Description
Consumers or the Customers are valuable assets for any organisation as they are the ultimate destination of any products or services.
VOLUME NO.1, ISSUE NO.9 ISSN 2277-1166
98
CONSUMER SWITCHING BEHAVIOUR: A STUDY OF
SHAMPOO BRANDS
Anju Thapa (JRF)
Ph.D. Research Scholar, The Business School, University of Jammu
Email: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Consumers or the Customers are valuable assets for any organisation as
they are the ultimate destination of any products or services. Since, they are
the ultimate end users of any product or services, thus, the success of any
organisation depends upon the satisfaction of the consumers, if not they will
switch to other brands. Due to this reason, the satisfaction of the consumers
becomes priority for any organisations. For satisfying the consumers, one
has to know about what consumer buy, why they buy it, when they buy it,
how and how often they buy it and what made them to switch to other
brands. The present paper is an attempt to study the shampoo buying
patterns among the individuals. The study also examines the various factors
which influence the consumers to buy a shampoo of particular brand and
reasons for their switching to other brands.
Keywords: Consumer behaviour, Shampoo buying patterns and Consumer
Switching behaviour
INTRODUCTION
Consumers or the Customers are valuable assets for any organisation. Consumer is an
individual or group of individuals who select, purchase, use, or dispose of products, services,
ideas, or experiences to satisfy needs and desires. In other words, Consumers are the ultimate
destination of any products or services. The study of these individuals, groups, or
organizations is what we call Consumer behaviour. The processes by which these
organisations select, secure, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy
needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society.
It blends
elements from psychology, sociology, social anthropology and economics. It attempts to
understand the buyer decision making process, both individually and in groups. It studies
characteristics of individual consumers such as demographics and behavioral variables in an
attempt to understand people's wants. It also tries to assess influences on the consumer from
groups such as family, friends, reference groups, and society in general. Customer behaviour
study is based on consumer buying behaviour, with the customer playing the three distinct
roles of user, payer and buyer.
In the present competitive global market, it has been seen that organisations are increasingly
focusing on the retention of their existing customers. Thus, Gaining knowledge about
ABHINAV
NATIONAL MONTHLY REFEREED JOURNAL OF REASEARCH IN COMMERCE & MANAGEMENT
www.abhinavjournal.com
VOLUME NO.1, ISSUE NO.9 ISSN 2277-1166
99
customers' switching behavior is substantively important for the sustainability of any
organisation. Customers' switching behavior is the process exhibited by a customer,
behaving differently to a particular brand and undergoes alteration in the preference of the
existing product or services. Since, customers are the ultimate end users of any product or
services, the success of any organisation depends upon the satisfaction of the consumers, if
not they will switch to other brands. When any organisation loses a customer they are not
only losing future earnings but also incurring the cost of finding new customers. Over time
loyal customers become less price-sensitive therefore, losing loyal customer means giving up
high margins. Considering the technological advancements and its easy access to every
individual, customers are becoming intolerant and they can dissolve the relationship as soon
as any problem arises. Thus, customer retention is the core concern of each and every
organization. Due to this reason, the satisfaction of the consumers becomes priority for any
organisations. The present paper is an attempt to study the shampoo buying patterns among
the individuals. The study also examines the various factors which influence the consumers
to buy a shampoo of particular brand and reasons for their switching to other brands.
OBJECTIVES
1. To examine the consumer awareness of shampoo usage.
2. To study the reasons for consumer switching to other brands.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
The current literature revealed that experts and researchers have been giving more focus on
customer retention. To retain customers, organizations have to understand their behaviour
and try to satisfy them, by catering their needs and preferences (Oyeniyi and Abiodun,
2010). Consumer behaviour has been defined as those acts of individuals directly involved in
obtaining, using, and disposing of economic goods and services, including the decision
processes that precede and determine these acts (Engel, et al., 1986). The consumer in this
era is in target of massive media attacks effectively planned, and enlighten with glamour as
per the emotions, needs, wants and demands of the consumers. Market researchers and
organisations are spending billions of dollars on consumer research and to know the
important factors involved in consumer decision making. Consumer behaviour analysis helps
to determine the direction that consumer behaviour is likely to make and to give preferred
trends in product development, attributes of the alternative communication method etc.
consumer behaviours analysis views the consumer as another variable in the marketing
sequence, a variable that cannot be controlled and that will interprete the product or service
not only in terms of the physical characteristics, but in the context of this image according to
the social and psychological makeup of that individual consumer or group of consumers
(Proctor and Stone, 1982). Zain-Ul-Abideen and Salman Saleem, found that emotional
response of consumer purchase behavior is the variable that results into strong association
with the consumer buying behavior. It has been seen that people purchase those brands with
which they are emotionally attached. The given study presents new evidences in the field of
consumer buying behavior of consumers pertaining to the local markets. In addition to it,
advertising also plays an important role in making purchasing decisions of the consumers.
Bashir and Malik, (2009), in the given study revealed that consumers considered
advertisement as a reliable source of knowledge about any product or services.
ABHINAV
NATIONAL MONTHLY REFEREED JOURNAL OF REASEARCH IN COMMERCE & MANAGEMENT
www.abhinavjournal.com
VOLUME NO.1, ISSUE NO.9 ISSN 2277-1166
100
Advertisement can affect any income group individuals. Consumers were influenced by the
appeal and personality used in the specific brand advertisements.
Alnaimi, Richard Jones and Perkins studied that maintaining a long-term relationship with a
customer is one of the fundamental factors determining the value that the customer provides
to the organisation. Thus, a serious threat to achieving a long-term relationship is the
customer’s switching behaviour. The study also revealed that customers’ switching
behaviour (switchers and stayers) is a vital construct to understand the relationship
development process between customers and the organisations. A different approach was
applied by Bansal (1997) by incorporating some measures of theory of planned behavior
(TPB) in predicting switching intentions. TPB posits a link between attitudes and behavior.
In combination, perceived behavioral control, subjective norm and attitude toward the
behavior lead towards “behavioral intention” (Ajzen, 1991). Bansal (1997) measured the
impact of one's attitude towards switching behavior, perceived behavior control (termed as
perceived switching costs) and satisfaction with the product or service provider, with
intentions to switch. Results confirmed the significant influence of all three variables on
switching intentions.
It has been seen from the existing literature that understanding behaviour of consumers i.e.
their needs and preferences has been studying over a time. Also, switching behaviour of
theses consumers plays vital role in the long term sustainability of the organisations. Thus,
the present study tries to understand the behaviour of shampoo users and the various reasons
for their switching to other brands.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The present study has been conducted among the boarders of the girls hostels of University
of Jammu, of state Jammu and Kashmir. These respondents have been chosen for the study,
as it is one of common place where girls from different regional and cultural background
prevailed. This study will be helpful in evaluating the attitude of the select boarders of the
hostel towards usage of shampoo. Also, various reasons for consumer switching to other
brands have been studied. For the purpose of the given study primary as well as secondary
data has been used. The Secondary data has been collected from various books, journals,
published research papers, websites etc. The primary data was collected by means of a
questionnaire. Copies of the questionnaire were given personally to respondents in the
university hostel. The questionnaire contained a total of 14 items. The respondents are
randomly selected and 64 respondents were personally meet to give their responses. The data
collected was mainly primary in nature.
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS
The study deals with the analysis of consumer awareness towards shampoo usage. The
responses from the respondents were subjected to simple percentage method, in order to
know the inferences out of the collected data.
ABHINAV
NATIONAL MONTHLY REFEREED JOURNAL OF REASEARCH IN COMMERCE & MANAGEMENT
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VOLUME NO.1, ISSUE NO.9 ISSN 2277-1166
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Table 1. Demographic Profile
Demographic variable No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Age (Yrs) - Below 22 34 53.12
22-25 18 28.12
25-28 4 6.25
28 & above 8 12.5
Gender - Male 0 0
Female 64 100
Educational
Qualification
Graduation 24 37.5
Post-Graduation 28 43.75
M.Phil 6 9.37
Others 6 9.37
Status - Student 50 78.12
Professional 4 6.25
Research Scholar 10 15.62
Monthly Family
income -
Below Rs.25000 14 21.87
Rs.25000-30000 8 12.5
Rs.30000-35000 14 21.87
Above Rs.35,000 28 43.75
As revealed from the Table 1, more than half of the respondents (53.12%) have their below
22 years and 12.5% have 28 and above years. All the respondents of the given study are
females (100%), as the sample selected is the girl’s hostels of the University of Jammu.
About 43.75% respondents have their qualification as post-graduate, 37.5% as graduation
and others are 9.37%. It has been seen that 78.12% respondents are students, 15.62% are
Research Scholars and 6.25% are professionals. Also, it has been found that about 43.75%
have their monthly family income above Rs. 35,000, 21.87% respondents have below Rs,
25,000 and ranging between Rs. 30,000- Rs. 35,000 and only 12.5% respondents have their
monthly family income as Rs. 25,000-Rs. 30,000.
Table 2. Shampoo Usage Rate
Usage rate No. of respondents Percentage (%)
Yes 60 93.75
No 4 6.25
Table-2 indicates the usage rate of shampoo by the respondents. As revealed from the table it
has been found that about 93.75% of the respondents using shampoos in University girl’s
hostel and only 6.25% using soaps and conditioners etc.
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Table 3. Frequency of using shampoo per week
Using Frequency No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Once 4 6.25
Twice 44 68.75
Thrice 16 25
As observed from the Table-3, the brushing frequency of consumer per week, the
data revealed that 68.75% of the respondents use shampoo twice a week, 25% of the
respondents use thrice, and 6.25% use shampoo only once in a week.
Table 4. Frequency of buying per month
Buying Frequency No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Once 20 31.25
Twice 18 28.12
Thrice 26 40.62
Table 4 shown above indicates the frequency of purchasing shampoo per month by the users.
The given data revealed that most of the respondents buying shampoo thrice in a month
(40.62%), 28.12% buy twice in a month and 31.25% respondents buying shampoo only once
in a month.
Table 5. Awareness of Brands
Brands No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Cosmetic 46 71.87
Herbal 7 10.93
Medicated 5 7.81
Others 6 9.37
Table 5, examined awareness of the people regarding various brands of shampoos like
Cosmetic shampoos (Sunsilk, Head and Shoulders, Pantene, Clinic-plus, Dove etc), Herbal
shampoos, Medicated shampoos and others. Most of the respondents (71.87%) aware of
Cosmetic shampoos. 10.93% respondents aware of Herbal shampoos, 7.81% aware of
medicated shampoos and 9.37% constitute others category.
Table 6. Usage of Shampoo Brands
Usage of brand No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
One 34 53.12
Two 8 12.5
More than three 22 34.37
Table 6 identified the usage of different brand by the respondents. An examination of the
data revealed that most of the respondents (53.12%) used only one brand, 34.37%
respondents used more than three brands, and 12.5% respondents used two brands.
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Table 7. Recommendations for Buying Shampoos
Recommendation No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Doctor’s advice 8 12.5
Imp. Ingredients 48 75
Not interested 2 3.12
Promotion
technique
6 9.7
The above Table-7 shows the recommendation for buying shampoos by different people, the
data pertaining to this revealed that about 75% of the total respondents concentrate on the
important ingredients present in the shampoo. About 12.5% respondents ready to accept
Doctor’s suggestion, 9.7% of the respondents consider it as a promotion technique to
increase the sale of the product and 3.12% of the respondents are not interested in hair care
and related problems.
Table 8. Factors Which Makes Consumer to Buy Shampoo
Factors No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Price 24 37.5
Availability 26 40.62
Packaging 4 6.25
Others 10 15.62
Table- 8 shows the reasons to buy shampoo by the respondents. The consumers are
influenced by the Price, availability and Packaging of the product. It has been seen that about
40.62% respondents buy shampoo depending upon the availability of a particular brand,
37.5% influenced by the price, 6.25% influenced by the packaging, and 14% influenced by
other factors.
Table 9. Preference of Shampoo
Preference No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Brand 12 18.75
Quality 40 62.5
Shine 8 12.5
Others 4 6.25
The given Table-9 presented data to find the reason for the preference of buying shampoo.
An examination of the data revealed that most of the respondents preferred brand, quality,
and shine. In the above table 62.5% of the respondents preferred quality, 18.75% of the
respondents preferred brand name, 12.5% of the respondents preferred shine content of the
shampoo, and 6.25% of the respondents preferred other factors.
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Table 10. Preference of an Attribute
Attribute No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Healthy root & tips 26 40.62
Long lasting Shine 10 15.62
Prevention of Dandruff 22 34.37
Graying of Hairs 4 6.25
Use of natural herbs 2 3.12
Table-10 shows the reasons to buy a shampoo based on attribute, the data pertaining to this
revealed that most of the respondents preferred healthy roots & tips, Long lasting Shine,
prevention of dandruff, graying of hairs and use of natural herbs. The above table clearly
shows that 40.62% of the respondent’s preferred healthy root and tips, 34.37% respondents
preferred prevention of dandruff, 15.62% respondents preferred long lasting shine, 6.25%
graying of hairs and 3.12% respondents preferred use of natural herbs.
Table 11. Person who Influenced Consumer to Purchase Shampoo
Persons No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Friends 12 18.75
Parents 2 3.12
Self 46 71.87
Spouse 4 6.25
Table-11, indicates the persons who influenced consumer to purchase shampoos. An
examination of the table revealed that the people who influenced more are parents, friends,
spouse and self decision. Based on the above data, 71.87% of the respondents decide
themselves for using a shampoos, friends influenced (18.75%), spouse (6.25%) and 3.12%
are influenced by their parents.
Table 12. To Which Mode of Promotion Consumer gets Attracted
Mode of promotion No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Advertisement 22 34.37
Celebrity 20 31.25
Banner 4 6.25
Others 18 28.12
Table-12 shows that by which mode of promotion consumer gets attracted. .An examination
of the table reveals that, most of the consumers preferred advertisement, celebrity, banners.
Majority of the respondents 34.37% preferred advertisements, 31.25% of the respondents
preferred celebrity endorsements, 28.12% preferred other mode of promotion and 6.25%
preferred banners. Advertisement creates attention and stimulates the consumer to buy a
particular brand.
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Table 13. Factors Which Makes Consumer to Buy Shampoo
Promotion tools No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Gift 6 9.37
Discount 8 12.5
Extra quantity 14 21.87
Price off 10 15.62
Others 6 9.37
The above Table-13 shows the promotion tools preferred by the consumers while purchasing
the shampoos. An examination of the above data reveals that, most of the consumers
preferred gift, extra quantity, discount, price off. The data revealed that extra quantity
attracted more respondents (21.87%), followed by price off (15.62%), 12.5% of the
respondents preferred discounts, 9.37% preferred price off and other tools.
Table 14. Switching to Other Brand
Reason for switching No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Impact of packaging 4 6.25
Price rise of current brand 10 15.62
Scheme of brands 6 9.37
Advertisement impact 28 43.75
Brand not available 8 12.5
To try new option 2 3.12
Influence by other 6 9.37
Table-14, given above shows the reasons for switching to other brand by the consumers. The
data revealed that about 43.75% respondents changed to other brand due to advertisement
impact, 15.62% respondents changed due to price rise, 12.5% respondents changed due to
non-availability of product in the market. 9.37% respondents due to scheme (offer), 6.25%
respondents switched to other brand due to impact of packaging while other 3.12%
respondents switched to other brand to try new options.
CONCLUSION
Thus, it has been concluded that usage rate of shampoo among the select individuals has
been high and their buying behaviour is also very frequent. It has been seen that most of the
people are aware of cosmetic shampoos rather than herbal and medicated ones. Price,
availability and Packaging of the product also plays an important role in buying the shampoo
products. It has been found that most of the consumers preferred gifts, extra quantity,
discount, price off while making decision for buying the shampoos. Also, it has been seen
that various factors influence the switching behaviour of the consumers like impact of
packaging, price rise of current brand, scheme of brands, impact of advertisement, non-
availability of brand, to try new option and influence by others etc.
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REFERENCES
1. Alnaimi, H., Jones, R. and Perkins, H. Inclusion of Switching Behaviour into
Relationship Marketing Model: A Theoretical Model.
2. Ajzen, I. (1991). The Theory of Planned Behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human
Decision Processes, 50, p. 179-211.
3. Bansal, H.S. (1997), “Service Switching Model (SSM): A Model of Customer Switching
Behavior in Service Industry”, Published by UMI, Queen’s University Kingston, Ontario
Canada.
4. Bashir and Malik, (2009). “Effects of advertisement on consumer behaviour of
university students” Proceedings 2
nd
CBRC, Lahore, Pakistan.
5. Engel, J. F., Blackwell, R. D., and Miniard, P. W. (1986), “Consumer Behaviour, 5th
ed., Dryden
6. Jam, Akhtar, Hijazi and Khan (2010). “Impact of Advertisement on Children Behavior:
Evidence from Pakistan”. European Journal of Social Sciences, Volume 12, pp. 663.
7. J. Scott Armstrong (1991). "Prediction of Consumer Behavior by Experts and Novice".
Journal of Consumer Research (Journal of Consumer Research Inc.) 18, pp 251–256.
8. Kuester, Sabine (2012): MKT 301: Strategic Marketing & Marketing in Specific Industry
Contexts, University of Mannheim, p. 110.
9. Oyeniyi J.O. & Abiodun J.A. (2009), Switching Cost and Customers Loyalty in the
Mobile Phone Market: The Nigerian Experience. Business Intelligence Journal, pp 111-
121.
10. Proctor, R. and Stone, M. A. (1982). Marketing Research. Great Britain: Macdonald and
Evans Ltd. Phymouth.
11. Vani1, G., Ganesh Babu, M. and Panchanatham, N. (2010). “Shampoo Brands –A Study
of consumer behavior in Bangalore city”. Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies,
Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 27-39.
12. Zain-Ul-Abideen and Salman Saleem. “Effective advertising and its influence on
consumer buying behavior”. European Journal of Business and Management. Vol 3,
No.3.
doc_278783150.pdf
Consumers or the Customers are valuable assets for any organisation as they are the ultimate destination of any products or services.
VOLUME NO.1, ISSUE NO.9 ISSN 2277-1166
98
CONSUMER SWITCHING BEHAVIOUR: A STUDY OF
SHAMPOO BRANDS
Anju Thapa (JRF)
Ph.D. Research Scholar, The Business School, University of Jammu
Email: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Consumers or the Customers are valuable assets for any organisation as
they are the ultimate destination of any products or services. Since, they are
the ultimate end users of any product or services, thus, the success of any
organisation depends upon the satisfaction of the consumers, if not they will
switch to other brands. Due to this reason, the satisfaction of the consumers
becomes priority for any organisations. For satisfying the consumers, one
has to know about what consumer buy, why they buy it, when they buy it,
how and how often they buy it and what made them to switch to other
brands. The present paper is an attempt to study the shampoo buying
patterns among the individuals. The study also examines the various factors
which influence the consumers to buy a shampoo of particular brand and
reasons for their switching to other brands.
Keywords: Consumer behaviour, Shampoo buying patterns and Consumer
Switching behaviour
INTRODUCTION
Consumers or the Customers are valuable assets for any organisation. Consumer is an
individual or group of individuals who select, purchase, use, or dispose of products, services,
ideas, or experiences to satisfy needs and desires. In other words, Consumers are the ultimate
destination of any products or services. The study of these individuals, groups, or
organizations is what we call Consumer behaviour. The processes by which these
organisations select, secure, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy
needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society.
It blends
elements from psychology, sociology, social anthropology and economics. It attempts to
understand the buyer decision making process, both individually and in groups. It studies
characteristics of individual consumers such as demographics and behavioral variables in an
attempt to understand people's wants. It also tries to assess influences on the consumer from
groups such as family, friends, reference groups, and society in general. Customer behaviour
study is based on consumer buying behaviour, with the customer playing the three distinct
roles of user, payer and buyer.
In the present competitive global market, it has been seen that organisations are increasingly
focusing on the retention of their existing customers. Thus, Gaining knowledge about
ABHINAV
NATIONAL MONTHLY REFEREED JOURNAL OF REASEARCH IN COMMERCE & MANAGEMENT
www.abhinavjournal.com
VOLUME NO.1, ISSUE NO.9 ISSN 2277-1166
99
customers' switching behavior is substantively important for the sustainability of any
organisation. Customers' switching behavior is the process exhibited by a customer,
behaving differently to a particular brand and undergoes alteration in the preference of the
existing product or services. Since, customers are the ultimate end users of any product or
services, the success of any organisation depends upon the satisfaction of the consumers, if
not they will switch to other brands. When any organisation loses a customer they are not
only losing future earnings but also incurring the cost of finding new customers. Over time
loyal customers become less price-sensitive therefore, losing loyal customer means giving up
high margins. Considering the technological advancements and its easy access to every
individual, customers are becoming intolerant and they can dissolve the relationship as soon
as any problem arises. Thus, customer retention is the core concern of each and every
organization. Due to this reason, the satisfaction of the consumers becomes priority for any
organisations. The present paper is an attempt to study the shampoo buying patterns among
the individuals. The study also examines the various factors which influence the consumers
to buy a shampoo of particular brand and reasons for their switching to other brands.
OBJECTIVES
1. To examine the consumer awareness of shampoo usage.
2. To study the reasons for consumer switching to other brands.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
The current literature revealed that experts and researchers have been giving more focus on
customer retention. To retain customers, organizations have to understand their behaviour
and try to satisfy them, by catering their needs and preferences (Oyeniyi and Abiodun,
2010). Consumer behaviour has been defined as those acts of individuals directly involved in
obtaining, using, and disposing of economic goods and services, including the decision
processes that precede and determine these acts (Engel, et al., 1986). The consumer in this
era is in target of massive media attacks effectively planned, and enlighten with glamour as
per the emotions, needs, wants and demands of the consumers. Market researchers and
organisations are spending billions of dollars on consumer research and to know the
important factors involved in consumer decision making. Consumer behaviour analysis helps
to determine the direction that consumer behaviour is likely to make and to give preferred
trends in product development, attributes of the alternative communication method etc.
consumer behaviours analysis views the consumer as another variable in the marketing
sequence, a variable that cannot be controlled and that will interprete the product or service
not only in terms of the physical characteristics, but in the context of this image according to
the social and psychological makeup of that individual consumer or group of consumers
(Proctor and Stone, 1982). Zain-Ul-Abideen and Salman Saleem, found that emotional
response of consumer purchase behavior is the variable that results into strong association
with the consumer buying behavior. It has been seen that people purchase those brands with
which they are emotionally attached. The given study presents new evidences in the field of
consumer buying behavior of consumers pertaining to the local markets. In addition to it,
advertising also plays an important role in making purchasing decisions of the consumers.
Bashir and Malik, (2009), in the given study revealed that consumers considered
advertisement as a reliable source of knowledge about any product or services.
ABHINAV
NATIONAL MONTHLY REFEREED JOURNAL OF REASEARCH IN COMMERCE & MANAGEMENT
www.abhinavjournal.com
VOLUME NO.1, ISSUE NO.9 ISSN 2277-1166
100
Advertisement can affect any income group individuals. Consumers were influenced by the
appeal and personality used in the specific brand advertisements.
Alnaimi, Richard Jones and Perkins studied that maintaining a long-term relationship with a
customer is one of the fundamental factors determining the value that the customer provides
to the organisation. Thus, a serious threat to achieving a long-term relationship is the
customer’s switching behaviour. The study also revealed that customers’ switching
behaviour (switchers and stayers) is a vital construct to understand the relationship
development process between customers and the organisations. A different approach was
applied by Bansal (1997) by incorporating some measures of theory of planned behavior
(TPB) in predicting switching intentions. TPB posits a link between attitudes and behavior.
In combination, perceived behavioral control, subjective norm and attitude toward the
behavior lead towards “behavioral intention” (Ajzen, 1991). Bansal (1997) measured the
impact of one's attitude towards switching behavior, perceived behavior control (termed as
perceived switching costs) and satisfaction with the product or service provider, with
intentions to switch. Results confirmed the significant influence of all three variables on
switching intentions.
It has been seen from the existing literature that understanding behaviour of consumers i.e.
their needs and preferences has been studying over a time. Also, switching behaviour of
theses consumers plays vital role in the long term sustainability of the organisations. Thus,
the present study tries to understand the behaviour of shampoo users and the various reasons
for their switching to other brands.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The present study has been conducted among the boarders of the girls hostels of University
of Jammu, of state Jammu and Kashmir. These respondents have been chosen for the study,
as it is one of common place where girls from different regional and cultural background
prevailed. This study will be helpful in evaluating the attitude of the select boarders of the
hostel towards usage of shampoo. Also, various reasons for consumer switching to other
brands have been studied. For the purpose of the given study primary as well as secondary
data has been used. The Secondary data has been collected from various books, journals,
published research papers, websites etc. The primary data was collected by means of a
questionnaire. Copies of the questionnaire were given personally to respondents in the
university hostel. The questionnaire contained a total of 14 items. The respondents are
randomly selected and 64 respondents were personally meet to give their responses. The data
collected was mainly primary in nature.
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS
The study deals with the analysis of consumer awareness towards shampoo usage. The
responses from the respondents were subjected to simple percentage method, in order to
know the inferences out of the collected data.
ABHINAV
NATIONAL MONTHLY REFEREED JOURNAL OF REASEARCH IN COMMERCE & MANAGEMENT
www.abhinavjournal.com
VOLUME NO.1, ISSUE NO.9 ISSN 2277-1166
101
Table 1. Demographic Profile
Demographic variable No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Age (Yrs) - Below 22 34 53.12
22-25 18 28.12
25-28 4 6.25
28 & above 8 12.5
Gender - Male 0 0
Female 64 100
Educational
Qualification
Graduation 24 37.5
Post-Graduation 28 43.75
M.Phil 6 9.37
Others 6 9.37
Status - Student 50 78.12
Professional 4 6.25
Research Scholar 10 15.62
Monthly Family
income -
Below Rs.25000 14 21.87
Rs.25000-30000 8 12.5
Rs.30000-35000 14 21.87
Above Rs.35,000 28 43.75
As revealed from the Table 1, more than half of the respondents (53.12%) have their below
22 years and 12.5% have 28 and above years. All the respondents of the given study are
females (100%), as the sample selected is the girl’s hostels of the University of Jammu.
About 43.75% respondents have their qualification as post-graduate, 37.5% as graduation
and others are 9.37%. It has been seen that 78.12% respondents are students, 15.62% are
Research Scholars and 6.25% are professionals. Also, it has been found that about 43.75%
have their monthly family income above Rs. 35,000, 21.87% respondents have below Rs,
25,000 and ranging between Rs. 30,000- Rs. 35,000 and only 12.5% respondents have their
monthly family income as Rs. 25,000-Rs. 30,000.
Table 2. Shampoo Usage Rate
Usage rate No. of respondents Percentage (%)
Yes 60 93.75
No 4 6.25
Table-2 indicates the usage rate of shampoo by the respondents. As revealed from the table it
has been found that about 93.75% of the respondents using shampoos in University girl’s
hostel and only 6.25% using soaps and conditioners etc.
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Table 3. Frequency of using shampoo per week
Using Frequency No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Once 4 6.25
Twice 44 68.75
Thrice 16 25
As observed from the Table-3, the brushing frequency of consumer per week, the
data revealed that 68.75% of the respondents use shampoo twice a week, 25% of the
respondents use thrice, and 6.25% use shampoo only once in a week.
Table 4. Frequency of buying per month
Buying Frequency No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Once 20 31.25
Twice 18 28.12
Thrice 26 40.62
Table 4 shown above indicates the frequency of purchasing shampoo per month by the users.
The given data revealed that most of the respondents buying shampoo thrice in a month
(40.62%), 28.12% buy twice in a month and 31.25% respondents buying shampoo only once
in a month.
Table 5. Awareness of Brands
Brands No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Cosmetic 46 71.87
Herbal 7 10.93
Medicated 5 7.81
Others 6 9.37
Table 5, examined awareness of the people regarding various brands of shampoos like
Cosmetic shampoos (Sunsilk, Head and Shoulders, Pantene, Clinic-plus, Dove etc), Herbal
shampoos, Medicated shampoos and others. Most of the respondents (71.87%) aware of
Cosmetic shampoos. 10.93% respondents aware of Herbal shampoos, 7.81% aware of
medicated shampoos and 9.37% constitute others category.
Table 6. Usage of Shampoo Brands
Usage of brand No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
One 34 53.12
Two 8 12.5
More than three 22 34.37
Table 6 identified the usage of different brand by the respondents. An examination of the
data revealed that most of the respondents (53.12%) used only one brand, 34.37%
respondents used more than three brands, and 12.5% respondents used two brands.
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Table 7. Recommendations for Buying Shampoos
Recommendation No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Doctor’s advice 8 12.5
Imp. Ingredients 48 75
Not interested 2 3.12
Promotion
technique
6 9.7
The above Table-7 shows the recommendation for buying shampoos by different people, the
data pertaining to this revealed that about 75% of the total respondents concentrate on the
important ingredients present in the shampoo. About 12.5% respondents ready to accept
Doctor’s suggestion, 9.7% of the respondents consider it as a promotion technique to
increase the sale of the product and 3.12% of the respondents are not interested in hair care
and related problems.
Table 8. Factors Which Makes Consumer to Buy Shampoo
Factors No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Price 24 37.5
Availability 26 40.62
Packaging 4 6.25
Others 10 15.62
Table- 8 shows the reasons to buy shampoo by the respondents. The consumers are
influenced by the Price, availability and Packaging of the product. It has been seen that about
40.62% respondents buy shampoo depending upon the availability of a particular brand,
37.5% influenced by the price, 6.25% influenced by the packaging, and 14% influenced by
other factors.
Table 9. Preference of Shampoo
Preference No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Brand 12 18.75
Quality 40 62.5
Shine 8 12.5
Others 4 6.25
The given Table-9 presented data to find the reason for the preference of buying shampoo.
An examination of the data revealed that most of the respondents preferred brand, quality,
and shine. In the above table 62.5% of the respondents preferred quality, 18.75% of the
respondents preferred brand name, 12.5% of the respondents preferred shine content of the
shampoo, and 6.25% of the respondents preferred other factors.
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Table 10. Preference of an Attribute
Attribute No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Healthy root & tips 26 40.62
Long lasting Shine 10 15.62
Prevention of Dandruff 22 34.37
Graying of Hairs 4 6.25
Use of natural herbs 2 3.12
Table-10 shows the reasons to buy a shampoo based on attribute, the data pertaining to this
revealed that most of the respondents preferred healthy roots & tips, Long lasting Shine,
prevention of dandruff, graying of hairs and use of natural herbs. The above table clearly
shows that 40.62% of the respondent’s preferred healthy root and tips, 34.37% respondents
preferred prevention of dandruff, 15.62% respondents preferred long lasting shine, 6.25%
graying of hairs and 3.12% respondents preferred use of natural herbs.
Table 11. Person who Influenced Consumer to Purchase Shampoo
Persons No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Friends 12 18.75
Parents 2 3.12
Self 46 71.87
Spouse 4 6.25
Table-11, indicates the persons who influenced consumer to purchase shampoos. An
examination of the table revealed that the people who influenced more are parents, friends,
spouse and self decision. Based on the above data, 71.87% of the respondents decide
themselves for using a shampoos, friends influenced (18.75%), spouse (6.25%) and 3.12%
are influenced by their parents.
Table 12. To Which Mode of Promotion Consumer gets Attracted
Mode of promotion No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Advertisement 22 34.37
Celebrity 20 31.25
Banner 4 6.25
Others 18 28.12
Table-12 shows that by which mode of promotion consumer gets attracted. .An examination
of the table reveals that, most of the consumers preferred advertisement, celebrity, banners.
Majority of the respondents 34.37% preferred advertisements, 31.25% of the respondents
preferred celebrity endorsements, 28.12% preferred other mode of promotion and 6.25%
preferred banners. Advertisement creates attention and stimulates the consumer to buy a
particular brand.
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Table 13. Factors Which Makes Consumer to Buy Shampoo
Promotion tools No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Gift 6 9.37
Discount 8 12.5
Extra quantity 14 21.87
Price off 10 15.62
Others 6 9.37
The above Table-13 shows the promotion tools preferred by the consumers while purchasing
the shampoos. An examination of the above data reveals that, most of the consumers
preferred gift, extra quantity, discount, price off. The data revealed that extra quantity
attracted more respondents (21.87%), followed by price off (15.62%), 12.5% of the
respondents preferred discounts, 9.37% preferred price off and other tools.
Table 14. Switching to Other Brand
Reason for switching No. of Respondents Percentage (%)
Impact of packaging 4 6.25
Price rise of current brand 10 15.62
Scheme of brands 6 9.37
Advertisement impact 28 43.75
Brand not available 8 12.5
To try new option 2 3.12
Influence by other 6 9.37
Table-14, given above shows the reasons for switching to other brand by the consumers. The
data revealed that about 43.75% respondents changed to other brand due to advertisement
impact, 15.62% respondents changed due to price rise, 12.5% respondents changed due to
non-availability of product in the market. 9.37% respondents due to scheme (offer), 6.25%
respondents switched to other brand due to impact of packaging while other 3.12%
respondents switched to other brand to try new options.
CONCLUSION
Thus, it has been concluded that usage rate of shampoo among the select individuals has
been high and their buying behaviour is also very frequent. It has been seen that most of the
people are aware of cosmetic shampoos rather than herbal and medicated ones. Price,
availability and Packaging of the product also plays an important role in buying the shampoo
products. It has been found that most of the consumers preferred gifts, extra quantity,
discount, price off while making decision for buying the shampoos. Also, it has been seen
that various factors influence the switching behaviour of the consumers like impact of
packaging, price rise of current brand, scheme of brands, impact of advertisement, non-
availability of brand, to try new option and influence by others etc.
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