How parents can develop kids’ consumer competence

Taking children to supermarkets is not always at the top of the list for parents, but the family grocery store may have a positive impact on the future shopping habits of the children.

Otago of the new university –ōtākou whakaihu waka research, Published In Youth consumerIt was found that parents can help their children become competent consumers by involving supermarket purchases, and can explain their purchasing options and reasons for the values ​​that outline them.

Associate Professor Liah Watkins and Professor Rob Atcon, co-author of the marketing department at Otago Business School, determined to find out what factor can help children spend thoughtful as well as what factor.

Associate Professor Watkins says that a central concern for researchers is how individuals become competent consumers and develop the ability to create an independent and informed option between competitive options regarding economic, social and personal ideas.

“Looking at the increasing commercialization of childhood, understanding how children learn about the atmosphere of consumption in which they live and develop the skills required to interact that is rapidly important.”

He studied the couples of parents and children at the age of 10–12 years, who were tasked for a week’s purchase for their family.

While loading their trolleys, the children ensured that they stock the essential foods as well as salt, pepper, cooking oil and normal household items such as tissues, food wrap and toilet.

He ensured to include specific items that other family members liked, such as a favorite shampoo.

Importantly, they were conscious of creating a healthy option – allocating a large part of their shop for fresh fruits, bread and vegetables – and echoed their parents’ values ​​around frugality and moral consumption.

When considering pricing, children recognized the need to keep within a budget and contemplate price propagation, determining which products were the best value for money.

Associate Professor Watkins says that the study revealed the children being competent, thoughtful and engaged.

“The results show that children are highly aware of the competitive demands of individual and family needs and demonstrate complex decision making that recognize the needs of various family members to cover the needs.”

There is a positive difference of how parents say about buying options for their children, she says.

In the study, many parents’ participants recognized grocery purchases as an opportunity to teach their children to the values ​​and principles that outlined their decision making and inspired their product preferences, including the importance of healthy food behavior and moral consumption.

“Although the children gained quite practical knowledge by planning food, selecting products and looking at their parents ‘behavior to make provisions for example, they originally gained knowledge from the parents’ knowledge of values ​​and justification for their consumption options.”

She says that the influence of parents on children’s consumption behavior is important for long-term approach and development of beliefs.

Professor Atcan says that his research was inspired by a previous study in the 1950s, where researchers attempted to find out if they were free from parents’ control and what consumption options do in the supermarket make the child when free from financial obstruction.

“One belief was that children would decide on the basis of selfishness and personal enjoyment,” they say.

Children of the 1950s made a sensible option, but the researchers put down their experiences living through lack and penance after World War II.

“With our study, we wanted to find out whether the increasing rate of consumption in today’s world would affect the choice of children, but we were pleasant to see the children taking duty -bound decisions.”