www.iaset.us editor@iaset.us POST- PURCHASE DISSONANCE OF CONSUMERS AND TRADERS’ RESPONSES IN KERALA S. Krishnamoorthy 1 & V. Ajith Prabhu 2 1 Research Scholar, Bharatiyar University, Coimbatore, India 2 Chief Scientist & Head (TDPMD), Kerala State Council for Science, Tech. & Environment, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India ABSTRACT Consumers are exploited in the market and due to several reasons they are ignorant of the exploitation to which they are subjected to. The purpose of the study is to ascertain the reasons of post- purchase dissonance and whether there is any correlation between the demographic variables and post-purchase dissonance. Data were collected from 238 samples from the consumers, who have filed petitions in various forums in Kerala. Similarly, data from 205 manufacturers, traders and service providers were collected. The data collected using questionnaire were analyzed using Mean, Kruskal Wallis Test, Mann-Whitney U Test and Friedman Test. The result shows that there is a relationship between reasons for post purchase dissonance and demographic variables and it varies on the basis of location and gender of the consumers. KEYWORDS: Consumer Awareness, Consumer Behavior, Consumer Protection Act 1986, Customer, Dissonance, Post- Purchase Dissonance Article History Received: 13 Feb 2018 | Revised: 19 Feb 2018 | Accepted: 02 Mar 2018 INTRODUCTION It is a well - known fact that all markets depend upon consumers. The consumer is the person who initiates and consumes the products and services that has been purchased. The ultimate consumer is one who purchases for himself or his household. Consumer behavior controls the decision-making process and the activity of individuals involved in evaluation, acquisition, use and disposal of goods and services (Myneni, 2010). Consumers are exploited and they are ignorant of the exploitation to which they are subjected to. Two most important reasons for such exploitation are: sustainable use of products has given place to “use and throw style”, and majority of the consumers are unaware of the available consumer remedial measures. Consumer behavior is guided by the changes in marketing strategy. There may be confusion among the consumers regarding the purchase made by them and this might be the reason for post- purchase dissonance (Loudan, 2013). Post purchase dissonance is the uncomfortable feeling we described above and it occurs following a high involvement decision. The dissonance occurs because choosing one alternative requires you to commit to its features and International Journal of Business and General Management (IJBGM) ISSN(P): 2319-2267; ISSN(E): 2319-2275 Vol. 7, Issue 2, Feb – Mar 2018; 21-30 © IASET