A STUDY ON FACTORS INFLUENCING CUSTOMER SHOP SELECTION AND PURCHASE INTENTION TOWARDS GOLD JEWELRY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO WORKING WOMEN IN MANMUNAI NORTH DIVISIONAL SECRETARY DIVISION, BATTICALOA DISTRICT.

Abstract

In today's insistent world, it is very difficult to define the consumers approach and intentions to the extent of buying process, marketers find it yet more diffrcult and challenging to intemrpt through the integrated marketing efforts' Consumers are higher quality conscious than before. The acquisition behavior of various consumers is varying for various sorts of products and also this behavior opens to change over time due to different factors. Because of the complexity of hurnan nature, it's very grasp to understand consumer's behavior. This study is especially focusing on describing the factors influencing consumer shop selection and purchase intention towards gold jewelry among working women. A rise within the working population especially working women with higher income, resulting augmented living standards even within the rural areas providing enhanced growth projection and demand for the gold jewelry .sector especially in Batticaloa. women shop different needs. There are women who are self-employed' officially employed, work in define working conditions, belong to a given ethnicity of these to be considered by marketers. The above named categories of women buy gold jewelry in line with their belief and taste where by their consumer behavior is distinct from one another. so it is abundantly needed to know their behavior' Henceforth, this study mainly focusing on working women in Manmunai North divisional secretariat' Data was collected with the help of self-administered questionnaire based on 5 point Likerts scale. The total sample size taken for this study was 272.The analysis of the data was made with the help of univariate and Bivariate. correlation analysis technique explored that all variables which were analyze in this study have significant influence on customer shop selection and purchase intention. The influencing factors are perceived quality, customer convenience, sales promotion, and reference group. The results obtained from this study reveals that, among all 4 variables, reference group has more impact on customer shop selection and purchase intention' This research will help jeweler to develop proper marketing strategies and also give idea about consumer perception to new enter to the market