Nancy went to a friend's house who had an exceptional espresso and latte maker. She then felt uneasy about the $15-$year old Mr$.$ Coffee she uses for her morning coffee, and wanted to upgrade to a better system. In the consumer decision$-$making process, she is in the $\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_$ stage.

Group of answer choices

post purchase behavior

purchase

evaluation of alternatives

need recognition

information search