Toward a Model of the In-Store Purchase Decision Process: Consumer Use of Criteria for Evaluating Women's Apparel

Abstract

To identify criteria considered by consumers while making garment purchase decisions, free response interviews of 80 female customers were conducted at point of purchase in two specialty apparel stores. Subjects described the criteria they used to evaluate a garment they had tried on. The most important criteria for apparel assessment were related to aesthetics. Comparison of responses of customers who purchased and customers who did not purchase their garments revealed that different criteria had primary effects in two stages of the purchase process. During the Interest phase, color/pattern, styling, and fabric were most critical in influencing selection of garments from the display racks. Fit, styling, and appearance on the body were more important in determining rejection or adoption of the garments during the Trial phase in the dressing rooms. The research begins to fulfill a need for store intercept data collection, study of free responses minimally shaped by the researcher, and development of theoretical models of the apparel purchase process.

¿Qué atributos busca el consumidor en prendas de vestir? Un análisis aplicado al mercado de la indumentaria en Argentina. What does the consumer look for? An analysis of clothing market in Argentina

“…Con respecto a la etapa del proceso de compra, Eckman et al (1990) plantean que existen al menos dos etapas: etapa de interés y etapa de prueba, las cuales repercuten en la decisión efectiva de compra (o no compra), que constituiría la tercera etapa. En la figura 2 se sintetiza la clasificación de Eckman et al (1990).…”

Apparel shopping behaviour – Part 1: Towards the development of a conceptual theoretical model

“…This is a model developed in South African and is apparel related. Model of In-Store Apparel Purchase Decision Process (Eckman et al, 1990). This simplified model focusses on the three stages of the in-store decision-making process, viz.…”

“…De Klerk (1999), Damhorst (1991) and Shim (1998) stated that researchers should place issues and concepts in the context of a theoretical framework in order to contribute to the understanding of markets, consumers and marketing dynamics. The renewed interest of consumer behaviourists in theory development and a scientific approach to the testing of theory has been emphasised by several researchers (Cowles & Crosby, 1986;Eckman et al, 1990;Nagasawa, Kaiser & Hutton, 1989). Damhorst (1991) is of the opinion that models and theories are equally important to scientific progress.…”

“…One of the major reasons is that the existing models lack the comprehensiveness (for example De Klerk, 1999;Eckman et al, 1990;Schiffman & Kanuk, 2000) to identif y the majority of the variables affecting the purchase decision-making process for apparel products. These models focus on the decision-making process, rather than on the variables moderating or influencing the process.…”

“…Various consumer decision-making models (Engel, Blackwell & Miniard, 1995;Schiffman & Kanuk, 2000), as well as consumer behaviour models with an apparel perspective (De Klerk, 1999;Eckman, Damhorst & Kadolph, 1990;Sproles, 1979), have been documented in the past. These models will be used as a point of departure, as no integrated apparel shopping behaviour model that emphasises process variables could be identified for the South African apparel consumer in a multicultural society.…”