Researching the factors affecting the perceptions of consumers for sales promotional tools through regulatory focus theory

Buy one get one free, price reductions, gift products and sample product distributions, which are applied to attract the attention of consumers in traditional markets, are very frequently applied sales promotion tools. Such applications take some costs such as time and personnel requirements. Therefore, it is important to use promotional tools in the most efficient way. Nowadays, the theory of regulatory focus has started to be used in the field of marketing with few studies. Explanation of consumers' perceptions of sales promotion tools applied in market stores with the theory of regulatory focus, and determining consumers' latent classes, considering the dimensions of regulatory focus, hedonic value perception, utilitarian value perception, economic purchase and quality purchase will provide some benefits to market managers. Classification of consumers according to promotion and prevention focus groups by latent class analysis provides the opportunity to predict which types of consumers may head to which promotional tools. In this context, the aim of this study is to determine the effects of the dimensions of regulatory focus, hedonic and utilitarian value perception dimensions on the economic and quality purchasing dimensions that make up the purchasing tendency dimensions. Another aim of the study is to determine whether there are latent classes when the dimensions of promotion focus, prevention focus, utilitarian value perception, hedonic value perception, economic purchase and quality purchase are taken into account. Structural Equation Model analysis results show that prevention focus dimension has a statistically significant effect on utilitarian value dimension, hedonic value dimension and quality purchasing dimension; however, it indicates that it has no effect on the economic purchasing dimension. The orientational focus dimension has a statistically significant effect on the hedonic value dimension and the quality purchasing dimension; however, it has been determined that it has no effect on the utilitarian value dimension and the economic purchasing dimension. As a result of the analysis, it has been determined that the hedonic value dimension has no effect on the economic and quality purchasing dimension. It has been determined that the utilitarian value dimension has a statistically significant effect on the economic and quality purchasing dimension. Based on these results, it is possible to say that the prevention focus dimension affects the quality purchasing and economic purchasing dimensions through the utilitarian value dimension. In addition, as a result of the latent class analysis, it is possible to say that there are latent classes that are sensitive to sales promotion tools in the case of price reductions, buy one get one free and gift product sales promotion tools in cleaning products, price reduction and buy one get one free sales promotion tools in delicatessen products, price reductions, buy one get one free and gift products in basic food products, price reductions, buy one get one free, gift product and sample product sales promotion tools in cosmetic products.