Four Key Factors Impact Our Buying Decision At Target

Every time I go to Target, I prepare a shopping list and try to control myself because it is too easy to overspending at Target. There are too many different choices for only one kind of product, so it is hard to let us make a decision.

What are the key factors impact our purchasing decision at Target?

Product Quality

For grocery shopping, consumers prefer to buy high-quality products if there is less difference in prices. According to First Insight study, quality becomes more important than price to most consumers, as 53 percent rate quality as the most important factor when making purchases compared to price (38 percent).

Image From First Insight

The high-quality products are more reliable. For example, like fruit, meat, and vegetables, we always prefer to pick the fresh one. 

Product Value (Price)

For unfamiliar brand products for daily use purpose such as cups and cooking pots, we would like to compare the product value with its price. Does the product have a good design? Is the size large enough? Is it easy to broken? Is it easy to clean? Is the price fair?

For branded products for a short-time experience such as potato chips, many consumers don't care about the product value too much. Yes, some people may prefer to buy new flavor chips if there is no special sale promotion, but most people will buy the cheap one. 

Image From The Krazy coupon lady

When branded potato chips are on sale, such as two bags of Lay's potato chips only for $5.00, most consumers will buy them crazy. It seems a really great deal!

Brand Influence & Loyalty

If the brand is strong and well-known, we like to buy it often. For example, beverage brands like Coca-Cola and Starbucks, skincare brands like Olay and Neutrogena, and toothpaste brands like Colgate and Crest, they are all very well-known brands for a very long time. People already have a strong loyalty with those brands. 

Therefore, if the brand has a big influence and gains strong consumer loyalty, people will continue purchasing it potentially because the branded products are already living in our life. We accept their prices and trust their value for no reason.

Consumer Experience and Habits

More and more people value a product based on its overall consumer experience. For example, like makeup products, Target always offers some sample to allow consumers to try it on. I have seen so many female consumers are trying different lipsticks or nail polishes until they find the right one. 

Consumers also have different shopping habits at different stores. For example, I usually buy whole milk, baby yogurt, potato chips, and coffee at Target. If I buy fresh food, I will go to the nearby Chinese markets because their prices for fruit and vegetables are much cheaper than Target. 

Therefore, consumer shopping habits may hard to change, but if the store could improve consumer overall experience, consumers would come shopping here more often.