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TRANSCRIPT
A preliminary investigation on women’s buying behaviour towards value clothing products during a recessionary period in the UK
Aim: To investigate on women’s buying behaviour towards value clothing products during a recessionary period in the UK.
Objectives:
1. To investigate the preferences and spending patterns of women towards clothing in the UK
2. To evaluate women’s attitude towards value clothing products 3. To identify the major factors influencing women’s buying behavior in a
recessionary period. 4. To draw conclusions on women’s purchasing behavior and also
provide a series of rational recommendations for value clothing retailers in the UK to perform better during a recession.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
1.2 Aim
1.3 Objectives
1.4 Scope of research
1.5 Outline
Chapter 2 – Literature review
Chapter 3 – Research Methodology
Chapter 4 – Results and Findings
Chapter 5 – Discussions
Chapter 6 – Conclusions and Recommendations
CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction
2.1 Clothing market in UK
2.1.1 Market size
2.1.2 Value retailing
2.1.3 Future trends
2.2 Consumer buying behaviour
2.3 Maslow’s Theory
2.3.1 Physiological needs
2.3.2 Safety needs
2.3.3 Belongingness and love needs
2.3.4 Esteem needs
2.3.5 Self-actualization needs
2.4 Consumer decision making process
2.4.1 Problem recognition
2.4.2 Information search
2.4.3 Evaluation of alternatives
2.4.4 Purchase action
2.4.5 Post purchase decision
2.5 Principal influences on consumer behaviour
2.5.1 Demographic factors
2.5.2 Psychological factors
2.5.2.1 Perception
2.5.2.2 Motivation
2.5.2.3 Attitudes
2.5.2.4 Life style
2.5.3 Social factors
2.5.3.1 Reference groups
2.5.3.2 Social class
2.5.3.3 Purchasing patterns
2.6 Marketing mix elements
2.6.1 Product
2.6.2 Price
2.6.3 Place
2.6.4 Promotion
2.7 Elucidation of brands
2.7.1 Brand image
2.7.2 Brand identity
2.7.3 Brand loyalty
2.8 Recession in the UK
2.8.1 Impact of recession on clothing buying behaviour
CHAPTER 3 – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Research Design
3.1.1 Purpose of research
3.1.2 Unit of analysis
3.1.3 Focus and time of research
3.2 Research Process
3.2.1 Quantitative research
3.2.2 Qualitative research
3.2.3 Triangulation method
3.3 Methods of data collection
3.3.1 Secondary Data
3.3.2 Primary Data
3.3.2.1 Questionnaire
3.3.2.1.1 Advantages of Questionnaire
3.3.2.3.2 Disadvantages of Questionnaire
3.3.2.2 Questionnaire content
3.3.2.3 Questionnaire format
3.3.2.4 Breakdown of questionnaire
3.3.2.5 Pilot study
3.3.2.6 Sampling
3.3.2.7 Focus group interviews
3.3.2.8 Focus groups participant composition.
3.4 Method of Data Analysis
3.5 Limitations of research
CHAPTER 4 – RESULTS AND FINDINGS
Questionnaire results
4.1 General purchasing behaviour of women towards clothing
products.
4.1.1 General frequency of purchasing clothes
4.1.2 Places of clothes purchase.
4.1.3 Key elements when shopping for clothes
4.1.4 Characteristics that affect/influence clothing purchases
4.1.5 Buying clothes on sale/discounted.
4.2 Recession in UK and its effect on shopping habits
4.2.1 Awareness of recession in UK.
4.2.2 Has recession affected clothes shopping?
4.2.3 Change of shopping habits due to recession.
4.2.4 Effect of recession on clothes shopping.
4.3 Purchasing behaviour of women towards clothing products
during recession
4.3.1 Frequency of purchasing clothes in the last 3 months.
4.3.2 Comparison of clothing purchases in the last 3 months with that
of the last year.
4.3.3 Buying clothes differently compared to last year.
4.3.4 Reasons for change in shopping habits.
4.4 Personal details
4.4.1 Respondent’s Age
4.4.2 Respondent’s Occupation
Focus group results
Question 1: How often do you purchase your clothes and where do you
normally shop for them? Why?
Question 2: What attracts and influences during your clothing purchase?
Question 3: Do you shop for clothes on sale/discounts? If so, why?
Question 4: As you are aware of the recession in UK, how has it affected
the way you shop for clothes?
Question 5: What is the frequency of your shopping in the last 3 months?
Question 6: What do you think are the reasons for the change in your
shopping behaviour compared to last year?
CHAPTER 5 – DISCUSSIONS
5.0 Introduction
5.1 Value clothing retailing and women in the UK
5.1.1 Decision making process of women
5.1.2 Factors influencing women during clothing purchases
5.1.3 Role of marketing mix elements on value clothing sector
5.1.4 Impact of communication and advertising on women’s purchase
5.1.5 Influence of brand names in clothing purchases
5.2 Impact of recession on women’s clothing buying behaviour
5.3 Purchasing patterns of women during recession
5.4 Summary of key findings
5.5 Discussion of findings
5.6 SWOT analysis of the value clothing market in the UK
CHAPTER 6 – CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
6.0 Conclusion and recommendations
6.1 Recommendations for clothing retailers
6.2 Recommendation for future research
6.3 Overture
REFERENCES
LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF FIGURES
LIST OF CHARTS
APPENDIX - QUESTIONNAIRE
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Clothing retail price Indices in UK for period 2002 to 2007
Table 2: Different functions of attitude
Table 3: Comparison of Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies
Table 4: Focus group participant composition
Table 5: Focus Group Question 1
Table 6: Focus Group Question 2
Table 7: Focus Group Question 3
Table 8: Focus Group Question 4
Table 9: Focus Group Question 5
Table 10: Focus Group Question 6
Table 11: Where women have bought clothing for themselves (2002-2007)
Table 12: Key findings of the research
Table 13: SWOT Analysis
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Product trends in the UK clothing market in 2007
Figure 2: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Figure 3: Decision making process
Figure 4: UK GDP at Current market prices
Figure 5: Triangulation method
Figure 6: Questionnaire development process
LIST OF CHARTS
Chart 1: General frequency of purchasing clothes
Chart 2: Places of clothes purchase
Chart 3: Key elements when shopping for clothes
Chart 4: Characteristics that affect/influence clothing purchases
Chart 5: Buying clothes on sale or discounts
Chart 6: Awareness of recession in UK
Chart 7: Has recession affected clothes shopping?
Chart 8: Change in shopping habits due to recession
Chart 9: Effect of recession on clothes shopping.
Chart 10: Frequency of purchasing clothes in the last 3 months.
Chart 11: Comparison of clothing purchases
Chart 12: Buying clothes differently compared to last year.
Chart 13: Reasons for change in shopping habits.
Chart 14: Respondents Age
Chart 15: Respondent’s Occupation
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background
The clothing industry was of great importance to the British economy in the
nineteenth and early twentieth century and yet remains the same with
growing technology. The market for clothing in UK is comparatively huge
and attractive because of its size and growth. Clothing retailers have
realized the need to concentrate on design, rather than basic production,
which can be done more cheaply overseas. Threatened by cheap imports,
the UK industry has had some success in differentiating its product through
quality and design, and has an enviable reputation at home and overseas.
Competition among the major clothing retailers are expanding through
acquisition whereas the small and emerging retailers, which struggled hard
at the beginning, find their niche to be profitable (Jones 2002).
The clothing retail industry in the UK has been and is undergoing significant
changes resulting from processes of globalization, changes in consumer
demand as well as changing corporate activities in terms of strategic
marketing decisions. It has experienced significant growth which has
focused attention on studies in the field with this sector being considered as
the one of the most competitive markets in Europe. This is primarily as a
result of the concentrated power of larger retailers such as Marks & Spencer
(M&S), John Lewis, Primark and Matalan.
One prime issue as a result of globalization is that there are more and more
retailers sourcing globally aiming to provide competitive prices and quality
products in the market. Retailers like M&S and John Lewis are challenged by
this trend particularly from rival discount and supermarket competitors
(Artis 1992).
Clothing is considered to be one of the three most basic essentials of a
human’s life as it forms the first impression; apt to be permanent. It is
important that they should be favorable as the clothes that are worn form
the opinion of an individual. Be it a man or women, clothing is the only thing
which is remarked in a casual encounter or during the first interview. The
main sectors in the clothing market are outerwear, underwear and hosiery.
Expenditure on clothing competes with durable and non-durable household
goods whereas it is threatened by increased expenditure on leisure, travel
and financial services. The female clothing which served as a basic
necessity of life has, now, transformed as a fashion oriented requisite.
Fashion that used to be the privilege of the upper class in the early
nineteenth century is now enjoyed by almost everyone at every social level.
The sales volume of women’s clothing in the UK accounted for more than
two-thirds (67.3%) of the total clothing sales. The rate of increase in value of
the women’s clothing sector has also been outperforming the men’s and
boys’ category, with a 19.7% increase over the 5-year review period (2002-
2007), compared with only a 13% increase in retail sales value of men’s and
boys’ clothing seen between 2003 and 2007 (Key Note Ltd 2008).
research is aimed at studying the clothing market in UK keeping in mind the
constraints such as women’s buying behaviour and the impact of value
clothing. Another important factor dealt through this research is the
purchasing patterns by women during the recessionary period in the UK.
1.2 Aim
To investigate women’s buying behaviour towards value clothing products
during a recessionary period in the UK.
1.3 Objectives
Based on the aim of the research, the following objectives were framed in
order to interpret and analyze various factors involved in the research.
To investigate the preferences and spending patterns of women
towards clothing in the UK
To evaluate women’s attitude towards value clothing products
To identify the major factors influencing women’s buying behaviour in
a recessionary period.
To draw conclusions on women’s purchasing behaviour and also
provide a series of rational recommendations for value clothing
retailers in the UK to perform better during a recession.
1.4 Scope of research
The behaviour of women is not easy to understand and is actually the core
concept of this research. The focus will be on the buying behaviour of
women with respect to value clothing products. The scope of this research
is based on the significant analyzes of the characteristics influencing buying
behaviour and the impact of value clothing products.
A widespread literature review was looked at covering aspects such as
consumer behaviour, decision making process, influences of clothing
purchases and mainly the impact of recession on clothing. After having
studied the literature of various authors the suitable methodology for this
research was chosen. Triangulation research methodology, comprising of
both quantitative and qualitative methods, is adopted as the most apposite
method of research. 100 women respondents were randomly selected and
quantitative data was obtained. Simultaneously a focus group consisting of
6 women participants were conducted to accomplish the aims and
objectives of the research.
The primary findings of the research were critically discussed by relating the
key aspects to the literature review. Finally, conclusions and
recommendations are drawn by analyzing the primary findings of the
research supported by the secondary findings of the research. Moreover, the
limitations of the research and future research findings are mentioned in
detail at the end of the research.
1.5 Outline
Chapter 1 – Background of the study
This chapter gives a detailed background of the research and sets down
the aim and objectives.
Chapter 2 – Literature review
This chapter lays down the theoretical foundation of the research
focusing on the general consumer behaviour and the factors contributing
to the decision making process and also the factors influencing the
buying behaviour of women throwing light on Maslow’s hierarchy model,
branding and the marketing mix elements. This research also involves a
detailed research on the ongoing recession and its impact on clothing
buying behaviour of women.
Chapter 3 – Research Methodology
This chapter describes the approach that was used to develop and
validate the aims and objectives of this research. The research
methodology adopted for this research includes the research design, the
sampling procedures, data collection methods and the data analysis
procedures.
Chapter 4 – Results and Findings
This chapter contains the results and findings of the primary research.
These findings emanate from the questionnaires and the focus group
interviews which were carried out with among the samples. It also
provides a summary of key findings in a tabulated format.
Chapter 5 – Discussions
This chapter draws together the findings of chapter 2 and 4. The
theoretical implications of the research are discussed in this chapter
comparing the primary findings that is sensitive to enhance the structure
of the research and its purpose. Finally a comprehensive analysis of the
collected data is presented and summarized.
Chapter 6 – Conclusions and Recommendations
This chapter winds up the research by drawing conclusions on women’s
buying behaviour, recommendations for the value clothing retailers and
recommendations for future research.
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction
Prior to developing the research materials and analysis on which the current
report is based, a review of relevant literature on consumer behaviour as
well as the UK clothing market research was conducted. The women’s
buying behaviour towards value clothing products was emphasized taking
into account the ongoing recession in the UK.
2.1 Clothing market in UK
The researcher’s interest to study the evolution of retail clothing in UK until
the rapid development has made this research important in this current
scenario. Singleton (1997) describes the retail market for textile and
clothing products in the UK as a market characterized by fierce competition
and low margins. It is also evident why the growth will probably continue in
the future.
Competition is particularly intensive in the market for standardized
garments, where large international buyers are constantly skimming the
globe for optimal production conditions. Buyers of standardized clothing
compete in their home market predominantly on costs, with fashion and
design being less important (Infoshop 2008).
According to the department of Trade and Industry as in BERR (2008), the
UK textile clothing manufacturing industry employs over 400,000 people
and has an annual turnover of around £20bn. However, in common with
other industrialized countries, the clothing industry has a diminishing
workforce (Singleton 1997). This is due to the increasing threat by cheap
imports from Hong Kong and India, and from newcomers to the export
market such as Morocco, Romania, Turkey and Mauritius.
Table 1: Clothing retail price Indices in UK for period 2002 to 2007
Clothing Retail Price Indices in UK (2002-2007)
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
All items 176.2 181.3 186.7 192.1 198.1 204.7
Women's
outerwea
r
78 74.9 71.8 71.4 69 68.6
Men's
outerwea
r
105.2 103.5 100.2 98.4 97.5 97.3
Children'
s
outerwea
r
96.7 96.8 90.7 90.3 90.8 87.5
Other
clothing151.7 152.1 150.5 149.5 150.9 150.7
Source: Adapted from Mintel 2008
British supply of the retail market place is dominated by a handful of large
manufacturers, but is also characterized by a myriad of small businesses
that often subcontract to home-workers. While the UK textiles industry is
highly concentrated, clothing production is more dispersed. There are,
however, significant concentrations in the West Midlands, and North and
East London in established ethnic minority communities (Infomat 2007).
According to the Telegraph (2008), the rapid expansion of retail outlets in
the UK has dramatically changed the way of shopping among British
consumers. The monetary value for shopping clothes has increased and
continues to grow. Hengst (2001) states that due to the latest developments
in retail marketing communication and information technology, retailers are
rushing to establish positions in an attempt to gain competitive advantage
which has given people a lot more varieties of shopping preferences to
choose at.
2.1.1 Market trends
The productivity of clothing in UK is dramatically affected by the
globalization trends which show cases a steady and persistent decline
(Porter 1990). Simultaneously value retailers and supply chain for
fashionable products remain busy on the high streets causing the UK
clothing market to employ a large number of people who have a direct
interest in the design, product development, supply, marketing and retailing
of apparel in order to gain competitive advantage and consumer satisfaction
(BERR 2008).
Figure 1: Product trends in the UK clothing market in 2007
Source: Adapted from Mintel 2008
The womenswear in the clothing market has a substantial increase over
menswear and childrenswear which has lead to the decline in the menswear
and childrenswear clothing market. This attributes to high levels of
discounting and the trend towards casual, and less expensive, clothing. The
high street retailers follow an important fashion trend by offering designer
clothing products at budget prices. According to Woodward (2007) the
regular shopping experience of women is that of the high street which
meets a need where budget is the prime factor.
Barletta (2006) says that ‘Shoppers in their thirties and forties used to dress
like their parents. Now many of them want to dress like their kids’. Before
the 1940s, clothes were made of wool, silk or cotton. The 1950s saw the
introduction of synthetic fibers that would revolutionize the industry.
Elastane microfibers, such as Lycra and Tactel, combine the qualities of
stretch and control while being comfortable, durable and easy to care.
Manufacturers now produce fabrics with other characteristics, such as anti-
bacterial or moisturizing properties, even cellulite-reducing hosiery (Jones
2002). As a result of these changes in textile technology, prices have
increased and therefore assisting in growing the value of the market.
2.1.2 Value retailing
Something new is sweeping through the high streets, whereas five years
ago, where consumers would never be seen, like, dead in a bargain clothes
shop. Today the high street is flooded with clothes shopping bags and their
proud owners boasting the bargains they have found (Bason 2008). Anyone
would admit to buying clothes from a supermarket would have been
inconceivable until recently.
Power has shifted from the traditional middle market retailers to volume,
price-led retailers and more premium niche brands. Clothing retailers like
ASDA group, Matalan, Peacocks, Primark and Tesco fall under the non-
grocery market enjoying strong levels of growth from 2002 to 2007 (Reuters
2008). Consumers are now moving towards the budget end of the market,
which is targeted by companies such as Primark Stores Ltd, Peacock’s
Stores Ltd and Matalan PLC. Clothing sales soared with a result of fall in
prices and trend towards fast fashion. Moving of new chains into UK and
supermarkets adding clothing to their range of products resulted in the fall
of women’s clothing prices (Kavilanz 2008).
As prices fall, women consumers have responded by buying more clothes
and by changing the way in which they buy them. Where the value retailers
used to change their collections just twice each year, the pressure is now on
to have something new in store every month, in response to rapidly
changing trends. ‘fast fashion’ is the new trend, giving shoppers the latest
styles just six weeks after they first appeared on the catwalk, at prices that
mean they can wear an outfit once or twice and then replace it
(Cleanclothes 2008).
According to Key Note (2008) the expenditure on women's clothing accounts
for the largest proportion of household expenditure on clothing amounting
to £12.17bn in 2007. The £8.8bn value clothing industry has been the
engine of the UK clothing market over the past decade, but growth has
slowed significantly over the past two years and there have been several
casualties among the smaller operators as costs rise and debt levels
become unsustainable (Malcolm 1999). Profitability and like-for-like sales
growth have declined, and even the market leaders are finding times more
challenging. The era of price deflation and high volume sales has come to
an end and consumers are tiring of high consumption (Nytimes 2008).
According to Jones (2002) value retailing forms an important part of growing
retail markets, and clothing is no exception. Discounting is a strong feature
of the value clothing market and seems to be still important. The value
clothing had doubled in terms of sales between 1997 and 2007. It was worth
£6.8bn in 2006 and £7.2bn in 2007 (Mintel 2008). Value retailing market in
the UK broadly comprises of grocery and non-grocery retailers. Discounted
prices need not necessarily mean low prices. Off-Price clothing is said to
account for around 30% of the U.K clothing market. Both established and
new retailers such as Marks and Spencer and Matalan planned to set up
discount stores and enter the clothes shopping markets, although being an
immature part of the UK retail market (Brightonbusiness 2008).
According to a report submitted by Mintel (2008) supermarket giants ASDA
and Tesco have expanded their value clothing offer considerably and are
posing problems for clothing specialists, especially Matalan, which had to
work hard to remain competitive. Several other value retailers, including
Primark, Matalan, TK Maxx and Peacocks, have sought to introduce a
stronger fashion element into their ranges to distance themselves from the
supermarkets. The value clothing retailers are striving hard to gain
confidence and trying to be as fashionable as the high street, especially on
womenswear (Guardian 2008). Slowing consumer spends and pressure on
discretionary income due to rising interest rates provides positive market
conditions for value retailers.
This study aims to examine the nature of discount clothing retailers on the
high street. These retailers can be broadly segmented into three groups:
retailers whose core business is discount retailing on a national basis, those
whose core business is discount retailing on a regional basis and those used
as clearance outlets for mail order or multiple retailers. In the context of this
study, discount clothing retailers will include both outlets solely dedicated to
the sale of clothing and mixed retail businesses which include clothing as
part of their product lines.
2.1.3 FUTURE TRENDS
The UK's high-street clothing chains are being seriously affected by the
supermarkets' invasion into their market. Most at risk are the middle-market
chains that operate between the discount retailers and the high-end
outfitters. An outbreak of consolidation in this sector is likely, with mergers,
takeovers and branch closures all being possibilities (Rachel 2007).
According to the Marketing Week (2008), consumers are growing sick of
seeing cheap clothes in their wardrobe. Instead, they are increasingly
looking for quality, and at lower prices than they can find on the high street.
The Internet is being used for price comparison and that will drive prices
down further still. The clothing market aims to see much more of an
investment in quality clothing and quality merchandise in the near future.
Further consolidation among UK clothing manufacturers is expected to be
an ongoing feature of the market up to 2011 with the increase in
importance and dominance of the people in UK. Up-and-coming privately
owned companies could be acquired by larger groups, while some loss-
making subsidiaries of larger parents could be sold off or closed down (Artis
1992). The outsourcing of production requirements to low-cost producers is
also expected to be an ongoing characteristic of the market for some time
yet. The People's Republic of China is already a major supplier to the UK
market and, over the next 5 years, clothing imports from the region are
expected to increase further, contributing to the import activities (Roger and
Paul 2004).
2.2 Consumer behaviour
‘Consumers’ refer to the ‘end users’. Solomon et al. (2006) defines
consumer behaviour as the process involved when individuals or groups
select, use and purchase or dispose a product, service, ideas or experiences
to satisfy their needs and desires. When someone wants to satisfy a primary
necessity, they have a wide variety of products to chose which makes them
more demanding when they go about buying the product. Hansen (2005)
states consumer behaviour as an activity that includes mental and
emotional activities in addition to physical activities and the study of how
people buy, what they buy, when they buy and why they buy.
Kotler and Armstrong (2002) suggest that consumers respond in particular
ways to different stimuli after they have processed those stimuli in their
minds. For example, consumers are sometimes persuaded more by logical
arguments, or more by emotional or symbolic appeals. It is a field of study
where in the seller’s market has disappeared and the buyer’s market has
come up. Understanding these issues helps the companies to adapt their
strategies by taking the consumer into consideration (Ofcomconsumerpanel
2008a). This study of consumer buying behaviour helps to understand the
reasons for making purchases, factors influencing consumer behaviour and
the changing factors in the society.
Consumer behaviour towards spending is changing as they begin to control
what they want. Women are the primary shopper and account to 80% at the
time of decision making (Mintel 2008). Many companies target at women
and are looking at what women really want. The target woman is
overworked, overstressed, time-crunched, multitasking, in a hurry and
looking for a solution in every purchase action. Bartos (1989) puts forward
that the behaviour of women is constantly changing and the retailers need
to study their target audience frequently because it is common that the
profile of their consumers change with the passage of the time. In support
Berman and Evans (2001) propose that consumer behaviour involves
interactions where certain aspects are necessarily to be studied such as
what the consumer think, what the consumer want or what environmental
events can influence in their behaviour. He also adds that it involves
exchanges between human beings which are to be studied in detail by the
retailers to gain competitive advantage.
The study of consumer behaviours becomes very important to help
understand the above factors and the ever changing needs and
requirements of consumers which influence their behaviour towards
purchasing clothes in the UK.
2.3 Maslow’s Theory
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is predetermined in order of importance and is
often depicted as a pyramid where human needs form a hierarchy; from
basic physiological demands to the need for self-actualization. The higher
needs in this hierarchy only come into focus when the lower needs in the
pyramid are met. Lower levels needs of an individual must be reasonably
satisfied before attending higher level needs.
Figure 2: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Source: Derived from Kotler et al. (2005)
2.3.1 Physiological needs
Physiological needs include the most basic needs that are required to
survive. It motivates the individual to improve their feelings to establish
ability of satisfaction. Of all the basic needs, clothing is one the most basic
needs without which an individual cannot survive. Clothes take account of
the activities of the human body and not interfere with body movements.
Clothes must be simple to put on and off and adaptable to a variety of
activities
2.3.2 Safety needs
Clothing has become an obligatory part of the society and for individuals.
Technological developments in the field of clothing products and
merchandising attract individuals and persuade them to purchase. Clothing
which emerged as a protective item in the early stages is now moving
towards fashion and design.
2.3.3 Belongingness and love needs
Humans have a desire to belong to groups: clubs, work groups, religious
groups, family, gangs, etc. thus relating to the social needs that recognize
them. Clothing products is made use of in all aspects of life and the usage is
said to be influenced by groups. For instance, purchasing behaviour of
clothing products are influenced by clothing retailers and the range of
products that they sell (Cox and Brittain 2000). People spend time in
purchasing for their clothes as individuals and also in groups.
2.3.4 Esteem needs
When the first three classes of needs are satisfied, the needs for esteem can
become dominant. Esteem needs are of two types; result from competence
of a task and recognition of a task. Some individuals are satisfied with their
purchases and some are satisfied when it is being recognized by others.
Factors like quality, fashion and store patronage helps to fulfill one’s esteem
needs. For example, people purchasing in M&S are very much satisfied with
the quality of clothing products that they buy but aren’t satisfied with the
quality offered by Primark (Birtwistle and Tsim 2005). When needs are
satisfied, people feel self-confident and valuable. When needs are
frustrated, they feel inferior, weak, helpless and worthless.
2.3.5 Self-actualization needs
When all of the foregoing needs are satisfied, the needs for self-
actualization are activated. Maslow's basic position is that when an
individual becomes more self-actualized they tend to become wiser. Unlike
lower level needs, this need is never fully satisfied. New opportunities
continue to grow simultaneously to psychological growth. Warren and Mark
(1997) suggest that Maslow's ultimate conclusion that the highest levels of
self-actualization are magnificent in their nature as one of his most
important contributions to the study of consumer behaviour.
2.4 Consumer decision making process
Buyer decision processes are the decision making processes undertaken by
consumers in regard to a potential market transaction before, during, and
after the purchase of a product or service (Chris 1993). Decision making is
the cognitive process of selecting a course of action from among multiple
alternatives. Common examples include shopping, deciding what to eat.
Decision making is said to be a psychological construct. In the past,
investigations on consumer decision-making issues were mainly focused on
the decision-making process. However, (Roberts 1998) argues that
consumers may sometimes typically rely on simple strategies, rather than
going through a series of steps or processes rationally when they made
purchase decisions. There are 5 stages involved in the consumer decision
making process of which actual purchasing is only one stage of the process.
All consumer decisions do not always include all 5 stages, as it is also
determined by the degree of complexity.
Figure 3: Decision making process
Source: Adapted from Orren et al. (2005)
2.4.1 Problem recognition
The decision making process starts with the recognition of the problem. The
consumer decides on what product to buy and what not to. Angel et al.
(1990) state that problem recognition as a process of differentiation
between the desired state and the actual condition. A consumer perceives a
product to be ideal but the actual state of the product may differ. They lack
knowledge regarding the identification of purchase options, decision of
products to satisfy their need and expectations towards product’s
presentation and description which leads to returning of the goods
purchased (Peter et al. 1999).
The question that is raised is how does a consumer decide on what product
or service to buy? Women customers have different needs and retail
employees can be at their most effective when they meet the requirements
of individual customers. Change in desired state can occur due to reference
groups and originality seeking behaviour of the consumers. Change in actual
state of affairs can occur due to stock out situations, arousal of needs, and
post purchase evaluation. This differentiation at the time of purchasing a
product is termed as problem recognition (Cox and Brittain 2000).
2.4.2 Information search
Information search is made by the consumer for the solution of problem
recognised in the previous step. A successful search fetches possible
alternatives to the consumer. Information search is of two types, internal
and external. Internal search is what the mind thinks. The consumer recalls
the known brands at the time of purchase. External search happens when
the consumer needs more information which involves solution from various
sources: friends, family, advertising, salespeople etc (Chris 1993). Consumer
behaviour is rapidly changing as buyers are researching their purchases
before spending their money. Women in particular seek information before
purchase and then decide on where to buy and are based on the awareness
of the product or service that is offered by a particular store.
2.4.3 Evaluation of alternatives
How consumers compare the products found during the information search?
The next step in the consumer buying process is the evaluation and
selection of alternatives based on the gathered information. Consumers do
not consider all brands available in the market for evaluation. They establish
criteria based on the price, appearance and service to shortlist a set of
choices on which evaluation is done. This is known as the evoked set which
is defined as the set of brands that a consumer bears in mind while making
a purchase decision (Peter et al. 1999). Clothing choice criteria are defined
as the intrinsic (inherent to the product) and extrinsic (product-related, but
not part of the physical product) product attributes that associated with
desired benefits or incurred costs as consumers make buying decision
among clothing alternatives. Intrinsic product attributes are those that
cannot be changed without altering the physical characteristics of the
product, while extrinsic ones are those that are exerted by manufacturers or
retailers and do not form the component parts of the product. Different
criteria may have varied importance in every consumer’s mind. While
consumers would assign high importance on the criteria that can really
reflect their underlying characteristics and experiences (Forney et al. 1999).
2.4.4 Purchase decision
How and where consumers make the purchase? After evaluation of
alternatives consumer go for the next step of selection of outlets and
purchasing of products. It is in this step where the consumer decides about
issues like where to buy, when to buy and how much quantity to buy. The
consumer also makes a final decision regarding the brand of purchase by
seeking customer service which includes negotiation and payment for the
product purchased.
The critical characteristics of women apparel can always determine its
ultimate purchase acceptance or rejection by consumers. The criteria that
consumers use in clothing purchase decisions have long been regarded as
an important issue for investigation in many previous consumer behavioural
studies. Eckman et al. (1990) have identified many product attributes and
criteria that are critical for fashion consumers in clothing purchase, and
basically all these can be summarized under intrinsic and extrinsic
categories.
2.4.5 Purchase evaluation
The final step in the consumer buying process is the post purchase decision.
Williams (2002) implies that the post purchase decision arises from the
concept of cognitive dissonance, an uncomfortable feeling or stress caused
by holding two contradictory ideas simultaneously. The consumer feels that
an alternate would be preferable for the purchased product which leads to
switching of brands. This can be reduced by warranties, after sale
communication etc.The outcome of the post-purchase evaluation stage is a
level of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction, which is determined by the
customer's overall feelings about the effectiveness of the treatment and the
experience. The number on effect on customer satisfaction is the retailer’s
expectations.
Most consumers’ dissatisfaction is a consequence of not encouraging
accurate customer expectations at the product evaluation stage. In order to
avoid this, we have to make sure that the entire system, from the customer
entering the store for a purchase to the final sale, sets up the right
expectations (Orren et al. 2005). Once the retailer feels confident about
customers' needs and concerns, the next challenge is to decide how to
present the information to the customers in a way that supports the
decision-making process. This is as much science as art. It is common for
retailers to inflate their abilities in this regard. It's been my experience that
every retail store can benefit from constructive criticism and training in
promoting the right message.
An understanding of the shoppers behaviour adds more clarity to the whole
decision making process which is discussed in the preceding part of the
review.
2.5 Principal influences on consumer behaviour
2.5.1 Demographic factors
Needs and wants of the consumers differ with respect to their age groups,
occupation and income. People belonging to different age groups tend to
share a set of values and cultural experiences. Women are keen enough to
gather information on aspects of life. For example, women in the working
community keep themselves updated whereas the retired women are likely
to keep themselves informed (Ofcomconsumerpanel 2008a).
According to (Huddleston et al. 1993) women consumers ageing between 16
and 30 involve in most of the clothes shopping which instead has lead the
clothing retailers to concentrate on age related products. Accordingly
Amanda and Brigitte (2003) report states that women consumers ageing
above forty are disengaged in most of the purchase activities in the UK.
According to Evans (1989) it is the occupation and income which has a
major influence of their buying behaviour, in comparison to the age group of
women.
Huddleston et al. (1993) also found that women shoppers were older and
earned higher income than male shoppers. Moreover, education,
convenience orientation, experience orientation, channel knowledge,
perceived distribution utility, and perceived accessibility were assumed to
be strong predictors of clothes buying status; frequent buyer, occasional or
non-buyer.
2.5.2 Psychological factors
2.5.2.1 Perception
Perception is the process of selecting, organizing and interpreting
information inputs to produce meaning whereby, an individual selects data
or information from the environment organizes it and then draws
significance. Perception is basically a cognitive or thinking process and
individual activities; emotions, feelings etc. are based on his or her
perceptions of their surroundings or environment. Perception being an
intellectual and cognitive process will be subjective in nature (Thang and
Tan 2003).
Positive perception towards a particular brand or product helps the company
to retain their customers, and especially in case of clothing retail stores the
perception plays vital role in their development and it is made essential for
the company to gain positive perception for their sustainability (Solomon
1996). Positive perceptions for clothing products can be gained through
proper packaging, ambience, customer service, product availability, price
and quality of the product.
2.5.2.2 Motivation
Motivation is based on needs and goals. The degree of relevance, or
involvement, with the goal, is critical to how motivated the consumer is to
search for information about a product. Uncovering consumer motives are
one of the prime tasks of marketers, who try to teach consumer segments
why their product will best fulfill their needs (Baker 1995).
Solomon (1996) explains motivation as a process that starts with some kind
of motive or need, the drive or action to satisfy that need, and the
fulfillment of the need. Understanding motivation is crucial to marketing.
There are many complex motives behind every purchasing decision. It is
understood from the words of Baker (1995) that the underlying motives of
consumers are different from the stated motive and have multiple motives:
manifest and latent. Manifest is when the product is known to the person
and freely admitted. Latent is when the product is not known to the person
and that they are very reluctant to admit.
2.5.2.3 Attitudes
Attitudes are defined as a mental predisposition to act that is expressed by
evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavor (Roger
1984). Attitude describes a person’s relatively consistent evaluations,
feelings, and tendencies towards a product or service and if fitted into a
pattern, changing may require making many difficult adjustments. The role
of attitude in marketing can be explained in terms of its importance in
prediction, diagnostic value and also as relatively inexpensive information
that is easily obtained. The different functions of attitude which is tabulated
below:
Table 2: Different functions of attitude
Types Functions
Utilitarian
function
Desire to achieve practical benefit
Related to basic principles of reward and punishment
Value derived from the success of finding the needed
product
Value-expressive
function
Expresses central value or self-concept
Forms attitude not because of benefits instead of what the
product depicts.
Relevant to lifestyle which cultivates interest
Ego-defensive
function
Attitudes are formed to protect from threats
Helps to maintains self-esteem
Forces individuals to cope up with anxieties generated by
internal conflicts
Knowledge
function
Attitudes are formed as a result of a need for order,
structure and meaning
It supplies a standard frame of reference to simplify the
perception of a complex environment.
Source: Derived from Solomon et al. (2006)
An attitude can form in several different ways, depending on the particular
hierarchy of effects in operation. It can occur because of classical
conditioning, in which an attitude object, such as the name, or it can be
formed through instrumental conditioning, in which consumption of the
attitude object is reinforced. Women in the UK evaluate the knowledge
based on their likes and dislikes of towards a clothing product before
making a purchase action. Women consumers generally purchase new
products that are associated with a favorably viewed brand name. The
attitude dominates women in selecting or for buying a clothing product due
to the availability of many domestic brands and also the entry of
international brands in the UK clothing market. Attitudes of the consumers
can mostly transform when they receive new information from others or
media.
Their favorable attitude toward the products is frequently the result of
repeated satisfaction with other products produced by the same company.
Women make trial purchases of new product categories in which they have
little personal involvement. If they find the purchased product to be
satisfactory, then they are likely to develop a favorable attitude toward it.
Life is too complicated to predict what attitudes will persist and which will
change but early socialization experiences do shape attitudes of women.
2.5.2.4 Life style
Marketers also measure lifestyles, which are patterns of behaviour which
includes purchasing activities, interests, and opinions of buyers. These
lifestyles can provide some additional insight into consumers’ consumption
patterns. Some marketing researchers use Psychographic techniques that
involve all of these factors to predict consumer behaviour (Evans (1989).
In terms of lifestyle, the values traditionally associated with women
consumers dominate: open-mindedness, desire to travel, throwing parties,
and the importance given to friends. Not surprisingly, fashion-related items
highlight significant differences from the rest of the clothing retailers in the
UK. In a nutshell, being hip and fashionable is above all a way for opinion
clothing retailers to feel different; much more than choosing a dress code to
show that one belongs to a given social group (Gutman and Mills 1992)
2.5.3 Social factors
2.5.3.1 Reference groups
A reference group is defined as an ‘actual or imaginary individual or group
conceived of having significant relevance upon an individual’s evaluations,
aspirations, or beliefs’ (Solomon 1996). It consists of all the groups that
have direct or indirect influence on an individual’s attitude or behaviour that
can be symbolic or actual.
Childers & Rao (1992) examined reference groups as an influence to
clothing choices and buying behaviour. Women are constantly faced with
influences from reference groups. Reference groups expose women to new
behaviour and lifestyles. Influence in attitudes and self-concept creates
pressure for women and this conformity may affect actual product and
brand choices
2.5.3.2 Social class
Social class can be defined as ‘the division of members of a society into a
hierarchy of distinct status classes, so that members of each class have
relatively the same status and the members of all other classes have either
more or less status’ (Terrell 2002). Empirical evidence shows that a
significant relationship exists between social participation and clothing
behaviour pattern, especially for women. Women who are in a lower social
economic status than their counterparts could be an irrelevant factor.
The main characteristics of Social class are:
Women within the same social class tend to behave more alike
Social class is hierarchical
Social class is not measured by a single variable but is measured as a
weighted function of one’s occupation, income, wealth, education,
status, prestige, etc.
Social class is continuous rather than concrete, with individuals able
to move into a higher social class or drop into a lower class.
Social environment is represented by social influences such as reference
group, culture, and social class. The social environment can be seen as the
encounter in which clothing is considered as having meaning and values.
Environmental influences, subcultures, and individual differences interact in
determining consumer’s decision processes (Angel et al. 1990). The
situational exogenous factors and clothing orientation factors had the most
effect on the women’s selection of daily clothing.
2.5.3.3 Purchasing patterns
Buying behaviour patterns explain how and where a consumer shops. These
patterns can be divided into the type of stores where a consumer elects to
shop (i.e. store patronage) and the time and frequency that a consumer
uses when shopping.
Store patronage is the consumer’s selection for a shopping outlet.
Patronage patterns are theorized based on consumer characteristics
including social factors (Terrell 2002). Patronage behaviour is influenced by
a variety of characteristics at each stage in the decision process. Numerous
studies have been conducted to explain patronage behaviour patterns for a
variety of consumer types and specifically that clothing store patronage is
related to fashion involvement for women consumers. Women consumers,
who use clothing to enhance self-esteem, tend to shop more in speciality
and better department stores. Similarly, buying behaviour is influenced by
benefits sought and the social environment of the consumers (Dunne et al.
1995).
The time and frequency of shopping can be divided into four categories or
time/frequency combinations of shopping: beginning of the season,
clearance, as needed, and impulsive (Gutman and Mills 1992). The
relationship between time and frequency for clothing buying and fashion
involvement was found to be significant and also positively related where
the majority of women carefully watched their clothing expenditures and
frequently purchased clothing that are on sale or discounted.
2.6 Marketing mix elements
Marketing is more than sales which includes a set of activities to get the
attention of potential customers and motivate them to buy again and again.
Marketing theory is made up of 4 P’s which helps defining the price,
product, promotion and the place to maintain relationship with the
customers.
2.6.1 Product
Product is the thing or service that is offered to the customers. The product
should evaluate a number of things including the packaging, quality,
features, warranties and also the brand name (Kotler et al. 2005). Retailers
should understand the importance of the product from the customer’s point
of view to maintain their brand image. In the maturing UK clothing market
with stiff competition, retailers try to outperform from one another by
offering great deals, cheaper products and also by delivering excellent sales
and after-sales service. A wide range of products are now available for
women consumers at affordable prices in turn guiding them to choose the
best available products based on their needs and requirements.
The UK clothing market is said to be advanced in terms of technology by
providing a variety of design and materials, making it popular among
consumers based on seasonality. Be it women students, women employees
or retired women, everyone has their own choice of clothing products to
choose at. Growing at a good pace, the UK clothing market for women is
said to scale heights in the near future.
2.6.2 Price
Previous research suggests that women consumers prefer imported and
fashionable clothing products and they do not blindly buy them. Rather,
they look for quality at a good price (Baker 1995). It is also evident that the
UK clothing domestic market is dominated by the increase in imports from
other countries. With moderate or even matching quality and far lower
prices, imported products are becoming strong competitors for local
products in the UK (Smith and Rupp 2003). Women consumers are cost-
conscious and easily persuaded by price changes due to which the clothing
retailers find difficult to market their products, despite spending high costs
on advertising and promotion.
2.6.3 Place
Place refers to the distribution channels used to get your product to your
customers. The place of purchase is another important aspect of the
marketing mix elements. The importance of place cannot be avoided during
a clothing purchase action (Watson and Spence 2007). Awareness and
availability of clothing products is a must for the consumers in the UK so as
to make them reach the product. The clothing retailers are struggling to
make their product reach the end users in various means, of which the place
plays a vital role (Keynote 2008). Availability of clothes from different means
has increased compared to the previous years with the increase in number
of clothing retailers and also the usage of internet shopping.
2.6.4 Promotion
Promotion is termed as a form of communication of certain message using
various strategic methods in order to reach the target audience and also to
achieve the organizational objectives. Clothing brands benefit from main
media advertising by their manufacturers and also from retailers’
promotions. Branding is particularly important in clothing where extensive
advertising is seen in the daily press, lifestyle and fashion magazines, on
television and on outside posters (Sternquist 1998). Much use is also made
of personalities such as models, actresses and sports stars. For example,
Debenhams Retail PLC concentrated its advertising expenditure on lingerie,
spending £91,000 on the promotion of Gossard’s Ultrabra alone (Telegraph
2008).
It is not particularly appropriate to consider the advertising expenditure of
department stores, since these stores are promoting so many diverse
product ranges. Nevertheless, it should be noted that any advertising that
encourages consumers through the doors of a particular department store
stands to benefit the clothing sector — where there is a high element of
impulse buying (Guardian 2008).
2.7 Elucidation of brands
Branding is the process of establishing an identity for a product with an
intention to differentiating from that of a competitor’s product. Branding
becomes essential in creating an identity where customers select among
many competitive products Cheryl and Hilary (2002). Clothing market is not
an exception to branding. With the increase in the number of clothing retail
outlets and supermarkets, UK is witnessing a huge variety of brands. Thus it
is necessary to understand how brand image, identity and loyalty influences
clothing shopping behaviour in the current clothing market, which is very
competitive.
2.7.1 Brand image
Consumers are influenced by non-functional attributes during clothing
purchases and it is found that the brand of a product plays a dominant role
in the consumer decision-making process. Consumers are aware of their
own self-concept, and thus they use brand image as a criterion in evaluating
products (Sternquist 1998). Brand building drastically reduces marketing
investments and always account for more stable business. Accordingly
Rooney (1995) states that strong brand needs lower and lower levels of
incremental investment to sustain itself over time. A new and unknown
player will have to spend two to four times more than the market leader to
achieve the same share of mind.
2.7.2 Brand identity
Clothing, as a form of nonverbal communication, reflects the wearer’s
identity. According to Cheryl and Hilary (2002), the analysis of fashion, dress
and clothing tends to crop up in a number of academic contexts such as
social and economics historians who used it as a barometer of social change
and patterns of consumption. Cultural theorists have interpreted it as a site
of complex discursive practices; art historians have analyzed dress as a part
of the ‘visual’ culture of a specific period; and design historians have viewed
it as intrinsic to the processes of cultural production and consumption.
2.7.3 Brand loyalty
Mitchell (1997) described good relationship marketing as the act of
gathering customers very tightly around a brand, and building customer
loyalty by focusing on the desires of customers. Consumers those are highly
involved with both the product category and with particular brand are
termed as brand loyalty. Women consumers in the UK tend to use brands to
express how they are similar to members of their in-group because they
value interdependence and conformity (Solomon 1996). Overall, women
consumers use a brand name as a symbol to show their solidarity with one
another and prefer well-known foreign brands to local brands.
2.8 Recession in the UK
Recession is a slowdown in an economic activity characterized by less
consumer spending where people are struck in terms of money. The
attributes that occur simultaneously include high rates of unemployment,
high interest rates and less corporate profits. Recession may result in falling
prices (deflation) or a sharp rise in prices (inflation) or a combination of
rising prices and inactive economic growth (stagflation). In simple terms
depression is a decline in GDP of more than 10%. A sustained recession
tends to turn into a depression (Artis 1992).
Between 1990 and 1993 the UK experienced a period of sharp economic
decline, where output declined and claimant unemployment increased to
nearly 3 million. The UK fell into a sharp slump in the second half of 1990.
Using the technical definition of recession, this involved two successive
quarters of negative growth (George 2008). It had less than average impact
in areas such as food retailing, fast food, restaurants, pubs and hairdressing
and cleaning and catering.
Figure 4: UK GDP at Current market prices
Source: Adapted from Marketoracle 2008
The central government policy in the UK makes the major difference
between the recession during 1990 and the 2008 recession (Guardian
2008). During the 1990 recession, interest rates were raised and the
economy was overheated with high inflation and external balance of
payments deficit. Current, interest rates have slashed with inflation on the
rise and as a result the UK economy is experiencing a systematic slow-down
with credit and liquidity contraction (Telegraph 2008). According to the
Office for National Statistics (ONS 2008), the UK's economy will shrink by
2.5% in 2009, a significantly worse year than any experienced either in the
recession during the 1990s or the 1970s.
In the UK, there does appear to be a real advantage in a ‘business as usual’
strategy, i.e. maintaining marketing support and the introduction of new
improved products. According to Jill (1988) recession does not change
fundamental consumer behaviour much, at least not for products and
services that are ‘everyday’ items. However, a report by BBC (2008) states
that they do change the marketing activity of the competitors quoting that
advertising spend tends to react dramatically to changes in economic
activity. Consumer behaviour is contracting far too drastically during
recessions and expanding far too fast during booms. There is opportunity in
going against this pattern, by being more consistent.
2.8 1 Impact of recession on clothing buying behaviour
Underneath the day-to-day uncertainty lie rather consistent patterns which
suggest that even if consumers want to, they find it difficult to change
behaviour. In hard times, consumers are forced to re-evaluate how they
consume, providing opportunities and challenges as loyalties change
(Telegraph 2008).
The big environmental constraint for consumers in a recession is clearly that
they have less money or access to money. However even in a severe
recession the economy is much the same size as it was in previous years
(Timesonline 2008). Many consumers have much disposable income as
ever. Consumers are particularly conscious of the impact of rises in energy
and food prices. This suggests that, in a ‘belt tightening’ situation,
consumers find it easy to make changes in non-regular behaviours rather
modifying their day-to-day lives substantially (Christopher 2000). The
easiest way may be is to simply postpone expensive discretionary
purchases like overseas holidays, new cars, and expensive electronics. Even
these categories do not collapse in recessions.
During the 1990’s recession there was considerable variability in the UK
clothing sector performance. The leading clothing retailers increased their
advertising spend as more importance was given to branding and product
differentiation to gain market share. The use of short lead in strategic
discounted advertising campaigns in national newspapers blossomed for the
first time. Offers were aimed at both the high streets and supermarkets. But
the public soon wised up to this strategy and were prepared to trade
certainty for price and waited until the lowest rate offers appeared. To
counter the reduction in revenues and maintain margins, tight cost control
measures were adopted across most clothing retailers (Terry and Jayne
1994).
Many other clothing retailers were forced to adopt more drastic measures as
pressure on cash flows worsened. Even the UK’s leading clothing retailers
like M&S and John Lewis were not resistant to recession, and suffered the
humiliation of publicly offering discounts in an attempt to increase volume
(Polo-shirts 2008). It’s well-known that women have a considerable amount
of spending power, both in terms of independent purchases and influence
over the family spending. Though individual purchasing power varies
considerably, average annual spending is around £2000, rising among older
women as they start working or receiving pensions. Women are often less
sensitive to financial crisis then men as they operate themselves in a cash-
based economy.
Expenditure on clothing, as well as having to compete with other durable
and non-durable household goods, is also threatened by increased
expenditure on leisure, travel and financial services, including savings. As
the UK economy falls deeper into the crisis, there may be cutbacks on more
expensive purchases (Christopher 2000). In harder financial times it is more
valuable than ever to know what is really important to consumers and is
important to identify what products they will not do without. Priorities
obviously vary dramatically by gender and age: men spend more of their
money on electronics, home entertainment and takeaway food, while
women invest more in their appearance (clothes and cosmetics).
Currently, clothing retailers are battling for custom as banks rein in lending
and consumer spending slows. The economy contracted 0.6% in the third
quarter, the most since 1990 (Marketoracle 2008). A survey by the Guardian
(2008) and the IICM (2007), found that 86% of 1,003 people expect to live
more cheaply next year. The clothing retailers are seemed doing a lot of
discounting that they aren’t set up to do and are educating their customers
to wait until discount days. Clothing retailers who don’t have a strong value
proposition in the market may find it difficult next year. Actions around
spending wisely, cutting back and no frills consumption are those most
likely to increase over the coming year (Terry and Jayne 1994). The more
anxious consumers are, the more likely they are to make specific changes to
their consumption behaviour in order to save money (Jill 1988).
This literature review has shown that there is a body of work that focuses on
women’s buying behaviour. The nature of the UK clothing market makes the
structuring of a review problematic as the papers and articles cited often
overlap in their themes and content.
CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction
The aim of this research is to understand the women’s buying behaviour
towards low value clothing products during a recessionary period in the UK.
In this chapter, the methodology of the study is well presented. The purpose
of research, plan of data collection, organizing and integrating of data is
provided in detail so that the aim of the research can be achieved.
The research process is illustrated and the methods are presented and
explained. A quantitative research methodology (questionnaire) is adopted
which is supported by a qualitative research (focus group). Conceivable
reasons for the adoption of the suitable research methods used for data
collection and analysis are provided in detail.
3.1 Research Design
Research design is the controlling plan for a marketing research study in
which the methods and procedures for collecting and analyzing the
information to be collected is specified. It provides the glue that holds the
research project together (Aaker 2007). A design is used to structure the
research, to show how all of the major parts of the research project work
together to try to address the main research questions.
3.1.1 Purpose of research
The general purpose of a research is basically three-fold: Exploration,
description and explanation. Investigating something new of which is little
known or to prepare for a further study is called an exploratory research.
Descriptive research describes data and characteristics about the
population or the phenomenon being studied answering the questions who,
what, where, when and how. Explanatory research deals in finding any
particular behaviour in the market (Creswell 1998).
This research is based on the investigation into women’s buying behaviour
towards low value clothing products during a recessionary period in the UK,
thus said to be an exploratory research. Exploratory research aims for basic
knowledge within the research purpose (Naresh 2005). The purpose of this
study is to decide and demonstrate the character of the problem by
collecting data through exploration.
3.1.2 Unit of analysis
The unit of analysis refers to ‘what or who’ which is being studied for the
research. Unit of analysis can be units of observation which includes certain
groups, organization and so on (Aaker 2007). For this research, 100 women
aging from 16 to 60 were randomly selected which consisted of students,
employed, unemployed, housewives and even retired persons. The data was
collected through distribution of questionnaires personally, through emails
and some were collected through telephone. Accordingly a focus group
interview was conducted to collect data in order to validate the data
collected through questionnaire.
3.1.3 Focus and time of research
The focus on this research is on the characteristics of women living in the
UK and the orientation of attitude and perception on their buying behaviour
towards low value clothing products.
Apart from researching on buying behaviour in a customary time period, the
ongoing recession in UK was chosen as the time period for this research to
study the buying behaviour of women towards low value clothing products.
3.2 Research Process
A research process consists of the inductive or deductive way of drawing
conclusions, and the qualitative and quantitative methods of investigating
information (Cryer 1996). According to Baumgartner and Steenkamp (2001),
inductive and deductive are the two different approaches that a researcher
can choose while conducting a study. An inductive approach is oriented
towards discovery and is signified by the researcher constructing theories
based on empirical studies and conclusions. A deductive approach is
descriptive and enables the researcher via theory to study and empirical
situation and to determine the theory’s validity.
3.2.1 Quantitative research
Quantitative research method is being opted as the most suitable mean of
research for this study which leads for a better understanding of the
research problem. This research started with a literature review with
complementarities based on the buying behaviour and these
complementarities are evaluated by collecting data through questionnaire
method.
The researcher finds quantitative research to be an advantage because it
Provides the fundamental connection between empirical
observation and mathematical expression of collected data.
Helps to collect various ranges of data from a huge number of
respondents.
Identifies trends and correlations to get an idea of the attitudes of
large numbers of people.
Helps in arriving comprehensive answers through the statistical
analysis of results which is legitimate (Graham and Michael 1998).
The process of collecting data is very hard as the theoretical part is based
on the collected data. The collected data must be able to deliver answers for
the main questions based on the aim and objectives of the research.
3.2.2 Qualitative research
This research also involves a certain amount of qualitative research. For this
purpose the researcher chose focus group as a tool to collect qualitative
data. Being an exploratory research the qualitative research is of great use
which helps to put forward open-ended questions and giving the
respondents an opportunity to respond in their own words rather than
forcing them to choose from fixed responses (Holliday 2007). Qualitative
research aims to gather an in-depth understanding of the buying behaviour
of women and the reasons that govern their buying behaviour.
The researcher finds qualitative research to be an advantage because it
Investigates how and why the buying behaviour is influenced.
Helps to gain insight into women's attitudes, behaviour, concerns,
motivations, aspirations, culture or lifestyles.
Provides complex textual descriptions of how women experience a
given research issue (Denzin and Lincoln 2000).
Table 3: Comparison of Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies
Source: Adapted from Kotler et al. (2006)
3.2.3 Triangulation method
Triangulation method refers to the use of more than one research method to
investigate the research questions to enhance confidence in subsequent
findings (Saunders et al 1998). Triangulation method is being adopted for
this research as both quantitative and qualitative methods have been used
for collecting data from the respondents.
Figure 5: Triangulation method
Source: Derived from Creswell (2002)
Saunders et al (1998) assumes triangulation method as that of the sets of
data derived from different research methods can be unambiguously
compared and regarded as equivalent in terms of their capacity to address a
research question. The researcher finds triangulation method to be an
advantage because it
It helps to check the validity of the findings by cross-checking the
data collected by one method with the other.
It adds sumptuousness and richness to the research questions.
Avoids weakness of one method by using a second method that is
strong.
It helps in greater understanding the population for better results.
The negligence of respondents in not answering the open-ended questions
of the questionnaire was overcome while conducting focus groups. With the
help of the Triangulation method, the researcher was able to attempt to
map out, or explain more fully, the richness and complexity of women’s
behaviour by studying it from more than one standpoint.
3.3 Methods of data collection
3.3.1 Secondary Data
Secondary data refers to any data collected by a person or organization
other than the researcher(s) of the data (Robert and Barbara 2002).
Secondary data is also used as a background for primary data that allows
seeing where the primary data 'fits in' to the proposal of study (Saunders et
al 1998). Harvey and Myers (1995) suggest that secondary data provides
validation for primary data that allows assessing the quality and consistency
of the primary data. In some situations when data collection is not possible,
for reasons of access, cost, or time, secondary data would be desirable.
Secondary data are usually available cheap and collection of data is quicker
and easier. Simultaneously secondary data have little knowledge of the
processing methods employed and the researcher rarely have access to the
original data. The fact is that secondary data are likely to be pre-processed
that eliminates the time-consuming analysis stage of the research (Pervez
and Gronhaugh 2002). He also quotes that “willingness to use Secondary
data appropriately is a hallmark of good research”.
Data from various sources like libraries (books, academic journals and
magazines); journals and articles (periodicals, publications of economic
indicators) and databases (census data, company data, statistical abstracts
and annual reports) have been used for gathering secondary data for this
research. Secondary data of this research was mainly used to understand
the past evaluations and research and as a reference to specialized
literature. It also helped in identifying the strengths and weakness of
different methodologies used in previous studies.
3.3.2 Primary Data
Primary data refers to the data collected by the immediate researcher(s) of
the data expressly for the experiment or survey being conducted. It is this
data that is normally referred to collecting data. Primary data research is
undertaken where the secondary sources cannot provide the detail of
information required to solve a particular problem or to aid sufficiently the
decision making (Graham and Michael 1998). Primary research involves the
collection of new data, often directly from customers. The used data
collection method for this research is mostly primary data supported by
secondary data.
3.3.2.3 Questionnaire
A questionnaire is a set of questions for gathering information from
individuals. It is also a formalised schedule of an assembly of carefully
formulated questions. It can be administered through mail, telephone, using
face-to-face interviews, as handouts, sending e-mails or through Web-based
questionnaires (Harvey and Myers 1995).
Questionnaire survey was employed as the tool to collect primary
information from women consumers’ to assess the buying behaviour
towards low value clothing products during the recessionary period.
Questionnaire method of data collection served as an advantage in
gathering data from different age groups of women living in the UK.
Figure 6: Questionnaire development process
Source: Derived from Kumar (2005)
3.3.2.3.1 Advantages of Questionnaire
The primary advantage of questionnaire is the lower cost in terms of
money.
It helps to reach the respondents more effectively than with
interviews.
The questionnaire provides a standardized data-gathering procedure
and minimizes the effects of potential human errors.
It converts research objectives into specific questions (Cryer 1996).
3.3.2.3.2 Disadvantages of Questionnaire
Non-returns of questionnaires may occur when questions are not
answered by the respondents.
Misinterpretation occurs when the respondents does not understand
either the instructions or the questions and become confused.
It is also a time consuming method of data collection.
Another disadvantage of using a questionnaire is inability to check on
the validity of the answer (Cryer 1996)
The secret in preparing a questionnaire is to take advantage of the
strengths of questionnaire like lower costs, more representative samples,
standardization and privacy while minimizing the number of non-returns,
misinterpretation and validity problems.
3.3.2.2 Questionnaire content
The content of questionnaire refers to the main subject matter of the
research. The questionnaire for this research consists of 16 different
questions (refer Appendix 1). Questions were carefully put into words so
that the respondents do not find difficulty in understanding or answering the
questions.
3.3.2.3 Questionnaire format
The format of questionnaire refers to the structure and appearance which
includes how the questions are framed, their appearance on the page and
the form used for answering (Kumar 2005). The format of questionnaire
used in this research is a mixed method containing open-ended and close-
ended questions. With open-ended questions the respondents are given the
chance to freely express their opinion without asking them any structured
questions. With close-ended questions the respondents are restricted to
answer or choose among the given set of alternatives.
The questionnaire also contains a combination of both close-ended and
open-ended questions, so as to validate the answers given by the
respondents. The researcher found this to be a very useful part during the
analysis. For example, Question no: 9 asks the respondents whether
recession has affected the way they shop for their clothes, giving a close-
ended choice of Yes/No. Below this an open-ended question was asked to
mention in what way it has affected them.
This format of questions helps the researcher in getting the qualitative data
along with the quantitative data. Moreover, it validates the acquired
quantitative data with the help of the qualitative data.
3.3.2.4 Breakdown of questionnaire
Questionnaires were prepared as an approach of quantitative data collection
method consisting of two pages. An introduction of the researcher was given
in the beginning of the questionnaire along with the research title. The
questionnaire contains 16 different questions and the breakdown of the
questionnaire was based on the general buying behaviour, recession and
effect of recession including 2 personal questions.
Questions 1 to 5 are associated with the general buying behaviour of people
towards clothing products before recession.
Questions 6 to 9 are associated with the ongoing recession and its effect on
clothes shopping
Questions 10 to 14 are associated with the clothing buying behaviour of
women during a recessionary period.
Questions 15 and 16 are associated with the personal details of the
respondents such as age and occupation.
Respondents who were interested in participating in a focus group on this
research were asked to give their name and contact details after filling the
questionnaire or after answering for the questionnaire.
3.3.2.5 Pilot study
A pilot study is a pre-test of questionnaire that aims to examine the length,
wording, comprehensiveness and other potential problems that might arise
when completing the main questionnaire. A pilot study is to develop, adapt,
or check the feasibility of techniques, to determine the reliability of
measures, and/or to calculate how big the final sample needs to be (Dewalt
and Dewalt 2002). The pilot should have the same sampling procedure and
techniques as in the main study (Baumgartner and Steenkamp, 2001).
The pilot study was conducted with 10 questionnaires among women
consumers of age ranging from 16 to 60. The aim of this pilot study was
To find out the response level of the consumers towards the
questions.
To find out whether the respondents found it difficult to answer all the
questions.
To find out the feasibility of the study.
The respondents were asked to indicate the difficulties in understanding or
answering the questions. They were also asked to provide other suggestions
on the improvement of the questionnaire. The researcher through the pilot
study was able to make the necessary changes in the questionnaire which
enabled to proceed to the main study of the research.
3.3.2.6 Sampling
Sampling is the process of selecting units (people or organizations) from a
population of interest so that by studying the sample in order to fairly
generalize the results back to the population from which they were chosen
(Pervez and Gronhaugh 2002). The population for this research is women
living in UK. The sample size is 100 women from 16 to 60 year olds. The
researcher divided the population into 4 different target groups: age less
than 20, aging 21 to 30, aging 31 to 40 and aging above 40. The women
population selected for this research consists of students, employed,
unemployed, housewives and even retired persons. The advantage of
choosing different groups is the ability to use and find different evidence
and motivations to find the solution for the main problem (Creswell 2002).
Respondents were randomly selected from women consumers who were
shopping at various shopping centers including clothing retail outlets and
supermarkets. Women consumers who were visually estimated to be above
16 years old were approached and asked to respond to the questions. The
participation was entirely voluntary and there was no compulsion.
3.3.2.7 Focus group interviews
A focus group interview is a discussion with a small group of people on a
specific topic. According to Morgan (1997) focus group interview is indeed
an interview rather than a discussion. Patton (2002) argues focus group to
be neither a problem-solving session nor a decision making group. The
hallmark of a focus group is the clear use of the group interaction to collect
high quality data and insights that would be less accessible without the
interaction found in a group.
The researcher conducted focus group with a set of following qualitative
questions that would validate the numerical data obtained by quantitative
method.
1. How often do you purchase your clothes and where do you normally
shop for them? Why?
2. What attracts and influences during your clothing purchase?
3. Do you shop for clothes on sale/discounts? If so, why?
4. As you are aware of the recession in UK, how has it affected the way
you shop for clothes?
5. What is the frequency of your shopping in the last 3 months?
6. What do you think are the reasons for the change in your shopping
behaviour compared to last year?
The attitudes, feelings, experiences, beliefs and reactions of the
respondents towards the research title were able to draw during focus group
discussion. Thus the researcher conducted focus groups involving women of
mixed age groups to discuss on this research topic. The respondents were
individually questioned and their opinions were recorded for further
interpretation and analysis.
3.3.2.8 Focus groups participant composition
Table 4: Focus group participant composition
Participant Nationality Occupation
Participant 1 Scottish Student
Participant 2 Polish Employed
Participant 3 Nigerian Employed
Participant 4 Indian Employed
Participant 5 Scottish Retired
Participant 6 Scottish Retired
3.4 Method of Data Analysis
In a research there is an important distinction between quantitative and
qualitative method of data analysis. In a quantitative analysis the data
collected from the respondents is expressed in numerical form (Hair et al.
1998). In order to analyze the numerical data collected through
questionnaire the researcher has made use of the SPSS (Statistical Package
for the Social Sciences) as the tool for analyzing the quantitative data. SPSS
is a tool that helps in performing data validation and simple data
modifications by displaying some simple descriptive statistics (Marija 2008).
Using SPSS tool simple average analyses is done using descriptive statistics
and producing graphical display of the end results.
As this research also involves collection of qualitative data through focus
groups, content analysis method of analysis is being adopted. Content
analysis has been defined as a systematic, replicable technique for
compressing many words of text into fewer content categories.
It is a useful technique that allows discovering and describing the focus of
an individual, group, organization or the general public (Silvermann 1994).
This method is considered to be more mechanical for a research that has
quantitative analysis at the other end.
In this chapter the methodology of the study has been presented. The
research process was illustrated and also the choice that was chosen for the
method was presented and explained in the pages before. The method of
this research consists of: research method, type of research, data collection,
population sampling and the validity and reliability of the results.
3.5 Limitations of research
As with any research study, there is a possibility of flaws in the research
design, primary and secondary data and even in the interpretation. In this
research, one consideration that needs to be taken into account is the fact
that the study was aimed to investigate women’s buying behaviour during a
recessionary period. Consequently, the generalisability of the study results
with respect to other consumer behaviour studies would be limited.
Regarding the applicability of the results of this research of women’s buying
behaviour; the sampling data was collected only in Aberdeen and does not
lend itself to the whole of UK.
Simultaneously, very little research has been carried out on the value
clothing sector in the UK. Most of the literature available is on the growth of
value retail outlets in the UK but does not discuss much about the market
during a recessionary period. The apparent lack of research literature, and
the recent attention received by the value clothing sector in the UK and the
ongoing recession in the press, prompted to explore this phenomenon more
in detail.
CHAPTER 4
DATA FINDINGS – INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS
This chapter presents the findings of primary data collected from 100
respondents through questionnaire and six participants of the focus group
discussions. Findings are purely based on fact and take the form of both
quantitative and qualitative. The findings are interpreted and analyzed using
appropriate tools and techniques to provide a managerial sense to the aim
and objectives of the research.
Questionnaire results
This section is aimed at identifying the quantitative data regarding
purchasing pattern of women, recession and its effect and the buying
behaviour during recession. Each question in the questionnaire is addressed
by diagrammatic representation and interpretation of the collected data.
This provides a bird’s-eye view of the multifaceted data collected from the
respondents.
4.1 General purchasing behaviour of women towards clothing
products.
4.1.1 General frequency of purchasing clothes
Chart 1 gives a breakdown of the general frequency of women towards
purchasing clothes.
Chart 1: General frequency of purchasing clothes
Source: Derived from Primary data (2008)
Interpretation of Figure 4.1.1:
The chart manifests the following with regards to frequency of clothing
purchases:
Nearly half (42%) of the women respondents shop for their clothes on
a monthly basis.
One quarter (24%) of the respondents wish to shop on special
occasions or whenever they needed clothes for themselves.
Weekly, fortnightly and yearly purchases made up the smallest
percentages with 18%, 10% and 6% respectively.
4.1.2 Places of clothes purchase.
Chart 2 demonstrates the places of purchase where women normally shop
for their clothes.
Chart 2: Places of clothes purchase
Source: Derived from Primary data (2008)
Interpretation of Figure 4.1.2:
The chart manifests the following in regards to the place where women
normally shop for their clothing products:
Majority of women (67%) prefer high street shops for their clothing
purchases.
An equal percentage of women (58%) prefer to shop for their clothes
in shopping malls.
One third (36%) of the respondents go about shopping through
online.
A minimum percentage of women (15%) prefer retail outlets.
18% of the respondents chose ‘others’ which included supermarkets
and charity shops.
4.1.3 Key elements when shopping for clothes
Chart 3 illustrates the key elements that women look out during a clothing
purchase action.
Chart 3: Key elements when shopping for clothes
Source: Derived from Primary data (2008)
Interpretation of Figure 4.1.3:
The chart manifests the following points in reference to the key elements
that women look out for when shopping for their clothes:
Products within budget turned out to be the most important element
while shopping for clothes, as revealed by more than half of the
respondents (58%).
Nearly one third of the respondents (39%) consider the place of
purchase while shopping for their clothes.
Another one third of the respondents (36%) prefer other elements like
quality, brand, design, style and clothes that fits them.
A very minimum percentage (15%) of the respondents looks at the
least expensive products available when purchasing clothes.
Only 3% of the total respondents do not look at any of the above
stated elements.
4.1.4 Characteristics that affect/influence clothing purchasesChart 4 shows the rating of the respondents towards the characteristics that affect or influence them during clothing purchases.
Chart 4: Characteristics that affect/influence clothing purchases
Source: Derived from Primary data (2008)
Interpretation of Figure 4.1.4: The chart manifests the following wherein the characteristics that affect/influence clothing purchases of women:
The price factor had 40% of women strongly agreeing, 39% agreeing, 12% neither agreeing nor disagreeing, 6% disagreeing and 3% strongly disagreeing.
The quality factor had 42% strongly agreeing, 48% agreeing, 6% neither agreeing nor disagreeing and 4% disagreeing.
The discount factor had 38% strongly agreeing, 41% agreeing, 18% neither agreeing nor disagreeing and 3% disagreeing.
The fashion factor had 19% of women strongly agreeing, 48% agreeing, 30% neither agreeing nor disagreeing and 3% strongly disagree.
The store factor had 12% of the women strongly agreeing, 29% agreeing, 51% neither agreeing nor disagreeing, 5% disagreeing and 3% strongly disagreeing.
The ranking of characteristics included nearly half of the respondents agreeing with the quality, discount and fashion as an influencing factor during their clothing purchase.
Maximum number of respondents strongly agrees with the price factor.
Regarding the store factor half of the respondents neither agrees nor disagrees.
A very minimum (3%) of the respondents strongly disagree with the price, fashion and store factor.
4.1.5 Buying clothes on sale/discounts.
Chart 5 shows the amount of clothes bought on sales or discounts by the
respondents.
Chart 5: Buying clothes on sale or discounts
Source: Derived from Primary data (2008)
Interpretation of Figure 4.1.5:
The chart manifests following in terms of the amount of clothes bought on
sale or discount:
More then half of the respondents (55%) tend to buy some of their
total clothes that are on sale or discounts.
Nearly one third of the respondents (30%) buy most of their clothing
products on sale or discounts.
There were few respondents (15%) who do not buy clothes that are
on sale or discounts.
None of the respondents buy all their clothing that is on sale or
discounts.
4.2 Recession in UK and its effect on shopping habits
4.2.1 Awareness of recession in UK.
Chart 6 represents the awareness of the ongoing recession in UK.
Chart 6: Awareness of recession in UK
Source: Derived from Primary data (2008)
Interpretation of Figure 4.2.1:
The chart manifests the awareness of the recession in UK which is as
follows:
Majority of the respondents (91%) were aware on the ongoing
recession in UK.
A very minimum percentage of the respondents (9%) were not aware
of the recession, the reason being international students.
4.2.2 Has recession affected clothes shopping?
Chart 7 represents where the respondents have been affected by recession
or not with regards to their clothes shopping and the respondents were
asked a ‘yes/no’ question.
Chart 7: Has recession affected clothes shopping?
Source: Derived from Primary data (2008)
Interpretation of Figure 4.2.2:
The chart manifests the recession affect on clothes shopping as:
Majority of the respondents’ (73%) clothes shopping has not been
affected due to recession.
A minimum percentage of the respondents (27%) have been affected
by recession.
4.2.3 Change of shopping habits due to recession.
Chart 8 shows change in women’s shopping habits due to recession and the
respondents were asked a ‘yes/no’ question.
Chart 8: Change in shopping habits due to recession
Source: Derived from Primary data (2008)
Interpretation of Figure 4.2.3:
The chart manifests the following in ascertaining the change in women’s
shopping habits because of the ongoing recession in UK:
The shopping habits of women towards clothes have not changed
with the majority of the respondents (67%).
One third of the total respondents (33%) have said that their
shopping habits have changed due to recession.
4.2.4 Effect of recession on clothes shopping.
Chart 9: Effect of recession on clothes shopping.
Source: Derived from Primary data (2008)
Interpretation of Figure 4.2.4:
The chart manifests the effect of recession on clothes shopping which is as
follows:
Majority of the respondents (36%) are not much affected by recession
regarding their shopping for clothes.
An equal amount of respondents (34%) say that they are not at all
affected by recession.
Respondents who are somewhat affected by recession make up a
quarter of the total respondents (27%).
Very minimal respondents (3%) are being very much affected by
recession.
As compared to Figure 4.2.2 majority of the respondents are not
being affected by the recession
4.3 Purchasing behaviour of women towards clothing products
during recession
4.3.1 Frequency of purchasing clothes in the last 3 months.
Chart 10 portrays the frequency of purchasing clothes in the last 3 months.
(i.e.) during the ongoing recessionary period in the UK.
Chart 10: Frequency of purchasing clothes in the last 3 months.
Source: Derived from Primary data (2008)
Interpretation of Figure 4.3.1:
The chart manifests the frequency of clothing purchases in the last 3
months (recessionary period) which is as follows:
Nearly half of the respondents (49%) prefer buying clothes on a
monthly basis during the ongoing recessionary period.
One third of the respondents (33%) buy clothes differently which
includes buying clothes occasionally or buying clothes whenever they
needed.
Respondent’s desire buying clothes on a weekly and fortnightly basis
amounted to 15% and 12% respectively.
4.3.2 Comparison of clothing purchases between last 3 months with
that of the last year.
Chart 11: Comparison of clothing purchases
Source: Derived from Primary data (2008)
Interpretation of Figure 4.3.2:
The chart manifests the comparison of various stores with regards to
clothing purchases.
35 respondents who purchased their clothes in ASDA last year
increased to 45 in the last 3 months.
29 respondents who purchased their clothes in TESCO last year
increased to 32 in the last 3 months.
36 respondents who purchased their clothes in PRIMARK last year
increased to 58 in the last 3 months.
35 respondents who purchased their clothes in DEBENHAMS last year
decreased to 29 in the last 3 months.
32 respondents who purchased their clothes in MATALAN last year
decreased to 26 in the last 3 months.
39 respondents who purchased their clothes in M&S last year
decreased to 32 in the last 3 months.
22 respondents who purchased their clothes in NEXT last year
increased to 39 in the last 3 months.
16 respondents who purchased their clothes in PEACOCK last year
decreased to 9 in the last 3 months.
32 respondents who purchased their clothes in JOHN LEWIS last year
decreased to 23 in the last 3 months.
13 respondents who purchased their clothes in TK MAXX last year
increased to 22 in the last 3 months.
4.3.3 Satisfactory level of women towards the purchased clothes
Question 12 of the questionnaire turned out to be an open-ended question
in order to understand the satisfactory level of the respondents with regards
to their clothing purchases in 10 different stores illustrated in Figure 4.3.2.
Interpretation of Question 12:
The following data was obtained out of this open-ended question which is as
follows:
Majority of the respondents were very much satisfied with the clothes
that they buy as most of the above mentioned stores sold good
quality clothes at reasonable prices.
A very little percentage of the respondents were fully dissatisfied with
the quality.
Some of the respondents stated that they were very much satisfied
with the price but dissatisfied with the quality and they do not expect
to purchase branded clothing.
4.3.4 Buying clothes differently compared to last year.
Chart 12 illustrates buying of clothes differently now (during recession)
compared to last year’s purchases.
Chart 12: Buying clothes differently compared to last year.
Source: Derived from Primary data (2008)
Interpretation of Figure 4.3.4:
The chart manifests a comparison of clothing purchases during the ongoing
recessionary period with that of last year which is as follows:
Respondents who buy the same amount of clothes now compared to
last year were due to good prices, constituted nearly half of the total
respondents (45%)
One quarter of the respondents (21%) buy fewer clothes compared to
last year due to reasons such as increase in the cost of living, less
money to spend on households and even due to relocation.
18% of the respondents conveyed that they currently purchased
more clothes than last year, which included reasons of better paid
jobs and due to weight loss (only one respondent).
Few respondents (16%) who were not in a position to compare their
clothes purchasing opted for the ‘Don’t know’ option.
4.3.5 Reasons for change in shopping habits.
Chart 13 exhibits various reasons for the change in shopping habits of
women towards clothes purchasing.
Chart 13: Reasons for change in shopping habits.
Source: Derived from Primary data (2008)
Interpretation of Figure 4.3.5:
The chart manifests the important reasons with regards to the change in
shopping habits of women towards clothes purchasing.
Majority of the respondents (42%) opted for the ‘others’ option and
gave their own reasons which included more money to spend on
clothes, lesser household expenses, cheaper clothes available online
(Eg: EBay) and even lesser selection of clothes was given as a reason.
Less money to spend on clothes was given as a reason by one quarter
of the respondents (27%).
Only 10% of the respondents were dissatisfied with the quality of the
clothes that they normally buy for themselves.
A very minimum number of respondents (3%) buy expensive clothes
currently.
4.4 Personal details
4.4.1 Respondent’s Age
Chart 14 illustrates the different age group of the respondents who took part
in answering the questionnaire.
Chart 14: Respondents Age
Source: Derived from Primary data (2008)
Interpretation of Figure 4.4.1:
The chart manifest the different age groups of the respondents in which
The majority of women respondents (32%) belonged to the age group
between 21 and 30.
Age groups 31 to 40 and above 40 constituted one quarter of the
total respondents having 23% and 27% respectively.
Only 18% of the respondents belonged to the age group of less than
20.
4.4.2 Respondent’s Occupation
Chart 15 illustrates the major four occupational categories of the
respondents who participated in the answering of the questionnaire.
Chart 15: Respondent’s Occupation
Source: Derived from Primary data (2008)
Interpretation of Figure 4.4.2:
The chart manifests the occupation of the respondents in regards to clothing
buying behaviour which had
38% of the respondents as employed
One third of the respondents (31%) consisted of retired people.
Students and housewives consisted of 17% and 14% respectively.
Focus group results
This section aims at identifying and evaluating the qualitative data obtained
through focus group discussions. A set of questions were asked by the
researcher to all the six focus group participants and the data was tabulated
accordingly. The collected data was conceived and evaluated in order to
understand in detail the aspects of women regarding their buying behaviour
of clothes. By allowing the participants to share their opinions in a less
structured and participant-directed format, the researcher was able to
provide a detailed and subtle exposition of women’s buying behaviour.
Question 1: How often do you purchase your clothes and where do
you normally shop for them? Why?
Table 5: Focus Group Question 1
Participant 1
(Employed)
“I wish to purchase weekly and I shop all my clothes in
Primark, Debenhams and some of them in Next. These
stores sell majority of the international brands”
Participant 2
(Employed)“I wish to purchase on a monthly basis once I get paid and
I don’t shop in any particular shop. I buy whatever I like”
Participant 3
(Retired)
“Since I am retired and not able to walk a long distance I
prefer shopping in the nearby charity shops. I buy clothes
whenever I need and whenever is convenient”
Participant 4
(Employed)“Even I purchase clothes monthly. I shop in M&S and Next
because of the wide range of varieties. I even shop in
ASDA and Tesco”
Participant 5
(Student)
“I hardly have money with me. So I only shop occasionally
and mostly in ASDA, Tesco and Primark as you know the
prices are very cheap”
Participant 6
(Retired)“Since I have grown old I do not go out regularly and
shopping for clothes is minimal. I buy on a monthly basis
only from M&S”
Question 2: What attracts and influences during your clothing
purchase?
Table 6: Focus Group Question 2
Participant 1
(Employed)
“The first thing I look for is the store. Because I know what
type of products they sell and I blindly buy them having faith
on the store”
Participant 2
(Employed)
“I mainly look at the quality of clothes. It should last long. I
don’t miss out stuffs if I get quality clothes at a bargain”
Participant 3
(Retired)
“Since I shop in charity shops I can’t expect the clothes to be
new and of good quality. Hence I see whether the clothes
that I buy is worth the money spent on it”
Participant 4
(Employed
“I have a budget for my clothes shopping and I stick to it
strictly. Since I have got to plan for my other expenses as
well, I consult with my friends and family before any
purchase.”
Participant 5
(Student)
“I don’t care about the quality. To me it is price and
discounts that attracts me towards clothes. I cross check the
promotions available with my family and friends, if it is
satisfactory then I go about purchasing ”
Participant 6
(Retired)
“I look for quality and price. My clothes should last long. I
look at adverts on the paper, internet and on television. It
gives me a better idea on the promotions, discounts and
offers available.”
Question 3: Do you shop for clothes on sale/discounts? If so, why?
Table 7: Focus Group Question 3
Participant 1
(Employed)
“I do shop clothes that are on sale or discounts but only when it
is in the usual stores that I buy my clothes from. That is when I
am satisfied with them”
Participant 2
(Employed)
“Apparently I buy sale or discounted clothes. But I am more
concerned on the quality. No compromises”
Participant 3
(Retired)
“I reduce the amount of expenses on clothes as much as
possible. Charity shops are cheap than retail outlets and
supermarkets”
Participant 4
(Employed
“I do not go behind cheap stakes. As I plan my budget I keep
buying what I had kept buying earlier”
Participant 5
(Student)
“Running short of money makes me run after discounts. I buy
whatever comes on sale and do not care about the quality”
Participant 6
(Retired)
“My frequency of shopping for clothes is less. So I believe in
quality of clothes. As far as I am concerned one cannot expect
good quality from sale or discounts”
Question 4: As you are aware of the recession in UK, how has it
affected the way you shop for clothes?
Table 8: Focus Group Question 4
Participant 1
(Employed)
“Yes. I am aware of the recession that is going on. As far
shopping for clothes is concerned I do not think that I am
affected. And I think so because I am employed”
Participant 2
(Employed)
“I am aware of the recession. Shopping of my clothes is little
affected as the mortgage rates and the interest rates have
gone high and I have reduced the amount of my shopping in
all areas”
Participant 3
(Retired)
“I do not have any commitments like paying mortgages or
loans. So I don’t think I am affected by recession”
Participant 4
(Employed
“I am aware of the ongoing recession. Even now I am getting
the same salary which I was getting earlier. I have got to pay
only the installment for my car. So I am not affected”
Participant 5
(Student)
“Yes. I am aware of the recession. I am not at all affected. I
am same as before and I keep shopping for clothes as I was
shopping normally”
Participant 6
(Retired)
“I am aware of the recession. People are struck with money.
It is time for savings for the future. So I had cut my expenses
towards clothing as of now. May be it will change once the
economy moves upward”
Question 5: What is the frequency of your shopping in the last 3
months?
Table 9: Focus Group Question 5
Participant 1
(Employed)
“I shop for my clothes on a weekly basis and even on special
occasions”
Participant 2
(Employed)
“It is Christmas time. I have got holidays to shop and can’t
keep buying monthly. But normally I shop monthly for my
clothes ”
Participant 3
(Retired)“I look for convenience and now-a-days I shop weekly”
Participant 4
(Employed
“I still buy my clothes monthly. It has become a routine and
shopping weekly is waste of time”
Participant 5
(Student)
“Now it is only on special occasions that I shop for clothes.
Still got many clothes in my wardrobe”
Participant 6
(Retired)
“Monthly shopping is the best according to me. At this time
of Christmas I had to shop for my grand children (gifts) ”
Question 6: What do you think are the reasons for the change in
your shopping behaviour compared to last year?
Table 10: Focus Group Question 6
Participant 1“There is not much change in my shopping behaviour. I shop
the same way as I did last year. This year I have changed the
(Employed)place of purchase. Not Primark. Now I have started buying in
ASDA and Tesco. ”
Participant 2
(Employed)
“My shopping habits have never changed compared to last
year. I have got money to spend on clothes what I like to
wear”
Participant 3
(Retired)
“I am into cost cutting. I am not able to buy good clothing
stuffs from charity shops compared to last year. So I only
buy whichever is good looking and worth buying. So I think
my shopping behaviour is changed due to this”
Participant 4
(Employed)
“I am earning good as that of the last year. Why should I
change my shopping habits? I continue shopping as usual. I
even bought some expensive clothing for Christmas”
Participant 5
(Student)
“Not sure. I guess it has not changed. I started shopping in
Next this year as one of my friend suggested it to be very
good in terms of quality”
Participant 6
(Retired)
“M&S is the best for my clothes. I just love them for what it
is. Although I don’t shop regularly I still stick on to M&S ”
By examining all questionnaire responses and making use of focus group
discussions, this chapter has produced objective satisfying results;
ultimately leading to a better understanding of the women’s buying
behaviour with regards to low value clothing keeping in mind the ongoing
recessionary period in the UK. With a balanced focus on women’s buying
behaviour, the primary research findings allow to conceptualize the aim and
objectives more accurately.
CHAPTER 5
DISCUSSION
5.0 Introduction
This chapter elaborates and discusses more on the interpretation and
findings gathered out of the primary research of this project with
accordance to the review of literature conducted earlier.
5.1 Value clothing retailing and women in the UK
As discussed in the literature review the power of value clothing retailers
have shifted from the traditional market retailers to volume and price-led
retailers which is evident from the primary research and further more Table
11 depicts where women have bought their clothes in the last 5 years. The
enormous growth in the value clothing market from £7.8bn in 2006 to
£8.8bn in 2007 has increased the competition on the high streets due to
which majority of the retailers started experimenting the “discounting” tool.
Despite the surplus of discounting, a split between cheap and luxury is also
a growing feature of the UK clothing market.
Women, who were core customers at Debenhams and John Lewis, were
being attracted by the product ranges available at M&S in 2007 (Mintel
2008). The primary findings of women buying clothing in M&S and John
Lewis show a decrease whereas Table 11 shows an increase. Thus,
comparing 2007 and 2008, women consumers have reduced their shopping
in these stores (Refer Chart 11). Simultaneously, it is evident that older
women still prefer M&S for their clothing and it is the youth who have
reduced their shopping in M&S due to higher prices charged (Artis 1992).
Women’s concern on these stores was mainly the highly priced products
which were revealed in the focus group discussion. In spite of the high
prices, one of the focus group respondents, a retired woman said that
“Although the cost of clothing products are high I shop only in M&S because
of the quality and life of the product which is not comparable”.
Table 11: Where women have bought clothing for themselves (2002-2007)
2002
%
2004
%
2006
%
2007
%
%
change
2002-07
% change
2006-07
Base: women
aged 16+
1,646 1,685 1,677 1,602
M&S 47 46 40 45 -2 +5
Primark 10 15 21 32 +22 +11
Next Plc 23 29 30 30 +7 -
ASDA (George) 12 21 23 26 +14 +3
Tesco 8 15 19 23 +15 +4
Debenhams 13 21 21 19 +6 -2
Matalan 14 20 17 18 +4 +1
Peacocks 6 10 11 14 +8 +3
TK Maxx n/a 10 11 11 n/a -
John Lewis 5 11 7 9 +4 +2
Source: Derived from Mintel 2008
Table 11 shows that there has been no increase or decrease in women
shoppers for Next Plc in 2007; whereas it is evident from the primary
research those women who had been shopping in Next Plc last year has
considerably increased this year (Refer Chart 11). Traditionally the customer
profile has been that, M&S targets women over 40 years old and Next Plc
comparatively concentrates more on middle aged women and few over 40
years old. According to the Mintel research report Next Plc has been a
strong penetrator of the womenswear market, particularly for above 40 year
olds in 2007. The style, quality and value for money with a contemporary
fashion edge are the key determinants for Next Plc’s growth over the years
since its launch in 1982.
Primark ranking higher than any other retailer in total sales of womenswear
is currently operating 170 stores in the UK and accounts for £1 in every £10
spent on clothing (Keynote 2008). Out of the six focus group participants,
five participants wish to purchase in Primark for their clothing products and
are very much satisfied with the price and range of products available.
According to a report published by Mintel (2008), women ageing between 15
and 24 are the major shoppers of Primark and it also attracts other women
consumers ageing above 40s as well.
5.1.1 Decision making process of women
As discussed in the literature review women in the UK are more conscious
about clothing than men and children (Refer Figure 1). Self-expression is
especially important for women and it is found from the primary research
that clothing products within budget, its quality, price and fashion were the
most important selection criteria during clothing purchases.
The process of decision making covers the factors and stages that affect
consumers’ decision to purchase clothing products. The evidence from the
focus group interview provides information on the different stages of the
decision making process women go through before actually purchasing for
their clothes. It explains that women initially go through the process of
information search and gather information from various sources e.g.
internet, news papers, marketing advertisement, promotional campaigns
and retail stores on high street, from friends, family and colleagues.
Friends and family considered to be the genuine source of information in
terms of getting the feedback about trustworthiness and reliability of the
retail outlets. Not only this, but also they will seek information from
previous shoppers in their acquaintances and colleagues; they would be the
biggest sources of meaningful information to them.
Brand and reputation of the stores also play a vital role in decision making
process for the consumers. But the most important factor which guides the
consumers’ decision to purchase clothes is word of mouth communication
and reference groups, as they have already purchased and wore clothes, so
they would give accurate and practical information than advertising or
websites does.
Few of the participants’ responses are of indicative nature with regards to
the value clothing market in the UK. People do a lot of research before
purchasing clothes and they are apprehensive about the latest trends
available in the market. They choose the clothing retailers very
meticulously, they pay due attention to what they are purchasing, despite of
many retail outlets offering exchange and refund options. According to a
report published by Mintel 2008, the value clothing market accounts for
nearly 28% the total UK clothing market. Accordingly, from the primary
research it is evident that majority of the respondents buy only some of
their clothes which are on sale or discounts (Refer Chart 5).
Value retailers offering products at cheaper rates fail to concentrate on the
quality of the products because of which women’s preference towards value
clothing is less. Also, certain groups of women never mind about the quality
of these products as these retailers offer latest fashionable products. From
the focus group discussion of the research it is understood that clothes that
are bought on sale or discounts are of not good quality and does not lasts
longer. At the same time it is worth buying on discounts/sales if provided
with good or better quality. Comparing the frequency of clothing purchases
of last year with that of the last 3 months, the researcher hardly found a
major difference (Chart 1 vs. Chart 10). According to Telegraph (2008) the
shopping behaviour of women has not changed in the last years and they
remain to shop as they were earlier.
This is also supported by the primary findings which states that half of the
respondents by same amount of clothes compared to last year (Refer Chart
12). This results in“no change” behaviour of women towards clothing
purchases.
5.1.2 Factors influencing women during clothing purchases
This section examines the motivating and influencing factors affecting
consumers’ behaviour in terms of purchasing value clothing products. The
factors which motivates and influence them the most are considered to be
the necessity of wearing clothes, whether it is in the form of outerwear,
underwear or loungewear. The changing life styles need clothes at various
occasions in day-to-day life, be it parties, birthdays, outings or even festivals
like Christmas. Hence, it is no longer considered to be a luxury but become
an indispensable part of everyone’s life.
Consumers do not blindly make their clothing purchases, cautiously women.
There lies various factors that influence (motivate or deject) consumers
leading to the discussion on price, quality, discounts, fashion and store
patronage factors during clothing purchase actions carried out by women in
the UK. Apart from the above factors the demographic factors also influence
the buying behaviour to a greater extent. As discussed in the literature
review the working women community contributes to the majority of
clothing purchases which is also evident from the primary findings, having
38% of the respondents as employed. When it comes to clothing product
choice criteria, women mainly look at the products that are within budget
and the majority of shopping is done in shopping malls and high street
shops. This is due to the difference in perception and attitude from one
woman to another. Not all women think and act in the same way as others.
In the words of Thang and Tan (2003) women’s attitude towards clothing is
replicated via the satisfaction level attained after every purchase action.
A distinction is frequently made between high and low involvement
purchasing, implying that in practice the actual buying activity can be less
or more consistent than the desired activity (Roger and Paul 2004). Clothing
consumers have specific expectations about the product as a result of
previous experiences with a similar product or from available information.
Products purchased for the first time, in general, require more involvement
than frequently purchased products. The consumer is, therefore, not only
concerned about the functional quality of the clothing product, but
particularly about the comprehensive satisfaction regarding the sensory,
emotional and cognitive elements.
From the primary findings, women’s buying behaviour is influenced equally
by the price, quality, discount and fashion of the clothing product (Refer
Chart 4). Four out of the six focus group participants, expressed their
concerns stating that price, quality and fashion as a major influencing factor
for their clothing purchases. One of the participants, who keep an eye on
sales or discounts, does not compromise on fashion and quality which is her
first preference towards a clothing item. One other participant, a retired
woman, prefers buying from charity shops although she finds the quality to
be poor but gains a bargain in terms of price and accessibility. These
influences can also be caused due to the social factors surrounding the
consumers. The place of purchasing of a focus group participant changed
due to the influence of her friend who suggested shopping in Next Plc.
It is evident from the above discussion that women’s buying behaviour is
being influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic attributes involving
demographic, psychological and social factors, marketing mix elements and
various clothing retailers. All these factors wholly contribute to the
consumer’s decision making process during the clothing purchase activity.
5.1.3 Role of marketing mix elements on value clothing sector
This section covers the marketing mix elements involved in the value
clothing sectors in the UK. What are the top and least priorities of customers
in terms of choosing the services has been predicted. Majority of
participants (42%) are of the view that quality of the product is of prime
importance to them, though they want a cheaper and affordable clothing
product, but primarily it is the quality which make them purchase. Due to
changing lifestyles, income and heavy dependency on clothes to create an
impression, all these factors demands the clothes purchased to be of great
quality and fashionable. 48% of women rate fashion to be of higher
preference and cannot really afford to take a risk by getting poor quality
product or less fashionable product; they want ‘top of the range’ clothing
product. Few participants expressed their feelings that they would not mind
paying a little extra to get the product they desired.
ASDA and Tesco have very similar customer profiles with a slight increase in
the number of women shoppers in the last 3 months compared to last year
(Refer Chart 11). Only 18% of the respondents prefer to shop for their
clothes from supermarkets which is a concerning factor as the remaining
82% of the respondents prefer to shop for their clothes from high street
malls and retail outlets. Their preference and expectations from these stores
is to get value for the money they spend. This is evident from one of the
focus group participant who prefers shopping in Primark, Debenhams and
Next Plc due to the availability of a variety of international brands.
Women consumers expect a lot from the value clothing retailers, as they
want a better quality product at a cheaper price. They also tend to look at
stores that offer better deals in the form of discounts and stores that
promote their products at a reasonable price. The need of the hour by
women who shop for clothes is better quality at an affordable price. As price
and promotion also play a vital role in terms of attracting new customers
from retailer’s perspective.
To summarise the preferences of the customer among the marketing mix
elements, quality comes first followed by price, discounts and fashion etc.
The importance of social class and income cannot be ignored, as it decides
the purchasing power of the consumers.
5.1.4 Impact of communication and advertising on women’s
purchase
This section relates to the effect of communication i.e. marketing,
promotions, media advertising, word of mouth influence and reference
groups etc. The evidence shows that in some form or the other all the above
factors affect women in making their mind to purchase clothing products.
The combined effect of different marketing communications towards
customers and advertising campaigns pave the way for customer to choose
a product or services. The stand out factor considered to be word of mouth
and reference groups, followed by the advertisements and promotional
offers. In general people do not want to take a risk and experiment with the
clothing retail outlets, but they would go for the authentic source of
information from their colleagues and friend and families.
In spite of the fact that deals can be get cheaper online, people like to
purchase their clothes either directly in the stores or through retailers, as
they feel comfortable shopping in store, they can talk to the sales
personnel. As one of the respondents articulated her views in this manner “I
look for quality and price. My clothes should last long. I look at adverts on
the paper, internet and on television. It gives me a better idea on the
promotions, discounts and offers available” (Refer Table 6).
Some participants advocate their purchasing decision to buy directly from
the charity shops as they can get much better deals from them than the
retailers on high street.
5.1.5 Influence of brand names in clothing purchases
In this section the importance of branding, the impact of it and the brand
loyalty has been discussed. The first impression they get from any retail
store is the effect of branding. It is evident from the primary findings and
focus group interviews that women have positive attitude and favourable
stance towards brands. Though women might be looking at other
alternatives, but the first thing which strike to their minds are branded
products. Today’s women are brand conscious and supermarkets need to
attract shoppers by selling a collective range of branded clothing products
as that of other grocery products as Rooney (1995) states that branding
reduces marketing investments and increases business.
Out of 6 focus group participants 2 respondents do not mind branded
clothes as for them fashion and the correct fit is what they look for, but
otherwise rest of the participants are brand conscious. A good brand does
not necessarily attract customers, but it is the service along with that which
guarantees the customers on a regular basis to stay with them. Otherwise,
majority of the respondents voiced their views in changing the store of
purchase, if they could not get the desired clothing products and services.
Customer show their loyalty towards a brand or retail outlet only when they
are happy and when they get the desired products or services, otherwise
competition out performs the market and competitors can acquire the
customers. Branding along with the great service would ensure the clothing
retailers to retain their existing customers and gain the new ones. At the
same time retailers needs to be innovative and creative in taking first
movers advantage by introducing fashionable products and better service.
The report continues to discuss the buying behaviour and activity of women
with regards to the impact of recession on the UK clothing market. The
report examines the buying behaviour of women across several constraints:
women’s buying behaviour, value clothing retailing and impact of recession
on both.
5.2 Impact of recession on women’s clothing buying behaviour
This section covers the impact of recession on women’s clothing buying
behaviour towards the value clothing retailing in the UK. 91% of the women
respondents are aware of the recession happening in the UK. Majority (73%)
of the purchasers are not been affected by recession with regards to their
buying of clothing products. The remaining 27% have been affected slightly
due to which they look at alternatives. As discussed in the review that many
women have as much as disposable income to spend and their shopping
habits have not been changed. When the respondents were questioned on
whether their shopping habits have changed, 67% have not changed their
style of shopping and still shop the way they did a year back.
As discussed further in the review, during the 1990’s recessionary period
the shopping habits had a drastic change with retailers looking at with
regards to their pricing and had to publicly offer discounts to increase their
sales (Singleton 1997). In comparison to the present scenario, 91% of the
respondents who are aware of the recession a majority 70% have not at all
been affected by the current situation in the UK.
In the current retail market one can see the value clothing market as an
important part of the entire clothing market in the UK. A Key Note (2008)
report predicts that the number of consumers who turn their backs on the
value clothing products will increase in the future. This is mainly due to gain
competitive advantage over others and also to attract customers in the
recession that is going on in the UK now. To understand the impact of
recession on the buying behaviour is further discussed with the change in
purchasing patterns of women towards clothing products.
5.3 Purchasing patterns of women during recession
One quarter of the respondents (24%) of the primary findings expressed
their attitudes towards purchasing clothes on special occasions or whenever
needed. The frequency of purchasing has remained the same compared to
last year. A noticeable factor from the primary findings is that women have
started visiting value clothing retail outlets which are evident from the
figure 4.3.2 where Primark, ASDA and Tesco has more purchasers compared
to last year.
As discussed in the review, purchase of clothes was threatened by the
increased expenditure on household goods, leisure and travel. Wherein, the
present scenario 45% of the respondents prefer to purchase clothes as the
increase in value clothing retailers emerging with discounted clothes, better
deals and fashionable clothes at affordable prices. From the primary findings
it was evident that majority of the respondents (42%) opted for the following
reasons and voiced the below reasons with regards to the change in
shopping habits
More money to spend on clothes
Lesser household expenses
Cheaper clothes available online (E.g. EBay, ASOS…etc)
Fashionable and trendy clothes at affordable prices.
Value for money
This is supported by a research by Keynote (2008) which states that
‘anything goes’ philosophy of dressing trends in the womenswear has
increasingly become important due to increase in buying power of working
women as well as their need for ‘workwear’ and informal clothing. Adding to
this one of the focus group participant stated that “I buy majority of my
clothes on sale or discounts. When it comes to special occasions like
Christmas, I buy some expensive clothes for myself and also as gifts for my
family.” Prices in the womenswear category have been falling for even
longer, although the amount spent on women's clothing easily exceeds the
amount spent on menswear.
5.4 Summary of key findings
In this section a summary of key findings would be tabulated from the above
discussions after conducting questionnaire survey and focus group
discussions. Questionnaire results gives the factors influencing the buying
behaviour of women during the recessionary period in the UK, whereas the
focus group interviews reflects and confirms that there exist some
consistency between what participants aired their views in the
questionnaire. The following table summarises the key findings.
Table 12: Key findings of the research
Key issues Key findings
1.The decision
making process
of women
58% and 67% of women prefer shopping malls and high
street shops respectively.
Women gather information from the internet,
newspapers, advertisements, friends, relatives and
colleagues.
Women mainly look at the products that are within their
budget.
Branding and store reputation plays a vital role in
decision making.
Women are cautious in choosing the retailers by looking
at the exchange and refund policies.
2. Factors
influencing
women during
clothing
purchases
Price and quality seems to be the major influencing
factor of women.
Secondly, discount and fashion factors influence the
purchase of clothing products.
Retired women prefer buying clothes in charity shops.
Most women are influenced by their friends and
relatives during clothing purchases.
3. Role of
marketing mix
elements on
value clothing
sector
48% of women rate fashion as their first preference
towards clothing.
42% of women view quality of clothing products as a
prime factor.
Women expect cheaper products from retailers with
better quality.
High street retailers have increased in number and the
sales of supermarkets that sell clothes have reduced.
4. Impact of
communication
and advertising
on women’s
purchase
Women do not want to take risk by making a purchase
with a new retailer.
Women tend to seek information from friends and
colleagues on the prevailing market trends.
Women tend to buy directly from stores rather than
purchasing through online.
5. Influence of
brand names in
clothing
purchases
Majority of women have a positive attitude and
favorable stance towards brands.
Few women were concerned on the fashion and fit
preferences and did not concentrate on brands.
Branding helps retailers in retaining existing customers
and attracting new customers.
6. Impact of
recession on
women’s
clothing buying
behaviour
91% of women are aware of the recession in the UK.
73% of women are not been affected by recession.
Women have much disposable income.
67% their shopping habits have not changed due to
recession.
7. Purchasing
patterns of
women during
recession
Working community women contribute to the majority
of clothes shopping in the UK.
24% of women shop for their clothes occasionally or
whenever needed.
45% of women purchase clothes in the same way as
they did last year.
Women shoppers in value clothing retail outlets have
increased compared to last year.
42% of women stated reasons, such as more money to
spend, lesser household expenses, cheaper clothes
available online and fashionable products at affordable
prices, for the increase in clothes shopping.
5.5 Discussion of findings
Research Objective 1: To investigate the preferences and spending
patterns of women towards clothing in the UK
Women constitute to the majority of shopping for households and clothes
shopping form a major part of it. In this present scenario of value retailing,
majority of women tend to look out for latest trends in fashionable clothing
rather than concentrating on particular brands. Value clothing retailers play
a vital role in determining the clothing purchase action of women and go in
hand with each other. Women aspire to spend more on clothes due to the
increase in disposable income and due to less household expenses.
Research Objective 2: To evaluate women’s attitude towards low value
clothing products
The value clothing sector of the UK’s clothing market has inevitably
contributed to the UK’s economic growth. The widening of the value clothing
sector in the UK in a short period of time has caused the retailers to
concentrate more on the products quality and the developments in fashion.
The women audiences perceive value retailers as a boom for their clothes
shopping constraints in terms of cheaper price and trendy fashion at
affordable price. When it is looked at the quality point of view, they seemed
to keep themselves low. The durability of the goods sold by the value
retailers are not long lasting because of the poor quality provided. A positive
attitude among the working women was found during this research, which
was understood because of the adequate disposable income.
Research Objective 3: To identify the major factors influencing women’s
buying behaviour in a recessionary period in the UK.
Recession in the UK seems to have affected the economy, but not the
clothes buying behaviour of women. Women belonging to the working
community make the most of the clothes shopping in the UK and still
purchase the same way as they did last year. Women are influenced mostly
by their friends, relatives and colleagues during a clothing purchase.
Women are provided with cheap and fashionable clothing products with the
growth of value clothing sector in the UK.
Research Objective 4: Conclusions on women’s purchasing behaviour and
also provide a series of rational recommendations for value clothing
retailers in the UK to perform better during a recession.
The widening of the value clothing market, fashion conscious on the other
hand, have caused more desire among women, with more demand for
differentiation and a quicker change of variety. The enhanced availability of
fashion merchandise did not only contribute to well-being but also caused a
new anxiety for women trying to keep up with new trends. The frequency of
purchase made by women remained the same in spite of the ongoing
recession and even during this period woman sought to keep abreast of
emulative consumption. The findings give support towards the interest in
purchasing value clothing and with enough disposable income to spend their
buying behaviour has not had any significant impact even during this
recessionary period. This shift in consumer tastes provides indirect evidence
for the existence of interdependent preference formation.
This section assess the current value clothing market, where the women
customers are getting affected by the retailers who provide poor quality
clothes, what they feel needs to be improved in the future. They expect
much better quality clothes for the money they spend when they shop for
value clothes. The expectation from the retail outlets is quality products at
affordable prices. Interestingly, what seems to be customers facing the
different kinds of problem could eventually proved to be the areas for
improvements, which service providers can diagnose and address
immediately to gain the lost confidence of the customers.
5.6 SWOT analysis of the value clothing market in the UK
Table 13: SWOT Analysis
STRENGTHS
Clothing is an essential requisite
It is tempted to be purchased on
impulse
World leader in fashion & design
Low skilled and low paid labor
Few people have dressmaking &
knitting skills to make their own
clothes.
WEAKNESS
Comparatively less production
capacity
Increase in low-cost foreign threats
Not so instant in response to
vagaries of fashion
Affect of day-to-day trade by
circumstances beyond control.
OPPORTUNITIES
The removal of tariffs and quotas
protecting
Ability to increase branded
products and designer names.
Increase in home shopping
through catalogues, internet and
television
Imaginative window displays,
usage of unusual garments and
different color combinations
Expansion of high street retailing
chains
THREATS
Fierce foreign competition
Retailers being largely dependent
on the fortunes of big chains.
Threat of existing import quotas
being phased out
Traditional mail catalogues from
discount stores continue to come
under pressure as they are printed
in advance.
CHAPTER 6
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
6.0 Conclusion and recommendations
This final section of the report describes the process of developing
conclusions and recommendations at the level of each chapter and the
process of synthesizing these findings and prioritizing recommendations
across each chapter.
The purpose of this research is to understand the women’s buying
behaviour towards value clothing products during a recessionary period in
the UK. The study aimed at investigating on the preferences and spending
pattern of women towards clothing products. This research identifies the
attitude of women towards value clothing products and focused on the
major influencing factors during the recessionary period in the UK.
The UK clothing market including the history, current trends, value retailing
and the future trends was taken a closer look. Simultaneously, women’s
buying preferences and spending patterns towards clothing products was
investigated by looking in detail the consumer behaviour and the process of
decision making. Also, factors influencing the buying behaviour of women
were reviewed with constraints such as attitudes, marketing mix elements
and branding. Whilst the study investigated the purchasing behaviour and
preferences of women in the clothing market it also explored women’s
influencing factors and purchasing characteristics.
Overall, majority of the respondents are aware of the ongoing recession and
there hasn’t been any drastic change in the way they shop for their clothes.
Even due to the economic downturn, the frequency of their purchasing still
remains the same. There is no set purchasing period; they generally
purchase when the need arises. Approximately half of the respondents from
high street shops and shopping malls, and one in three buy from charity
shops and supermarkets. Although supermarkets have entered this market
and serve the customers’ needs successfully, the value clothing retailers
dominate the scene. It is also noted that women purchase online from these
value retailers.
The clothing industry in the UK is facing a tough time during the downturns
as consumers in general are into cost-cutting. With stiff competition and
increasing prices retailers need to re-work their strategies to attract
customers. The right product mix, price contracts, branding, channel
management and customer value management all contribute to the
retailers strong market position. Through the primary research findings
women are brand conscious and retail brands give an otherwise
indistinguishable product a new identity. They serve as a mark, an
assurance of quality and allow the company concerned to charge a premium
for the products, of course, after consumer acceptance. The recent upsurge
in the value clothing market has had an impact on the overall UK clothing
market as retailers focus mainly on the growing trends in fashion and price.
It is evident from the summary of key findings that there is significant
increase in women purchasing even during this recessionary due to
Abundant disposable income available (Christopher 2000)
Older women benefited from government pensions (Guardian 2008)
Government funding the unemployed (BBC 2008)
To conclude, rise of value retailers is been growing and are affected by the
recession which has been beneficial for women as prices are reduced. The
evidence of the changes in women’s buying behaviour and purchasing
patterns has not diminished even during economic downturns.
6.1 Recommendations for clothing retailers
When a recession threatens the clothing industry, value retailers in
particular need to take decisive steps to understand the situation and what
it means for their future survival. Planning for a downturn maximises the
opportunities available, enabling the businesses to come through the bad
times re-energised and fit for the future.
Act decisively: With increased uncertainty and volatility during a recession
it is important to take tough decisions early. Focus relentlessly on the key
drivers of value and the key risks across the business. Retailers need to take
position of the down turn to take advantage of the competitors.
Cash is king: The retailers need to ensure that their finances and working
capital are in good order; protect their liquidity; re-examine their treasury,
financing, funding and pension exposures. Monitoring their performance
against financial and nonfinancial covenants, adopt hands on approach to
cash management.
Focus on cost base: Evaluate which products, customers and channels
create or destroy value. Focus on enhancing operational performance; go
for targeted rather than across the board cuts; extract better value; reduce
unnecessary complexity; look at whether their business model needs to
change during this recessionary period.
Plan for different scenarios: Retailers need to demonstrate agility and
flexibility; model a range of financial, operational and workforce scenarios
that reflect the impact of the downturn on the business; adapt quickly and
explore strategic options available.
Recognise the value of customers: Regular and clear communication
with customers is a key to the value clothing retailer. The need to identify
key marketing strategies and develop appropriate relationship with the
value customers – retaining and attracting the best people is critical to your
future.
6.2 Recommendation for future research
Research on women’s buying behaviour during a recessionary period in the
UK is still at its initial stage. This study is distinctive because it contributes
to the women’s buying behaviour towards value clothing products. However,
further studies related to these areas need to be continued in the future and
the following recommendations are:
This research report was developed and validated with a small
sample size of 100 respondents in Aberdeen city. Thus a larger
national sample would be desirable to have a clear understanding of
the UK clothing market including menswear and childrenswear in
detail.
As the majority of respondents were employed (students and retired
were included), a future research on unemployed women would give
a different perspective of women’s buying behaviour.
To get a better understanding of the current scenario, in-depth
interviews with retail outlet managers and customer service
assistants would add value and give a complete picture of women’s
attitude and buying preferences.
As the simple SPSS and triangulation method analysis hold the basic
statistical limitations, further research could include advanced
statistical tools such as hypothesis testing, correlation and analysis of
variance and chi-square analysis for a better output.
6.3 Overture
Thanks to the analysis, it can be assumed that from the past few years, the
value clothing market is likely to keep growing. Besides, the value clothing
products that are nowadays targeted by women will certainly know a great
development since the mentalities and especially men and children are
ready to consume those products.
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APPENDIX 1
QUESTIONNAIRE
Hello, I am Nilesh Kumar studying Msc. International Business at RGU. As a
part of my research project I am conducting a study on women’s buying
behaviour towards low value clothing products during a recessionary period
in the UK.
1. How often do you purchase clothes for yourself?
□ Weekly □ Fortnightly □ Monthly □ Yearly □ Others (Please state)
………
2. Where do you normally shop for your clothes? (Tick all that apply)
□ Shopping malls □ High street shops □ Retail/Factory outlets
□ Online shopping □ Others (Please state):
……………………………………
3. What do you look at when you shop for a clothing product?
(Tick all that apply)
□ Least expensive product □ Products within budget □ Place of purchase
□ None of these □ Others (Please state) …………………
4. Rate the characteristic below which affects/influences you during clothing
purchase
StronglyAgree
AgreeNeither agree
or disagree
Disagree Stronglydisagree
Price □ □ □ □ □Quality □ □ □ □ □
Discounts □ □ □ □ □Fashion □ □ □ □ □Store □ □ □ □ □
5. How many of your clothes are on sale/discounted when you buy them?
□ All of them □ Most of them □ Some of them □ None of them
Please state why? .
………………………………………………………………………………………
6. Are you aware of the recession that is happening in UK?
□ Yes □ No
7. Has the recession affected the way you shop for your clothes?
□ Yes □ No
8. Have your shopping habits for clothing changed due to recession?
□ Yes □ No
9. How far has your clothes shopping been affected by the recession? Tick
any one)
□ Very much affected □ Somewhat affected
□ Not much affected □ Not at all affected
Please state why? ...............................................................................
10. How often have you bought clothes for yourself during the last 3
months?
□ Weekly □ Fortnightly □ Monthly □ Others (Please state).................
11. Which of these do you buy the majority of your clothing? (Tick all that
apply)
Stores Last year Last 3 monthsASDA Tesco
Primark Debenhams
Matalan M&S Next
Peacocks John Lewis TK Maxx
12. How satisfied are you with the clothes that you buy from these stores?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………
13. Are you buying clothing differently now compared to the same time last
year?
□ More clothes □ Fewer clothes □ Same amount of clothes □ Don’t
know
Please state the reason? .......................................................................
14. What do you think is the reasons for the change in your shopping
habits?
□ Less money to spend on clothes
□ Dissatisfied with the quality of clothing available
□ Buying more expensive clothes
□ Others (Please mention):
…………………………………………………………………………..
15. Age
□ Less than 20 □ 21 to 30 □ 31 to 40 □ Above 40
If possible please state your actual age: …………………………..
……………………………….
16. Occupation
□ Employed □ Student □ Housewife □ Retired Others □ (Please state):
………
Thank you for spending your valuable time in filling my questionnaire and
helping me in the research process.
Note: If you are willing to participate in a focus group on this subject please
state name and a contact:
……………………………………………………………………………