A Typology of Apparel Shopping Orientation Segments Among Female Consumers

The purposes of the study are (1) to segment female apparel shoppers into unique apparel shopping orientation groups; and (2) to develop a profile for each segment with respect to information sources, importance of store attributes, lifestyle activities, patronage behavior, and demographics. Data (N = 482) were collected via a questionnaire sent to a nationwide random sample of 1,400 females. By cluster analysis of apparel shopping orientation factors, three groups are identified: (1) Highly Involved Apparel Shopper (46%); (2) Apathetic Apparel Shopper (34%); and (3) Convenience-Oriented Catalog Shopper (20%). These three groups were then compared on several characteristics through multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and chi-square statistics. The results indicate that shopping orientations are a base for segmenting female apparel shoppers and these groups are unique in consumer buying characteristics. These characteristics include: (1) three factors of information sources (Store Fashion Service/Promotion, Fashion Publications, and Mass Media); (2) five factors of importance of store attributes (Store Personnel, Visual Image of Store, Customer Service, Easy Access, and Brand/Fashion); (3) two factors of lifestyle activities (Cultural and Grooming), and (4) other variables (patronage behavior, annual wardrobe expenditure, occupation, housing area and income).

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