Title: Situational Factors That Affect People’s Buying Behavior
Headings: 3.2
Situational Factors That Affect People’s Buying Behavior

3.2 Situational Factors That Affect People’s Buying Behavior
Learning Objectives
The Consumer’s Physical Situation
The Consumer’s Social Situation
Video Clip
The Consumer’s Time Situation
The Reason for the Consumer’s Purchase
The Consumer’s Mood
Key Takeaway

Content: Perhaps you’ve visited the office of an apartment complex and noticed how great it looked and even smelled. It’s no coincidence. The managers of the complex were trying to get you to stay for a while and have a look at their facilities. Research shows that “strategic fragrancing” results in customers staying in stores longer, buying more, and leaving with better impression of the quality of stores’ services and products. Mirrors near hotel elevators are another example. Hotel operators have found that when people are busy looking at themselves in the mirrors, they don’t feel like they are waiting as long for their elevators. Patricia Moore, “Smells Sell,” NZ Business, February 2008, 26–27. Not all physical factors are under a company’s control, however. Take weather, for example. Rain and other types of weather can be a boon to some companies, like umbrella makers such as London Fog, but a problem for others.