Modeling Buying Pattern in Emerging Indian Urban Families

Abstract

Marketing in India is growing through an indefinable phase. In addition to this is the changing role of consumer (from the " Karta" of the family to the kid) in making decision and the way in which the new generation Indian consumer behaves. In today's global marketing era, where market is offering, diversity of consumer preference, his decision has become more important in changing environment. Many new upcoming trends have been seen in these decades.

A traditional family in India is different from a western family in that the "empty nest" stage of the family life cycle is not very common. The decision making process for the purchasing of consumer durables is quite elaborate, as many members with their diverse view are involved in it. At the same time, the characteristics of Indian families are changing under the influence of external factors such as liberalization and media explosion. Indian families are presently in a state of flux, shifting from being strictly hierarchical to more egalitarian in character. Knowledge about buyer behavior is necessary for the development of effective marketing strategies. The members of a family influence the decision-making process in the purchase of different products; therefore the real target for the marketer is not an individual member but the family as a whole.