Analysing the predictors of the young buyers' satisfaction in the e-retailing apparel sector

Abstract

PurposeAs satisfaction is one of the most important conditions for loyalty, this study aims to investigate the main factors affecting online satisfaction for buying clothes from the internet. In this research, the authors followed two main objectives: (1) to identify factors influencing online satisfaction and (2) to determine the importance of the main determinants that explain online satisfaction in the retailing clothing sector.Design/methodology/approachThe research combines qualitative and quantitative research methods. The authors used the focus group technique and a survey based on a questionnaire. For the first exploratory phase of the research, we conducted four focus groups with 21 women, 18–39 years old, who have at least two years experiences as online buyers and who made at least two acquisitions for clothing products in the past six months, from the same website. The purpose of this qualitative method was to understand the young women's perception about online satisfaction and to collect items to be included in the questionnaire. For the second quantitative phase of this study, the sample consisted of 241 participants. To analyse the data, two different types of inferential analysis were used: factor analysis (for identifying the factors that compose online customer satisfaction) and analysis of regression (to determine the most important factors that determine and predict online buyers' satisfaction).FindingsThe main results indicate that the significant factors determining a satisfactory experience in an e-retailing market are: good deal (savings), product expectations, customer service and website reputation.Originality/valueThe study is more relevant in the current pandemic context, when the consumer’s behaviour has changed and online shopping has substantially increased. The research can be used by companies that sell clothing on the internet and are interested in increasing their financial results and also their customers' satisfaction.

Web design and trust as moderators in the relationship between e-service quality, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty

“…The findings support that e-service quality is a significant predictor of customer satisfaction (Hypothesis 1), which provide resounding evidence to other studies (Ighomereho et al ., 2022; Bobalca et al ., 2021; Suhaily and Soelasih, 2017). It is quite logical that when e-retailers respond to customers’ complaints and concerns and provide individualized and personal services to meet their needs, they are more likely to be satisfied with the services.…”

“…Some recent studies found that e-SERVQUAL dimensions positively correlate with customer satisfaction and repurchase intention (Patwardhan and Pandey, 2021;Kulkarni et al, 2019;Rita et al, 2019). In online buying apparel, the researchers found that website reputation and service quality in e-retailing were significant predictors of satisfaction (Bobalca et al, 2021). In one of the recent studies on 318 e-channel users conducted in Nigeria, Ighomereho et al (2022) found that e-SERVQUAL dimensionswebsite appearance, ease of use, reliability, security, personalization, fulfillment and responsivenessare positively associated with customer satisfaction.…”

The Impact of Online Negative Reviews on Consumer Purchasing Intention in the Apparel Industry: The Mediating Role of Perceived Risk

“…The results of the analysis are presented in Table 3. Based on the statistical analysis results in Table 3, the analysis of the gender variable shows that females account for 82.2%, which is convincing given that females are the primary group for online clothing shopping (Bobalca et al, 2021). The analysis of the age variable indicates that the 18-30 age group constitutes 92.6% of the samples, suggesting a valuable segment with strong purchasing power and online shopping experience.…”

Strategies to Improve Customer Experience: A Case of an Online Shopping Platform in Indonesia

“…However, studies have shown that website design, a color used for design, information availability, and convenience are not important in modifying the level of online customer experience (Bobalca et al, 2021;Krasonikolakis et al, 2018;and Kumar & Anjaly,2017). Therefore, the researchers have further investigated how website design determines online customer experience towards online shopping platforms among university students.…”

“…It is recommended that the company should provide personalized service by using human and technological resources to manage activity with customers, as well as well-prepared customer service representatives to support these activities because customers prefer to be treated as per their expectations, unique and special (Bobalca et al, 2021). Moreover, customers tend to repurchase intention from online shopping platforms when they can easily change or return unsuitable items and quickly get personalization from the company (Raman, 2019).…”