A Native Model of Consumer Purchasing Behavior for Small Electrical Home Appliances in Iran

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explain a native model of consumer purchasing behavior for small electrical home appliances in Iran. In terms of nature, the study is exploratory with an interpretive approach; in terms of methodology, it is qualitative; and in terms of purpose, it is applied research. The research method is grounded theory based on the approach of Anselm Strauss and Juliet Corbin (1998). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with experts, including managers, specialists from executive organizations, owners of industries and businesses in the home appliance sector, and marketing professors, who were selected through non-probability purposive sampling. The interviews continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data analysis was conducted through the stages of open, axial, and selective coding using MAXQDA Analytics PRO 20.4.0 software. The credibility of the findings was evaluated based on the model proposed by Yvonna Lincoln and Egon Guba (1985). The results of the analysis led to the development of a theory entitled the “Financial–Environmental Purchasing Behavior Model of the Iranian Consumer in the Small Electrical Home Appliance Market.” The findings indicate that under conditions of economic and political instability in Iran, Iranian consumers simultaneously consider financial, economic, and political conditions—including declining income, reduced purchasing power, currency fluctuations, sanctions, and political tensions—while seeking to maximize purchasing value and maintain product compatibility with Iranian culture, lifestyle, and social recommendations. Therefore, under unstable financial and economic conditions, consumers employ financial management strategies, information search and evaluation strategies, and ultimately product–need fit evaluation in order to preserve alignment between the value paid, Iranian culture, and lifestyle. Brands, in turn, adopt business development, marketing and promotion, and pricing strategies in an effort to enhance perceived value and product compatibility with Iranian consumer culture, thereby reinforcing perceptions of fair value relative to cost, trust in the brand, and alignment with Iranian culture in the minds of consumers. In this regard, the final results of the study demonstrate that the interaction of these bilateral strategies between consumers and brands leads to the formation of a sustainable native competitive advantage and increased consumer loyalty within Iran’s small electrical home appliance industry. Consequently, the sustainability of Iran’s domestic market is grounded in the interaction among three axes: “consumer loyalty,” “perceived economic value,” and “environmental alignment.” Strengthening these three components can contribute to the consolidation of national brands and the development of sustainable competitiveness under stagflationary conditions and within the structure of the Iranian market.