TRAN HA QUYEN Ho Chi Minh City December 2023 ESSAY Essay presented for APPLIED STATISTICS FOR BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS Research topic IMPACT OF SALES PROMOTION ON VIETNAMESE COLLEGE STUDEN
INTRODUCTION
Research context
During the recession, people tend to buy smarter and more economical things Therefore, sales promotions are a popular business tactic that allows customers to shop comfortably as well as help to make better purchases Nowadays, there are more and more people who take advantage of the promotion, especially students - who do not have much financial background Thus facilitating students to experience many products at low prices, as well as helping enterprises to increase revenue, expand production and stimulate the overall economy to develop in a positive direction.
Moreover, in the process of industrialization and modernization of the country, the acceleration of production and trade through sales promotions plays a very crucial role For that reason, raising the number of surveys that evolve to this topic.
Research problem statement
These are some of the research questions that we used for this research paper
Who participated in an annual sale promotion? ( Gender, Levels in University, Expenditure on shopping , Shopping Frequency )
Which products do students buy during the sale promotion?
The change in shopping frequency and expenditure during a sale promotion?
Is there any difference between the changes of shopping frequency and expenditure among students in terms of gender, levels in university, expenditure , shopping frequency?
The frequency of students joining in a sale promotion annually and their satisfaction
What are the pros and cons of sales promotion brought out to students?
Based on these questions we can conclude that sale promotions have had and will continue to impact student shopping behavior Finding the current situation, reviews from the students and solutions to promote high use and application in business, production and life That is the reason why we chose an interesting and practical topic for this project: “How does sales promotions affect Vietnamese college students' shopping behavior?”
Research objectives
Survey the number of college students' responses to sale promotions during a specific time period.
Have a more general view of frequency and habits of Vietnamese college students during sale time.
Know why sales promotions have an essential influence on college students.
Understand the satisfaction of college students with sale promotions nowadays, thereby indicating financial benefits for college students and brands.
This research aims to evaluate the current state of sale promotions, providing insights to effectively raise awareness and drive consumption among college students during sale periods.
Research scope and object
We conducted a study on the effect of sale promotions on student shopping behavior in order to have more general information about this phenomeon
This survey, conducted from December 15th to 17th, garnered 102 responses from a diverse group of university students in Ho Chi Minh City, targeting various social classes.
THEORETICAL BASIS, PREVIOUS RESEARCH
Theoretical basis
2.1.1 The concept of sales promotion
SALES PROMOTION is a marketing strategy that businesses use to open temporary campaigns which influence people to purchase products or services The main purpose of sales promotion is to boost sales when there is a deadline approaching or to raise awareness of new products. (Kelwig, 2023)
There are 10 main types of sales promotion:
Competitions: Competitions and challenges are used to increase engagement of customers as they try to win free products or discounts.
Product bundles: Offer customers a discount when buying multiple products together, encouraging them to purchase more items.
Flash sale: Flash sale is the extreme reduction of price for a short limited amount of time.
Free trials: Offer customers free products or services for a period of time in hopes of getting paying customers when free trials end
Free shipping: Free shipping usually used in online shopping or stores when customers buy a lot of products Shipping fees will not be charged when customers reach certain terms.
Free products: Provide customers with additional items when they buy products or services
Early-bird or first-purchaser specials: Reward customers who make early or first-time purchases with special benefits or discounts.
BOGO: or “buy one, get one free” is a widely used strategy to raise awareness of the products which offer customers additional items.
Coupons and vouchers: Coupons and vouchers are offered for current customers which bring them many benefits such as sale, free products, etc
Upsell specials: Initially attract customers with low-price products or service when they are first-purchaser to encourage them in buying another products at a higher price
2.1.2 The concept of shopping behavior
SHOPPING BEHAVIOR refers to the various actions that consumers engage in when purchasing or using products and services A consumer's shopping behavior strongly depends on several elements namely age, gender, preference, income, etc (Statista, n.d)
Understanding shopping behavior of the customers helps increase efficiency in generating profit and establishing a robust brand identity The goal of sales promotion is also guiding customers' shopping behavior toward the firms' desired outcomes
2.1 3 The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)
THE THEORY OF REASONED ACTION (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980) is used to explain volitional behaviors According to TRA, “the strongest and most contiguous predictor is one’s behavior intention” (Dillard & Pfau, 2002) To put it simply, the theory tries to make clear an individual’s motivation to act.
The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) empowers marketers to understand consumer purchasing intentions, allowing them to tailor their marketing strategies effectively This theory is particularly valuable for sales promotion, providing insights into consumer behavior and their responses to marketing messages (Marsh, 2017).
For instance, the behavior of using coupons was conceptualized to “a rational, systematic, and thoughtful behavior rather than capricious or primarily under the control of unconscious motives” (Shimp & Kavas, 1984) thanks to TRA From that, marketers understood that the behavior of using coupons is influenced with consumer’s intention and not from impulse behavior.
2.1.4 The role of sales promotion
Sales promotions are powerful tools that drive consumer demand and boost revenue for businesses By creating compelling offers, companies can attract new customers and cultivate lasting relationships, while also rewarding existing ones for their loyalty.
Sales promotion is an essential economic driver By using effective sales promotion strategies, businesses can differentiate themselves from competitors and increase brand visibility.
2.1.5 Sales promotion in Vietnamese market
Sales promotion has become a phenomenon in the Vietnamese market for a very long time It is easy to notice sales, coupons, free gifts, and products from luxury stores to local ones Even when buying a Banh mi or Xoi from vendors, they will provide free drinks or small snacks to compete with other vendors Especially when there are holidays, events, celebrations, etc, businesses bring out many kinds of sales promotion
Black Friday, a yearly event held near the end of the year, is a prime opportunity for businesses to boost revenue They achieve this by offering enticing discounts and deals to customers, encouraging them to make purchases The ultimate goals during Black Friday are to attract a large customer base and kickstart the holiday shopping season.
Previous Research
In recent years, most research on shopping behavior has focused on factors affecting online shopping behavior Previous studies on major promotions have focused on consumers' impulsive buying behavior There is only a very limited amount of research on the impact of major promotions during the year on the shopping behavior of Vietnamese students.
Active promotional tools such as buy one get one free, free gifts, and discounts can lead to impulsive purchases by consumers (Trang, T T T (2021).
In studies on factors leading to consumer purchasing decisions, the authors also pay attention to environmental characteristics such as age, gender, income, occupation, etc of consumers ( Anh,
The author's goal in this study is to contribute to enriching research on the effects of large promotions on Vietnamese students, whose income is not stable.
The following are some mainstream studies, studies on the effects of promotions or individual studies on the effects of some promotional tools on impulsive purchases of online platform users posted on the website reputable scientific sources Although it is not published in reputable scientific journals, it is still somewhat of a reference and document for the author to research the topic.
Bài báo "Hành vi mua ngẫu hứng của người tiêu dùng Việt Nam theo độ tuổi, thu nhập và nghề nghiệp: nghiên cứu sản phẩm quần áo may sẵn" (Nguyễn Thị Phương Anh, Vũ Huy Thông, 2020) phân tích hành vi mua sắm bốc đồng của người tiêu dùng Việt Nam dựa trên các yếu tố nhân khẩu học như độ tuổi, thu nhập và nghề nghiệp, với trọng tâm là sản phẩm quần áo may sẵn.
In this study, the author conducted data analysis using ANOVA test with research data collected through a direct interview survey using questionnaires with 728 consumers in 2019 The results show that There are differences in impulsive buying behavior for ready-to-wear clothing products between groups of people with different ages and incomes Based on the results of Anova test analysis between age groups with impulsive buying behavior with p = 0.003 < 0.005. Thus, it proves that there is a statistically significant difference in impulsive buying behavior between age groups Among them, the 22-30 year old group has the highest average score on impulsive buying behavior (3.84), followed by the 30-35 year old group (3.75); The lowest is the 18-22 year old group (3.67) This proves that the level of impulsive buying is different between age groups, whereby the 22-30 age group buys the most impulsively, then the 30-35 year old group, and finally the 18-22 year old group Statistical significance of impulsive buying behavior among groups of people with different incomes (p= 0.0020.05) Among them, the group with income from 15 million VND or more has the highest impulsive purchases (average score 4.02); The second is the income group from 10 to under 15 million VND (3.88); Next is the income group from 5 to less than 10 million VND (3.74); The lowest is the income group under 5 million VND (3.70) This proves that the higher the income, the more impulsive buying behavior increases. Ảnh hưởng của các công cụ khuyến mại đến hành vi mua hàng ngẫu hứng trực tuyến của người tiêu dùng Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh (Trang, 2021)
This study examines the impact of promotional tools like discounts, discount codes, buy one get one free offers, and free gifts on online impulse buying behavior in Ho Chi Minh City A survey of 250 online shoppers in the city revealed that three promotional factors significantly influence impulse buying: buy one get one free (B = 0.309), free gifts (B = 0.249), and discounts (B = 0.234) The "buy one get one free" offer emerged as the most influential factor.
This research investigated the influence of scarcity factors in flash promotions and mobile shopping platforms on cognitive stimulation, ultimately leading to impulsive buying behavior among online consumers The study also examined the moderating role of individual impulsivity in this relationship Findings revealed a significant positive influence of cognitive stimulation on impulsive buying behavior, utilizing a sample of 414 consumers in an urban setting.
Ho Chi Minh City's mobile shopping surge has fueled impulsive buying in flash sale programs Research reveals that cognitive stimulation significantly influences this behavior, explaining 59.5% of customers' impulsive purchases.
Cường, C Đ (2022) Ảnh hưởng của giá trị cảm nhận và khuyến mãi chớp nhoáng lên thái độ và sự gắn kết khách hàng cá nhân tại Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh (Cường, 2022)
This study aims to test the relationship between customer perceived value and the unique characteristics of flash sales on customer attitudes and engagement.
A study of 294 Ho Chi Minh City customers who purchased flash promotions found that price, functional, emotional, and social values positively influence attitudes toward online flash sales This research, based on 349 samples, further revealed a strong and positive correlation between attitudes toward online flash sales and customer engagement.
Tác động của chương trinh khuyên mãi đến hành vi mua sắm ngẫu hứng trên sàn thương mại điện tử của gen z tại thành phô hồ chí minh (Nguyễn Xuân Minh, Phạm Nguyễn Thùy Liên, 2022)
This study aims to determine which promotional programs are highly effective, thereby proposing some recommendations so that e-commerce platforms can focus on implementing effective promotional strategies high to promote impulsive shopping behavior of generation Z consumers Qualitative research collects primary data through online interviews, and quantitative research collects and analyzes data to test factors in the research model Discount promotions have no impact on impulsive shopping behavior The remaining programs include: Free gifts, Discount codes, Free shipping, Flash Sale will stimulate customers' buying behavior even when customers have no prior plans to buy.
Online Shopping Sales Promo and its Perception Among Undergraduate Students in Osogbo, South Western Nigeria (Kamoru Aremu Salaudeen, Mariam Ayankemi Omotosho, 2020)
The study focused on online shopping sales and student preferences at Fountain University and utilized four purposefully selected focus groups The 90-minute in-depth discussion was audio- recorded and transcribed, using corpus analysis and Voyant tools to identify themes, dominant terms, and their frequencies.The results show that students have a clear preference for online products Promotions have been found to have a significant impact on impulse buying and product experimentation Notably, students strategically timed their purchases to coincide with specific sales events such as Easter, Black Friday, and Ramadan The students' different attitudes presented a spectrum: some strategically waited for sales, while others were influenced by promotions to try new products In summary, online promotions have proven effective in engaging students, influencing impulse purchases, and encouraging product testing The observed timing of purchasing strategies and varying responses illustrate the significant impact of promotions on student purchasing behavior and decision-making.
The Influence of Fashion Lifestyle, Sales Promotion and Self Image to Impulse Buying Behaviour and Customer Satisfaction (Mayasari, 2019)
This quantitative study examines the impact of promotions on impulse buying behavior and customer satisfaction among Shopee app users at Narotama University Surabaya Data from 100 respondents were analyzed using Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis using SmartPLS 3 software The results show that promotions have a significant positive impact on impulse buying behavior and a positive but not significant indirect impact on customer satisfaction In summary, promotions play a crucial role in shaping the impulse buying behavior of college students using the Shopee app Online retailers are advised to prioritize effective promotional strategies. Limitations include the study's reliance on data from a single industry and the need for further refinement of the measurement of impulse buying behavior and customer satisfaction, particularly using promotion independent variables Future research should address these limitations to provide a more comprehensive understanding of online retail dynamics.
The Effect of Sales Promotion and Knowledge on Impulsive Buying of Online Platform Consumers (Mutanafisa, 2021)
This cross-sectional study employed online questionnaires to investigate the relationships among sales promotion, knowledge, and impulsive buying behavior in 145 Shopee users in Indonesia. The majority (62.1%) had a university education Unplanned purchases (58.6%) were common in the middle of the month, influenced by many different factors, in which sales promotions accounted for 42.8% The study focused on three sales promotion types: discounts, vouchers, and games The analysis reveals a significant negative relationship between the duration of education and engagement with promotions In contrast, the duration of education exhibits a notable positive correlation with knowledge Additionally, income, allowances, and sales promotions demonstrate a substantial positive association with impulsive buying Notably, the influence test underscores that among these factors, only sales promotions exert a discernible impact on the impulsive buying behavior of online consumers.
Investigating the Factors that Impact Online Shopping and Sales Promotion on Consumer’s Impulse Buying Behavior: A Gender-based Comparative Study in the UAE (Najma Umar Karim, Noor un Nisa, Syed Shahid Imam, 2021)
Research model
Figure 1: Research model of factors influencing college students’ shopping behavior
2.3.1 Connection between Sale Promotion Approaches and shopping behavior.
According to Dr Tran Thi Thu Trang, in reality, even if the customer doesn’t have any intention to buy a product or a service, seeing sale promotions such as discounts, and buying and receiving gifts may affect their saving sentiment or make consumers want to try out new products Another worth-mentioning paper from Nguyen Xuan Minh and Pham Nguyen Thuy Lien, concluded that a sale promotion that is suitable to people’s taste and demand may influence customers to buy their products Therefore, we can clearly see the connection between the sale promotion approaches and shopping behavior.
2.3.2 The connection between customers' characteristics and shopping behavior during sale promotion.
Individual shopping behaviors are influenced by personal characteristics and vary significantly when exposed to sales promotions Research by Najma Umar Karim, Noor un Nisa, and Syed Shahid Imam suggests that women tend to exhibit more impulsive purchasing behavior compared to men.
Consumer behavior varies across demographics, with age, income, and education level influencing purchasing decisions and engagement with promotions, according to Vu Huy Thong and research by Tasneem Al Mutanafisa and Retnaningsih.
Therefore, with different characteristics, people will have their own shopping behaviors,therefore, after our group discussed and read through many research papers, we will divide students with 3 attributes : Gender, Age ( University level in this research) anh income (include part-time jobs and financial support from university or family).
RESEARCH METHODS
Data target
Surveying the student’s gender to determine the primary group is being influenced sale promotions, allowing firms to tailor the suitable approach for each gender, therefore utilize sales promotion methods.
Knowing the school year of university students enables firms to promote the approriate strategies for distinct groups.
Understand the impact of university students’ income on their response in the presence of sale promotion From that, firms can offer suitable promotion to accommodate bugdet constraints.
Analizing the shopping frequency of university students related to the influence of sale promotion on their behavior, aiding in the development of promotions with the approriate frequency.
Identifying which types of sale promotion exerts a greater influence on students’ shopping behavior to help firms implement the right strategies for maximum impact.
Investigating the influence of each types of sale promotion – Discounts, gifts, free shipping, minigames – on students’ shopping behavior, therefore faciliating the most efficience ways to attract consumers.
Data approach
Variables Variable label Scale Sources
Shopping frequency C4 Ordinal, Interval Survey
The impact of discounts C6 Ordinal Survey
The impact of free gifts C7 Ordinal Survey
The impact of free- shipping
The impact of mini- games
Analytical plan
Employing Google Survey Forms to conduct online surveys.
Applying formulas from Statistics for Economics and Business.
Using reference websites and dissertations as secondary sources of information.
Utilizing Excel software to summerize and present survey data.
Confidence and validity
Elements affecting the reliability and validity of collected data:
Participants are not dedicated in answering questions truthfully.
Confusion in comprehensing the survey questions.
The creator of the survey did not ask enough question for proper data.
Lack of diverse participants making the data unequally distributed.
Errors in collecting and processing survey data.
Solutions given to enhance reliability and validity of collected data:
Encourage participants to aproach the survey with seriousness and sincerity
Falicitate straightforward questions to avoid confusions.
Investigate addtional data to support the survey study.
Distribute the survey across multiple digital platforms to maximize partipations outreach.
Verifying information when collect or process data.
RESEARCH ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
Descriptive statistics
Figure 2: The graph showing the percentage of genders of the survey respondents
Among the 102 survey participations who response to sales promotions, 62 were female which is responsible for 61% of the total, while 40 were male which is responsible for 39% of the total.Owing to the location where the survey was conducted (UEH – University of Economy Ho ChiMinh City), which has a large number of female students, the data has a large difference in gender distribution The detail of the data is shown in the table below.
Gender Frequency Relative frequency Percent frequency
Figure 3: Graph showing the education level of the survey respondents
Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior and above
The results of the survey show that freshmen accounted for the highest percentage of participants (82%), followed by juniors (8%), sophomores (6%), and seniors and above (4%) This is a relatively reasonable finding, as most of the teams that completed the final semester Statistics application project were freshmen As a result, students had a high chance of interacting and supporting each other in the survey.
Figure 4: Graph showing the monthly budget of the survey respondents.
Monthly budget Frequency Relative frequency
According to the survey results shown in the chart , the number of students spent less than
5000000 đ a month accounted for the highest percentage in the chart - 64% Following by, the proportion of students whose monthly spending was between 5000000 đ and 10000000 đ contributed the second largest figure to the outcome of the graph Not surprisingly, above
10000000 đ spenders occupied the smallest percentage depicted on the chart This is the illustration of the fact that college students will not be able to gorgerously purchase things because of their difficult financial background
4.1.4 Which sales promotion approach do people prefer?
Figure 5: Graph showing the type of sales promotion that survey respondents prefer
In this survey, we collected a sample of 102 students who are currently studying in many universities In this circular chart, most of the students which consist of 84,3% of the participants prefer to discount the products Next, 9,8% of students prefer free shipping, which is double higher than Gifts which is 4,9% Finally, only 1% of participants chose to play minigames during sale periods This shows that most students opt for discounts during sale promotions events as most of them do not have high income, it is better to decrease the price to attract students Approaches Frequency Relative Frequency Percent Frequency
Figure 6: Graph showing the impact of freeship on survey respondents
Looking at the data, it is clear that free shipping just has normal effects on most surveyors, which are 36,3% on impulsive buying, 34,3% on increasing shopping expenditure and 43,1% on increasing shopping time, while the fewest answer in those charts is strongly disagree, which is around 7% Moving on, in all three charts, the percentage of participants who agree and strongly agree is always larger than the percentage of those who didn’t ( disagree and strongly disagree),the former in those charts is always over 35% and the latter is less than 21% This can be explained as although freeshipping doesn’t directly decrease the price of the product, but it can help decrease the total cost which includes the price of the product and the shipping service,which is useful for some students who are very far from the store
4.1.6 Influence of discounts on students shopping behavior
Figure 7: Graph showing the impacts of Discounts on survey respondents
Impulse buying Increasing shopping expenditure Increasing shopping time 0
Strongly Disagree Disagree Normal Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree Disagree Normal Agree Strongly
Discounts significantly incentivize student shopping engagement, with over 80% of respondents agreeing that they encourage impulse buying and increased shopping frequency While discounts may lead to greater satisfaction with shopping experiences, their impact on overall spending is more nuanced, with some students strategically utilizing discounts within budget constraints.
In conclusion, this initial analysis highlights the positive influence of discount programs on university student shopping habits, particularly in terms of frequency and expenditure However,the impact on spending appears slightly less pronounced.
4.1.7 Influence of attached gifts on students shopping behavior
Figure 8: Graph showing the impacts of Attached gifts on survey respondents
Impulse buying Increase shopping expenditure Increase shopping time 0
Strongly disagree Disagree Normal Agree Strongly agree
Disagree Normal Agree Strongly agree
The majority of respondents displayed normal attitudes towards attached gifts, as evidenced by the equal number (42) choosing increased shopping expenditure and increased shopping time This suggests students are generally indifferent to gifts when making purchases While less than half agreed with statements regarding discounts, the disapproval percentage was not substantial, indicating that while students may ignore the impact of gifts, they don't necessarily disagree with their importance This could be attributed to the infrequent nature of these promotions in both shopping and marketing strategies.
4.1.8 Influence of minigames on students shopping behavior
Figure 9: Graph showing the impacts of Minigames on survey respondents
Minigames effectively promote students' shopping engagement, with 80% of respondents agreeing that they encourage impulsive buying and increased spending While 37% acknowledge that minigames lead to higher time and money expenditure, likely due to satisfaction with promotions like "buy one, get one free," a significant 18% disagree and 11% strongly disagree, possibly due to budget constraints or personal shopping preferences.
In conclusion, this analysis highlights the neutral impact of gifts on university students' shopping behavior, specifically regarding impulsive buying, expenditure and shopping time However, the impact on expenditure and shopping time seems to be more noticeable.
4.1.9 The shopping frequency during sales promotion of students
Shopping frequency during sales promotion Point Frequency Percent Frequency
Figure 10: Graph showing the shopping frequency of survey respondents
Specifically, most of respondents tend to have a low degree of shopping frequency during sale promotion, which is equal to a score of 4 to 5, accounting for only 32.36% of the scale;respondents who only purchase shopping sometimes during sale promotion take up the highest percentage of the scale, measured at 37.25%; and the lowest proportion of respondents (at
30.39%)is students who never and hardly never do shopping purchase at point 1 to 2. Respondents' feedback indicates that students with high shopping frequency, students with average shopping frequency and students with low shopping frequency all account for an approximate proportion This is a negative sign for the development of sales promotion To be more specific, a range of variables plays an important role in how frequently respondents do shopping during sales promotion.
Statistical inference
We separate the number of the surveyors by gender, including Male and Female, based on survey data on their shopping frequency in sales promotions days After analyzing the data, it was observed that Male and Female shopping frequency on a 5 - point scale are not equivalent
We inferred to investigate the difference in the shopping frequency on a 5 - point scale of male and female
Therefore, we have a following table:
Number of male and female participants answers their shopping frequency during sales promotions
Shopping frequency during sale promotion Point Male Female Total
Let x 1 be the average score of Female.
Let x 2 be the average score of Male.
Let s be standard deviation of Female.1
Let s be standard deviation of Male.2
Therefore, we have the following data
4.2.1 Interval estimation about the difference between two population means
Calculate the degree of two freedom for t α/2
Distributed with two independent random samples: df= ( s n 2 2 2
We round down to 73 degrees of freedom for a larger p – value and a more conservative interval estimate.
Use a t – distribution table with degrees of freedom of 73, we found that t0,025= 1,993 x 1−x 2 ± t α
So, the point estimate of the overall mean difference is 0,54, marginal error is 0.4 and estimate the interval with coefficient 95% which is from 0.14 to 0.94
4.2.2 Hypothesis test about the difference between two population means
After researching the variation in the shopping frequency of university students during sales promotions on a 5 – point scale, we exam the contrast between male and female survey participants The difference in shopping frequency between two genders was evaluated using the difference in mean score on a 5 – point scale The population means are as follows:
Let à 1 be the average score on the shopping frequency during sales promotions of Male students.
Let be the avergae score on the shopping frequency during sales promotions of Femaleà 2 students.
Starting with the null hypothesis, there exists difference in the evaluation of shopping frequency scores both genders and genders Females receive higher ratings on a 5 – point scale compared Males If the evidence supports the rejection of the null hypothesis, the hypotheses are established as follows:
Confidence coefficient is 95%, level of significance α = 0.05
Test statistics for the hypothesis: = t
With the degrees of freedom: df= ( 1.0440 2 +0.88 2
We round down the degree of freedom to 73
Because t = 1.030, it can be inferred that p – value > 0.1
Since the p – value is above , the null hypothesis cannot be rejected H : α 0 à 1 - à 2 = 0 Therefore, the average frequency of shopping on the 5 – point scale of Female students surpasses that of Male students.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
This study investigated the impact of promotional strategies on the shopping behavior of university students in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Surveying 102 students, the research sought to determine the effectiveness of various promotional tactics in influencing purchase decisions. The results confirmed a generally positive relationship between promotional strategies and student spending, with certain factors exhibiting stronger influence than others.
Our research revealed a noteworthy trend: female students displayed a higher receptivity to promotional offers compared to male students This finding suggests that gender may be a significant factor in influencing consumer response to marketing strategies.
Among the specific promotional strategies examined, discounts emerged as the most powerful driver of purchase behavior Over 80% of respondents indicated that discounts would increase their likelihood of buying a product Free shipping and attached gifts also held some sway, influencing buying decisions for roughly 10% and 5% of students, respectively Mini-games, on the other hand, demonstrated the least persuasive effect, suggesting limited appeal to this student demographic.
Students were most likely to change their buying behavior due to discounts, while free shipping and gifts had a moderate impact Minigames, on the other hand, had the least influence on purchasing decisions.
After the research, we would love to give businesses some recommendations for their future sales promotion to attract more students
Discounts are the most effective way to influence student shopping behavior To maximize impact, clearly communicate discount percentages or values using simple language Segment your student audience based on demographics or purchase history to offer personalized discounts Boost sales further by combining discounts with other promotions, such as free delivery or small gifts.
Also, firms should apply strategic and innovative approaches to improve the impact of minigames, as Vietnamese students aren’t interested in this sales promotion For instance: make the minigames more interesting and pertinent to the student audience if sellers decide to keep using them Or make sure the game concepts are simple to understand and entertaining, and offer compelling incentives for participation Look into other interactive methods like surveys, quizzes, and social media competitions that can be more well-liked by students.
As this research has proven that female students are more influenced by sale promotions than male students, it is crucial to make use of language and imagery that speaks to the interests and preferences of female pupils Moreover, emphasize goods and services that are pertinent to them.Specifically , partner with female influencers on social media or student leaders to market sellers’ items to their audiences Finally, take into consideration providing special discounts or packages on goods or services that are well-liked by female students.
Ajzen, I (1991) The theory of planned behavior Organizational behavior and human decision processes, 50(2), 179-211.
Al Mutanafisa, T (2021) The Effect of Sales Promotion and Knowledge on Impulsive Buying of Online Platform Consumers Journal of Consumer Sciences, 6(1), 77-91.
Alda, M (2022) Shopping Behavior Retrieved from Statista: https://www.statista.com/markets/423/topic/536/shopping-behavior/#overview
Anh, N T P., & Thông, V H (2020) Hành vi mua ngẫu hứng của người tiêu dùng Việt Nam theo độ tuổi, thu nhập và nghề nghiệp: Nghiên cứu sản phẩm quần áo may sẵn Tạp chí Khoa học Thương mại, 149(150), 76-81.
Cường, C Đ (2022) Ảnh hưởng của giá trị cảm nhận và khuyến mãi chớp nhoáng lên thái độ và sự gắn kết khách hàng cá nhân tại Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh.
Dillard, J P., & Pfau, M (2002) The persuasion handbook: Developments in theory and practice Sage Publications.
Karim, N U., & Imam, S S (2021) Investigating the Factors that Impact Online Shopping and Sales Promotion on Consumer's Impulse Buying Behavior: A Gender-based Comparative Study in the UAE International Journal of Business & Administrative Studies, 7(3).
Kelwig, D (2023, 11 14) Sales promotion: Definition, examples, ideas, and types Retrieved from Zendesk: https://www.zendesk.com/blog/sales-promotion/
Leonard, J (2022, 10 27) How Sales Promotion Integrates and Bolsters the Marketing Mix. Retrieved from Business 2 Community: https://www.business2community.com/marketing/sales- promotion-integrates-bolsters-marketing-mix-01138192
Liu, Q., Zhang, X., Huang, S., Zhang, L., & Zhao, Y (2020) Exploring consumers’ buying behavior in a large online promotion activity: The role of psychological distance and involvement Journal of theoretical and applied electronic commerce research, 15(1), 66-80.Mai, P X (2023) Ảnh hưởng của khuyến mãi chớp nhoáng và đặc điểm nền tảng mua sắm di động đến hành vi mua hàng ngẫu hứng của người tiêu dùng tại Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh.