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Demographic Differences in Consumer Exploratory Tendencies: An Empirical Examination

Volume 21, Number 4; Article by Surajit Ghosh Dastidar and Biplab Datta, December 2009

Surajit Ghosh Dastidar is a research scholar at Vinod Gupta School of Management, IIT-Kharagpur and Assistant Professor, EIILM, Kolkata

 Biplab Datta is Assistant Professor, Vinod Gupta School of Management, IIT-Kharagpur

In consumer behaviour research, exploratory tendencies-variety seeking, risk taking/innovativeness, and curiosity motivated behaviour-are important determinants of buying behaviour. This research aims to assess whether the consumers' demographics-i e their gender, age, education, and income-have any influence on their exploratory tendencies.

The results of this study show that males are more risk taking/innovative than females, and younger consumers are more likely to indulge in interpersonal communication about purchases. Education and income have no influence on any of the exploratory tendencies. The findings of this study indicate that younger consumers have a comparatively greater tendency towards curiosity motivated behaviour. This does not conform to the findings of previous research which concluded that younger consumers have a comparatively greater tendency of risk taking/innovativeness, and that older consumers have greater tendencies of exploration through shopping and information seeking.

The results of this study also indicate that it may not be worthwhile to reduce perceived risk for products where purchase decisions are more likely to be taken by males-male consumers may actually prefer to take risks, and therefore adopt new and unknown brands or products more readily. In a market comprised primarily of younger people, and in the case of brands or products targeted at younger consumers, strategies to promote word of mouth marketing and evangelism are likely to reap benefits. These findings have significant implications for marketers in placing appropriate marketing emphasis specific to the demographic segments.

Reprint No 09402