Convenience Goods are the goods for which people do not shop and which they prefer to buy at convenient places and at satisfactory prices. In the case of convenience goods, the gain resulting from shopping around to compare price and quality is not considered worth the extra time, money and effort required. The consumer is willing to accept any of several substitutes and thus he will buy the one which is most accessible. In other words, the convenience goods may be defined as those goods for which the probable gain from making price and quality comparisons is thought to be small relative to the consumers’ appraisal of searching costs in terms of time, money and effort.
4 Types Of Convenience Goods :Convenience goods can be classified into four types:
(1) Staples—Staple convenience goods are those which the consumer knows he wants before he sees them in the store and which he plans to buy as soon as possible and with a minimum of efforts. Such goods are usually bought without much thought because the consumer knows that he must have the goods as soon as their stock is exhausted. Food and drug items are the examples of staples. When the housewife runs short with salt or pepper, she makes written or mental note to buy a new supply when time will permit. Branding plays an important part in the marketing of staples since it helps the consumer reduce his searching costs.
(2) Impulse Goods—Impulse goods are those convenience goods which are bought on the spur of the moment. They are bought without previous planning. They are such types of goods for which the want arises only after the consumer sees the item in the store. He buys it immediately following his impulse. They are bought at the first sight, because they appeal to the consumer at that moment. Since the consumer buys it on the spur of the moment, there is no thought of searching further. A cine-magazine may appeal to a people when he just sees a picture of a fair-looking actress or any vamp girl and, then and then, he plans to purchase a copy of it. Other examples of impulse goods are balloons, toys, candy, fruits, gifts, cut-flowers, drinks, magazines and the like. The impulse 2oods must be displayed in such places where they can been seen by the buyers when in a buying mood.
(3) Emergency Goods—There is no particular category of goods to be designated as emergency goods. Any article can become emergency goods if the need for them arises suddenly. They are purchased when the need is urgent. They are bought regardless of price because the cost of searching is too high. Examples might be umbrellas in rainy weather or storm, condoms, drugs, overshoes, sweaters or motor tires. Take for example, if a motorist finds a tire of his motor punched at Sydney on the way to Perth, he will need a motor tire urgently. The stranded motorist may buy a tire for $120 (say) which normally sells for $100. He buys at this price because the alternative may be a long, tiring search, and even perhaps a towing charge. So, for him the motor tire is an emergency goods.
(4) Delivered Goods—The consumer goods which are usually delivered at the doorstep of the consumers are called delivered goods. Milk, newspapers, ice, kerosene are examples. They are often expensive when delivered at the doorstep but this added cost is deemed worthwhile by many consumers because of the convenience.
