CONSUMER CHARACTERISTICS

Since the pandemic of covid - 19 have arise since 2020 untill now, the
internet is rapidly evolving, and as its popularity grows, so do the number of
users familiar with it and use it to search for information and shop online
(Farag et al., 2007; Pan, Chaipoopirutana and Combs, 2010; Hill and Beatty,
2011) but in the same time there is still some of the consumer are afraid to
purchase and shopping online due to the privacy safety resulting from their
reluctance to send personal information via the the internet. Despite this,
online shopping is growing as online businesses become more sophisticated
(Lian and Lin, 2008), resulting in a dramatic shift in how consumers buy
products and services (Hill and Beatty, 2011). Power, according to Kamus
Dewan (1994), is defined as the ability to do something. While buying can be
translated as "acquiring an item by paying for it." While the market can be
defined as a location or environment where sellers and buyers interact.
Consumers are defined as individuals who purchase goods or services for
their own use, according to the interpretation of the Malaysian Consumer
Protection Act 1999, and this act does not apply if used for commercial
purposes

Therefore, consumers are considered to have power if they have the ability to
change the price or quality of a product offered by a company in the market.
Also, if consumers fail to influence the market, they are deemed incompetent,
and the consumer community will bear the brunt of the consequences of using
low-quality products.( Husain, 2021). Furthermore, many researchers are
concerned with online consumer attitudes and characteristics when buying
their needs (Cheung et al, 2003; Wu, 2003; Liao and Shi, 2009; Darley,
Blankson and Luethge, 2010) . Identifying the characteristics of a potential
buyers can assist businesses in precisely identifying potential target markets.
Different types of products influence consumer acceptance of online
shopping, according to Liang and Huang (1998). According to Cho et al.
(2003), the intended product or service influences online customer purchasing
behaviour in the marketplace.

Consumer characteristics started with process where consumer behaviour is

a systematic process which is connected to their purchasing decisions. The
purchasing procedure consists of the following steps, firstly is identification
when purchasing the goods. Secondly, the product-related information
search, because mostly consumer will check the product information in order
to achieve satisfaction in buying goods. Thirdly, alternative brand listings,they
will list the brands as they do comparing with other brands so that they can
purchase that worth to buy then this is called evaluating the alternatives
whhich is cost-benefit analysis, deciding on a purchase.Lastly, the marketer
evaluates the product after it has been purchased. (Thestreak, 2019).
Characteristics of consumer behaviour also the demand of services and
products. As stated by Sam Malhotra, products, services, activities, and
ideas are all part of consumer behaviour. However, the breadth of consumer
behaviour includes not just product such as toilet soaps, but also services
such as travelling by airliner, and actions such as having children inoculated
for polio vaccine, and ideas for saying no to medications and drugs.(Jim
Molis, 2018 ) . Apart from that, consumer also consider reflects status.This
characteristics of consumer purchasing behaviour is not only impacted by a
consumer's socioeconomic standing, but it also displays their status. Others
view those who own fancy cars, watches, and other stuff , most likely to be
considered of greater status. This shows that consumer behaviour revolves
on available options and consumption patterns shifting which is changing as a
result of broad education, a growth in wealth and level of life, as well as a
desire for additional luxuries.( Thestreak, 2019).

As for that, consumer also influenced by environmental factors. A consumer

makes a purchase based on what they see and hear. Their decisions are
influenced by factors such as culture, family, advertising, and media
messaging. Teenagers, as for an example,they tend to buy things that their
buddies or what they see the people they admired wear. We can also see the
professionals digital influencers with thousands of followers on social media
sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. They have the ability to
shape trends and influence potential consumers' attitudes and behaviours.
Moreover, one of the more recent traits of the customer is their proclivity to
buy something based on what experts in a particular area says. (Hotmart,
2018). Alternatively, if a consumer grows up using a certain brand of soap or
laundry detergent that their family enjoys using it, or what they see on media
reviews as they grown up, they may be more likely to purchase the same
products as well. ( Thestreak, 2019).

Consumers are more likely to purchase favoured customised items which is

its called different for different products .Personalized products and
services have grown in popularity because consumers like to be sold to
precisely. Such as in Shopee online shopping platform , they show the
preferred seller by putting the sticker “preferred seller’ at their shop, by doing
this it can attract and build trust within the consumer and buyer. ( Jim Molis,
2018). They compares diverse brands in order to discover the most excellent
esteem for cash and worth to buy. Some time recently making a buy, the
advanced buyer looks for information, distinguishes and assesses their
options. If within the past you had to go from store to store to check costs and
installment conditions, presently now it’s much simpler. There are a few web
gives a assortment of assets so that customers have get to to genuine item
data. Comparison locales such as NexTag and PriceGrabber have gotten to
be well known. They assess thousands of things within the showcase, draw a
comparative profile, display the leading alternatives and appear you the costs
changes over the past months. Purchases are based not as it were on cost-
effectiveness, but on a set of components such as Quality, Strength, Level of
client fulfillment, personal experience, durabilty and more. ( Hotmart, 2018).

Besides,their characteristics also bounded by region. All consumer

behaviour varies by their state, region, and country. The behaviour of urban
customers, for example, differs from that of rural customers. Rural customers
are often conservative which is traditional in their purchasing habits, products
and services. As for urban customers they tend to buy according to trend and
their surroundings influence. Whether it is unused items, services, forms or
more. And the current buyer does not need to hold up until the next day to
urge their hands on something unused. ( Thestreak, 2019).

CONSUMER PSYCHOLOGY

Consumer psychology is the study of the processes that occur when an

individual or group selects, purchases, uses, or discards items,
services, ideas, or experiences in order to suit their needs and desires.
Individual and group variables that help shape priority over products and
services. Aside from demographic variations such as age, level of living cycle,
gender, and social class, psychographic characteristics such as personality
traits frequently play a significant impact in consumer decision making.
( Solomon, 2005).A person's physiological state is caused by unsatisfied
needs and desires, such as hunger and thirst for love, prestige, or even
spiritual fulfilment. Many major concerns concerning individual
consumers are related to group psychology in decision making, which
includes families and organisations. Although psychology is one of the
main disciplines that has created the subject, many other significant
components, such as economics, sociology, and other social sciences, also
play a significant role.

Marketers rely on consumer psychology to identify what advertising is suitable

and what marketing would elicit unfavourable responses, which may be
especially useful during uncertain times. Apart from what consumer may be
interested in, consumer psychology also places a strong focus on what to
avoid. In addition, consumer psychology, as indicated by Consumer
Psychologist.com, may help a firms a better understanding in things like
how consumers think, reason, feel, and pick between different brands
and goods, how consumer are influenced by their surroundings, their
buying habits and how consumer knowledge gaps influence buying
decisions. (USCDornsife, 2020).

Basically consumer psychologist help business to understand their customers

which is required for professional marketers to develop products that are
appeal to the target audience. Not only that, consumer psychologist also
develop marketing messages to help spread ideas and messages about their
products. They also studies and research on the consumer behaviour by
using experiments of phone surveys and questionnaires, such as in youtube
for example, we might have experience such as survey that to improve their
service quality. This help professional marketers to collect data analysis and
details to understand about their target audience.

However, most studies have found that consumer psychology is such that
individuals generally buy items for what they mean rather than what
they do. This idea does not mean that the basic function of a product is
irrelevant; rather, it emphasises that the roles that things play in our lives go
well beyond the duties that they accomplish. A product's deeper connotations
may help it stand out from similar items and services. When all other factors
are equal, a customer will select the brand that already has an image or even
a good personality description that corresponds to the purchaser's
fundamental desires. The following are some of the different sorts of
relationships that a person may have with a product and also may influence
their purchasing choice.

First, there's self-concept attachment, which occurs when a product aids in

the formation of a user's identity.Also can be defined a person has about his
or her own traits and how he or she judges these traits are referred to as their
self-concept. People who have poor self-esteem mostly will choose things
and product that will protect them from shame, failure, or rejection. Such as
an example, Alia does not want to buy clothes that according to her size , she
wants to buy the clothes sizes twice from her usual size because she scared
that If she buy the clothes according to her size, it may not fit her, and thought
that it will embarrassed her. This shows that objects can serve as a "shield
blanket" by confirming people's identities, particularly in new contexts.

Second, the thing has a nostalgic association since it represents a link to a

prior self. Third, the product's interdependence as part of the user's
everyday routine. Finally, there is love, which stimulates emotional ties of
warmth, passion, or other powerful feeling with the items. Therefore, people
frequently recall the emotions connected with a brand even if they do not
recall the brand name. The trick is to incorporate such sensations into
marketing activities by using consumer psychology.(USCDornsife, 2020).

STAGES OF CONSUMER PSYCHOLOGY TRAITS

However, rugged or delicate, excitable or calm, rational or emotional, and

formal or informal are some particular traits that may be used to describe
matching between customers and products and due to this, there are a few
stages of a consumer’s psychology traits when making a decision because
this understanding will allow them to create goods that stress relevant
features and to modify advertising efforts to communicate the kind of
information that are most likely to be sought in the most effective ways. Firstly
need recognition as when a customer perceives a big difference between their
existing state of affairs and a desired condition, a sense of tension develops
that leads the consumer to seek to decrease or remove the need.
It begins with the need identification stage, when the consumer notices a
considerable difference between his or her existing state of affairs and a
desired condition, prompting the consumer to try to minimise or eliminate the
need. (Ahsan Ali Shaw, 2018).

After that,the consumer will search for information, or do a scan of the

environment to determine the possibilities accessible to meet their demand of
the product. Their purchase choices that involve significant research almost
often involve perceived risk which is the assumption if making a bad choice
would result in potentially unfavourable repercussions for them. A search for
information reveals a number of different alternatives to meet the demand. A
customer engaged in protracted problem solving may thoroughly assess
various brands, but someone making a habitual selection may not explore any
alternatives to his or her usual brand. ( Michael Robert Solomon, 2005).

Next stage is evaluation of alternatives, this is the stage where the consumer
search for information and then provides a number of different solutions to
the problem. This stage entails assessing the market's various alternatives as
well as the product's lifespan. Once the consumer has chosen what would
meet their needs, they will begin looking for the greatest alternative available.
This rating might be based on several aspects such as quality, pricing, or any
other element that is significant to customers. (Ahsan Ali Shaw, 2018).

Once a need have been recognised, its called purchase. When all of the
preceding phases have been completed, the consumer has ultimately opted
to make a purchase choice. At this point, the customer has assessed the
information and reached a logical conclusion that is either influenced by
marketing efforts, emotional ties or personal experiences, or a mixture of both.
Subsequently, a purchase is a consumption scenario is defined by variables
other than product attributes that impact a buying decision. These elements
may be behavioural in nature. (Ahsan Ali Shaw, 2018).

Last stage are the following purchase behaviour of the consumer. The
purchase of a product is followed by post-buy assessment, which refers to
determining whether or not the product was valuable to the buyer. ( Michael
Robert Solomon, 2005).This attitude, in turn, is a major factor of whether the
item will be purchased again in the future. Despite evidence showing
consumer contentment is continuously dropping in many industries, marketers
are continuously on the search for reasons of dissatisfaction from their
consumer’s review. If the product meets the customer's expectations, they will
act as a brand ambassador, influencing other potential customers and
increasing the business's customer base. (Ahsan Ali Shaw, 2018)
HALAL PRODUCTS (RAMLY) AND NON HALAL PRODUCTS (BEE
CHENG HIANG)

Halal Products (Ramly)

As for halal products, we have choose Ramly Food Processing Sdn Bhd as
an example for halal products in malaysia. Also this company can not be deny
about their well - known halal fast food frozen meat. Ramly Food Processing
Sdn Bhd formerly known as “Perusahaan Burger Ramly Mokni Sdn Bhd, was
founded in 1984 by the husband and wife team of Dato’ Dr. Haji Ramly Mokni
and Datin Hajjah Shala Siah Abdul Manap on the noble platform to produce
Halal, hygienic and quality products. In addition, the company also owns a
processing plant located in SME Industrial Park, Mukim Batu, Kuala Lumpur
offering career opportunities in management, production to product marketing
and distribution. To date Kumpulan Ramly has 10 subsidary companies
operating within the group which is:-

1. Ramly Food Industries Sdn. Bhd

2. Ramly Food Processing Sdn. Bhd
3. Ramly Food Marketing Sdn. Bhd
4. Ramly Food Services Sdn. Bhd
5. Ramly Halal Logistic Sdn. Bhd
6. Ramly Halal Mart Sdn. Bhd
7. Ramly Project Management Sdn. Bhd
8. Ramly Poultry Integrated Sdn. Bhd
9. Ramly Halal Kiosk Sdn. Bhd
10.Ramly Mokni Holding Sdn. Bhd

Ramly goods have gained market credibility as a result of the Halalan Thoyiba
idea, they surprisely making the brand as primary option and household brand
among customers especially Muslim customers. Halalan Thoyiba simply
implies that they are acceptable and lawful for eating under Syariah law as
long as they are safe and not harmful. Muslims must consume halal food and
use halal products because they do not eat and utilise consumer goods for
the sake of enjoyment alone, but also to execute their obligations, obligations,
and purpose in this world. According to Islamic beliefs, everything is halal
except impurity (or impurity combined with impurity), dangerous substances,
and intoxicants. Aside from that, Ramly's branding name has its own
meaning: “R” stands for reach for Global Network, “A” stands for achieving
Effective Production Management, meanwhile “M” stands for Upholding
"Halal, Cleanliness, and Quality, “L” stands for lean on Spiritual and Physical
Well-Being and lastly “Y” stands for yield Confidence in All Actions. (Ramly,
2021)

As for addition, to confirm their validation of halal status, we already check it

at Halal Malaysian Status, it shows their halal status are still in period and
their expired date are in 2022 to 2023. not only that, their company already
gain a few recognition and certificate suchas Halal Certificate, Veterinary
Inspections and innovative entrepreneurial award. This shows their halal
status are always on update and stick to their vision which is to manufacture
Halal, sanitary, and high-quality goods. Table 1 shows the proof of halal
status of Ramly’s products.
 Table 1 : Ramly’s Halal Status of their product ( sources Malaysian Halal
Status)

Non Halal Products (Bee cheng Hiang)

In 1933, an entrepreneurial migrant devised a plan to peddle his mobile cart

around Chinatown's streets, selling his distinctive and excellent handmade
grilled pork. Their company produce non- halal products which is
“Bakkwa”.This high-quality delicacy was extremely popular throughout the
holiday season. Mr. Teo Swee Ee coined the term 'Bakkwa' to describe this
traditional dish.

This was the beginning of the Bee Cheng Hiang heritage. Therefore, with over
80 years of dedication under their belt, their value has not altered. They
believe in providing the best to our clients and their loved ones in order for
them to have joyful life experiences via the sharing of our products.

Mr. Teo, a young kid who continued his father's craft for a living, is linked with
defining significant periods in Bee Cheng Hiang's history. Mr. Teo is extremely
inspirational, whether it is his physical strength, commitment to food quality, or
simply his pure tenacity that has lead the bakkwa business.
In addition, Bee Cheng Hiang is not only view as basic ‘bakkwa’ company, but
they have their vision is to be Asia’s leading food company which is providing
quality products and services to the global market. In a world where food
safety is of utmost importance, they will make sure their customers can enjoy
their products with a peace of mind. Furthermore, they stated their bakkwa
are made with 100% natural ingredients, without added meat tenderizer,
preservatives, artificial flavouring or colouring and MSG. This has remained
true since their inception in 1933, and still remains true today. However, their
company manufacturing method has received the ISO9001 certification, and
they are also HACCP certified. The AVA has repeatedly acknowledged they
as one of Singapore's Food Safety Partners. Their success is based on their
precise manufacture of high-quality products and strict sanitary requirements.
( Bee Cheng Hiang, 2021)

SELINGAN

Consumer behaviour is influenced by four types of factors which is cultural

factors, social factors, personal factors, and psychological factors. The first
category of cultural factors includes terms such as culture, subculture, and
social class (Armstrong and Kotler, 2003; Peter and Donnelly, 2001, Wu,
2003). Every culture is made up of smaller subcultures that have a more
distinct identity for their members. Nationalities, religion groups, tribes, and
geographical locations are the four types of subcultures. Social classes are
relatively homogeneous and continuous subdivisions of society that are
organised hierarchically and whose members share values, interests, and
behaviour.(Kotler, 1991; Armstrong and Kotler, 2003) .

The second category which is social factors can be refer as reference

groups, family, social roles, and social status (Armstrong and Kotler, 2003;
Wu, 2003). Reference groups means that have a direct (personal) or indirect
influence on an individual's attitude or behaviour. (Kotler, 1991; Armstrong
and Kotler, 2003). Apart from that, according to Armstrong and Kotler (2003),
family is the most important social factor since it is the closest members and
has received a lot of attention and obviously it will affects a lot for the
consumer characteristics.
The third category is personal factors which is include age and stage of life,
employment, economic conditions, lifestyle, personality, and self-concept.
(Armstrong and Kotler, 2003; Wu, 2003). As they get older, their preferences
on product and service change as they get older, economic changes,
differents lifestyle and personality. This shows that, their purchases are
formed throughout their lives, a stage that families and individu go through as
they grow and mature over time.(Kotler and Armstrong, 1996). As for
economics factors, it include his or her income, savings, disposable capital,
borrowing capacity, and savings attitude which will affect their interest of
buying products, also their habits. As a result, personality of consumer refers
to the psychological characteristics of a person that actually drive them to a
reasonable and stable reaction according to their surroundings .r (Kotler,
1991; Kotler and Armstrong, 1996; Armstrong and Kotler, 2003).

Motivation, perception, learning, beliefs, and attitudes are examples of

psychological factors included in the fourth category. Motivation is a complex
internal process that influences people's behaviour and is caused by specific
motives such as hunger, thirst, recognition, and devotion. Consumers act and
react in accordance with their perceptions. Additionally, people create ideas
and attitudes that impact their purchase behaviour as a result of their acting
and learning experiences. Beliefs are a person's descriptive way of thinking
about something that is based on information, opinion, or religion, and can
involve emotive accusations, whereas attitudes are judgements, feelings, and
dispositions toward an item or concept. (Kotler, 1991; Kotler and Armstrong,
1996; Armstrong and Kotler, 2003).