Consumer Behaviour

Mid-Module Essay

“The more choice there is the greater the consumer’s freedom, autonomy and well-being.”

Choice is “an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities.” (Business Dictionary, 2013) Today we live in a society that thrives on the idea of choice. Individuals not only have the ability to choose between different consumer products but also they are also able to choose their own identity. Some choices are flexible, such are what to wear or eat, whereas others may be limited such as when to arrive at work or school (The Tomorrow Plan, 2012). In today’s culture our ability to choose is seen as a symbol of freedom and we are so used to making these decisions that we often do so subconsciously. However as the number of choices a person faces rapidly continues to grow the negative aspects of all these options begins to appear.

Each day a person can make hundreds of decisions that can both dramatically affect their life or not really make much of a difference. The ability to choose can directly improve our quality of life and it can enable us to control our future and achieve what we want out of life. The freedom of choice is what enables a person to best satisfy his or her own needs within the limits which they can suitably afford. It allows us to express the way in which we feel and communicate it to others as they are highly individualised to our own need as opposed to universal needs such as shelter, food or water.

There is a range of reasons why having a variety of choices is a benefit to individuals. The first of these reasons is that different people have different tastes and needs and more choices allow them to satisfy their own particular wants (Andrew, 2001). Not all people are interested in the same things, what one person finds appealing another ultimately may not. Having the power of choice allows the consumer to decide up on the item which they deem to be the most appealing to them and they are able to...