People who buy clothes online aren't necessarily clotheshorses or shopping addicts, according to a new study conducted by Florida State University researchers. They do, however, perceive an advantage to buying clothes online - its convenience and low cost - and have a positive predisposition toward e-commerce.
The study, "Buying Apparel over the Internet," was conducted by marketing Professor Ronald E. Goldsmith, who is the FSU Richard M. Baker Professor of Marketing, and textiles and consumer sciences Professor Elizabeth B. Goldsmith. It has been published in the Journal of Product and Brand Management, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2002.
Their study compared people who had bought clothes online with people who had not. The study showed online buyers had a basic want and need for clothing, but beyond that were more comfortable with the Internet.
"Online buyers used the Internet more hours per week and reported they were more likely to buy online in the future than non-buyers," said Elizabeth B. Goldsmith.
However, online buyers were no more likely than non-buyers to shop for clothes by other means, to enjoy shopping in general or to spend money buying clothes.
People who had not bought clothes online were found to distrust their own abilities to successfully buy a product online and the safety of the transaction.
The study found that age, sex and race were not determining factors of who might or might not buy clothes online.
The study suggests that marketers could increase online sales by emphasizing the differences between online and in-store buying, not pretending the two experiences are the same.
"To attract apparel buyers to Web sites, e-marketers might focus on emphasizing the added advantages of fun, speed and safety," Ronald E. Goldsmith said. "They should first ensure that their sites are fun to use, load rapidly with prompt post-sale delivery of ordered merchandise, and are completely safe to use."
The study suggests that price discounts may be a good strategy to get people who don't buy online to do so. Both online buyers and non-buyers thought that online purchases often are cheaper than buying clothes in a store. It also suggests retailers could offer in-store demonstrations of how to buy online to people who are less comfortable with the practice.
However, retailers should continue to promote their stores as vital, perhaps by reminding their online buyers that their stores have unique accessories or combinations of clothes that are unavailable on their Web sites.
A sample of 263 men and 303 women students completed a survey that measured their online and offline buying behavior, attitudes and predispositions.
RSS