Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

Market Segment:

For my market segment, I decided to go with a household that has recently decided to get a cat. I tried my best to find people that got a cat within 3 months, but I was only able to find two interviewees that were within three months, the other was within 6 months. The first interviewee is a young female college student living alone who got a cat within the last 3 months. My second interview is a couple in their mid-twenties. They work full time and have had their cat for 5 months now. Lastly, my third interview was with a female in her early 30s that is living alone and working full-time. She got her cat roughly 2 months ago.

Interviews:

      I.         College student in mid-twenties living alone that got her cat 3 months ago.  

a.     What was the first thing you did after you brought your cat home?

                                               i.     We played for a little while, and then I decided to take a trip to the pet store to pick up a few much-needed supplies.

b.     Did you do any research to find a litterbox?

                                               i.     Not at all. I just went to the pet store hoping I would find one that would work for me.

c.     Did you go to more than one pet store when shopping for a litterbox?

                                               i.     No. I just went to one store and purchased everything there.

d.     Do you see yourself shopping for a new litterbox in the future?

                                               i.     I really haven’t thought about it that much, but now that you mention it, I would definitely consider something else. I just don’t think I would go out of my way to find one.

    II.         Couple in their mid-twenties that got their cat 5 months ago.

a.     What was the first thing you did after you brought your cat home?

                                               i.     We set everything up to make sure it got adjusted to our space as quickly as possible. This included a cat tree, litter box, food bowls, and other random things.

b.     Did you do research to find a litter box?

                                               i.     We did some research and asked other friends that have cats. We couldn’t really get good information about one particular litter “solution”, so we relied heavily on online reviews.

c.     Did you go to more than one pet store when shopping for a litterbox?

                                               i.     We actually didn’t go to the physical store. We purchased most of our supplies online (including the litterbox).

d.     Do you see yourself shopping for new litterbox in the future?

                                               i.     Absolutely. We just got something to get us through the first few months.

   III.         Young adults living alone working full-time that go her cat 2 months ago.

a.     What was the first thing you did after you brought your cat home?

                                               i.     I went straight to the pet store to pick up supplies.

b.     Did you do any research to find a litterbox?

                                               i.     Not at all. I don’t really think there are a lot of options out there. Are there more options?

c.     Did you go to more than one pet store when shopping for a litterbox?

                                               i.     No. I didn’t feel the need to shop around.

d.     Do you see yourself shopping for a new litterbox in the future?

                                               i.     Maybe. I don’t really feel the need to now, but I would for a better option that is reasonably priced.

What I learned:

I learned the need for this product is kind of mixed. It seems like most people aren’t necessarily happy about the solution they have, but they also aren’t actively looking or shopping around. I’m not sure if maybe this is because they don’t think there will be an affordable alternative. I believe that’s the reason. This is why I think the right product at the right price could win some market share in this area. I think this segment would be very interested in the product. It seems like marketing it would be very important because people tend not to shop around too much for litterboxes.