12A- Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

Interview #1: Male, 22-years old
He becomes aware of his need for a one-time use straw when he orders a drink out somewhere, in a restaurant, coffee shop, etc. He also becomes aware when he shops and is out of them at home because his girlfriend likes having them in the house. He usually just uses whatever straw the establishment he’s at has, or just buys the cheapest ones when shopping at the grocery store. As for sources of information, since its such a small item he doesn’t seek out information about the products. Although, he said if he saw my product on the shelves he would probably look up the benefits of it on his phone while in the store and probably buy my straws because of their benefit to the environment.

Interview #2: Female, 20-years old
She becomes aware of her need for a straw every time she drinks anything, at home or out. She knows she needs more for her home when she sees she is running low. Although she loves using straws, ever since she learned about how bad that plastic is for our oceans she has stopped using them (in and out of her home). She sometimes uses the washable straws at home, but says they are a hassle to clean. For sources of information, she just has googled and has found expensive biodegradable options, but nothing that is recyclable or comes in pack options for individuals’ homes. She loved the product I came up with because it wouldn’t only be targeting businesses, but also would be available for individuals in stores. If she saw my product in stores she would research it and most likely buy them to keep in her purse to use at restaurants and keep at home for drinks there.

Interview #3: Female, 22-years old
She becomes aware of her need for a plastic straw every time she gets a beverage out and when she drinks her smoothies she makes every morning. She knows she needs to buy more when she is low or realizes she has run out. She always has one-time use thick smoothie straws at home because smoothie is hard to wash out of reusable ones and she hates drinking smoothies without straws. She doesn’t research or seek information for the straws she buys at the grocery store, she just makes sure that they are thick enough to use for her thick smoothies. She says that if the alternative straw I came up with had a smoothie-straw size option she would definitely look into it and try it if it wasn’t too much more expensive than the ones she usually buys.

Conclusion: After interviewing the three people I found in the segment I chose (college students who buy straws for their homes), I learned that once they realize they are low or out they will buy more from the grocery store for the most part. They all said they since straws are not a big-purchase item, they don’t do any research into what they are buying they usually just go off price. Although, if they heard about my product or saw it in the store they would all look it up and most likely go with my option because of its advantages for the environment because it is recyclable.