Sumedha Journal of Management

Present study aims at identifying the factors affecting buying decisions of rural consumers and whether importance of these factors varies with age and income of respondents. Study identified the eight factors i.e. price, quality, warranty, advertisement, brand, friends recommendations, family members recommendation and packaging which rural consumers consider while making purchase decisions. It was found that factors effect on rural consumer vary with age and income and found increasing with gender and income. Importance of all factors in buying behavior of rural consumer found increasing trend with increase in their gender and income. The effect of price and quality on buying behavior of rural consumer increases significantly with increase in gender and income. Advertisement and brand of products found significantly very important to high income rural consumers than lower income consumers. Friends and family members’ recommendations had significantly more impact on buying decisions of lower income consumers than high income consumers. Packaging had significantly more impact on buying decision of lower income consumers than high income consumers.