Editing Consumer behaviour (section)

{{Short description|Study of individuals, groups, or organisations and all the activities associated with consuming}}
{{redirect|Buyer behaviour|the behaviour of buyers within organisations|procurement}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
[[File:(Belgium) Galeries Royales St Hurbert, Brussels.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|The [[Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries]] shopping arcade in [[Brussels]], [[Belgium]]. Consumer behaviour, in its broadest sense, is concerned with how consumers select, decide and use goods and services.]]
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{{Psychology sidebar|applied}}
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'''Consumer behaviour''' is the study of individuals, groups, or organisations and all activities associated with the [[Purchasing|purchase]], [[Utility|use]] and disposal of [[goods and services]]. It encompasses how the [[consumer]]'s [[emotion]]s, [[Attitude (psychology)|attitudes]], and [[Preference (economics)|preferences]] affect [[Buyer decision process|buying behaviour]], and how external cues—such as visual prompts, auditory signals, or tactile (haptic) feedback—can shape those responses.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hampton |first1=W. H. |title=Haptic Rewards: How Mobile Vibrations Shape Reward Response and Consumer Choice |journal=Journal of Consumer Research |year=2025 |doi=10.1093/jcr/ucaf025 |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucaf025 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Consumer behaviour emerged in the 1940–1950s as a distinct sub-discipline of [[marketing]], but has become an [[Interdisciplinarity|interdisciplinary]] [[social science]] that blends elements from [[psychology]], [[sociology]], [[Social Anthropology|social anthropology]], [[anthropology]], [[ethnography]], [[ethnology]], marketing, and [[economics]] (especially [[behavioural economics]]).

The study of consumer behaviour formally investigates individual qualities such as [[demographic]]s, [[personality]] lifestyles, and behavioural variables (like usage rates, usage occasion, [[Brand loyalty|loyalty]], brand advocacy, and willingness to provide [[Referral marketing|referrals]]), in an attempt to understand people's [[want]]s and [[Consumption (economics)|consumption]] patterns. Consumer behaviour also investigates on the influences on the consumer, from social groups such as family, friends, sports, and reference groups, to society in general ([[Influencer marketing|brand-influencers]], [[Opinion leadership|opinion leaders]]).

Due to the [[Predictability|unpredictability]] of consumer behavior, marketers and researchers use ethnography, consumer neuroscience, and machine learning, along with [[customer relationship management]] (CRM) databases, to analyze customer patterns. The extensive data from these databases allows for a detailed examination of factors influencing customer loyalty, re-purchase intentions, and other behaviors like providing referrals and becoming brand advocates. Additionally, these databases aid in [[market segmentation]], particularly behavioral segmentation, enabling the creation of highly targeted and personalized [[Marketing strategy|marketing strategies]].