Types of Consumer Responses to Price Based on Price Search

Consumer decisions and responses about the price to pay vary. Some consumers might decide the appropriate price range prior to shopping, while others compare and evaluate prices. Especially, consumers can have different reference points for price evaluation based on various price searching behavior that represent heterogeneous responses for prices in the clothing purchase decision-making process. This research identifies how consumers evaluate the price and helps explain their decision-making based on price searches. By analyzing qualitative research, we found that consumers recalled price information as a representative indicator and product level price information through the internal search. Their level of internal references can be an important factor affecting price evaluations. In addition, each consumer groups were subdivided into high and low external searching. The four types of responses to price were classified in the price search process and the identified differences in the price evaluation. Therefore, pricing strategy needs to be differentiated for these various consumer types.