Demographic Determinants of Product Knowledge and Purchase Attitude Towards Refurbished Electronics: A Mixed Research Approach

Abstract

The refurbished electronics industry is providing sustainable solutions to the rising electronic waste in India by increasing the lifespan of electronics. Despite the numerous benefits associated with these green products, such as discounts, warranties, eco-certification etc., there exists a huge gap between the demand and supply of the products. The current study adopts a mixed method approach to develop insights into the awareness, perception & attitude of people concerning refurbished electronics through semi-structured interviews of 30 participants and analyses the influence of demographic factors such as age, gender, income, occupation etc. on product knowledge and the purchase attitude of the consumers towards refurbished electronics through a survey of 200 respondents. The data was analysed using SPSS and NVivo. The study revealed that gender wise difference is prevalent with respect to product knowledge. However, significant differences were found across different income groups and professions with respect to product knowledge. Qualitative study revealed that affordability and environmental benefits perceived by the customers are the major contributors for buying refurbished goods. The paper can help marketers in formulating and tailoring their business and marketing plans according to the demographic variables. Also, on a theoretical side the researchers
can add to the knowledge of consumer behavior by exploring more comprehensive behavioral models based on mixed approach.