The objective of this work is to study the factors that influence consumer behavior in the municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul. It was selected a convenience sample consisted of 150 people from Santa Maria, 50 people from Cruz Alta and 50 people from São Pedro do Sul, obtaining a total of 250 valid questionnaires. The analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, t-test and ANOVA. From the results it was revealed that the constructs hedonism, satisfaction and utilitarianism showed the highest medias of 4.28, 4.07 and 3.98, respectively. In addition, it was found that women are more hedonistic (average 4.37), impulsive (mean 1.92) and compulsive (mean 2.14) compared to men. People who have not completed college are more satisfied (mean 4.18), people who have an income of less than R$ 900,00 are more utilitarians to make purchases (mean 4.19), people with incomes above R$ 8,001.00 are more likely to pay a higher price to buy products (mean 3.51), and people who have an income of less than R$ 900,00 are more compulsive (mean 2.53).Therefore, this study provided subsidies in the decision making of managers in the business, as it allows to identify what are the characteristics of the consumers regarding purchases. It also demonstrates that consumers, when buying, seeks products that have utility and generates pleasure and well-being when shopping.
