IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/mktlet/v35y2024i2d10.1007_s11002-023-09681-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Remembering less, or needing less? Age-related differences in the purchase funnel

Author

Listed:
  • Philip Mecredy

    (Massey University, Dairy Flat Highway)

  • Malcolm Wright

    (Massey University, Dairy Flat Highway
    University of South Australia)

  • Pamela Feetham

    (Massey University)

  • Philip Stern

    (University of South Australia
    University of Exeter Business School)

Abstract

This study explores how age influences the stages of the brand purchase funnel (awareness, consideration, and purchase) and the mechanisms associated with any age-related differences. Aggregated analysis of survey data (n = 1862) across five markets and four age groups shows a reduction in the proportion of brands recognised that subsequently enter the consideration and purchase sets of older consumers. Subsequent individual-level GLS regression analysis using age as a continuous variable reveals an inverse-U shape for brand recognition and in some cases for brand recall and consideration. Peak cognitive performance occurs at age 56. There is a linear decline for purchase set size across age. Therefore, age-related differences in brand awareness and consideration, and the mechanisms driving these changes, do not greatly impact age-related increases in loyalty. Instead, findings suggest age-related increases in loyalty result from a combination of accumulated experience, development of purchase habits, and declining category purchase rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Philip Mecredy & Malcolm Wright & Pamela Feetham & Philip Stern, 2024. "Remembering less, or needing less? Age-related differences in the purchase funnel," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 171-186, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:mktlet:v:35:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s11002-023-09681-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s11002-023-09681-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11002-023-09681-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11002-023-09681-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gilles Laurent & Raphaelle Lambert-Pandraud & Eric Lapersonne, 2005. "Repeat Purchasing of New Automobiles by Older Consumers: Empirical Evidence and Interpretations," Post-Print hal-00458431, HAL.
    2. Gilles Laurent & Raphaelle Lambert-Pandraud, 2010. "Why Do Older Consumers Buy Older Brands? The Role of Attachment and Declining Innovativeness," Post-Print hal-00528378, HAL.
    3. F. Thomas Juster, 1966. "Consumer Buying Intentions and Purchase Probability: An Experiment in Survey Design," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number just66-2.
    4. Bernard Gourvennec & Gilles Laurent & Raphaelle Lambert-Pandraud, 2018. "Investigating Brand Verbal Fluency: When known brands do not come to mind," Post-Print hal-01958842, HAL.
    5. Robert Zniva & Wolfgang Weitzl, 2016. "It’s not how old you are but how you are old: A review on aging and consumer behavior," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 66(4), pages 267-297, December.
    6. Aimee Drolet & Anand V. Bodapati & Patrick Suppes & Benjamin Rossi & Harrison Hochwarter, 2017. "Habits and Free Associations: Free Your Mind but Mind Your Habits," Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, University of Chicago Press, vol. 2(3), pages 293-305.
    7. Raphaëlle Lambert-Pandraud & Gilles Laurent & Etienne Mullet & Carolyn Yoon, 2017. "Impact of age on brand awareness sets: a turning point in consumers’ early 60s," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 28(2), pages 205-218, June.
    8. Gilles Laurent & Eric Lapersonne & Jean-Jacques Le Goff, 1995. "Consideration sets of size one: An empirical investigation of automobile purchases," Post-Print hal-00458463, HAL.
    9. Cole, Catherine A & Balasubramanian, Siva K, 1993. "Age Differences in Consumers' Search for Information: Public Policy Implications," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 20(1), pages 157-169, June.
    10. Phua, Peilin & Kennedy, Rachel & Trinh, Giang & Page, Bill & Hartnett, Nicole, 2020. "Examining older consumers’ loyalty towards older brands in grocery retailing," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Robert Zniva & Wolfgang Weitzl, 2016. "It’s not how old you are but how you are old: A review on aging and consumer behavior," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 66(4), pages 267-297, December.
    2. Phua, Peilin & Kennedy, Rachel & Trinh, Giang & Page, Bill & Hartnett, Nicole, 2020. "Examining older consumers’ loyalty towards older brands in grocery retailing," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    3. LAURENT, Gilles & LAMBERT-PANDRAUD, Raphaëlle, 2006. "Tell me which perfume you wear, I'll tell you how old you are: Modeling the Impact of Consumer age on Product choice," HEC Research Papers Series 848, HEC Paris.
    4. Martina E. Reitmeier & Jutta Roosen, 2015. "Life Transitions and Brand Switching: How Changes in Social Relationships are Linked to Changes in Yogurt Brand and Grocery Chain Choice," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 63(4), pages 475-490, December.
    5. LAURENT, Gilles & LAMBERT-PANDRAUD, Raphaelle, 2002. "Age-induced decision shrinkage, another avenue to repeat purchase: the example of new automobiles," HEC Research Papers Series 748, HEC Paris.
    6. Tomasz Zalega, 2024. "Buying Behaviour of Polish Urban Silver Singles: Choices of Market Products and Shopping Places," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 1, pages 34-59.
    7. Bachmann, Frank & Walsh, Gianfranco & Hammes, Eva K., 2019. "Consumer perceptions of luxury brands: An owner-based perspective," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 287-298.
    8. Chaxel, Anne-Sophie & Wiggins, Catherine & Xie, Jieru, 2018. "The impact of a limited time perspective on information distortion," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 35-46.
    9. Romaniuk, Jenni & Nenycz-Thiel, Magda, 2016. "Lapsed buyers' durable brand consideration in emerging markets," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(9), pages 3645-3651.
    10. Ambarish Chandra & Sumeet Gulati & James M. Sallee, 2017. "Who Loses when Prices are Negotiated? An Analysis of the New Car Market," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 65(2), pages 235-274, June.
    11. Hajdas Monika & Radomska Joanna & Szpulak Aleksandra & Silva Susana C., 2022. "Don’t tell me stories – the narratives of retirement and their relation with brand associations," International Journal of Management and Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of World Economy, vol. 58(1), pages 17-32, March.
    12. Kuppelwieser, Volker G. & Sarstedt, Marko, 2014. "Exploring the influence of customers' time horizon perspectives on the satisfaction–loyalty link," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(12), pages 2620-2627.
    13. Haenlein, Michael, 2013. "Social interactions in customer churn decisions: The impact of relationship directionality," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 236-248.
    14. Tianshi Li & Wenli Li & Yuqing Zhao & Jingpei Ma, 2023. "Rationality manipulation during consumer decision-making process: an analysis of Alibaba’s online shopping carnival," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 331-364, March.
    15. Amatulli, Cesare & Guido, Gianluigi & Nataraajan, Rajan, 2015. "Luxury purchasing among older consumers: exploring inferences about cognitive Age, status, and style motivations," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(9), pages 1945-1952.
    16. Ralph Stinebrickner & Todd R. Stinebrickner, 2014. "A Major in Science? Initial Beliefs and Final Outcomes for College Major and Dropout," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 81(1), pages 426-472.
    17. Engelberg, Joseph & Manski, Charles F. & Williams, Jared, 2009. "Comparing the Point Predictions and Subjective Probability Distributions of Professional Forecasters," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 27, pages 30-41.
    18. Jos'e Raimundo Carvalho & Diego de Maria Andr'e & Yuri Costa, 2023. "Individual Updating of Subjective Probability of Homicide Victimization: a "Natural Experiment'' on Risk Communication," Papers 2312.08171, arXiv.org.
    19. Kirstin Lindloff & Nadine Pieper & Nils C. Bandelow & David M. Woisetschläger, 2014. "Drivers of carsharing diffusion in Germany: an actor-centred approach," International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 14(3/4), pages 217-245.
    20. Tine Janžek & Petra Ziherl, 2013. "Overview of models and methods for measuring economic agent’s expectations," IFC Bulletins chapters, in: Bank for International Settlements (ed.), Proceedings of the Sixth IFC Conference on "Statistical issues and activities in a changing environment", Basel, 28-29 August 2012., volume 36, pages 172-179, Bank for International Settlements.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:mktlet:v:35:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s11002-023-09681-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.