Child socialization practices: Implications for retailers in emerging markets

• Growing potential of child consumers in emerging retail market of India.
• Active-positive role of urban parents in the child׳s consumer socialization process.
• Children as influencer and independent buyer for select high involvement products.
• Positive correlation between child׳s age and strength of his purchase influence.
• Preference for multi-brand formats or hypermarkets over online retail formats.

Considering the unprecedented growth in the active role of children in the modern market place the present paper attempts to understand the potential of kids as consumers in an emerging retail market. The exploratory study uses a quota sample of 136 urban Indian parents to assess their attitude towards parenting and child socialization along with their preferences for retail formats while buying across select children׳s product categories. The empirical evidences of the research established the active and positive role of the urban Indian parents in the child׳s consumer socialization process and acknowledge the growing status of a child as an influencer and independent buyer with respect to select product categories in the market. The study reiterates on the positive correlation between the child׳s age and the strength of his influence on family purchase decisions. The paper significantly contributes with its insights on contemporary consumers to aid retailers with relevant marketing knowledge pertaining to the market of children and their parents in emerging India.

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