Question

A consumer has a choice of spending $20,000 on a Honda or $14,000 on a Kia. She was observed buying a Kia during the weekend. Does this mean the consumer prefers the Kia to the Honda?

Answer 1

Answer: Not necessarily

Explanation:

Consumer purchase decisions are dependent on multiple factors such as price, income and preference. It could be that the customer purchased the Kia because the price was less than that of the Honda and so she wanted to save and costs and bought the less expensive choice.

It could also mean that the Kia was all she could afford based on her income so she bought that. It could however also mean that the Kia is her preference as compared to the Honda so she chose that instead.

It is therefore not a foregone conclusion that she bought the Kia simply because she preferred it. More information would be needed to reach that conclusion definitively.