The study of individuals, groups or organizations, and the activities that are associated with the purchase, disposal and use of goods and services is termed as consumer behavior. It also studies the consumer's mental, behavioral and emotional responses that precede or follow such activities. Consumer behavior integrates elements from social anthropology, psychology, ethnography, sociology, marketing and economics, to understand buying behavior. This requires an investigation of consumer characteristics, such as lifestyles, demographics, brand advocacy, usage rates, etc. Besides purchasing decision, some of the other areas of investigation in this field include risk perception and risk reduction, brand loyalty, post-purchase behaviors, customer citizenship behaviors, etc. Modern methods such as consumer neuroscience and ethnography are providing new insights into consumer behavior. This book unravels the recent studies in the field of consumer behavior. From theories to research to practical applications, case studies related to all contemporary topics of relevance to this area of study have been included herein. It is appropriate for students seeking detailed information in this domain as well as for experts.
