Convenience

As a measure of product performance on the Customer Buying Hierarchy, this term refers to the ease with which the customer may acquire the product. Essentially, this is the order cycle time (abbreviation: OCT), the elapsed time between the moment a customer decides he needs a product and the moment he begins to use it. Convenience benefits included advertising to create awareness, differentiation of one product from another, the location where the sale takes place, and any services offered the customer to find, chose and pay for the product.
(See also
Customer Buying Hierarchy

)

Example 1:

Sun's adherence to industry standards of hardware and software delight computer buyers, who fear locking themselves into a proprietary technology.
(Year 1987-SIC 3575)

Explanation: This Convenience benefit of the use of industry standards allows Sun's customer to more easily install the product and have it work with other products.

Example 2:

Customers at Circuit City's CarMax stores browse through the offerings from easy-to-use computer kiosks that print a photo, price, and specifications for any car. The kiosks also print row parking spaces, so shoppers don't get lost in the huge inventory.
(Year 1995-SIC 5900)

Explanation: These Convenience benefits help the consumers find, choose and pay for the product.

Example 3:

Circuit City salespeople have been schooled intensively on the distinctions between each product, and they specialize in only one category of merchandise at a time.
(Year 1989-SIC 5731)

Explanation: Circuit City offers the Convenience benefit of product specialization among its support staff in order to reduce the customer's time to find and choose an appropriate product.

Example 4:

Fizzazz apparel stores began 24-hour service via electronic terminals at its stores. "It smiles all the time, it says good morning, and it has almost perfect knowledge of the inventory."
(Year 1983-SIC 5699)

Explanation: This Convenience benefit increases locations where the customer may purchase the product ,as well as the hours when a purchase might take place.

Example 5:

Wilmar targets its clients with a 75-person direct sales force, a 1,000-plus page catalog and monthly sales fliers.
(Year 1996-SIC 5200)

Explanation: These Convenience benefits offer Wilmar's customers many points of contact with the company, as well as awareness of the company's presence.