FASHION BUYERS AND THEIR CUSTOMERS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CHOICE CRITERIA (RETAILING, CONSUMERS).
Item
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Title
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FASHION BUYERS AND THEIR CUSTOMERS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CHOICE CRITERIA (RETAILING, CONSUMERS).
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Identifier
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AAI8409393
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identifier
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8409393
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Creator
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GREENBERG, JEROME.
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Contributor
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Leon G. Schiffman
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Date
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1984
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Business Administration, Marketing
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Abstract
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This research explores the fundamental issue of the degree to which retail buyers of fashion merchandise are attuned to the wants of their target customers. In the course of this study, it was necessary to develop a methodology for identifying and quantifying those decision criteria used by the target customer groups, and then to compare these with the decision criteria used by the buyers.;Through use of the techniques of the Repertory Grid and Multidimensional Scaling, it was possible to accomplish the stated objectives and to create two empathy variables (Empscores). These Empscores, which measured the buyer's congruence, could then be compared with a series of independent variables.;With the cooperation of a major department store, a large-scale study was conducted during which the above methodology was empirically tested and demonstrated to be feasible. In-store interviews were carried out using matched samples consisting of customers of selected departments and the buyers responsible for those departments. Assistant buyers and department managers were also interviewed.;The data collection was carried out in two phases--the first involving a questionnaire with demographic and psychographic items, and the second phase utilizing the Repertory Grid method during which a group of eight dresses served as stimuli. Each of these two phases yielded separate Empscores, which were then designated Empscore A (attitudinal) and Empscore B (behavioral).;The formal hypotheses were presented in three groups: those relating to the customer sample itself, those concerned with aspects of the buyer/customer congruence issue, and those involving the customers' fashion choice criteria.;Customers fashion attitudes were summarized by three factors: fashion self-confidence, fashion conformity, and fashion involvement. These three factors were then tested against a series of demographic and store-related independent variables. A similar comparison was undertaken with customers' adopter categories.;The two Empscores furnished the input for testing the congruence of merchandisers with their target customers. Independent variables based on experience, position and department were examined for associations with the Empscores. In addition, these were compared with independent performance ratings of the merchandising personnel.;Analysis of customers' choice criteria indicated significant differences between the customers of the three departments, and a general finding that silhouette was the most important criterion for customers of all departments.;It is concluded that the analytical tools developed in this study have potential application in the selection, training and evaluation of fashion buyers, as well as offering a new insight into the purchase behavior of fashion consumers.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Business
