Shopping orientation and online clothing purchases: the role of gender and purchase situation

Abstract

PurposeThis paper seeks to investigate shopping orientation and online clothing purchases across four different gender‐related purchasing contexts. A conceptual model for understanding the impact of shopping orientation on consumer online clothing purchase is proposed and tested both in a general setting and across purchasing contexts.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaires were distributed to 1,150 Danish household addresses by use of the “drop‐off‐call‐back” survey method. A total of 441 households returned usable responses from either one or both adults in the household. Most adults provided responses with respect to purchasing clothing for themselves and for their partner, making a total of 906 cases distributed across the four purchasing contexts. T‐tests and linear structural equation modelling were utilised to investigate expectations and hypotheses.FindingsThe results support the expected differences in men's and women's shopping orientations and willingness to purchase clothing online. On average, consumers indicate that reduced difficulty in selecting items is sorely needed when purchasing clothing online. However, when evaluated across different purchasing situations, perceived difficulty in selecting items is an important action barrier only for women. Less fun significantly affected online clothing purchases for men purchasing clothing for themselves, but not for women doing the same.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research may seek to verify the proposed conceptual model using a range of specific clothing items across different purchasing situations. Future research may also expand the model by suggesting other influencing factors on consumers' online clothing purchasing.Practical implicationsIn order to attract more men, online clothing retailers should improve perceived online fun, whereas difficulty in selecting items should be reduced in order to attract more women.Originality/valueThe study is unique in the sense that it investigates online clothing behaviour across four different gender‐related purchasing contexts.

Gamification and the online retail experience

“…For retailers in industries such as fashion, the context of this research, this focus on utilitarian motivations is particularly challenging in sectors where online retailers face difficulties recreating the more sensory experience of apparel shopping (Elliott, 2002). Since clothes are an experiential product, the lack of physical contact, uncertainty about product quality or inability to provide the atmosphere experienced in-store have been deterrents to customers purchasing online (Hansen and Jensen, 2009). The adoption of gamification strategies by fashion retailers can therefore be a response to this challenge, and an attempt to build effective customer experiences online as well as offline.…”

Online Shopping Orientation and Purchase Behavior for High-Touch Products

“…Some previous studies have found that online shopping reduces the costs of information search and makes it is easier to find less expensive items 6,19 . Jensen indicates that consumers are particularly sensitive to price fluctuations during economic recessions 15 .…”

“…They segment off-line shoppers into fearful conservatives, shopping averters, and technology-muddlers. These orientations are important in relating customer preferences to different shopping channels 6 .…”

“…Socks are used as the example in this study. Three shopping orientations (convenience, recreation and price) are drawn from previous studies as a means examining influences on consumers' online sock purchases 6,9 . Figure 1 shows our conceptual framework.…”

Social media as a source of information about products and services in the light of cross-cultural research in China, Poland and United States / Media społecznościowe jako źródło informacji o produktach i usługach w świetle badań międzykulturowych w Chinach, Polsce i Stanach Zjednoczonych

“…There are some groups and categories of products and services which are particularly interesting for the users of the Internet, including SM, both in terms of searching for information as well as online shopping. In the group of goods one of the top categories are clothing and shoes as well as broadly defined fashion [Hansen, Jensen 2009]. They are more often more expensive products and buying them requires spending larger sums of money.…”