Segmenting Markets by Group Purchasing Behavior: An Application of the AID Technique

Market segmentation requires definition of consumer groups by variables that discriminate purchasing behavior. A multivariate program is described capable of defining homogeneous groups by a large number of variables to maximize discrimination between purchase group means. The program has specific advantages compared to traditional methods of grouping such as cross-classification, regression, and discriminant analysis. It is applied in segmenting markets by product and brand usage based on demographic and attitudinal variables.