Is Consumer Buying Behavior More a Function of a Person's Age or Generation?

IRRESPECTIVE OF THE GENERATION A PERSON BUYS A PRODUCT WHEN IT IS NEEDED.AS YEARS PASS ON  MANY PRODUCTS OF YESTER YEARS HAVE UNDERGONE  A CHANGE IN VARIOUS ASPECTS LIKE PACKAGING,USP ETC.AND STILL ARE ALIVE FULFILLING THE REQUIREMENT OF THE CURRENT GENERATION.

Yes Ms.Meena, You are correct. The age plays the dominant role in buying behaviour. The likes and dislikes vary according to age. Hence age matters a lot than the generation. 

continuous improvement in products/brands do have the effect and also age becomes a vital criteria in choosing the brand as there will be always a comparison of new with past exists.

Thanks for invite Meena,

You are right.

Grey or White hair are normally thicker and tend to stand. And missing out to take notice may cause wrong estimation of age, visually.

Age tends to be a demographic factor which every body of us who at least are concerned with marketing field knows.Age is one of the most important demographic factor which constitutes in the buying and consumption pattern.Generation advancement are a result of age differences so obviously the age factor indirectly comes into consideration.

E.G Levis jeans marketing strategy is mainly for the youth and trendy class for the young generation but it is not focused to the old aged group.The product is marketted keeping in focus of the age group of the young generation.

Similarly many food products which are targeted for the youth age group cant be targeted for the old age group.

It has been the practice of marketers to focus the targeting and position the product according to the person's age because a product which is liked and preferred by one age group can't be preferred by another age group due to advanced technology, product knowledge and advancement in technology which might not be available in the previous generation.

Lastly generation itself takes into consideration of the age factor...so no doubt consumption and buying pattern depends upon person's age groups..

Thanks for the referral Ms Meena,

I believe age matters more than generation

I feel that marketing based on Age-group may be rewardable. For different age group the impulse to buy things remains same. More-over, the earning potential of Individual also, varies based on Age-group.More the money the more marketing is resorted to. But, generation only , effects a buying pattern. For example, in the place of record player may be the disc players, in the place of post cards today may be e-mails etc, may be a cyclist aspire a Nano. But, certainly the intention to buy things grows with age as his Social demands are increasing & varying.

The buying pattern all along depends as per the age and this is a provon thory in marketing not only in InIndia but accross the world.

As of now the things looks a littlebit different in India as compared to past since the young age persons are buying more so it appears there is a change in trend. If the companies go by this they will fail since the buying pattern always depends on age.

In earlier days the head of the family would decide what to buy for whom since he/she was the only earner of the family to that has changed since the younger generation at the age of 20 upwards earn a lot and decide what to buy. Which has given the fast food stores a huge market in India.

It is more the age which matter in buying a product by an individual. Even with passing of 1 or 2 years your requirements changes which reflect on your buying pattern. Generation is a big thing though it also reflects on your buying pattern. But if you are to keep pace with the buying pattern of individuals than it is the age which matters most. There are other factors also. But yes age is the prime one.

Meena has a businees sense and i have no reasons to disagree.