Exploring utilitarian and hedonic aspects of consumption at the Bottom of Pyramid

Abstract

The number of researches about the Bottom of Pyramid has increased over the last decades; however, a discussion about its consumer habits is still necessary. Thus, this paper aims to investigate the behavior of consumers in informal markets, inherent to this segment. Specifically, this study explores the meanings attributed by consumers to attend a trade fair, through the lenses of hedonic and utilitarian buying values. Through the triangulation of two research methods, Birds’ Fair and its consumers (Brazil) were analyzed. The results highlight the fact that the Fair is constituted by the syncretism of non-homogenous groups of consumers, who have different reasons to visit it. Along with the central economic-utilitarian concept of low-prices, a hedonic-festive element arises as an essential attribute of the consumer’s behavior. In this sense, individuals make their purchases guided by a need for usefulness, but there is also pleasure in the activity of shopping itself.