Buying behaviour and decision-making criteria of Base of the Pyramid consumers : the influence of packaging on fast moving consumer goods customers’ brand experience

Abstract

Marketers increasingly face challenges in trying to understand the decision-making processes and behaviours of those consumers located at the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP). It has been proven that 73% of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) purchases are made at the point-of sale, and product packaging has been found to play a strategic role in seven of the ten in-store purchase decision criteria. Packaging is, therefore, an important basis through which companies can differentiate products from the plethora of competing brands. On average, big retailers carry 50 000 items and the typical shopper passes 300 items per minute. The packaging must, therefore, perform many of the sales tasks, making an overall favourable brand impression and experience. The research has attempted to understand the constructs of packaging and brand experience as purchasing decision criteria for FMCG products. The researcher administered 250 surveys with low-income consumers in the Star Hyper supermarket in the mining town of Carltonville. The findings demonstrated how low-income consumers have an appreciation of all product packaging as they often re-use it once the product is consumed. Furthermore, lower income consumers enjoy a greater brand experience with 'premium' product brands when compared to their brand experience levels with what they perceive to be 'cheaper' brand products. Even though a statistical weak relationship between product packaging and brand experience was found, the qualitative findings support the notion of a strong relationship as lower income consumers gain more value/greater brand experience not just out of consuming 'premium' brand products, but also from the use of the packaging for other needs afterwards. Copyright