Week 2- 28/10

 During my second week of the challenge, I shifted my attention from hyperfocus on the thing I was depriving myself from- chocolate and sweets, to recognising the need for an alternative product that would substitute my cravings. As someone who often prioritises convenience over complexity in food, I have grown out of the habit of extensively researching the food I am consuming. However, in this case, I recognised the need to conduct a considerable amount of research to reach a viable solution to my temporary problem. As Solomon () says, our decisions are likely to be extended when we are highly involved, therefore, as I felt the  absence of  sugar in my diet more and more, I was more willing to commit more time and effort into problem-solving. 

I recognised this decision-making process as an opportunity to discover and try new, healthier products that contain natural sugars and that could become permanent substitutes for processed sugar in my diet. Due to my interest in fitness and nutrition, I already knew what were the type of products and key characteristics I was looking for in the supermarkets' isles. This prior knowledge reduced the information search considerably. For research purposes, I decided to visit one big, mainstream convenience store (Tesco Extra) and one specialised health food store (Holland & Barret) to identify, compare and choose my alternative products. The table in Annex 1 reveals the top 10 products identified and their pros and cons against one another.

During the evaluation process, I considered three important factors: flavour, ingredients and price. As x notes, an evoked set and a consideration set are usually combined during the product evaluation stage in order to reach the most optimal conclusion. In my case, the evoked set of criteria consisted of recalling products I had heard about from health food bloggers and adverts I had seen on social media. Further, the supermarket itself led me to a specific evoked criteria set- I knew that the majority of the health food items were stored in the middle of the store, next to cereals and wholegrain products. 

Once I had found the best place to look for such products, I went on to categorise the products I wanted to obtain. For starters, I knew I was looking for a healthy chocolate bar and healthy ice cream. I also determined that a reasonable price point for the products in question should be no more than 3 pounds per item. This criteria enabled me to substitute my usual purchase of Cadbury milk chocolate (£1) with the Plamil No Added Sugar Dark Chocolate (£1.15). I also substituted my favourite Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough Ice Cream (£4) for a Halo Top Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream (£5). Therefore, I was able to acquire the goods I was craving for almost the same price. 

At this point of the challenge, my decisions have been characterised by rational decision making, in terms of acknowledging the most appropriate and sustainable ways to make a change to my habits. However, this rational decision making is still limited by certain irrational desires, such as craving for flavour and unwillingness to compromise on satisfaction levels when it comes to switching from an unhealthy to a healthy alternative. Further, I began to acknowledge that, in my pursuit to satisfy my cravings in a healthy way, I am more willing to go over my budget. This is a testament to the fact that desires and fantasies often override rational thinking. It is also an example of how consumer behaviour is also controlled by external factors, such as the high prices of healthified foods, instead of being fully controlled by the consumer.

 Holbrook, M. B. & Hirschmann, E. (1982): ""The Experiential Aspects of Consumption: Consumer Fantasies, Feelings and Fun"". Journal of Consumer Research, 9/2, (Sept), pp. 132 - 140.