Abstract:
Little research has been carried out with regard to marketing to functionally illiterate
consumers, despite the size and purchasing power of this market segment. This qualitative
study examined the decision-making processes and coping mechanisms of functionally
illiterate consumers in the South African grocery shopping environment. The
findings provide insights that have important theoretical and practical implications
for marketers, retailers, and policy makers. For functionally illiterate consumers, the
information-search stage of the consumer decision-making process is either nonexistent
or limited to a few trusted sources, such as friends and family, which often occurs only
after a purchase has been made. Furthermore, these consumers face difficulties in a
grocery store environment but have developed several coping mechanisms to
compensate for their limited literacy skills.
