What Consumers Look For When It Comes To Apparel
Research has shown that consumer buying behavior is
affected by four major factors; cultural, social, personal, and psychological.
Cultural factors are the most important factor in consumer behavior. It is the
most basic cause of a person’s wants and behavior.
These cultural factors are the one that causes us to have
certain wants. The type of culture we belong to and the way we perceive things
around us depends on our upbringing, places we have lived in, our norms and
values.
The same goes for social factors which are also very
important when it comes to consumer behaviour. Social factors include a
person’s family, friends, reference groups, role, and status in society. These
social factors can sometimes affect a person’s decision-making when it comes to
buying clothes as well.
Personal factors also play an important role in deciding
consumer behaviour while shopping for clothes. Personal factors such as age,
gender, occupation, income, personality etc all contribute to consumer
buying behavior while purchasing clothes.
The clothing industry is a highly competitive market.
With so many brands and models to choose from, it is hard for the consumer to
decide what type of clothes to buy. In order to understand what consumers like,
companies must first look at their target market and the type of people they
are trying to attract.
When we think about fashion trends, we often consider
color, fabric, and style. However, one of the most important factors that can
determine whether a garment is successful or not is the fit. A good fit can
make the difference between a garment looking great or looking awful and can
make all the difference to a customer who is trying to decide whether to buy it
or not.
Target Market
When starting out in the clothing industry, fashion
companies need to know who their target market will be (Young Men, Women in
Business, Senior Citizens etc). Knowing who you are going after allows your
company to develop an image that will attract these people. When developing
this image, companies will look at what products are most popular, what style
is currently trending and how much money people are willing to spend. Once you
have decided on your target market and who you want to attract, the next step
is figuring out how you’re going to get them interested in your product.
Consumer Behaviour
If we take a closer look at young men as a target market
and see what they like in their clothes, it can be concluded that young men
like clothes which fit well as opposed to older men who prefer loose fitting
clothes (Kanzi, 2010). Young men are also more attracted by different colours
and prints than older men.
Many factors that influence consumer behaviour have been
studied over the years. Important factors include consumer needs, motivation,
attitude and perception, learning and beliefs and values.
Consumer needs motivate consumer behaviour. The
consumer's needs are the basic concept in understanding buyer behaviour. Needs
are part of a hierarchy that ranges from basic physical needs such as hunger,
thirst, warmth and shelter to higher level psychological needs such as
self-esteem and self actualisation. Needs can also be categorised into two
categories:
1) Biogenic (based on biological drives)
2) Sociogenic (based on social drives)
When a need is not satisfied, it creates tension which
motivates the consumer to purchase products which will satisfy their unmet
need. For example if a person is hungry they may purchase food product to
satisfy their hunger. It is important for marketers to understand what needs
drive consumers because they will use these needs to appeal to them in their
marketing strategy.
The clothes you wear say a lot about your personality and
lifestyle. Clothes represent your taste, your style and your attitude towards
life. They can make or break your image in front of others (or yourself).
Unfortunately, most people do not pay attention to what
they wear in the morning – they don’t care. They wear anything they find lying
on their bed or wherever they store their clothes. They put no effort into
looking good and thus end up looking dull and boring.
But there are some who dress with great care – matching
colors, styles and themes, paying attention to every detail from shoes to
accessories. They care about how others perceive them and do everything in
their power to make a good impression on people around them. These people know
what looking good means for them and how to achieve it.
Thus, consider the cloth purchasing journey of your
customer as a whole and it becomes easier to design effective eCommerce
solutions. Pay attention to your customer, who they are and what they value.
You can use this information to make better strategic decisions with regards to
how you will market and sell your products online. Online clothing stores do
not need to abide by conventional rules; all that matters is that it positions
itself right so as to fit the needs of their target audience. Consumers will
flock the ones who understand them best.
The impact of the new kind of pattern for clothes is
rising. The impact on the market and people is also rising! It is not just a
pattern in the clothes but it is also as a sign to tell something about people.
If you want to be better designer, you should know this kind of pattern and how
people will react when they see different kinds of patterns.
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