Household Characteristics and Buying Behavior of Two-wheeler Consumers in Chennai City - A Study Dr. Raj A. Jesu Kulandai*, Prof. Kaviarasu S. John** *Head, Department of Outreach, Loyola College, Chennai, India **Coordinator & Assistant Professor, Department of Commerce, Loyola College, Chennai, India Online published on 4 April, 2015. Abstract The motorcycle segment is dominated by 4 major players viz. HERO HONDA, BAJAJ, TVS, ROYAL ENFIELD-The two wheelers market in India is expanding every year. The growth of the two wheeler market easily attracts the growing size of the middleclass and the rise in aspirations of the youth. Though there are leading foreign brands entering the Indian market in collaboration with Indian manufacturers, Indian bike market has attracted the people, particularly the youth for variety, looks and design and these are the main reasons for variety/number of models in the market. In the last 5 to 7 years, the craze and fashion for motorcycle over the scooters has picked up in a very high speed. It is easily noticeable these days that even girls are hankering for a motorbike. The use of two wheelers is not only found in metros but also in small towns and cities. This clearly shows that there is a remarkable segmentation in the Bike market. In two wheeler markets, India has the world second largest market after China. In India every month about 3-lakh motor cycles are sold. Major players in the two wheelers market are Bajaj Auto, Hero Honda, TVS, Suzuki, Escort Yamaha, Kinetic & LML. Most of them like Bajaj Auto, Hero Honda, TVS, LML, Kinetic, Yamaha are adding of their existing range by launching new state of art product to meet competition head on. It is found that buying behavior of two-wheelers in Chennai city is greatly influenced by a number of marketing stimuli offered by the manufacturers. The study reveals that two wheelers are the most preferred by low and middle income class of people which suits their individual and family needs. Among the two wheelers, the vast majority of buyer prefers to buy a motor cycle as it is fuel-efficient, reliable brand and availability of spare parts. The findings of the study clearly brings out the Pre-Purchase Analysis, Factors influencing brand preferences, Brand wise ownership of the sample respondents and Post-Purchase analysis. Top Keywords Two-wheelers, bike market, segmentation, buying behavior, marketing stimuli, manufacturers. Top |