GCSE Home Economics (updated July 2013)
‘Barriers’ and ‘Influences’
Affecting Consumer
Behaviour
Barriers
The following factors can act as barriers...
• disability
• age
• ethnicity
• knowledge
• resources (time, money, location)
Disability
• Physical barriers
• Perceived barriers
• Hidden disabilities
• Socially isolated
BBC Learning Zone Clip:
“disabled people have
a fear of
complaining which
is related to their low
levels of confidence”
Quote from Consumer
Proficiency research1
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/6034.bb.wmv
N.B. Left click in slide show to activate internet link to clip (also referenced in Effective
Consumer materials list)
1.Consumer Knowledge well, what do you know? March 2004
Age – Older Consumers
Those who can’t
jump into a car are
losing out and are at
the mercy of family
and friends, home
help or deliveries.
Those ‘buy
one get one
free’ are no
good for me
because by
the time I use
one, the other
is out of date.
Cooking information
is usually small and
virtually unreadable,
very difficult to
compare like with
like.
Quotes from: Silver Service? Are supermarkets meeting the needs of older
consumers? Consumer Council in partnership with Age Concern, November 2007 –
>>>Play Silver Service DVD (copies available on request from the Consumer Council)
Age – Older Consumers
• Levels of online shopping are lowest amongst
older people aged 65+
• Only 10 per cent of over 65’s shopped online at
least once a month and 82 per cent never
shopped online
Source: Canny Consumers? Are consumers standing up for their rights?
Consumer Council, August 2012 www.consumercouncil.org.uk/publications
Age –Younger Consumers
• Young consumers aged 16-24 considered themselves
to be not well informed about their consumer rights
• However, 69 per cent of 16-24 year olds say they feel
confident in speaking up if something goes wrong with
goods or services they’ve bought.
Source: Canny Consumers? Are consumers standing up for
their rights. Consumer Council, August 2012
Ethnicity
• Language barriers
• Prejudice
• Cultural differences
• Social isolation
Knowledge
In general, consumer skills remain less well
developed among:
• young people (15-24)
• older people (55+)
• those living on a low income
Source: Canny Consumers? Are consumers standing up for their rights.
Consumer Council, August 2012
Other barriers
1 in 4 people of working age in Northern Ireland have
low literacy levels.
Discuss the problems this could cause a
consumer
Resources
Time
Working
hours
Money
Low
income
Location
Rural
Dependents Access to
credit
Food deserts
Lack of time Financial
to do
capability
‘research’
Transport
Quote from Consumer Council Disability Panel member
N.B This list
is not
exhaustive!
Shopping
around is a
luxury that
some can’t
afford
7 Consumer Tests*
 Access: can people get the goods or services they need or want?
 Choice: is there any?
 Safety: are the goods or services dangerous to health or welfare?
 Information: is it available, accurate, accessible and useful?
 Fairness: are some consumers unfairly discriminated against?
 Redress: if things go wrong, is there a system for putting them right?
 Representation: do consumers have a say in how goods or services
are provided?
* The 7 consumer tests were developed in the 1970s and are still used today to
measure the delivery of goods and services in private and public sectors
Influences on Consumer Behaviour
i.e. What makes us shop where and for
what?
Impact of Marketing
“Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they
don’t have for something they don’t need.” Will Rogers
“ I have always believed that writing advertisements is the second
most profitable form of writing. The first of course is ransom
notes…” Philip Dusenberry
In 1937, Disney licensed Snow White’s image before the film
release, creating demand for Snow White goods…today, we still see
children’s filmed linked with marketing for toys, clothing, burger
meal deals etc
Targeting Young Consumers
“advertising at its best is making people feel that without their
product, you’re a loser. Kids are very sensitive to that. If you
tell them to buy something, they are resistant. But, if you tell them
that they’ll be a dork if they don’t, you’ve got their attention.
You open up emotional vulnerabilities…”
Nancy Shalek, Shalek Agency, cited in Juliet. B. Schor’s Born to Buy: the
commercialised child and the new consumer culture, Scribner, 2004
Targeting Young Consumers
The average 10 year old had internalised 300 – 400
brands – 20 times the number of wild birds they could
name!
Nickeodean study 2001
Social Psychology of Food
“Parents struggle hard to protect their children from
bullying – and make sure that their children’s
lunchboxes are as full as their classmates. In this way,
snacks like crisps or chocolate are not seen as luxuries
but a way for their children to participate in
conventional behaviour…”
Middleton, S., Ashworth, K. and Walker, R., Family Fortunes: pressures on parents and children in the
1990s, Child Poverty Action Group, 1994
Influencing Factors
 Cultural
 Economic
 Environmental and ethical
 Personal
 Physiological
 Psychological and
 Social
Influencing Factors
 Cultural
Someone of Chinese origin might shop for
specific ingredients at an Asian
supermarket
Can you think of other examples?
Influencing Factors
 Economic
A person living on a tight budget would be
unlikely to buy luxury items as part of their
weekly food shop.
Can you think of other examples?
Influencing Factors
 Environmental and ethical
A shopper opposed to animal cruelty may
choose not to buy products that have been
tested on animals.
Can you think of other examples?
Influencing Factors
 Personal
A teenager might feel more comfortable
downloading music online, whereas an
older consumer might prefer to purchase a
CD.
Can you think of other examples?
Influencing Factors
 Physiological
Someone who is trying to lose weight may
wish to avoid fast food and high sugar
snacks.
Can you think of other examples?
Influencing Factors
 Psychological
Some shops play music designed to make
consumers feel good, stay longer and buy
more.
Can you think of other examples?
Influencing Factors
 Social
Some consumers are influenced by trends
and want the latest ‘must-have’ toys,
fashion items or technology.
Can you think of other examples?
You Were Spotted! Activity
Cultural
Economic
Environmental and
ethical
Personal
Physiological
Psychological and
Social
Taken from the ‘What
influences consumer
behaviour’ lesson plan,
match the character(s) to
the activity and say what
the influencing factors is
You Were Spotted! Activity
1. Spotted…shopping for chilies,
sausages and sweet potatoes at
Saturday’s Farmers’ Market.
2. Spotted…buying fresh haddock
reduced to £1 because it’s nearing
its use-by date.
3. Spotted…disposing of used
plastic carrier bags at the
supermarket collection bin.
5. Spotted…loading a trolley with
half price bedding plants and
compost.
4. Spotted…coming back from the
sales, trying to juggle several
shopping bags whilst chatting on
the mobile.
6. Spotted…at the till,
filling a rucksack with
shopping essentials.
8. Spotted…at the electrical counter
in Tesco discussing the merits of a
camera phone with the salesperson.
10. Spotted…at the cinema with a
home-made picnic of sandwiches,
crisps and fruit juices.
7. Spotted…queuing at a
late night Spar to buy
milk.
9. Spotted…taking
delivery of shopping
which was ordered
online.
Recap on resources
Lesson Plans
 Being a consumer
 What influences consumer behaviour
 What type of yoghurt are you?
Multimedia
 BBC Learning Zone Clip – re: disability
 Silver Service DVD – re: older consumers
 Buy Rights – Have Your Say – re: young consumers