Activation phase
Information is conveyed to consumers at this phase. A total of 42 percent of respondents consider advertising important (4-7 on a seven-point Likert scale), versus only 30 percent for word-of-mouth. For the internet, the figure is 21.5 percent and for stores, 55 percent. ANOVA results show no difference among the regions.
The main reasons for activation are:
. the need for new furniture (in a new decor) – an important reason for 75 percent of respondents (4-7 on the seven-point Likert scale);
. the need to replace furniture;
. the need to add furniture to an existing de ́cor; and
. fondness for an item:
H1a. “The main initiators of the activation phase are a change in lifestyle, a change in consumer tastes, and broken or worn out furniture” is accepted.
The average importance associated with the need for new furniture (in a new decor) and the need to add furniture to an existing decor is greater for women than men (significance levels associated with t-tests for independent samples , 0.05).
According to the Friedman ranking test for communication channels, there is no difference in channel preference during the activation phase:
H1b. “Advertising is the main communication channel for consumers at the activation stage” is rejected.
Search phase
The reasons for using a given communication channel vary at the search phase. Analysis of the correlation between these reasons and the various channels indicates that respondents primarily view stores as an opportunity to see and touch furniture (respective correlations of 0.33 and 0.36), as well as a familiar way to gather information (corr. 1⁄4 0.22). The average importance of each channel cited is greater for women than men (t-tests):
H2a. “The main characteristics of the channel are the opportunity to see the product, channel response time, ease of use, efficiency, consumer habits, and information abundance” is accepted.
During the search phase, respondents prioritize communication channels differently. The Friedman ranking tests give a x 2 of 2,510 with an associated probability of 0.000, meaning these channels are significantly different. Respondents ranked the communication channels as follows:
. stores;
. ads;
. catalogs;
. word-of-mouth;
. internet; and
. telephone inquiries: