Types of Consumer Products
Consumer products are those, which are used by the customer for consumption or for household use. Consumer products are further classified and divided in:
- Convenience Products
- Shopping Products
- Specialty Products
- Unsought Products
Convenience Products
The consumers have enough knowledge about such type of products before going to buy it. Convenience products can buy with minimum efforts and available almost everywhere. These products are classified and divided in:
- Staples products are buy on regular basis.
- Impulse products are buy with some planning.
- Emergency products are buy in urgency.
Characteristics Convenience Products
- Buy frequently
- Low price
- Easily available
- Brand is acceptable
- Price and quality is not considered.
Examples
Salt, Sugar, Cigarettes, Soap, Bread, Tight bulb, etc.
Shopping Products
Shopping products are those types of consumer products, which the consumer buys less frequently, the consumer buy such type of products after comparing quality, price suitability and style.
Characteristics Shopping Products
- Purchase less frequently
- Planning is needed
- Comparison is needed
- Complex then convenience products
- In retail out lets are not available
- Shops for it
Example
Shoes, Automobiles, Radios, really made garments etc.
Specialty Products
The American Marketing Association define special products as, “having unique characteristics and for brand identification for which significant group of buyer are habitually willing to make special purchasing efforts.
Characteristics Special Products
- Having unique characteristics
- Purchase less frequently
- High price
- Brand is not acceptable
- Less comparison
- Available at special places
- Offer high status in mind.
Example
Specific brands of cars, high priced equipments, services of legal specialist
Unsought Products
Unsought products are those consumer products, either consumer does not know about them or does not thinking to buy it. The consumer either not aware about this products or he aware about them but not yet want to buy.
Characteristics Unsought Products
- Required a lot of advertisement
- Personal selling
- Marketing efforts
Examples
Video, Telephone, Internet facilities, life insurance
