Naresh K.

Malhotra Marketing Research Consumer behaviour research on consumers social and interpersonal environment has indicated that the mobile phone consumers final purchasing decision will also be influenced by reference groups (such as friends, family, work associates and etc.) on whether to buy a specific product and which brand or model to choose among competing alternatives According to Rice (1993), perception is the initiator of behaviour. It can also be seen as a process of information extraction. Perception is the process by which an individual selects, organizes, and interprets information inputs to create a meaningful picture (Kotler, 2000). Different people tend to perceive quite differently even when they are exposed to the same reality The study of customer behaviour provides a sound basis for identifying and understanding the factors that influence consumers purchase Schiffman and Kanuk (2000) state that the behaviour that consumers display in searching, purchasing, and evaluating products/services is those that they expect to fulfil their needs. Evaluation of Alternatives: This stage consists of the physical and cognitive activities involved in comparing alternatives on the basis of information gathered from external search above. According to Kotler (2000), the consumer arrives at attitudes toward the various brands through an attribute evaluation procedure and most buyers consider several attributes in their purchase decision. These attributes used by consumers for evaluation are also called choice criteria Consumer Behavior is the study of how individuals, groups and organization select, buy, use and dispose of goods, services ideas or experience to satisfy their needs and wants. By Philip Kotler. Marketer must fully understand both the theory and reality of Consumer behavior. A consumers buying behavior is influenced by cultural, social and personal factors. Consumer behavior is referred to as the study of when, why, how, where and what people do or do not buy products. It blends elements from psychology, sociology, social psychology, 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