Perreault−McCarthy: Basic
Marketing: A
Global−Managerial
Approach, 14/e- Elements of Product
Planning for Goods and
Services
Text © The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2002254 Chapter 9
Staplesare products that are bought often, routinely, and without much thought—
like breakfast cereal, canned soup, and most other packaged foods used almost every
day in almost every household.
Impulse productsare products that are bought quickly—as unplannedpurchases—
because of a strongly felt need. True impulse products are items that the customer
hadn’t planned to buy, decides to buy on sight, may have bought the same way many
times before, and wants right now. If the buyer doesn’t see an impulse product at the
right time, the sale may be lost.^5
Emergency productsare products that are purchased immediately when the need
is great. The customer doesn’t have time to shop around when a traffic accident
occurs, a thunderstorm begins, or an impromptu party starts. The price of the ambu-
lance service, raincoat, or ice cubes won’t be important.Shopping productsare products that a customer feels are worth the time and
effort to compare with competing products. Shopping products can be divided into
two types, depending on what customers are comparing: (1) homogeneous or (2)
heterogeneous shopping products.
Homogeneous shopping productsare shopping products the customer sees as
basically the same and wants at the lowest price. Some consumers feel that certain
sizes and types of computers, television sets, washing machines, and even cars are
very similar. So they shop for the best price. For some products, the Internet has
become a way to do that quickly.Shopping
products+are
compared
Exhibit 9-3 Consumer Product Classes and Marketing Mix Planning
Convenience products
Staples Maximum exposure with widespread, low- Routinized (habitual), low effort, frequent
cost distribution; mass selling by producer; purchases; low involvement.
usually low price; branding is important.
Impulse Widespread distribution with display at point Unplanned purchases bought quickly.
of purchase
Emergency Need widespread distribution near probable Purchase made with time pressure when a
point of need; price sensitivity low. need is great.
Shopping products
Homogeneous Need enough exposure to facilitate price Customers see little difference among
comparison; price sensitivity high. alternatives, seek lowest price.
Heterogeneous Need distribution near similar products; Extensive problem solving; consumer may
promotion (including personal selling) to need help in making a decision (sales-
highlight product advantages; less price person, website, etc.).
sensitivity.
Specialty products Price sensitivity is likely to be low; limited Willing to expend effort to get specific
distribution may be acceptable, but should product, even if not necessary; strong
be treated as a convenience or shopping preferences make it an important
product (in whichever category product purchase; Internet becoming important
would typically be included) to reach information source.
persons not yet sold on its specialty
product status.
Unsought products
New unsought Must be available in places where similar (or Need for product not strongly felt;
related) products are sought; needs attention- unaware of benefits or not yet gone
getting promotion. through adoption process.
Regularly unsought Requires very aggressive promotion, usually Aware of product but not interested; attitude
personal selling. toward product may even be negative.Consumer Product
Class Marketing Mix Considerations Consumer Behavior