Pint-size powerhouses: a qualitative study of children’s role in family decision-making

Children are becoming consumers at younger ages; a variety of influences and experiences shape their as well as their family’s consumer habits. With the changing economic scenario, power has been shifting toward the new emerging economies. These nations are rapidly developing, where the children population is high, parents are young and have money to spend. This study aims at exploring family’s consumer decision-making process to understand the influencing role of young Indian children in a family setting.

This study analyzes young children and their parents through semi-structured interviews with the families. The phenomenological interviews with six families in the National Capital Region of India capturing 23 informants were conducted.

Children’s influence is omnipresent, in all the product categories as well as buying stages. For products of their direct use like books, clothes and snacks items, they are very much involved and their level of influence is highest from both the parents’ and children’s perception. Role of siblings and joint collaboration with the grandparents are also parts of the findings.

This study attempts to actively listen to young children’s voices. However, it is acknowledged that in some families, the parent’s presence may have affected the results.

There are just few studies that have tapped the family’s consumer decision-making intricacies. There exists an enormous research gap which needs to be filled by more empirical research into the arena of family consumer decision-making. Also, India has a distinct cultural entity as compared to Western nations; to understand how children influences in such traditional setting is insightful.