Children's buying behaviour in China A study of their information sources

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to report an empirical study on children's buying behaviour in China, with a special focus on their information sources. Design/methodology/approach - The key literature on consumer socialisation of children is reviewed. Primary data were collected from a sample of 155 children aged ten-13 using questionnaire survey. Various statistical methods such as Pearson correlation and tests were employed to analyse the data. Findings - Chinese children regard television commercials as an important information source for new products. However, they place greater level of trust in interpersonal information sources, especially in their parents who are perceived as the most credible information source with respect to their learning about new food products. Originality/value - The paper has made a contribution to the extant literature on Chinese children as consumer. The findings would be valuable in assisting companies, specially those in the food industry, to have a better understanding of Chinese children's buying behaviour.