Customer Reviews

Why People Buy Things They Don't Need: Understanding and Predicting Consumer Behavior

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Why People Buy Things They Don't Need by marketing expert Pamela N. Danziger offers truly fascinating insights into the psychology of impulse purchases and rampant consumerism, as well as why people are so quick to buy new stuff they don't use, especially before the old stuff is worn out! Motives such as "improving the quality of life", stress relief, compulsive shopping, and a great deal more are scrutinized in depth. Why People Buy Things They Don't Need is very strongly recommended as a solid and informative treatise delving into the conflicts and the hidden depths of the credit-card happy human psyche -- and how to use it to advantage in the marketplace of goods and services.

Pam Danziger has a clear understanding of the realities of today's marketplace and the trends for the future. She explains clearly and succinctly just how businesses can reap their share of the nearly 42% of spending Americans devote to discretionary items, backing it up with statistics and quotes from highly reliable sources. Examples throughout the book include the good, the bad and the ugly in manufacturing and retailing today. Far from merely promoting a simplistic "feel good" mentality, Danziger conveys an understanding of the various types of buyers, the justification they need to make their purchases, and how suppliers can deliver that message. Her observations speak volumes: "The consumer's feelings often may have more to do with the act of purchasing than with the object." This is a must-have marketing reference to read and re-read and then implement to reach your maximum sales potential.

Because I sell luxury home and gift items, I was drawn to the title of this book. Sometimes that is not always a good indicator of what is inside, but in this case it was dead-on. The book helped me understand what I've seen over the last few years, as well as gave me some insight into where things are heading (and why). I keep talking about the book, and the list of friends and associates who want to borrow the book keeps growing, although I may not want to give it up. Only a few more pages to go....

This book is written for marketers.

If you're a consumer, don't fail to read it - especially if you shop too much and save too little!

Delves into the reasons consumers want things and can be manipulated into believing they need them.

- Eric Tyson
Author of Personal Finance for Dummies and Mind Over Money: Your Path to Wealth and Happiness

The book could have given you the message in half the pages. I found about ten pages of really good information but a lot of fluff as well.

I've heard the authors speak on radio about this book and her insights about why people buy, but there is nothing here that you couldn't pick up in an elementary book on consumer behavior. The author states essentially that people buy for more than functional reasons, but instead for emotional and social reasons. These are ancient ideas...it's like saying that people falling in love is a new need.

I thought this was a book to help consumers realize why they buy things they don't need, and thereby stop doing it. But it's the opposite -- it's aimed at helping businesses tap into our buying impulses and sell us MORE stuff! If you're a business looking to raise your sales, you might like this, but it was not at all what I wanted.

The comments by others about how the book at time rehashes statistics are true. At times I found myself glossing over pages just because it was number after number. I lost interest.

I also got to the point with the author's repeated fixation on 9/11 that I had to put the book down. Enough is enough. That fixation only revealed to me the fact that the author's insight and point of view is very limited to the current and is United States centric. The author doesn't address a broader global view of wants and have a historical perspective of why people want to help other spot future trends.

This book is an extremely insightful new book about consumer purchasing power. The book has been especially helpful to my clients and me (I am a retail consultant). We have found the consumer motivation and justification for the difference between a "want" and a "need" purchase to be fascinating. This book is a must-read for marketers, retailers, and sales executives.

Thanks, Pam, for all your invaluable research! I look forward to using your research as a cornerstone for future planning.

This book was wonderful. I did a review on it for my consumer behavior class in college. For me, this book was much more helpful and intriguing than a text book. It gave me insight for real life situations. I am very happy I chose this book to do my assignment on. I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in marketing, or even better, someone who may want to pursue a career in this field.