The importance of apparel product

attributes for teenaged buyers

Shailesh Kumar Kaushal

Abstract
The present paper is an attempt to examine the

personal interview. Through this study, an attempt is

significant factors of teenagers' apparel purchase

made to find out the effect of fashion apparels, in-

intentions in Lucknow. The main objective of the

store promotions, reference group, body cathexis and

research paper is to explore and conceptualize various

its influence on purchase of apparel by teenagers. For

factors, which influence the purchase patterns of

the purpose of analysis, statistical tools like Factor

teenagers. A questionnaire consisting of 43 items was

analysis, GRA & RIDIT have been used. Results of the

developed to measure the construct and its

study might be useful to academicians, apparel

dimensions. The first draft of the questionnaire was

manufacturers, and other applied researchers.

subject to a pilot testing through a focus group and an

expert evaluation. Data was gathered from 187

Keywords: Fashion apparels, Factor analysis, GRA &

teenagers and a structured questionnaire on a five-

RIDIT Analysis.

point rating (Likert scale) was administered by way of a

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The importance of apparel product attributes for teenaged buyers

45

46

Introduction:

the attributes determining overall acceptance of

The intention of this article is to present a descriptive

fashion apparel and accessories among Indian

approach to clothing brands purchasing behaviour and

consumers are significantly influenced by product

attitudes of teenagers in Lucknow. The purpose of the

attractiveness and price sensitivity. Purchase intent

study is to analyze the attitudes of teenagers towards

was influenced by overall appearance, brand appeal,

clothing brands from the viewpoint of fashion

and overall liking (Rajagopal, 2006a; Herrera-Corredor

apparels, in-store promotions, reference group, body

et al, 2007). Fashion apparel is largely penetrating in

cathexis and purchasing choice criteria. It has been

India through cross border (American) consumer

observed by some researchers that cultural values

influence. Out shoppers literally go extra miles to out

affect the purchase intentions of fashion apparel. In

shop for better quality and assortment of

societies that exhibit hedonic values, fashion apparel is

merchandise, higher quality of personal service, a

promoted by manufacturers and retailers to induce a

more pleasant shopping atmospherics, and more

sudden, compelling, socially complex buying

competitive prices (Guo and Wang, 2009). In-store

behaviour through promotional programs to increase

promotion techniques are employed to increase

disposable income by facilitating credit to the

unplanned purchases of products. The techniques

consumer (Venkatesh et al, 2010). Manufacturers and

include in-store settings, on-shelf positions, price-off,

retailers apply both push and pull strategies to make

sampling, point-of purchase displays, coupons,

promotions of fashion apparel effective and

demonstrations of samples to name a few. (Abratt and

advantageous to the consumers. Promotions targeted

Goodey1990) found out that unplanned shopping was

at final consumers, known as pull promotions, directly

to the tune of 14 per cent in toilet soaps, 24 per cent in

offer extra value to consumers, with the primary goals

fizzy drinks and 9 per cent in toothpastes. The study

of attracting consumers to retail locations and

concluded that stimulus responsible for unplanned

stimulating immediate sales. Though both push and

purchase was as follows: Sign on shelf: 54%, Price

pull promotions are designed to speed up the selling

14.5%, Special display 8%, Others 5%, POP 4.5%,

process and increase sales, at least in the short term,

Friend's suggestion 4%, End of Aisle display 3.5%, Ad

their strategic implications as well as their impacts on

recall 2%, Family suggestion 2%, Size/ package 1%,

fashion sales and profits are believed to be different.

Special Offer 1% and In-store advertisement 0.5%.

Such promotion led fashion retailing culture

Kessler (2004) points out that retailers worldwide are

stimulates fashion oriented attitudes, debt and

not only aware of their growing power, but flex their

spending behaviour on clothing among consumers

muscles and squeeze margins regularly. Brands

(Martin-Herran et al, 2010). Designer brands and

respond to this in a variety of ways and one of them is

departmental stores have redefined the strategies of

in-store marketing and display. Research by point of

retailing fashion apparel in India considering global-

purchase advertising institute (POPAI) has shown that

local buying preferences. The central and northern

75% of purchase decisions are made in-store.

regions of India have witnessed an increase in

Consumers have a profile of brands that they will

specialized apparel stores, which imposes new

consider purchasing and the choice of which one to

demands on manufacturers, wholesalers, and

buy is made at the moment of brand selection inside

consumers (Chavez, 2002). It has been observed that

the store. Reference Groups - Kollat, Blackwell and

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The importance of apparel product attributes for teenaged buyers

Engel (1970) define reference groups as follows:

cathexis. The paper would also try to analyze the

When an interacting group of persons or even a single

purchasing and spending patterns at the retail level

person influences the attitudes or behaviour of

and will make an effort to provide an insight into the

another individual, that group is said to be a reference

media that usually appeal to their psyche.

group for the influenced individual. The group serves

as an evaluation or normative point for the individual.

Literature review:

Body cathexis, as defined by LaBat and DeLong, is the

The literature review revealed many aspects of

evaluative dimension of body image and is defined as

teenagers' purchasing habits towards apparels.

positive and negative feelings toward one's body and

Clothing has frequently been recognized as a product

is an integral part of body image and self concept.

category likely to induce high involvement. In general

(LaBat's and DeLong's, 1990) study regarding the

terms, involvement is a state of motivation, arousal, or

relationship between body cathexis and satisfaction

interest. Personal relevance is a key concept in

with apparel fit revealed that, indeed, there is a

explaining, defining, and operationalizing involvement

positive relationship between satisfaction with the

(Kim, Damhorst and Lee 2002). Seo, Hatchote and

body and satisfaction with the fit of clothing. The

Sweaney (2001, p. 210) define clothing involvement as

current study attempts to test the relationship

the amount of time and effort a consumer spends in

between satisfaction with fit of clothing and fashion

the selection of clothing. Some researchers have

interest for teenagers. The results of the study by

examined fashion involvement as a multidimensional

(Shim, Kotsiopulos and Knoll, 1991) in which the men

construct that involves fashion innovativeness and

illustrated relationships between the body cathexis

early adoption, interpersonal communication about

and clothing attitude is a significant finding for the

fashion, fashion knowledge ability, and fashion

current research from which a prediction between the

awareness (Kim, Damhorst and Lee 2002). Consumers

satisfaction with fit and fashion interest variables is

vary greatly in their knowledge about a product and

made. The findings from the (Shim, et al. 1991) study

their degree of familiarity with it. Knowledge can come

may also prove significant in the relationship between

from product experiences, such as ad exposure,

store patronage and satisfaction with fit variables in

interactions with salespeople, information from

the current study as those that have higher levels of

friends or the media, previous consumption and usage

satisfaction with fit are more likely to be more involved

experiences (O'Cass 2001b). When consumers form an

in fashion and will have more discriminatory tastes in

attitude toward the product, they make evaluative

where to shop for clothing.

associations between the product and its attributes.

Some of those attributes may be utilitarian - such as

This paper is an attempt to gain an insight into the

durability or comfort - or hedonic - such as colour,

purchase intention and the vital factors that influence

fashion ability, or styling (Kim, Damhorst and Lee

teenage behaviour. The paper is an honest endeavour

2002). Beaudion, Moore, and Goldsmith (1998)

which will throw light on the significant aspects that

analyzed the attitudes toward buying domestic and

the marketer can afford to ignore only at his own risk.

imported apparel products using a selection of

Some of these issues discussed are: fashion apparels,

attributes: good fit, durability, ease of care, good price,

in-store promotions, reference group, and body

comfort, quality, choice of colour, attractiveness,

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fashionableness, brand name, appropriateness for

shopping malls in the past even if they had not made

occasion, and choice of styles. Brand image of the

any purchases. A total of 200 responses were collected

clothing store is particularly critical. Previous studies

from the field and 187 responses were used for the

found that some attributes like fashion and style of

final analysis after data filtration. Respondents were

clothing, store design and layout, price, quality of the

selected from two shopping malls - Saharaganj and Fun

clothes, refund and exchange policy, company

Republic at Lucknow. The questionnaires were

reputation, selection of clothes, knowledge and

personally hand-delivered to teenagers at shopping

friendliness of staff were particularly important to

malls. The questionnaire was developed with the help

consumers (Birtwistle and Freathy 1998; Partolese and

of literature, consultation with academicians and

Dias 2003). When we are talking about fashion

teenagers. Respondents were asked to rate 43

clothing consumption, we should take some

statements relating to apparels. Responses to all the

dimensions into consideration: fashion consciousness,

statements in the questionnaire were measured on a

individual orientation, status orientation, style opinion

five-point Likert scale, ranging from 1= strongly

leadership, price orientation and shopping habits (Seo,

disagree to 5= strongly agree. Demographic

Hathcote and Sweaney 2001, p.210). Therefore,

information such as gender, age, and income was also

shopping involves many dimensions, and it is an

collected. The validation of the survey instrument was

important function of the consumers' choice of clothes

checked through pilot testing of 50 respondents and

(Seo, Hathcote and Sweaney 2001). Informational

variables were finalized after ensuring a balanced

sources such as print media, commercial broadcast,

approach and objectivity of the survey. A proposed

word of mouth, and store displays are generally used

hypothetical model was developed for the purpose of

to ascertain information about clothing. Mass media

applying exploratory factor analysis. After factor

has been found to be the dominant information source

analysis, we have used two techniques i.e., RIDIT and

for the younger age group (Lumpkin 1985; Shim and

Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) in the paper. The study

Kotsiopoulos1992).

was carried out during summer 2011. Collected data

was processed in the statistical software package of

Respondents' Profile:

SPSS-17.

The profiles of respondents are as follows in Table-1.

Analysis and Discussions: To get an idea of prominent
Table-1: Respondents' profile

factors for purchasing apparel, the following 43 pre-

Objective of the Study: To know teenagers' purchasing

decided statements have been used:

intentions towards purchase of apparel.

Table-2: Statements on fashion apparels

48

Material and Methods: In order to measure the

Exploratory factor analysis: An exploratory factor

purchase intentions of teenagers for fashion apparel,

analysis was carried out to determine the various

respondents including both males and females in the

motivational factors of visiting malls in Lucknow.

age group 14-18 years were selected. The method of

Principal Component analysis was employed for

purposive sampling was employed whereby the

extracting factors and orthogonal rotation with

respondents had to fulfil the criteria of having visited

Varimax was applied. As latent root criterion was used

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The importance of apparel product attributes for teenaged buyers

for extraction of factors, only the factors having latent

conscious buyer. The third factor, reference group

roots or Eigen values greater than one were

buyer, explained 14.265% of the variance and was

considered significant; all other factors with latent

constructed by two scale items, which were primarily

roots less than one were considered insignificant and

associated with friends and parents. Finally, the fourth

disregarded. The extracted factors along with their

factor, body cathexis buyer, explained 8.255 % of the

Eigen values are shown in Table-2.

variance, and encompassed two items. Varimax

rotated factor analysis results for teenagers' apparel

Table-3: Exploratory factor analysis results

purchase intentions are shown in Table-2 which

The factors have been given appropriate names on the

indicates that after 4 factors are extracted and

basis of variables represented in each case. The names

retained, the communality is 0.863 for variable1, 0.784

of the factors, the statements, the labels and factor

for variable 2 and so on. It means that approximately

loading have been summarized in Table-3. There are

65.017% of the variance of variable1 is being captured

four factors each having Eigen value exceeding one for

by 4 extracted factors together. The proportion of the

shopping motivational factors. Eigen values for four

variance in any one of the original variables which is

factors are 4.936, 2.735, 1.932 and 1.532 respectively.

being captured by the extracted factors is known as

The remaining 43 items were again subjected to EFA

communality (Nargundkar, 2002).

and a final four-factor model was estimated, while

none of the items exhibited low factor loadings (<0.40)

Grey Relational Analysis: A system having incomplete

or high cross-loadings (>0.40). The four-factor solution

information is called Grey system. Grey relation is the

accounted for 65.017% of the total variance, and

relation with incomplete information (Chih-Hung Tsai,

exhibited a KMO measure of sampling adequacy of

2003). Grey relational analysis is a highly effective

0.652. It is a pretty good extraction because we are

method for determining how a discrete data sequence

able to economize on the number of choice factors

is related to other data sequence. Data for grey

(from 43 to 4 underlying factors) while we lost 34.893%

relational analysis must meet the following

of information content for choice of variables. The

requirements: non-dimension, scaling, and

percentages of variance explained by factors one to

polarization. Grey relational analysis is a method to

four are 23.424, 19.163, 14.265 and 8.255

analyze the relational grade for discrete sequences.

respectively. Large communalities indicate that a large

Grey relational analysis is unlike the traditional

number of variances have been accounted for by the

statistics analysis handling the relation between

factor solutions. The first factor, fashion apparel buyer,

variables. Some of the drawbacks of the latter are: (i) it

accounted for the largest proportion, that is, 23.424%

must have plenty of data; (ii) data distribution must be

of the total explained variance.

This factor was

typical; (iii) a few factors are allowed and can be

defined by four scale items and was primarily related

expressed functionally. But Grey relational analysis

to the fashion apparel buyer. The second factor,

requires less data and can analyze many factors that

promotion conscious buyer, explained 19.163% of the

can overcome the disadvantages of statistics method

variance and was constructed by three scale items,

(Chih-Hung Tsai, 2003). Grey Relational Analysis (GRA)

which were primarily associated with the concept of

is used in order to build a ranking and suggest a best

providing promotion to customers, namely, promotion

choice on a set of alternatives. Through GRA, a Grade

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The importance of apparel product attributes for teenaged buyers

49

Relation Grade (GRG) is obtained to evaluate the

3. Compute the difference data series.

multiple performance characteristics (Kuang, 2008).

The validity of traditional statistical analysis
techniques is based on assumptions such as the

4. Find the global maximum value max and minimum

distribution of population and variances of samples.

value min in the difference data series.

Nevertheless sample size will also affect the reliability

and precision of the results produced by traditional
statistical analysis techniques. J. Deng argued that
many decision situations in real life do not conform to
those assumptions, and may not be financially or

5. Transform each data point in each difference data

pragmatically justified for the required sample size.

series to grey relational coefficient. Let yi (j)

Making decisions under uncertainty and with

represent the grey relational coefficient of the j

insufficient or limited data available for analysis is

data point in the ith difference data series, then

th

actually a norm for managers in either public or private

sectors. To address this problem, J. Deng developed
the grey system theory, which has been widely
adopted for data analysis in various fields.

Where
series.

is the

value in

difference data

is a value between 0 and 1. The coefficient is

The grey relational analysis introduced in the following

used to compensate the effect of max should max be an

section is a method in grey system theory for analyzing

extreme value in the data series. In general, the value

discrete data series. A procedure for the grey relational

of

can be set to 0.5.

analysis, which is appropriate for Likert scale data

analysis, consists of the following steps.
1. Generate reference data series

6. Compute grey relational grade for each difference

data series. Let

represent the grey relational

th

grade for the i scale item and assume that data

points in the series are of the same weights, then

Where m is the number of respondents, the xo

reference data series consists of m values representing
the most favoured responses.
2. Generate comparison data series

The magnitude of

reflects the overall degree of

th

standardized deviance of the i original data series

from the reference data series. In general, a scale item

50

Where i = 1........ k. k is the number of scale items. So

with a high value of

there will be k comparison data series and each

as a whole, have a high degree of favoured consensus

comparison data series contains m values.

on the particular item.

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indicates that the respondents,

The importance of apparel product attributes for teenaged buyers

7. Sort

values into either descending or ascending

order to facilitate the managerial interpretation of

'strongly disagreed' to the 'strongly agreed' in the

scale, and then RIDIT analysis goes as follows:

the results.
1. Compute Ridits for the reference data set.
RIDIT Analysis: The RIDIT analysis is an acronym

a) Select a population to serve as a reference data set.

('Relative to an Identified Distribution') plus the

For a Likert scale survey, the reference data set can

productive suffix '-it' denotes a transformation"

be the total responses of the survey, if the

(Bross, 1981). We may quote the inventor of this

population cannot be easily identified.

analysis to understand its meaning and relevance: - "In

1950s studies of crash-injuries in highway accidents,
the response variable used a graded scale (e.g., none,
minor, moderate, severe, fatal). The common practice

b) Compute frequency? fj for each category of

responses, where j = 1, 2, n.
c) Compute mid-point accumulated frequency Fj for
each category of responses.

in analysis of contingency table data then (and

sometimes now) was to avoid empty cells by collapsing
to a dichotomous scale (e.g., nonfatal, fatal). In an
effort to avoid losing information in this way, Ridit
analysis is used, which involves a simple empirical
cumulative probability transformation of the entire

Where j =2, 3, ..n.

scale. Fleiss et al. (1979) have reported that Ridit

analysis begins with the identification of a population

(d) Compute Ridit value Rj for each category of

to serve as a standard or reference group. Virtually the

responses in the reference data set.

only assumption made in Ridit analysis is that the

discrete categories represent intervals of an
underlying , but unobser vable, continuous
distribution. Given the distribution of any other group

Where j =1, 2, 3, ..n.

over the same categories, the mean Ridit for that

N is the total number of responses from the Likert scale

group may be calculated. The resulting mean value is

survey of interest. By definition, the expected value of

interpretable as a probability. In summary, Ridit

R for the reference data set is always 0.5.

analysis provides a simple alternative or adjunct to

rank order statistical analysis, and may be viewed as

2. Compute Ridits and mean Ridits for comparison

adding an intuitively appealing, descriptive element to

data sets. Note that a comparison data set is

it. RIDIT analysis was first proposed by I. Bross and has

comprised of the frequencies of responses for each

been applied to business management and behaviour

category of a Likert scale item. Since there are m Likert

studies. RIDIT analysis is "distribution free" in the

scale items in this illustration, there will be m

sense that it makes no assumption about the

comparison data sets.

distribution of the population under study. Algorithm

for RIDIT Analysis (Chien-Ho Wo, 200 7): Suppose there

a) Compute Ridit value

are m items and n ordered categories listed from the

items.

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for each category of scale

The importance of apparel product attributes for teenaged buyers

51

2. A low value of

is preferred over a high value of

because a low value of

Where i =1, 2, 3, ..m.

probability of being in a negative propensity.

is the frequency of category j for the

and

indicates a low

scale item,

is a short form for the summations of

3. The response patterns of scale items with

overlapped confidence intervals of

are considered,

among the respondents, to be statistically indifferent

frequencies for scale item i across all categories, i.e.

from each other.

Grey Relational Analysis
b) Compute mean Ridit

for each Likert scale item.

c) Compute confidence interval for

When the size

1. Generate reference data series x0.

2. Generate comparison data series xi.

of the reference data set is very large relative to that of

any comparison data set, the 95% confidence interval
of any

is:

Table-4: Apparels data set (187cases)

For ease of explanation of the computation procedure
for grey relational analysis, 187 cases in the data table

d) Test the following hypothesis using Kruskal-Wallis

were used. In Table 4, xo is the reference data series.

statistics W.

Because the apparel scale is a five-point Likert scale, xo

is set to contain values of 5, x1-x19 is the original
comparison data series which contains responses of
the respondents.

W follows a

distribution with (m1) degree of

Table-5: Difference data series

freedom. If

cannot be accepted, examine the

From Table - 5, it can be seen that max = 4 and min =

relationships among confidence intervals of

The

general rules for interpreting the values of

are

shown below.

Table-6: Grey Relational Grade

1. A scale item with its

value statistically deviate

from 0.5 implies a significant difference in the

response patterns between the reference data set and
the comparison data set for the particular scale item. If
the confidence interval of a
accepted that the
deviate from 0.5.

52

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0 across 187 cases.

contains 0.5, then it is

value does not significantly

Table-5 can then be transformed to grey relational

coefficients shown in Table-6. values represent the
degrees of agreement to scale items. A large value
represents a high degree of agreement. According to
the magnitude of the values of scale items shown in
Table-5, the scale items can be arranged in the
following order. From this order, it can be said that, in

The importance of apparel product attributes for teenaged buyers

general, the respondents as a whole expect more good

Table-10: GRA and RIDIT Comparative ranking

things to happen. However, in reality the respondents

It is interesting to observe from Table -10 that 4 out of

are more optimistic than pessimistic. The values are

19 ranks as assigned by two techniques are matching.

calculated from the entire apparel data set.

Table -10 shows that the top most reason for selecting
apparels based on the findings is salesperson

RIDIT Analysis: The first step in doing RIDIT analysis is

behaviour. It is followed closely by the fact that

to identify a reference data set to calculate the Ridits.

teenagers are influenced by celebrities. The third

important reason is the shopping mall where

Table-7: RIDITS for the reference data set

teenagers can get a variety of colours, designs and

The whole survey data on apparel is chosen as the

discounted apparels.

reference data set. The frequencies of the responses

are shown in Table - 7. The last row of Table - 7 shows

Discussion and managerial implications:

Prior

the Ridits of the reference data set for each ordered

research has called for identifying and investigating

category. The Ridit value is 0.93 for the category

the teenagers' apparel purchasing intentions, which

"strongly agrees".

are likely to vary across retail shopping formats and

occasions. Our findings reveal fashion apparel buyer,

Table-8: RIDIT for the comparison data sets

promotion conscious buyer, reference group buyer

and body cathexis buyer to be important factors that
drive teenagers to shop in India.
The first dimension of our study is fashion apparel
buyers: In view of increasing competition among
fashion apparel providers, managers may choose to
assist teenagers in making dynamic shopping decisions

Since the Kruskal-Wallis (W) = 206.448 is significantly

by establishing price-value relationship to affirm their

greater than

it can be inferred that

purchase intentions. Fashion apparel providers may

the opinions about the scale items among the

also attract teenagers on multiple retail channels like

respondents are statistically different somehow.

catalogues, web sites and e-bay. Multi-channel

retailing outlets including catalogue and virtual outlets

Table-9: GRA Grades and RIDIT Values

on the Internet offer quick product search,

Table -8 along with 19 parameters are used. The

comparative data of products, price, promotion,

findings have been sorted as warranted by the

availability and additional services to shoppers, and

respective analysis (Chien-Ho, 2007), so as to compare

build shopping motivation. Managers of fashion stores

the rankings of the scale items for their degree of

must understand that shopping behaviour among

importance or agreement. It is observed that there is

teenagers is governed by various platforms such as

positive correlation between the two methods used

credit incentives, referrals, and shopping motivations.

for prioritizing the factors.

Fashion brands should be able to develop platforms

that successfully connect various groups of teenagers

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The importance of apparel product attributes for teenaged buyers

53

with shopping interests. Arousal among teenagers

Furthermore, the third dimension is reference group

plays a key role in buying decisions.

buyer: Although teenagers seem to be more

independent in apparel purchasing, parents are found

Similarly, the second dimension is promotion

to be significant influencers of apparel purchase

conscious buyer: A company may also need to

decisions. Not only were parents the reference group

consider emphasizing an integrated promotion

with which the teenagers most often shopped, but

strategy for new brands with reference to attributes,

parents most often gave advice about apparel

awareness, trial, availability and repeat principle. One

purchases, helped make the final decision on

of the challenges for the manager of a retail store is to

purchases, and were seen by the teenagers as knowing

enhance the in-store ambience to influence the

the best apparel purchases appropriate.

teenagers for prolonged stay in the store for apparel

teenagers indicated that friends most often gave them

shopping and explore the zone of experience of new

advice about apparel purchases and teenagers think

products. Systematically explored preferences of

that their friends' opinions matter most when

teenagers and arousal driven retailing approach

shopping for apparels. In this instance, although

towards apparel would be beneficial for a company to

friends' opinions appear to be more important, they

derive a long term profit optimization strategy over

are however, not as important as the respondent's

the period. This needs careful attention and the

personal opinion. (Lewis, et al. 1995) also found the

application of managerial judgment and experience to

peer group to be a significant influencer, even more

generate teenager arousal and develop appropriate

significant than parents, of how the respondents

point of sales strategies for stimulating the buying

chose to dress. Due to the findings of previous

decision. Appropriate promotional strategies

research, it is surprising that friends' opinions were not

considering the economic and relational variables

as significant as expected.

Some

discussed in the study may be developed by the

54

managers upon measuring the intensity of leisure

The fourth dimension is body cathexis buyers:

shopping and the scope of expanding the tenure of

Teenagers were analyzed for satisfaction with fit.

leisure shopping in view to maximize consumer

Apparels can be used to bring us closer to our ideal self;

satisfaction and increase the volume of sales. The

however, when it does not, a lack of confidence can

promotional effects generated from various

result as deficiencies are attributed to the body rather

promotional programs may be monitored for longer

than to the fit of clothing (Storm, 1987). In this study,

periods of time and measured with reference to

teenagers covered in the study were least satisfied

achieving the long-term goals of fashion apparel

with the fit of clothing to lower body parts including

manufacturing and marketing firms. At times, fashion

pant length, crotch, thigh, buttocks, and hips. An

stores also need to alter their promotion, advertising

explanation for the inconsistency may be due to the

and merchandising strategies to better respond to the

fact that teenagers have not quite physically matured

preferences of potential teenagers. Thus, sales

and therefore, their bodies may not better fit the

promotion programs should be strategically

apparel industry's standard measurements. Under the

conceived considering long term effects on volume of

present study, teenagers were satisfied with the fit of

sales and building loyalty among teenagers.

upper body garments. It should be noted that t-shirts

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The importance of apparel product attributes for teenaged buyers

were the apparel item with which majority of the

apparels. The insight gained from this study could help

teenagers were satisfied. It appears that majority of

apparel manufacturers to: Understand teenagers'

the teenagers are most likely to be comfortable in a t-

selection criteria when purchasing apparel, plan their

shirt and jeans ensemble.

merchandise mix more efficiently, and plan their instore promotional messages and strategies better. This

Conclusion: Trends in the apparel industry are

information could also be used for the development of

changing rapidly and marketers are not always certain

a theoretical model towards understanding teenagers'

about how the market will accept the latest trend. This

apparel purchasing decisions. There is a definite lack in

study discusses the teenagers' purchasing intention

theoretical knowledge in the models that explain what

towards apparel with reference to fashion apparels, in-

is important to teenagers concerning apparel purchase

store promotions, reference group and body cathexis

decisions, and specifically how they make trade-offs

that mediate the teenagers' behaviour. An

between various product attributes when purchasing

understanding of teenagers' buying behaviour, and

decisions for apparel are made. Marketers may find it

specifically of what teenagers value when apparel

useful to investigate the possibility of using the

purchase decisions are made, can be of great value to

attribute importance construct as a means of

marketers. The results of this study indicate that

segmenting future markets. Studies in this field could

fashion is the most important attribute of apparel to

investigate the differences in attribute importance for

teenagers when making purchasing decisions, with

apparel among teenagers in various cultural groups.

designer brands being the second most important

Studies could also be done to determine how

attribute. In-store promotion, reference group and

teenagers value various attributes in clothing items

body cathexis also play very important roles to buy the

before purchases are made.

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Appendix:
Table-1: Respondents' profile

Table-2: Statements on fashion apparels

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Table-3: Exploratory factor analysis results

Note: Extraction Method Principal Component Analysis, Rotation Method Varimax with Kaiser Normalization
2
KMO (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy) = 0.633, Bartlett's Test of Sphericity: p = 0.000 (x =
1960.958, d.f = 903)
Abbreviations: F.A.B- Fashion Apparel Buyer, P.C.B Promotion Conscious Buyer, R.G.B- Reference Group Buyer,
B.C.B Body Cathexis Buyer.

Table-4: Apparels data set (187cases)

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Table-5: Difference data series

Table-6: Grey Relational Grade

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Table-7: RIDITS for the reference data set

Table-8: RIDIT for the comparison data sets

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Abbreviations: S.D-Strongly agree, D-Disagree, N-Neutral, A-Agree, S.A- Strongly agree

Table-9: GRA Grades and RIDIT Values

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Table-10: GRA and RIDIT Comparative ranking

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Dr. S. K. Kaushal is an Assistant Professor in Department of Business Administration at the University of

Lucknow. He has more than 10 years of experience in academe. He has published more than 30 research
papers in various national and international journals. His area of specialisation is Statistics, Research
Methodology and Operations Research. He conducts workshop on Multivariate Data Analysis and
Structural Equation Modelling (AMOS). Dr. Kaushal can be reached at [email protected]

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ISSN: 0971-1023
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The importance of apparel product attributes for teenaged buyers