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CONSUMERS TRENDS/APPAREL QUALITY
source:
http://www.cottoninc.com/Textile
Consumer/TextileConsumer
Volume30/
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Quality in apparel can be defined by the way an item fits, how it is sewn together, how well it launders, or its durability…
 research on consumer attitudes and shopping behaviour indicates that quality is essential in an industry that depends on product styling and quick inventory turns to achieve profitability. Yet this research suggests that while consumers demand a certain standard of quality, they are growing less inclined to pay a premium for it;
apparel returns are inevitable, causing problems for shoppers and retailers alike, and an important reason for returns is dissatisfaction with quality. Although wrong size is the most common reason for returns, according to findings from Cotton Incorporated's Lifestyle MonitorTM, nearly 1 out of 5 returns in 2002 was related to quality;
according to recent analysis of data from Planet Feedback (a consumer-oriented website that provides feedback for retailers on their performance), more than 5,000 consumers had logged comments about specific apparel retailers, and over 80% of this feedback consisted of complaints. Of the many industries listed on this Web site, the apparel industry is among the most likely to receive complaints about quality, which shows room for improvement;
the primary quality concern of disgruntled apparel shoppers is the sewing and manufacturing of garments. This finding is supported by research on industry returns conducted by Cotton Incorporated in 2000, which found the primary quality problem to be defects in sewing;
when offered the choice between purchasing a fashionable or a high-quality garment, 62% of consumers prefer quality, according to the Lifestyle Monitor. However, the percentage choosing quality over fashion in 2002 was down significantly from 68% in 1998;
this decline is clearly related to consumers' increased ‘cross-shopping’ behaviour - their willingness to shop for clothing at more than one retail channel. More than 80% of consumers shop several retail channels for apparel, and this cross-shopping is driven largely by the search for favourable prices, styles, and colours - not by a search for quality;
the Lifestyle Monitor asked consumers whether they agreed with the statement "higher-priced clothes are better quality than lower-priced clothes." In 2001, 35% agreed, but in 2002, the percentage dropped significantly, to 30%. This decline may be attributable to greater savvy among mass merchandisers in providing stylish, durable apparel at low prices*;
the conventional belief that consumers will pay more for higher-quality apparel is being challenged. Since the inception of the Lifestyle Monitor in 1994, consumers have been questioned about their willingness to pay more for higher-quality clothing, and the results have been similar to the trend in apparel prices-deflationary. In 1994, 64% of consumers were willing to pay more for higher quality, compared with 56% today.
How do brands affect perceptions of quality?
To increase margins, many retailers have focused on building their private-label business, including mass merchandisers, who have acquired well-known brand names and diversified their portfolio of offerings. According to industry sources, the number of brands purchased at Wal-Mart reportedly doubled from 1990 to 2002;
according to the Lifestyle Monitor, such acquisitions have most likely paid off: 78% of consumers state that the brand is more important than the retail channel in which it is distributed. Most consumers say that when a well-known brand once sold only at department stores becomes available at mass merchants, its quality remains the same. Only 15% of consumers say its quality declines, and 7% say its quality might even improve*.
*Textile Consumer Volume 30 Summer 2003.
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