Abhinav International Monthly Refereed Journal of Research In Management & Technology 65 Volume III, January’14 ISSN – 2320-0073 Available online on www.abhinavjournal.com FACTORS INFLUENCING CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO DAIRY PRODUCTS IN PONDICHERRY STATE A. Ananda Kumar 1 and Dr. S. Babu 2 1 Assistant Professor (Senior Grade), School of Management, Christ College of Engineering & Technology, Puducherry, India Email: searchanandu@gmail.com 2 Assistant Professor, Department of Business Administration, M.R. Government Arts College, Mannargudi, Tamilnadu, India Email: babubuse@yahoo.com ABSTRACT Consumer behavior analysis is based on consumer’s buying behavior. It aims at improving business performance through an understanding of the customer’s preferences and desires. In today’s world of growing competition where there are numerous brands selling the same products, consumers have an abundant number of choices and many diverse factors influence their buying behavior. This study is based on Descriptive study and the statistical tools used are Percentage & Weighted Average Method. This study made an attempt to find the factors affecting consumer’s buying behavior, with the focus on dairy products in Pondicherry state. These factors are based on certain variables used in the survey. The variables include packaging, cost, availability, ingredients, product popularity, product quality, product taste, etc., that influence the choice of a brand from among those in the consideration list, but may not be the most important and primary determinants for short listing brands. The study is useful to the marketers as they can create various marketing programs that they believe will be of interest to the consumers. It can also boost their marketing strategy. Keywords: Dairy Products; Consumers; Consumer Buying Behavior INTRODUCTION Consumer is a person who buys or uses things (goods) or services. Marketers are the persons who provide these services. The most challenging questions for marketers are why buyers do what they do (or don’t do). Such knowledge is critical for marketers, since having a strong understanding of buyer’s behavior will shed light on what is important for the consumer and also suggest the important influences on consumer decision-making. Factors affecting consumers’ buying decisions are extremely complex. It is deeply rooted in psychology with dashes of sociology thrown in just to make things more interesting. It explains the influences on the consumer from groups such as family, friends and society in general. Consumers’ buying behavior result from deeply held values and attitudes, their perception of the world, their place in it, from common sense, from impulse or just plain take.