Year-end Sale % OFF 
Abstract
The increasing relevance of young consumers as a market segment has resulted in marketers and brand managers alike becoming more interested in the consumer buying behaviour of young people. In the case of the retail sector, the increasing buying power of young consumers has peaked marketers’ interest in the young consumer market segment. This paper aimed to survey the salient factors that influence the choices made by students of which food retailer to buy groceries from. As a result the study conveniently sampled n=217 first year School of Economics and Management students. The questionnaire was the data generation tool, and was comprised of close-ended questions and a 5-point Likert scale for responses. Data was collated and descriptive statistics generated utilising Microsoft Excel 2010. Significantly, the survey found that students were principally price sensitive and the pricing of goods was the key influencer for students. It also emerged that the influence of the family’s buying behaviour with regards to retailer choice was also a significant influence. The paper recommends further studies into the retail buying behaviour of young consumers as this would be important in the strategic management of brands by marketers as well as retailers. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p954
Highlights
The retail industry is an important service industry in both developed and developing countries
According to Meng, Florkowski, Sarpong, Chinnan and Resurreccion (2014), the growth in the income of consumers, the expansion of retail outlets and changing consumer preferences in developing countries necessitates an examination of the determinants of consumer food retail outlet choice, as the bargaining power of consumers and threat of new entrants put competitive pressure on major food retailers
The results suggest that the choice of food retailer amongst students is some-what influenced (39.17%) by the choices of their family unit
Summary
The retail industry is an important service industry in both developed and developing countries. As Jobber (2009) ascertains, consumer decision making involves the choice of product and brand, but the choice of retail outlet from which to acquire the desired product or brand as well With this in mind research into the shopping habits of consumers and the factors that influence shopper behaviour aids food retailers (supermarkets and grocery shops) and marketers alike in designing effective and efficient strategies (Dibb, Stern & Wesley, 2002). There is paucity in literature relating to empirical studies on the factors that influence the buying behaviour of young consumers and in this case students as a market segment for food retailers. The objectives of this study were to 1) investigate the salient influencers of student choice of supermarket; 2) establish the buying power and behaviour of 1st year students in relation to their choice of food retailer (supermarket); 3) determine the relevance of the family unit as a social reference group in their selection of food retailer. What is the buying behaviour of these 1st year students with particular reference to food retailers?
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