Influences on Industrial Buyers’ Choice of Products: Effects of Product Application, Product Type, and Buying Environment

While there have been numerous attempts over a number of years to describe and analyze various aspects of the industrial buying process, comparatively little has been done to determine the effects of general product‐related factors on the choice of products by buyers. This article examines effects on the product evaluation and choice process of several such factors. Using a group of representative products, the effects of product application, general product type, and certain aspects of the buying environment are determined and analyzed. Implications for industrial buyers and for their product preferences are discussed. The author concludes that the product selection process is affected by product application and product type; subsequently, a general reference framework for the relative importance of product attributes is developed.