THE INFLUENCE OF REFERENCE GROUPS ON THE BUYING BEHAVIOUR OF SINGLETONS

Little research has been conducted on the growing Singletons segment in South Africa. Singletons have greater purchasing power and a high disposable income due to their lack of dependents. Organisations tend to overlook this segment. The buying behaviour of Singletons are different compared to those of family households. One of the primaries aims of marketing is to study consumer decision-making and factors that affect buying behaviour. Understanding these factors will allow marketers to adapt their product offering and marketing messages accordingly to reach their target markets more effectively. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of reference groups on the buying behaviour of Singletons. Non-probability, convenience sampling was used, and data was collected by using a self-administrated questionnaire. A sample size 207 respondents was realised. The results of the study indicate that reference groups have a moderately low level of influence on the buying behaviour of Singletons.