AUTHORS

Dr AC (Alet) Erasmus		Prof E (Elizabeth) Boshoff
	Department of Consumer Science University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa 0002 aerasmus@postino.up.ac.za Tel: +27 12 420 2575 Fax:  +27 12 420 2855		Department of Consumer Science University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa 0002 hebos@intekom.co.za Tel: +27 12 420 3775 Fax:  +27 12 420 2855
Prof GG (Deon) Rousseau
	Department of Industrial Psychology University of Port Elizabeth PO Box 1600, Port Elizabeth, South Africa 6000 pyaggr@upe.ac.za Tel:  +27 41 504 2361 Fax:  +27 41 504 2574

KEYWORDS
scripts; script for the acquisition of household appliances; purchasing of household appliances; major household appliances; script theory; household decision-making; consumer facilitation; consumer education 

ABSTRACT
The acquisition of major household appliances - in terms of the importance of the purchase, the consequences and impact of purchase decisions in the short and the long term - is generally described as complex, high-risk decisions that may create a considerable amount of confusion and tension.  It is therefore generally approached with uncertainty and rather cautiously.  Reports on the ways in which the difficulties are addressed, are however, ambiguous and conflicting.  Some reports indicate more extensive information seeking and evaluation while others indicate that consumers revert to more simplistic decision-making strategies. 

Traditional consumer decision models tend to portray the process of proceeding through a major purchase decision as a logical problem solving matter (Cherian & Harris, 1990).  In these models, the decision-making process is depicted as multi staged and complex and the consumer decision-making process generally consists of three major components: input, process and output (Schiffman & Kanuk, 2000:443).  Objections against the use of traditional consumer decision-making models for all purchasing events and conflicting evidence of consumers’ approach to complex decision-making activities, have led to the elicitation and generation of a script for the acquisition of major household appliances (Erasmus et al, 2002c). 

This discussion intends to explain the advantages of a script as a portrayal of a specific purchasing event: in terms of an improved understanding of consumer behaviour and to encourage more focused strategies by professionals in the field of consumer science, retail and industry to address consumers’ needs.  The acquisition of household appliances is first discussed within a traditional consumer-decision-making framework and thereafter within the script framework.  The script’s unique characteristics and content reveal certain problems: despite the complexity of the purchasing task, information search is limited; retail stores are exposed as an ideal platform for consumer education and consumer facilitation but do not meet consumers' expectations.  A concerted effort by retail, industry and professionals in the discipline of consumer science is needed to address problems that are currently experienced in the retail environment.

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