Understanding Consumers' Perceptions and Behaviors: Implications for Denim Jeans Design
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Volume 7, Issue 1, Spring2011 Understanding Consumers’ Perceptions and Behaviors: Implications for Denim Jeans Design Osmud Rahman, Assistant Professor School of Fashion, Ryerson University, Toronto [email protected] ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to uncover the relative salient of intrinsic and extrinsic cues as determinants of consumers’ purchasing intent toward denim jeans. To the best of my knowledge, there is no comprehensive study reporting results from Canadian consumers’ perspective regarding their perceptions and behaviors toward denim jeans. A self-administered survey with Likert scale and open-ended questions were used for this study. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the salient factors and the correlation of six intrinsic cues and three extrinsic cues of denim jeans. A total of 380 useable surveys were compiled, analyzed and collated. The results of this study revealed that fit of denim jeans was the most important cue followed by style and quality, whereas brand names and country-of-origin were relatively insignificant. In terms of product cue correlation, fabric was strongly correlated with style, comfort and quality. Intrinsic cues played a more significant role on denim jeans evaluation than extrinsic cues. According to the results of this study, young consumers tended to use various product attributes to fulfill their concrete needs and abstract aspirations. Keywords: Denim jeans, consumer purchasing, Canadian consumers Introduction commodity and a means of cultural expression. By the 1950s, jeans became the The symbolic meanings of denim symbol of teenage rebellion influenced by jeans have evolved since the California Gold television programs and movies such as The Rush era of the 1850‟s. Initially, denim Wild One (1953) and Rebel Without a Cause jeans were adopted for utilitarian purposes (1955). associated with physical labor and worn predominantly by ranch hands and farmers. In the late 1970s, denim jeans took a During the Second World War, durable remarkable turn with the emergence of work clothes were needed, and denim jeans designer brands including Sergio Valente were declared “essential commodities” (1975), Calvin Klein Jeans (1978), and (Gordon, 1991) for the national war effort. Gloria Vanderbilt (1979). Jeans were no In the late 1940s, denim jeans came to be longer classified as low-priced fashion associated with the youth culture; and it products, and it became status symbols for began to be used as a fashionable those who wore the most prestigious Article Designation: Refereed 1 JTATM Volume 7, Issue 1, Spring 2011 designer labels. In 1990‟s, wide leg jeans for In order to understand how modern men and low-rise hip hugger jeans for consumers perceive quality from women became popular in the youth market. multidimensional perspectives, it is Today, in the early twenty-first century, the imperative to uncover and examine what meaning of denim jeans has once again role of product attributes may play on taken on another new dimension. Many new product evaluations and purchasing intent. denim brands (e.g., True Religion, Rock and The objectives of this study are three-fold: Republic) are being positioned and targeted (1) To explore the underlying motives of in the premium category. According to consumer‟s purchasing intent of denim Cotton Incorporated (2005), the annual jeans. growth rate of the premium category (2) To uncover the relative significant of increased by 138% from 2004 to 2005. intrinsic and extrinsic cues as Another study reported by Cotton determinants of consumers‟ purchasing Incorporated‟s Retail Monitor™ (2009) on intent. “teens and denim”, “In the third quarter of (3) To understand the correlation between 2009, denim jeans accounted for 15% of intrinsic and extrinsic cues. teen apparel purchases, up from 12% in the third quarter of 2008. … On the premium Literature Review side of the teen denim market, jeans priced at $70 to over $100 account for 21% of Concept of product attributes jeans offered at retail, significantly more than the percentage of jeans offerings for Attributes have been described as adults in this price range (6%). … Although resembling either features or dimensions the economic downturn has made teen (Myers and Shocker, 1981; Tversky, 1977). consumers more price conscious and caused They can be used to judge and compare a a dip in their apparel purchases, their product on different aspects of product spending is already on the rebound.” alternatives. According to the means-end chain approach, “attributes are the means by With both historical and contemporary which the product offers or generates perspective, it is evident that fashion desired consequences or values; (the ends)” consumption is more than just satisfying (Claeys et al., 1995; pp. 193). Product one‟s physical needs such as warmth and attributes have been dichotomized into protection. Consumers often look for various typologies encompassing intrinsic multiple attributes and benefits to satisfy and extrinsic (Olson, 1977; Szybillo and their divergent needs. The selection and Jacoby, 1974), concrete and abstract (Claeys evaluation process of denim jeans can be et al., 1995), product-related and non- rudimentary and complicated at the same product-related (Keller, 2003), and tangible time. In general, consumers do not merely and intangible (Friedman, 1986; Hirschman, seek for a monolithic feature of a product 1980). but rather multi-dimensional viewpoint of overall product quality. Many prior studies According to Olson and Reynolds on consumer behavior (Fiore and Damhorst, (1983), concrete attributes refer to the 1992) have clearly indicated that perceived product that can be represented as a quality is a multidimensional construct. “distinct” material form, whereas abstract However, to the best of my knowledge, attributes refer to the product that can be there is no comprehensive study reporting represented for its “indistinct” qualities. results from Canadian consumers Normally, “distinct” product qualities and perspective regarding their perceptions and features can be easily observed, dissected, behaviors toward this symbolic and publicly engaged and understood by the consumers consumed product - denim jeans. (e.g. pocket) while “indistinct” product Article Designation: Refereed 2 JTATM Volume 7, Issue 1, Spring 2011 qualities are less tangible and cannot be According to cue utilization theory, easily dissected and understood. For products consist of intrinsic and extrinsic example, consumers may describe a dress to cues that serve as surrogate indicators of be elegant, sophisticated or romantic; quality (Cox, 1967; Olson and Jacoby, however, they may not be able to point to 1972). Consumers tend to use both cues the exact elements in order to support their concurrently when assessing product views. In other words, concrete/intrinsic quality. Intrinsic cues are higher-level cues attributes (e.g., color, fabric) are much easier inherent to the physical composition of a to understand and comprehend than abstract product, such as fabric, style, color, and fit. attributes. Abstract attributes are often Extrinsic cues are lower-level cues that can evaluated by subjective and emotional be changed without changing the physical reasons rather than rational and utilitarian product, such as price, brand name, country- reasons. Bech-Larsen and Nielsen (1999) of-origin (COO), warranty and seals of defined concrete attributes as the visible approval. These cues can be considered as a characteristics of the product including “true” cue or a “perceived” cue to quality extrinsic cues (e.g. price, brand names), (Hatch and Roberts, 1985). A seal of whereas abstract attributes were defined as certification is a “true” extrinsic cue because characteristics that cannot be judged prior to the quality of a product has met certain experiential use of the product (e.g. taste and standards set by the manufacturers or sensory pleasure). Additionally, abstract international organizations (e.g., attributes are often highly correlated to International Standards Organization - ISO). “psychological” consequences such as social Price is a “perceived” cue because it may or status and self-identity while concrete may not serve as a good indicator of product attributes are more related to “functional” quality. In the marketing and consumer consequences such as performance fields, many researchers (Aqueveque, 2006; (Reynolds et al., 1995). Olson, 1977) express that intrinsic cues are more significant in product evaluations The distinction of each typology of because they have higher “predictive” attributes was not the key premise of this values than extrinsic cues. study. The primary focus was placed on the intrinsic and extrinsic product cues of denim Intrinsic cues jeans. However, this article did touch upon on several areas of concrete and abstract Many consumers had expressed that dimensions. For this reason, a brief comfort and fit were important in judging description of various attributes in the satisfaction with apparel products (Zhang et preceding sections was deemed necessary. al., 2002). In defining “comfort”, it is evident that physiological and psychological Cue utilization theory - intrinsic and factors play a significant role. These include extrinsic cues a garment‟s thermal effects (e.g. warmth, breathability); sensory characteristics (e.g. Based on the literature review tactile feeling/hand) and mobility (e.g. ease (Appendix 1), six intrinsic cues (quality, of movement).