Chapter 3

The Fashion Consumer and Organizational Buyer

Think of a fashion item that you bought recently

What was it? How did you find out about its availability? Did you consult with anyone else over this purchase? Where did you buy it from? When did you buy it? How did you pay for it? Would you buy it again?

Definition of consumer behaviour

... the decision process and physical activity individuals engage in when evaluating, acquiring, using or disposing of goods and services Loudon & Della Bitta

Consumer behaviour

Aims

Measurement

Describing

Understanding

Predicting

Fashion consumers Target markets Fashion channels Marketing mixes

Market Research methods

 Consumers can be buyers or users or both! Consumers can act as individuals or on behalf of an organisation Fashion designers have two markets the fashion buyer and the consumer

A model of consumer behaviour

The Decision Process

Psychological Factors

Sociological Factors

The consumer decision-making process

Perception of need

Information search

Evaluation of alternatives

Decision criteria

Purchase

Post-purchase evaluation

Post-purchase behaviour
Do we feel satisfied or dissatisfied? Did the product perform as expected? Better or worse? Marketing implications?

Types of Buying Decision Behaviour

Routine Response Behaviour Limited Problem Solving Extensive Problem Solving

Low-cost products
Frequent purchasing Low consumer involvement Familiar product class and brands Little thought, search or time given to purchase

More expensive products Infrequent purchasing High consumer involvement Unfamiliar product class and brands Extensive thought, search and time given to purchase

Psychological Factors
Perception Learning Motivation Attitudes Personality Lifestyles

Perception
Selective exposure Selective attention Selective distortion Selective retention

Learning
Knowledge of brands, sizes, stores, preferences Learn through experience
Learn through family and peers

Motivation
Self development Esteem Social Safety Physiological

Maslows hierarchy of needs

Personality
Lifestyle A.I.O. Self image
how we see ourselves

Ideal self image

how we like to see ourselves

Social self image

how we think we are seen

Ideal social self image

how we would like others to see us

Sociological factors
Social groups
Norms of dress

The family
Women buying mens underwear for them

Geodemographics

Socio-economic groups
Class A % 2.8 Descriptors Upper middle class Higher managerial, administrative and professional Middle class Intermediate managerial, administrative and professional

18.6

C1

27.5

Lower middle class Supervisory, clerical or junior managerial, administrative or professional

Skilled working class. Skilled manual workers Working class. Semi-skilled & unskilled manual workers Those at about the lowest level of subsistence. Includes most pensioners and the unemployed

C2 D

22.1 17.6

11.4

Opinion leadership
Influence exerted when a consumer is faced with choice Information is both sought from and/or given by the OL Fashion marketers create opinion leaders

Diffusion of Innovation
Speed at which new fashions are adopted Innovators 2.5%

Early adopters
Early majority Late majority Laggards

13.5%
34% 34% 16%

Consumer buying roles

Initiator Influencer Decider Buyer User