difficult to map their purchase behaviour due to their conflicting preferences
and attitudes. The dynamic and chaotic macro-environment has shaped this contradictory and
demanding attitude of Young India.
Objective: The paper seeks to explore the key considerations that govern purchase behaviour of
Indian youth. It attempts identify key consumer trends that indicate what young customers really want.
Period of study: The study was conducted over a period of 3 months from July-September, 2014.
Design methodology: The research is based on secondary literature surveys to form a basis for factors
affecting purchase decisions of young Indian customers. The primary research is conducted with
consumers in the age group of 15-30 years belonging to Tier I and Tier II cities. The sample size is
150 in each segment making a total of 300. Judgmental and convenience sampling is followed. The
data are analyzed with SPSS and Microsoft excel.
Findings: They young consumers are individualistic, informed and impatient. Hence, they want
customized products and services and are extremely experimental. They want to be active co-creators
in product development. They are patriotic, value-conscious, prefer realistic role models and
communication messages through digital social media. The novelty factor, fun and cheekiness of
marketing mix is important.
Research implications: The research will enable the Indian and International organizations planning to
target the Indian youth to get consumer insights and design their marketing mix to effectively target
this complex segment.
Keywords: Young Indian Consumer, Consumer Behaviour, Fashion and Lifestyle sector,
Field of Research: Marketing- Contemporary Issues in Marketing
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Assistant Professor, Department of Fashion Management Studies, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT),
Mumbai. Mailing Address: NIFT Campus, Plot No.15, Sector-4, Kharghar-410210. Navi Mumbai, Mumbai, India. E-mail:
lipichoudhury@ymail.com. Telephone number: +91 9004933894, +9102227747000, +9102227747100
Fax: +9102227745386