Understanding consumer purchase patterns

Understanding consumer purchase patterns, help with predictability and positioning the business to cater to demand with the needs and agility required.

Think of it as a metronome, repeating itself. For a business, the timing works like popcorn kernels, they need to sit at a temperature before they start to pop. It has to be well understood.

Irrespective of the size of purchase, form small purchases to large ones, buyers demonstrate a distinct pattern of consumption. Dessert comes after dinner, lunch comes after breakfast, simple time bound patterns shape distinct purchase behaviour both knowingly and unknowingly.

Kids tend to buy stationary and snacks just after school. People tend to socialise on last work day of the week, people stock up groceries before the week starts

Normal clothes are bought without any set pattern but school uniforms show distinct pattern before school opens as some kids would have gained a few inches or have increased foot size. . 

Understanding these patterns of purchase is helpful in design, inventory, staff or even competitive edge of the business. 

People tend to buy Alcohol after returning from work, then it may make it easier to build a liquor store which is on the same side of the traffic as the vehicles travel (Right in US, left in Australia)

In dell it is called Dell-ocity, it is the speed and agility by which it can compete with other players in the market. 

To enhance predictability in your business you can ask some of the following questions or check your data to dig deeper

-Customers served per quarter

- products launched per year

- time take to launch

- downtime

- time to construct