AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON CONSUMER'S BUYING BEHAVIOR OF GAS BOILER

SUNG, YOUNG JIN (The Graduate School of Business Administration Yonsei University)

The purpose of this study is to analyze the consumer behavior of gas boiler and to present a guideline of desirable Buying Behavior to the potential consumers as well as to contribute to set up an effective marketing strategy for manufacturers.

Therefore, the theories of Consumer's Buying Behavior have been studies regarding the meaning of consumer's behavior the necessity of the study, theoretical models of consumer's behavior the factors affecting consumer's behavior and consumer's buying decision process.

Also, as an empirical study to analyze consumer's behavior, a questionnaire survey was conducted on 98 consumers.

The collected data were statistically analyzed by frequency. Chi-square, 1-test, F-test and Factor analysis in SPSS/PC+ package.

Significant findings about the consumer's buying behavior from the survey are as for lows :

1.price 2.maintenance cost 3.manufacturers' credit 4.conditions for purchasing 5.After Service 6.operating convenience 7.the degree of noise 8.hot water supply in proper temperature 9.safety 10.effectiveness of air condition 11.easy for installation 12.endurance

Those variables were used as factors of the buying behavior for the factor analysis and four factors were extracted. And those factors were classified as performance factor, stabi1ity factor, substantiality factor and service factor.

After the analysis of the buyers' recognition on the difference between the gas boiler and the oi1 boiler, differences were found out regarding al1 questions. And the significant relations between buying intention and the demographic variables such as age, the form of the family composition, the form of the house, the standard of education and the income.

With regard to age, the buying intention of the gas boiler increased as the age goes up, And this is due to the factors such as the maintenance cost and operating convenience.

The most important reason why the change the oil boiler to gas boiler is the problem of the safety while the reliability on gas boiler with regard to the economy and convenience.

Finally buyers has dissatisfaction on A/S rather than the buying process and the manufacturers must give their endeavor to this fact.

Hopefully, this study will contribute to the selection of the target market and to the effective marketing strategy for the boiler manufacturers