Jain, Namrata and Karnad, Vishaka
Fashion trend analysis and consumerism in the fashion industry is a foray in market research. Big brands are scurrying to large organizations such as the Worth Global Style Network, Promostyl, Fashion Forward Trends, etc. to base their fashion research and product design process. This directs young researchers and entrepreneurs as well, to undertake similar studies focusing on consumer buying behavior before product development.
An online tool was used to comprehend consumers’ garment buying behavior including aspects of age group, occupation, income, preferences for formal wear, frequency of use, criteria for brand selection, pattern of formal wear, motivating factors for purchase of formals. Use of Google forms facilitated quick response towards data collection. Shirts and trousers were found to be the most preferred garments in Mumbai especially branded western formals for reasons of comfort and value for money. Past experience and price were important criteria for brand loyalty. Urge for variety fascinates consumers to look out for different brands as well. Fit of garments was the most important motivational factor in the choice of western formals. There is an ever-growing demand for innovations in cut and styles, designs and patterns, color and fabric. The rising fashion consciousness at work place has turned women’s formal wear segment into a lucrative and highly evolving market thus providing space for new entrepreneurs to become a part of this developing sector.
Vast contemplations are possible by using online data collection tools. The paper presents findings of a survey conducted to understand psychographics and consumer buying preferences and its relation to the present market scenario in India highlighting the influential factors for consumerism in women’s western formal wear.
Keywords: Fashion | online forms | consumer buying behavior
Introduction
Where world is going virtual, Online surveys are a great way to engage our audience and get feedback from them. Online surveys can be used in number of ways, like to get product feedback, conduct consumer research and market research, get customer service feedback, gauge employee satisfaction and plenty of other uses!
Fashion like architecture, is one of the most visible sign of civilization. The choice of clothing is perhaps the single most obvious reflection of a person’s identity and culture. The emphasis on uniqueness has made creativity in design of utmost important. With rapid urbanization and increasing working class, the ‘price sensitive’ Indian consumers are now shopping more frequently giving rise to consumerism. With the changing mindsets and more number of women joining corporate world, western formal wear is dominating shop shelves.
Consumer research provides information about consumer characteristics and consumer behavior. Research on demographics focuses on understanding characteristic of consumer group such as age, sex, marital status, income, occupation, ethnicity and geographical location. Psychographic characteristic of consumer group includes buying habit, attitude, values, motives, preferences, personality, and leisure activity. Demographic information help describe who the consumer group is, while psychographic information help explain why costumer maker a particular choice.
An online survey is a questionnaire that the target audience can complete over the Internet. Online surveys are usually created as Web forms with a database to store the answers and statistical software to provide analytics.
Google Form is one the tools available from Google Docs collection. They can be a useful tool to help you plan events, send a survey, give students a quiz, or collect other information in an easy, streamlined way.
Techopedia explains Online Survey as “Companies often use online surveys to gain a deeper understanding of their customers’ tastes and opinions. Like traditional surveys, online surveys can be used in two basic ways: To provide more data on customers, including everything from basic demographic information (age, education level and so on) to social data (causes, clubs or activities the customer supports) To create a survey about a specific product, service or brand in order to find out how consumers are reacting to it. In contrast to traditional surveys, online surveys offer companies a way to sample a broader audience at a lower cost”.