CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1 Introduction

2.1.1 Indian Textile Industry

2.1.2 Buying Behaviour of Garments

2.1.3 Brand Preference

2.1.4 Retail Outlet

2.2 Research Gap

2.1 INTRODUCTION

A thorough knowledge and perfect understanding of the past literature

pertaining to the present study is of much help to the budding researcher. First

and foremost it enlightens the researcher on the subject chosen and it puts

him/her on the right path by showing him/her the areas hitherto ignored or

unidentified. Hence in this chapter, an endeavour has been made to provide an

overview of various aspects and issues related to this research work through the

review of studies already carried out both at the national and international level

in the garment sector in textile industry. The review of literature can lead to

draw some significant conclusions and serve as a guide mark for this study. It

also gives a fair chance to identify the gaps in the area of research. Some of the

important studies have been reviewed under the following broad categories;

2.1.1 Indian Textile Industry

2.1.2 Buying Behaviour of Garments

2.1.3 Brand Preference

2.1.4 Retail Outlet

2.1.1 INDIAN TEXTILE INDUSTRY

Udani1 (1993) observes that the Readymade Garments Industry is an

important segment of the decentralised sector in India. Lack of modernisation

in all aspects of the industry, that is, dyeing, printing and stitching, hampers

1
Udani (1993) The Wages of Success, Business India.

32
productivity, quality and efficiency. The machine is only as good as the man

behind it. As Garment stitching is a specialised skill, it is imperative that

training facilities will bring out a more professional and productive worker in

the factory. As good quality cotton yarn is not available at times, to the

manufacturers it should be ensured that yarns of uniform quality and sufficient

quantity are available at reasonable prices. Proper information about the world

markets, the avenues open in terms of non-quota countries have also to be

passed on the manufacturers from time to time.

In his paper on Performance, Policy Issues and Prospects of India‟s

exports, Sharma2 (1996) pines against the backdrop of India's export

performance in the last five year. This paper discusses export prospects in the

Ninth Plan and sketches essential contours of a policy-frame.

Ravee Raman Malhotra3 (1999) argues that automation and

manufacturing efficiency is the key to success in the western countries when

the labour content in the garment industry became very high and changed from

per piece basis to hourly basis. The garment industry still continues to be a

labour intensive skilled industry throughout the world. Hence shifting of

production and manufacturing centers every three to five years to places where
2
Sharma, O.P., (1996). “Performance, Policy Issues and Prospects of India‟s
Exports” Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 31, No. 3, 41, October, pp. 2817-
2822.
3
Ravee Raman Malhotra (1999). Management of Technology in Apparel
Industry, Paper submitted in the Seminar Organised by GMT Department National
Institute of Fashion Technology, Chennai.

33
labour cost is lower is encouraged. Higher productivity, high throughput and

lower costs are based on efficient control and time saving methods (75 per cent

of the time in the manufacturing process is taken away in the handling). For

achieving productivity, the manufacturing culture has to change from one

based on adhocism to analyse the preparation and proper technical input.

Finally, it is suggested to identify the weakest links and bottlenecks in the

production, which usually are neither machine based nor technology based, but

are policy and culture based.

According to Madan,4 (2000), the scenario of the world is turning

rapidly into a global village. The major factor, rather the single most important

factor, is the branding, with a logo. Since this involves a huge financial clout he

foresees this industry moving into the „bighands‟ worldwide when the quotas

are phased out under the WTO by the year 2005. He emphasises that the highly

labour intensive garment export industry be guided by rules, where the

management has not only an obligation to provide more than the minimum

towards wages, working hours, working conditions and so on but also has the

privilege of penalising low productivity and hampering others productivity by

termination.

4
Madhan, G.S (2000).Textiles in Fashion World, Paper Submitted in the
International Conference, October, New Delhi.

34
 5
Renee Anderson‟s (2000) study in Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, on the

Swedish Project on Independent Verification on Compliance with Code of

Conduct in the garment industry enumerates the problems prevalent in the

workplace, which affect labour productivity and its related activities, which

include exploitation, neglect of managerial responsibility not only to the code

of conduct but also to national laws, particularly pertaining to wages, working

hours, the right to organize and lack of information available to workers.

The workers are seldom aware of their rights and those who are aware find it

difficult or even impossible to ever be in the position of claiming their rights,

none of them had even heard of codes or any agreement signed between

retailers and manufacturer on this aspect. There are cases of misunderstanding

concerning health and security matters; there is no support for the human right

issues, child labour and forced labour, physical punishment, no proper wages to

cover minimum standard, lack of knowledge and experience.

Reddy‟s 6 (2001), report on “Quality and Compliance in Indian Clothing

Industry” finds two sets of determinant factors of the industry‟s

competitiveness namely internal factors like quality, productivity, process

control, technology upgradation, HRD and so on and external factors like fiscal

policies, trade regulation, free trade and so on. He stresses that unless the sector

5
Anderson, Renee (2000) Conference Paper Submitted in the International
Conference, October, New Delhi.
6
Reddy, R.C.M. (2001). Quality and Compliances of Indian Clothing
Industry, Textile Committee Report, October, 2002.

35
adopts quality and incorporate quality culture as a part of organisational

philosophy, it would be difficult for them to survive and compete with others

and hence attempts should be made to redefine the roles of various

organisations striving for the promotion of trade and industry by right-sizing

and re-structuring.

World Bank 7 (2001) conducted a study in India and found that the level

of automation in apparel making is relatively low. The average investment per

machine in a typical Indian Garment Factory was just $ 250 compared to $ 1500

in China and $ 1,250 in Thailand. Productivity is less among the Indian

garment manufactures. Many buyers would like to make big jobs in India but

the Indian manufacturers do not have the size to take up the business. Delivery

of fabric by Textile mills in time consuming and the use of banned chemicals

knowingly or unknowingly during weaving and dyeing the fabrics adversely

affects quality standards in the international markets. Majority of the garment

industry is yet to realise the challenge and to survive, most of them still expect

generous handouts from the government instead of securing their own future.

Indian transaction costs are 15 percent higher than that of the competitors.

7
World Bank Study, (2001). Automation in Apparel Manufacturing, Business
World, 28th April 2001.

36
 8
Seringhaus‟s (2002), study on Marketing of luxury brands points out

that consumer‟s buying is not related to age, gender, marital status and residing

area, but is related to income, education and occupation. He also finds that the

external factors that highly influence the purchase are price, bandwagon effect

and social group of an individual.

Utham Chadda‟s9 (2002) report analyses the clothing industry in India

and finds that it extremely fragmented and only about 6 per cent of all garment

manufacturers own more than 50 machines each and over 80 per cent have less

than 20 machines in their units. He cites low technology upgradation, as the

primary reason for poor productivity in terms of pieces of apparel product per

man-day and non-optimal economics of sale and low quality in Indian Textile

sector.

The primary reasons behind fall in productivity level according to Atul

Chaturvedi10 (2003) are India's eroding cost competitiveness across products,

extremely fragmented nature of the industry, technological obsolescence. He

also asserts that since textiles, especially garments is a labour intensive activity

8
Seringhaus, (2002). 'Cross-cultural exploration of Global Brands and the
Internet', 19th March 2009, from http://www.impgroup.org/uploads/papers/504.pdf
9
Utham Chadda (2002). An Overview of Indian Clothing Industry, Indian
Textile Journal, October, pp.143-149.
10
Atul Chaturvedi, (2003). “How Competitive is India's Textile Sector?”The
Economics Times, Chennai, Tuesday, 13th May.

37
there is a pressing need to reform labour laws for achieving high productivity

and to improve tight delivery schedules.

Hildegunn Kyvik Norda,11 (2004) attempts to assess the likely impact of

liberalisation, taking into account the recent technological and managerial

developments in the sector, and focussing on recent developments in supply

chain management in the clothing and textile sector. The study begins with a

discussion on the structure of the textile and clothing industries, focusing on

technology and industrial organisation and discusses the Agreement on Textile

Clothing (ATC) and the progress so far in quota elimination. He analyses the

ATC countries‟ trade patterns in the sector since 1995, followed by an

assessment of the likely changes in the sector during post ATC trade patterns

and concludes that both China and India undoubtedly will gain market shares in

the European Union, the United States and Canada to a significant extent, but

the surge in market share may be less than anticipated, as proximity to major

markets assumes increasing economic significance and tariffs are increasingly

restraining trade because of the fact that product cross border several times.

Further, other developing countries are catching up with China in terms of unit

labour costs in the textile and clothing sector and China has yet to show

competitive strength in the design and fashion segments of the markets.

11
Hildegunn Kyvik Norda., (2004). “The Global Textile and Clothing
Industry in the Post Agreement on Textile and Clothing”, WTO Working Paper No.5,
World Trade Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland.

38
 12
Nabanker Gupta (2005) asserts that the domestic industry begins to

gear up with inevitable consolidation. Though some organised players have

taken pre-emptive steps and investments they have not really moved forward.

Overseas customers will demand volumes and source only from larger players

capable of executing them. The small players supplying brand-owners abroad

will have to reconsider larger domestic players. The textile industry has to

ready itself for a paradigm shift and it is important to realise that there is a

movement from an era of subsidies to reality and the best way forward is to go

in for value addition and move up the value chain.

Harpreet Singh and Narinder Kaur13 (2008) observe that retailing is one

of the building blocks of Indian economy. In post liberalization, Indian retail

markets have undergone an immense transformation and its main factor is

attitudinal shift of the Indian consumer in terms of “Choice Preference”,

“Value for Money” and the emergence of organized retail formats. While

organized retail in India is only two percent of the total US$ 215 billion retail

industry, it is expected to grow 25 percent annually, driven by changing

lifestyles, strong income growth, and favorable demographic patterns.

12
Nabanker Gupta, (2005). Textile Industry Gearing for Post-quota Regime,
The Hindu, Chennai, Wednesday, 5thJanuary.
13
Harpreet Singh and NarinderKaur, (2008). "Retailing in India: Recent
Trends and Challenges”, Indian Journal of Marketing, Vol. XXXVIII, April 2008,
pp. 49-54.

39
 14
Chaudhary (2011) focuses on the changes in the Textiles exports of

different countries after the MFA (Multi Fibre Agreement) with special focus

on the Indian Textiles Industry and its position in the world in terms of textiles

and clothing exports. The paper explores the changes in the exports and profits

of the Indian textiles exporters and investigates the role of FDI in the industry

and Indian Government‟s role in the promotion of the industry. He finds that

India has emerged as a major sourcing destination for new buyers. As a

measure of growing interest in the Indian textile and clothing sector a number

of buyers have opened their sourcing/liaison offices in India.

The article “Assessment of Five Competing Forces of The Indian

Apparel Industry: Entry and Expansion strategies for Foreign Retailers” by

15
Manveer K Mann et. al., (2011) concludes that the Indian apparel retail

sector poses a relatively low level of threats of entry with a fast industry growth

rate and growing income and demand for western brands. They suggest that the

foreign retailers may penetrate in the younger urban consumer who is ready to

buy as he is aware of western brands. Foreign retailer must bring in the unique

combination of western style with ethnic inspirations. Foreign retailers should

14
Chaudhary, A. (2011), “Changing Structure of Indian Textile Industry after
MFA (Multi Fibre Agreement) Phase Out: A Global Perspective”, Journal of
Psychology and Business, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp.22-27.
15
Manveer K. Mann, Sang-Eun Byun (2011).“Assessment of Five
Competitive Forces of the Indian Apparel Retail Industry: Entry and Expansion
Strategies for Foreign Retailers”. Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and
Management, Vol. No.7, pp.65-69.

40
also bypass disadvantages from the incumbent players by partnering with

domestic retailers who have secured prime locations.

16
Shahid Alam‟s (2011) study on “Marketing Strategies of Readymade

Garments Industry of India” states that the success and failure of any business

depends upon the effectiveness of Strategic Planning. It is therefore necessary

to have a review of controllable factors within the atmosphere of uncontrollable

ones. Further he suggests that a low cost product could be used to attract

consumers, once relationship with consumer is established the organization can

sell additional, higher – marginal products and services that enhance the

consumer‟s interaction with low cost product or service and that measurable

marketing strategy should be adopted by the firm to reach marketing

objectives.

Shetty et.al.,17 (2013) examine perceptions of exporters in Bangalore

towards the opportunities and threats in the post-MFA global textile and

clothing trade through the data collected from a sample of one hundred export-

oriented textile and clothing units based in Bangalore through a well structured

questionnaire. The results show that textile and clothing industry in Bangalore,

houses some of the largest Indian export houses as the abolition of the quota

16
Shahid Alam (2011). “Marketing Strategies of Readymade Garments
Industry of India”, Thesis Submitted to Aligarh Muslim University, India.
17
Shetty R., Kiran K.B., DashM., (2013). “A Study on the Impact of Quota
Removal on the Textile and Clothing Industry in Karnataka State”. International
Journal of Economy, Management and Social Sciences, Vol. 2, No. 6, pp. 41-47.

41
regime under the WTO in 2005 has opened up the global textiles and clothing

arena for exporters in Karnataka, with its adequate raw material base

complemented with state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities and skilled

manpower supply.

18
Palanivelu and Ganesh (2013) demonstrate the role of Indian Trade

Policy in textile sector, and analyze the impact of government support and

incentives and explore the contributions of textile industry towards the economic

development of the nation through export trade. The key risk identified in this

sector is foreign exchange on account of the volatility in the rupee against the US

dollar as well as higher interest costs; large portion of the processing capacity is

obsolete. Further the fact that the state of the art integrated mills exist with

majority of the capacity lying currently with the power loom sector has also

resulted in low value addition in the industry and hence Indian textile industries

need to increase focus on product development. The key strengths identified in

Indian textile sector are abundant availability of raw materials, low cost skilled

labour and also rapidly growing domestic markets. So the Government of India

must take some effort in the forthcoming years towards the optimum utilization of

all the key strengths and also the government should minimize the risk by means

of increasing the support and incentives.

18
Palanivelu, V. R. and Ganesh R. S. (2013). “The Growth of Indian Textile
Industry Fuelled by The Indian Trade Policy”, International Conference on
Business, Economics, and Accounting, pp.223-290.

42
 Rahul Dhiman and Manoj Sharma19 (2017) analyse the competitiveness

of Indian textile products in the world market by using Revealed Comparative

Advantage index (RCA) from 2010 to 2014 and evaluated Compounded

Annual Growth Rates (CAGR) of textile commodities. The competitiveness of

Indian Textile Exports is calculated with the help of Revealed Comparative

Advantage (RCA) of different product groups of Textile industry under 02 digit

Harmonised System Code HS 50 to HS 60. The results indicate that majority of

the textile products enjoy both competitive advantage and disadvantage. The

study suggests that government support is mandatory in order to transform the

labour productivity and technology upgradation to match the world standards.

They also highlight various barriers towards the growth of export share of India

in world market and also offer suggestions to decision makers for the

enhancement of India's export share in the world market.

3.1.2 BUYING BEHAVIOUR OF GARMENTS

The analysis of Karthikeyan and Sundarraj 20 (1994) on consumer

behaviour and preferences towards apparel, throws light on the lifestyle and

consumption pattern of Indian consumers and on the awareness of social

19
Rahul Dhiman and Manoj Sharma, (2017). “Export Competitiveness of
Indian Textile Industries: Revealed Comparative Advantage Analysis” International
Journal of Applied Business and Economic Research, Vol. 15, No. 9, May, pp. 295 –
305.
20
Karthikeyan and Sundarraj,(1994). “An Investigation on Consumers
Behaviour and Preferences towards Apparel”, Journal of Marketing Research,
Vol.4, No.2, pp.82-87.

43
responsibility and green fashion among Indian consumers. They find that

most of the consumers prefer western clothing and a majority of the

consumers are unaware of green fashion.

In their article “A Comparison of Older and Younger Women's

Attitudes towards Apparel and Media”, Bonnie D. Belleau et al., 21 (1997)

find that though younger and older women have similar attitudes towards

apparel, the media target younger women more than older women for apparel

promotion. It is observed that older women recognise the penetration and the

magnitude of the media more than younger women. Older women are fully

aware of message from apparel promotion while younger women find no

messages. Older women make up a huge market segment with a large

discretionary income. They are willing to spend a handsome amount on apparel

that fits appropriately and appeals to them.

22
Jayashree‟s (1998) article titled “Consumer Behaviour and Fashion

Textile Trends” finds that the consumer taste is a controlling factor in

determining the character of goods. A rational approach to clothing needs and

expenditures makes the consumer participate effectively in the entire market

21
Bonnie D. Belleau, Jacqueline Didier, Lori Broussand and Teresa A.
Summers, (1997) “A Comparison of Older and Younger Women‟s Attitudes
towards Apparel and Media”, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management,
Vol. 1, No. 2, 1997, pp.105-112.
22
Jayashree, Y. (1998). “Consumer Behaviour and Fashion Textile Trends”
Vol. 40, No. 10, January, pp.37-43.

44
economy. It is concluded that changes in consumer values, tastes and living

habits force a continual adjustment in the clothing industry.

23
Suyan Shin and Kitty Dickerson‟s (1999) article “Personal and Non-

Personal References Used by South Korean Men in Apparel Purchase

Decision” find that Korean men prefer to consult non-personal preferences to

consult references while making apparel buying decisions. The most efficient

method for reaching the male clothing consumer is by marketing products

through advertisements in non-personal references. The three modes which

influence the Korean men are store displays, window displays and billboards.

The highly educated and affluent men are more likely to use position media.

The youngest consumers were least likely to use position media references.

Teenage Korean males appear to be influenced more by television

advertising.

24
Ernest J North, et.al‟s (2003) article on “The Importance of Apparel

Product Attributes for Female Buyers” observe that trends in the apparel

industry are changing fast which makes it difficult for the marketers to assess

judge the acceptability of these trends accurately. Hence a perfect

understanding of female buying behaviour and the influential factors in the

23
Suyan Shin, Kitty Dickerson (1999). Advertising, New Delhi: Phoenix
Publishing House, 1 stEdition.
24
Ernest J North, Retha B de Vos and T Kotze (2003). “The Importance of
Apparel Product Attributes for Female Buyers”, Journal of Family Ecology and
Consumer Sciences, Vol. 31, pp. 41-51.

45
decision making of apparel purchase is the need of the hour. They conclude

that style is the most influential factor of buying decision closely followed by

price. However a strong relationship is also traced between Age, style and

brand of the apparel.

25
Kim and Kumar (2003) examine the behavioural intentions model of

online shopping for clothing and the results are supported by Fishbein‟s

behavioural intentions model in predicting behavioural intention to shop for

clothing online. The results of a positive relationship between attitude and

subjective norms imply that behavioural intention is not a function of

independent set of attitudinal and normative variables but of a set of

interdependent of between these variables. It is also found that power of

attitude and subjective norms are not equivalent in their effects on behavioural

intentions but are predictors of consumers‟ shopping behavioural in the specific

context.

Kaushik and Taneja26 (2007) analyse the factors that affect the

readymade garments purchasing in multi-brand retail outlet and find that

promotional offers, physical evidence, responsiveness of the store people,

25
Kim, Y.K, and S.Kumar., (2003), “Testing the Behavioural Intentions
Model of Online Shopping for Clothing”, Clothing and Textile Research Journal,
Vol.21, No.1, pp. 32-30.
26
Kaushik, N. and Taneja, G. (2007), “Customers' Preference and Satisfaction
towards Men's Readymade Garment Retail Formats”, The ICFAI Journal of Brand
Management, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 14-27.

46
tangible cues and services. It is also observed that family income and

preference for retail format are significantly related.

The study on the brand preference regarding shirts and pants of select

consumers living in twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad conducted by

Lalitha et.al.,27 (2008) finds that the customers prefer branded shirts and pants

to unbranded ones. They examine the influence of advertisement on branded

clothing for the purchase behaviour of the respondents to know the factors

influencing customers while choosing branded shirts or pants and find that

educational qualification, employment status, age group, convenience of shops,

and advertisement are influencing factors. 94 per cent of the respondents are

purchase branded readymade garments are highly educated and those aged

from 20 to 50 and with lucrative income spend much on the branded wears.

The study concludes that the advertisement plays a limited role on the choice of

the brand among the readymade dress available in the market. 54 per cent of

the customers are attracted by the quality and status symbol of the branded

wear.

28
Liu and Choi (2009) find that stylish fashion and colours of clothing

enhance one‟s personality and image. If a consumer can identify himself/herself

27
Lalitha A., Ravikumar and K.Padmavalli., (2008). “Brand Preference of
Men Wear” Indian Journal of Marketing, Vol.38, No.10, pp. 33-36.
28
Liu, S.C., and Choi, T.M. (2009). Consumer Attitude towards Brand
Extensions of Designer-labels and Mass-market Labels in Hong Kong. Journal of
Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 13, No. 4, pp. 527-540.

47
on a specific image projection of a particular brand, he/she automatically turned

loyal towards that brand. Brand is used for consumers to express themselves,

which is especially prominent in fashion. When a brand lends/provides a strong

personality consistent with the consumer‟s image, the consumer will have

greater preference towards the brand. Positive brand attitude has a direct impact

on consumer involvement in branded clothing. Thus, it is postulated that brand

attitude has a significant impact on consumer involvement in fashion clothing.

29
Lahiri and Kumar (2010) argue that customers visit apparel retailer to

get latest fashionable designs. Quality plays a more important role on the

choice of apparel than price. Features like sales promotion offers, convenience,

and store for family purchasing are more important compared to brand name.

Also it is found that reference group does not affect much.

Marya Iftikhar et., al30 (2011) explore the significance of social class

and its relation with consumers buying behaviour and examine whether this

phenomenon is real or a myth, through review of literature, which supports that

social classes have an impact on consumers buying behaviour and it is a reality

and not a myth. Relationship between status, education, occupation and income

is examined which in turn cause and effect on social class and depict
29
Lahiri, I. and Kumar, P. (2010), “Factors Influencing Purchase of Apparels
from Organized Retail Outlets”, IUP Journal of Marketing Management, February.
Pp. Vol.9, Issue 1/2, pp.73-87.
30
MaryaIftikhar, M. FarooqHussain, Zulfiqar Ali Khan and Saqib Liyas,
(2011). “Social Class is a Myth or Reality in Buying Behavior”, African Journal of
Business Management, Vol. 7, No. 9, pp. 713-718.

48
consumers buying behaviour. Based on previous research studies it is found

that social classes are real and consumer‟s buying behaviours differ according

to their position in the society. Further discussion is made on managerial

implications and future research in this area.

Lata and Punia31 (2011) conducted a study in Hisar city and its

surrounding villages of Haryana state to find out the preferences of rural

mothers while selecting garments for the pre- adolescent boys and girls by

visiting eight retail stores dealing in kids wear. It was found that fifteen types

of dresses were available for both the genders. The preferences for garments

were taken from 100 rural women. Salwar-suit and pyjami-suit were found

to be the most preferred dresses for girls by rural mothers while for boys‟ pant

shirt and kurta-pyjama were most preferred.

Sundarraj32 (2011) examines the difference between the two groups of

consumers to understand their preference and to assess the awareness level of

social responsibility and green fashion among Indian consumers. The study was

confined to behaviour and awareness towards ethical fashion among young

Indian generation; hence extrapolation of the results may not be possible since

there is a wide difference in customer preference, behaviour, and the factors like

31
Prem Lata and Parveen Punia (2011), “Rural Mothers‟ Preferences for
Pre-adolescent Children‟s Garments”, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 157-160.
32
Sundearraj (2011). “New Article of Clothing Translates the Mood of an
Individual”. International Journal of Business and Social Science, Vol. 2, No. 23,
pp. 183-185.

49
socioeconomic, demographic and psychographic across regions. Details

regarding demographic, economic, social, physiographic and behavioural

characteristics of the consumer, consumer„s awareness, buying behaviour and

preferences for buying apparels were taken as part of the survey. The study

concludes that there is the influence of domestic apparel manufacturers on the

young consumers who prefer domestic products and to international products. In

other words, products are based on nativity suits their needs more than

international products. Although international products are better in quality,

consumers consider those as luxurious became of high price.

Rajagopal33 (2012) study on consumer culture and purchase intention

towards fashion apparel finds that shopper‟s perceptions towards fashion

apparel in reference to purchase motivations, social cultural values and life-

style influence the emotions and shopping behaviour. Fashion loving

consumers typically patronage multi-channel retail outlets, designer brands and

spend more time and cost towards an advantageous product search. It is found

that the customers with sustainable purchase intentions for fashion apparel are

motivated to seek benefits of the store and brand specific promotion and prices

enhancing their shopping basket. The majority of shoppers rely on storage

patronage, brand value and building loyalty over time to continue benefits of

33
Rajagopal, (2012). “A Study on Consumers Attitude towards Branded
Apparels”, Campus de Santiago, University of Aveiro, Portugal.

50
the store and brand promotions. The shopping motivation attributes of retailers

and customer benefits influence patronage behaviour among shoppers.

34
Shital Vakhariya and Vilas Chopde‟s , (2012) study on the consumer

preference of private labels over national labels in apparel segment of the

departmental stores investigates consumer brand preference for national versus

store brands in apparel segments and examines the influence of quality, price,

variety, availability and current trend on brand preference for national versus

store brands. It is found that customers felt that quality and advertisement of

national brand is better than the less priced store brands. They have special

preference for a particular store destination for variety of product available,

quality, convenient location and discounts and offers. It is also found that the

customers are buying apparels anytime without any specific reason.

35
Rajput, et.al. (2012) observe that that the Modern era provides high

quality materials and lot of variety in Indian garment market to satisfy the

desire of customers who also utilise the opportunity. They also find Indian

people have grown brand conscious. Besides brand image other aspects like,

quality, comfort, expectations and demographic characteristics influence the

purchasing decision of males and females. The gender differences do exist in

34
Shital Vakharia and Vilas Chopde, (2012). “A Study on Consumer Culture
and Purchase Intentions towards Fashion Apparel”, International Journal of
Research in Finance and Accounting, Vol.1, No.1, pp.147-153.
35
Rajput, N., Kesharwani, S. and Khanna, A. (2012), “Dynamics of Female
Buying Behaviour: A Study of Branded Apparels in India”, International Journal of
Marketing Studies, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp.32-39.

51
creating and sustaining attitude towards fashionable apparels and brands. It is

found that males are equally interested in shopping as females and they spend

more on during shopping than their female counterparts. Increased frequency

of males going for shopping with their companions proven that they are on par

with in this regard, but attitude of males towards clothing varies from that of

females.

36
Vikraman and Sumathi‟s (2012) study on Indian apparel market

reveals that Indian consumers‟ perceived emotional value and clothing interest

are the significant positive antecedents of purchase intentions toward global

and local brands. The significant influence of self-concept on need for

uniqueness indicates that the Indian consumers with high self-concept neither

wish to be different from others nor to fit in with others and also those Indian

consumers may consider their self-concept and need to be unique to establish

their „individuality‟. Significant impact of clothing interest on perceived quality

and emotional value of global brands reveal Indian consumers‟ preference for

global brands because of the status symbols and strong perception of foreign

brands not found in local brands.

36
Vikraman and Sumathi (2012), “Purchase Behaviour in Indian Apparel
Market: An Analysis”, Zenith International Journal of Business Economics and
Management Research, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 1-12.

52
 Anand Thakur, and Bhuvan Lamba37 (2013) analyse the customer

satisfaction level and factors influencing readymade apparel purchase to find

about the most popular brands among customers in different variants of clothes

so as to enable the readymade garments manufacturers to plan their growth.

The findings reveal that Tommy Hilfiger and Peter England are the most

preferred brands in the city of Jallundhar and most significant considerations in

apparel purchase are price and quality.

Deepali Saluja38 (2016) examines how consumer behaviour for apparel

is influenced by factors like monthly income, gender and peer influence.

The survey conducted in Delhi shows that the consumers prefer shopping

mostly with their friends and family members. They are influenced by their

friends, family members, celebrities, magazines and the like. While quality,

comfort, brand image impact their buying behaviour of fashion apparel age,

gender, education and occupation do not have any impact on buying behaviour.

Finally, the survey shows that Delhi consumers have a positive attitude towards

fashion apparel brands.

37
Anand Thakur and Bhuvan Lamba (2013), “Factors Influencing Readymade
Apparel Purchase in Jalandhar City”, Researchers World - Journal of Arts, Science
and Commerce, Vol. IV, Issue 3, July, pp. 155-162.
38
Deepali Saluja (2016), “Consumer Buying Behaviour towards Fashion
Apparels - A Case of Delhi”, IOSR Journal of Business and Management, pp.2319–
2326.

53
 Muthukumar and Gurumoorthy39 (2016) attempt to identify the

significant relation between socio-economic factors of the consumer and

purchase of branded readymade garments during festival season and examine

the factors which influence the selection of branded readymade garments.

They observe that, brands play a vital role in buying behaviour of the

consumers. It is found that, durability is an important factor influencing

customers to purchase branded readymade garments and this study throws light

on the relationship between socio-economic factors and online purchase.

Syed Ahamed and Ravi40 (2016) investigate how consumer evaluates

branded garments on the basis of style, texture, price, colour, advertisement

and celebrity endorsements, preferences towards branded garments and reasons

for purchasing branded garments. They have used descriptive research design,

conducted study only with 150 respondents from two Engineering colleges,

Bangalore with the help of statistical tools like measurement of central

tendency, Chi-Square analyse the collected data they find that irrespective of

age and education levels respondents buy branded garments to enhance their

style, and to maintain their self-respect.

39
Muthukumar, S and T.R. Gurumoorthy, (2016).“Consumer Attitude towards
Online Purchase-A Study With Reference to Branded Readymade Garments”, Global
Journal of Marketing Management and Research, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 1-10.
40
Syed Ahamed, S and A. Ravi, (2016). “A Study on Consumer Behaviour
towards Branded Garments among Male Shoppers”, International Journal of
Business and Management Invention, Vol. 5, Issue 5, May 2016, pp. 45-49.

54
 41
Lakshmi Narayana and Sreenivas (2017) investigate the relationship

between the factors which affect the buying behaviour towards branded

apparels in Bangalore city. The data were collected through a globally accepted

structured questionnaire with the help of Convenience Sampling Method

among the respondents who live in Bangalore city and regular buyers of

branded apparels. The results offer insights and evidence about the relationship

between the variables which impact consumer buying behaviour of branded

apparels. It was concluded that there was a significant relationship between

reference group and purchase intention also promotion, Store attributes,

product attributes, Income of the respondents and occupation have a positive

and significant relation between consumer buying behaviour.

42
According to Rana and Tirthani (2012) the impulsive buying occurs

when an individual makes an unintended, unreflective, and spontaneous

purchase. They investigate the effect of Education, Income and Gender on the

impulsive buying tendency among Indian consumers. A total of 450 shoppers

at a selected authorised retail outlet and shopping mall in Patiala served as the

sample. Descriptive data analysis was done to compute frequencies for each of

41
Lakshmi Narayana, M and D.L Sreenivas, (2016) “A Study on Consumer
Buying Behaviour towards Branded Apparels with Reference to Bangalore City”,
Asia Pacific Journal of Research, Vol. I, No. XLII, August, pp. 174 – 183.
42
Rana S., Tirthani J. (2012), “Effect of Education, Income and Gender on
Impulsive Buying Among Indian Consumer an Empirical Study of Readymade
Garment Customers”, Indian Journal of Applied Research, Vol. 1, No.12, pp: 145 –
146.

55
the variables under study. ANOVA test at 5 per cent level of significance was

used in the study which shows that Education and Income of the consumers

were more likely to influence impulsive buying than the Gender of the

customers. Retailers may use the findings of the study to improve their

merchandise assortment and improve the shopping environment.

Malika Rani and Rajeeve Gupta43 (2013) discuss the various factors

affecting the buying behaviour while purchasing the readymade garments with

the help of a sample of 240 respondents of Malawi region. Factor analysis has

been used to extract the factors using principal component matrix. Four factors

namely economy, convenience, media and reference group have been identified

which affect the consumer buying behaviour for readymade garments.

2.1.3 BRAND PREFERENCE

Sandra M Frosythe‟s 44 (1991) paper on “Effect of Private, Designer and

the National Brand Names on Shoppers‟ Perception of Apparel Quality and

Price” examines the effect of product characteristics and brand name on

shopper‟s evaluations of apparel, quality and price and the effect on consumer

decision- making style on evaluations. It is found that brand name influences

43
Malika Rani and Rajeeve Gupta, (2013), “Determinants of Consumer
Buying Behaviour: A Study of Readymade Garments”, International Journal of
Research in Commerce and Management, Vol. 4, No. 4, April, pp. 49-52.
44
Sandra M Frosythe, (1991). “Effect of Private, Designer and National Brand
Names on Shoppers Perception of Apparel Quality and Price”, Clothing and Textiles
Research Journal, Vol. 9, Issue 2.pp. 1-9.

56
shopper‟s perception for price but not for quality. The results of ANOVA Test

show that brand name (the independent variable) does not affect the perception

of garment quality (the dependent variable) at the 0.5 level. It is also found that

consumers rely primarily on intrinsic cues (actual garment characteristics)

rather than brand name when evaluating the quality of apparel items.

45
Lim and O‟Cass (2001), examine consumer‟s perception of brands as

influenced by their origins and the differences in classification ability of

consumers‟ awareness. The results of the study indicate that consumers can more

easily identify the cultural origin of brands over the country-of origin. In the

view of the researchers, the issue of consumer brand knowledge is important in

order to understand how consumers perceive information about origins of a

brand and ultimately perceive and evaluate brands.

Abbas‟s 46 (2002) study titled “A Study on Consumer Brand Preference

towards Readymade Shirt in Madurai City” throws light on the importance of

branding, brand preference, measuring of brand, brand loyalty and purchasing

power on the basis of income level of the respondents. He finds that the brand

“S Kumar” is the most preferred brand in the study area.

45
Lim and O‟Cass, (2001) “Consumer Attitude towards Brand Extensions of
Designer-Labels and Mass-market Labels in Hong Kong”, Journal of Fashion
Marketing and Management, Vol. 13, No. 4, pp. 527-540.
46
Abbas, S. (2002) “A Study on Consumer Brand Preference towards
Readymade Shirt in Madurai City” M.Phil Dissertation Submitted to Madurai
Kamaraj University.

57
 47
According to Schuiling et al, (2004), local brands are also perceived as

more “down to earth” than international brands, which imply that local brands

offer a more basic/no frills brand proposition. They indicate that local brands are

perceived as more traditional than international brands, because of their higher

and closer linkage to local traditions and local cultures. It is also found that trust

is an important advantage for local brands, because it provides a unique

relationship with consumers that normally take years to develop. They also find

no significant difference between the perception of prestige for international

brands and that of local brands. Another significant finding is that though

consumers seem to be attracted towards international brands in reality, they

prefer local brands.

48
Wang and Lamb (2005) conducted an empirical study on attitude

towards American apparel brands in Taiwan. They employed the Fishbein model of

brand preferences and used a convenience sampling methodology based on mall

intercept. The Fishbein model proposes that an individual‟s attitude towards a

purchasing behaviour is a function of the strength of the belief held towards the

object and the individual‟s evaluation of that belief. In the context of this model,

the study identified three variable domains of functional attributes of the apparel

47
Schuiling, Isabelle and Jean-Noel Kapferer (2004). “Real Differences
between Local and International Brands: Strategic Implications for International
Marketers,” Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 97–112.
48
Wang, C.K. and Lamb, C.W. (2005). “The Impact of Selected
Environmental Forces on Consumers Willingness to Buy Foreign Products”, Journal
of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol.11, No. 2, pp. 71-84.

58
items, intangible attributes associated with the apparel items, and the

demographic characteristics of the participants. The findings show that there is a

consumer preference for American apparel brands in eight of the thirteen

variables in the functional and intangible domains. The consumers in Taiwan

perceived the American apparel brands to have better colour, fit, instructions for

care, brand name recognition and quality in the functional domains compared to

the Taiwanese brands. In the intangible attribute domains, the American brands

were perceived as more fashionable and more comfortable. The implication of

these findings is that both functional and intangible factors have an influence on the

decision-making process of consumers when evaluating foreign apparel brands,

and that the perceptions of key factors in the decision-making process can be

influenced through appropriate brand management.

49
Hyllegard et. al. (2005), studied Spanish consumers' perceptions of US

apparel specialty retailers' products and services and observed that specialty

retailers' success in international markets is contingent upon their knowledge of

culturally-defined values, norms and behaviour that influence consumer decision

making and impact acceptance of products and services. The study examined

consumers' store patronage and apparel purchase behaviour, acceptance of US

apparel brands, perceptions of retailers' products and services, and perceptions of

the impact of foreign retailers on local communities and found that the

49
Hyllegard, K. et al. (2005). “Spanish Consumers‟ Perceptions of US
Apparel Specialty Retailers‟ Products and Services”, Journal of Consumer
Behaviour, Vol. 4, No. 5, pp. 345-362.

59
perceptions differed regarding quality, fissionability, product assortment, extent

and quality of customer service, convenience of location, payment options,

national brands and store layout. Consumers' acceptance of US apparel brands

was a function of age, household income, apparel product country of

manufacture and price.

Wong Foong Yee and Yahyah Sidek‟s50 (2008) article “Influence of

Brand Loyalty on Consumer Sportswear” finds that the brand loyalty is

important for an organisation to ensure that its product is kept in the minds of

consumers and prevent them from switching to other brands. They also

conclude that it is not easy to obtain and maintain consumer loyalty for a

company‟s product because there are many forces drawing consumers away

such as competition, consumers‟ thirst for variety, and so on. The analysis

highlights the six factors of brand loyalty in the Malaysian environment

namely, the brand name, product quality, price, promotion, service quality

and store environment.

51
Karuppasamy Pandian‟s (2012) microscopic analysis of consumer

perception towards branded shirts in Trichy City shows that Raymond, Peter

50
Wong Foong Yee and Yahyah Sidek, (2008). “Influence of Brand
Loyalty on Consumer Sportswear”, International Journal of Economics and
Management, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 221–236.
51
Karuppasamy Pandian, NivethaVarthani and Keerthivasan., (2012). “An
Empirical Study on Consumer Perception towards Branded Shirts in Trichy City”,
International Journal of Marketing, Financial Services and Management
Research, Vol1, No. 8.pp.18-32.

60
England and John Player are the top three brands preferred by the respondents. It is

clear that most of the shoppers of men‟s branded shirts were highly influenced by

the factors such as durability, reference group, wider choice of colour and design,

attractiveness, price range and celebrity endorser. Most of the customers insist on

reduced price and wider choice of colour and design. Convenient shop hours and

the offer and discounts are the two factors that contribute more to the choice of a

particular retail garment showroom.

52
Krishna and Dash (2012) analyse the consumer preferences towards

private label branded apparel through an empirical study using conjoint analysis. It

helps them understand the consumer buying behaviour towards private label

branded apparel. The information obtained can be applied to a wide variety of

market research questions. It has been used to investigate areas such as product

design, market share, strategic advertising, cost-benefit analysis, and market

segmentation. Although the focus of this manual was on market research

applications, conjoint analysis can be useful in almost any scientific or business

field in which measuring people‟s perceptions or judgments is important.

The results show that price exercises the highest influence on overall preference.

This means that there is a large difference in preference between product profiles

of high price and those of least price. The results show that a money-back

52
Krishna and Dash (2012)“Consumer Preferences towards Private Label Brands
in Indian Apparel Retail - A Pilot Study”, International Journal of Research in
Management, Vol. 2, Issue 2, pp.87-96.

61
guarantee plays the least important role in determining overall preference. Price

plays a very significant role in this model.

Mittal and Agrawal53 (2012) attempt to practically understand the

emotional or rational appeals, which drive the purchase decision toward the

branded garments. Also certain demographic and psychographic profiles have

been studied and certain relation has been developed. Branded readymade

garment is supposed to have 21 per cent of share in the Rs. 20,000 Crore garment

industry which shows an annual growth rate of around 20 per cent. Survey

depicted that there is a relationship between the consumer‟s income and the

satisfaction derived from a purchased product. People are price sensitive and the

final selection or rejection of the good depends on price/budget of the buyer.

Major brands recognized by survey respondents, in different apparel categories

are as follows: Jeans: Levis variation in age and income is not significant as

consumers preferred brands or outfits irrespective of that. Allen Solly tops the

minds of the customers followed by Van Heusen and Raymond which refers to the

maximum frequency of recalling the brands. These are the most familiar and

favourite brands also among brand aware consumers, specifically in context of

India.

53
Mittal, P. and Agarwal, S. (2012). “Consumer Perception Toward Branded
Garments: A Study of Jaipur”, International Journal of Research in Finance and
Marketing, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp.566-583.

62
 Ismail, et.al,54 (2012) conducted a study to determine the consumer

preferences of global brands over of local ones. It is also designed to find out the

buying behaviour patterns of young Pakistani consumers. Consumer evaluates

products based on information cues, which are intrinsic and extrinsic. A number of

factors affect the consumer purchase decisions. The results suggest that most

important factors that influence a consumer‟s final decision are the price and

quality of the product in question. Since the consumers usually associate the price

of the brand with its quality, a brand priced too low is generally perceived as a low

quality product. Similarly, a product priced too high may not be affordable by

many. Other factors that have an impact on the consumer preferences are:

consumer ethnocentrism, country of origin, social status, price relativity with the

competing brands and family and friends. The research was conducted in Karachi

and the samples selected included 200 people aged 16-24. According to their

findings, 78 per cent of the females were not willing to even substitute the global

brand with a domestic one even if the foreign brand is not available. The males,

however, were not found to be that prone to the foreign brand.

Shah et. al.‟s55 (2012) study factors affecting Pakistan‟s university

students‟ purchase intention towards foreign apparel brands. Purchase intention is

54
Ismail Z., Masood S. and Tawab Z. M. (2012), “Factors Affecting
Consumer Preference of International Brands Over Local Brands”, 2nd International
Conference on Social Science and Humanity IPEDR Vol.31.
55
Shah S. I., Shahzad A., Ahmed T. and Ahmed I. (2012). “Factors Affecting
Pakistan‟s University Students‟ Purchase Intention towards Foreign Apparel Brands”,
Management, Vol. 17, 2012, 1, pp. 1-14.

63
explained in terms of general consumer variables (normative influence, consumer

confidence) and brand specific variables (perceived quality, emotional value).

The sample comprised students enrolled at two universities in major cities of

Pakistan (Islamabad and Rawalpindi), with 315 participants completing the self-

administered questionnaire during scheduled classes. Results reveal that

susceptibility to normative influence and consumer confidence had positive impact

on brand consciousness. Brand consciousness which, in turn, had a positive

impact on perceived quality of international apparel brands and emotional value

that these brands generate. Both quality and emotional value had a significant

impact on purchase intention. The findings of this study however, cannot be

generalized to other consumer products, or other segments of society, such as

children, professionals. But these results reveal that foreign apparel brands need to

focus on quality and their brand‟s emotional attributes if they want to succeed in

Pakistan‟s apparel market.

Chen and Chen56 (2013) examine the brand preference of Chinese

consumers towards global apparel brands and investigate the perception of

Chinese consumers of foreign brands, their perceptions of intangible attributes of

global apparel brands. The study used a survey questionnaire to gather

information from Chinese consumers through a mall intercept method of

convenience sampling. The sample was the consumers of retail shopping outlets

56
Chen and Chen, (2013) “Global Brand Perceptions: The Apparel Industry in
China”, The Journal of International Management Studies, Vol.8, No.1, pp. 134-
143.

64
with one half from one city and the other half from taking in the other city in

China. The findings indicate that there is a slight preference over foreign apparel

brands among Chinese consumers.

Kiong et. al.57 (2013) attempt to identify the predictor of consumer

preferences in choosing an international brand of fashion products among

Malaysian young consumers. From 200 respondents from Klang district, the

study found that country-of-origin perception has the strongest predictor towards

consumer preferences followed by perceived product quality, promotion

stimulation, and perceived brand image and fashion lifestyle. This study is

important to the marketers to understand the consumer preferences in choosing

an international brand of fashion products in developing countries. The marketer

also could understand the market segmentation and accordingly formulate

competitive marketing strategies and utilize target market wisely.

2.1.4 RETAIL OUTLET

Kincade, et.al‟s58 (2002) article on “Buyer Seller Relationship for

Promotional Support in the Apparel Sector” examines the promotional

activities offered to apparel retailers by manufacturers and finds that there

exists a relationship between the retailer‟s perceptions of the offering frequency

57
Kiong, P.T., Gharleghi, B, (2013) “Malaysian Young Consumer Preference in
Choosing International Fashion Brand”, Journal of Human and Social Science
Research, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 31-38.
58
Kincade, Doris H, Woodard, and A Ginger, (2002) International Journal of
Consumer Studies,Vol. 26 Issue 4, p 294-302.

65
and the importance of the promotional support. It is concluded that monetary

support is the most important promotional support.

Miranda, Konya and Havrila59 (2005) observe that overall satisfaction

with a store is not the single factor which influences customer‟s loyalty to that

store, but there are several other reasons such as frequently-buyer reward

schemes, travel distance, preference for an in-store delicatessen, size of the

average grocery bill, story signage and the level of sale assistance.

Karpova, Hodges and Tullar60 (2007) examine post socialist consumer

experience in the context of clothing consumption practices when consumers

shop, acquire and wear clothing and other fashion related products. Consumer

behaviour on post socialist period in Russia was understood through a primary

data study. Interviews were conducted with 4 male and 13 female students, to

determine. Consumer behaviours vary distinctly in the post socialist market

where qualities, brand name, country of origin, retail channel are critical for

buying decisions. Appearance and clothing play a special role in emerging

Russia as they communicate new identities. Findings reveal that there is

opportunity for domestic and foreign apparel businesses to boost to the middle

59
Miranda M.J. Konya L.,Havrila.(2005).”Shoppers‟ Satisfaction Levels are
not the Only Key to Store Loyalty”, Marketing Intelligence and Planning, Vol.
23,No. 2,pp. 220-232.
60
Karpova, E., Hodges, N. N., and Tullar, W. (2007). “Making Sense of the
Market: An Exploration of Apparel Consumption Practices of the Russian
Consumer”. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp.
106-121.

66
class retail market. Customers perceive two ends one with very expensive, high

quality, stylish apparel and the other the inexpensive low quality apparel. Then

most of the fashion apparel manufacturers and retailers target to younger

consumers.

Vyas 61 (2007) investigates sales promotion activities of six apparel stores

in Ahmadabad market and compares them on various dimensions and finds that

usage of sales promotion activities has a direct impact on behaviour as it

motivates a consumer to buy now rather than in future, enhances value of an offer

temporarily till the promotion period, encourages switching, reinforce or reward

loyalty and so on. Broadly, objectives set for these activities are; i) to generate

store traffic, ii) to move excess inventory, iii) to enhance store image and iv) to

create a price image (high or low). Traffic building was achieved by special event

promotions like Diwali, Rakshabandhan promotions; inventory reduction through

end of season sale; creation and building store image through feature advertising

and displays and joint promotions and price image by highlighting the discounts.

It helped consumer reduce not only financial risk but also psychological and

social risk by making consumer confident of his/her purchase, conformation to

group norms by shopping at famous stores/brands and possibility of acquiring

well known branded apparel during promotions. Promotions may induce non

61
Vyas P. (2007). “Sales Promotion Practices in Apparel Retail Sector and
Challenges Ahead”, Research and Publication, W.P. No. 2007-11-02.

67
buyers to walk in to the store and loyalty programmes may encourage buying

more, more often or upgrading to better quality.

Hui-Chu Chen and Robert D Green‟s 62 (2011) article on “Brand Equity,

Marketing Strategy, and Consumer Income: A Hypermarket study” examines

the relationship between consumer demographics, hoping behaviour, and the

marketing activities and customer-based brand equity. The study was based on

the data collected from a sample of 435 hypermarket shoppers classified into

three income segments of high, middle and low. The results attained with the

help of statistical tools like ANOVA and Multiple regressions shows that low

income group customers are more prone to the advertising than those with high

income groups. It is also observed that high income shoppers consider higher

store image perception as compared to other two segments.

Satya 63 (2011), attempts to find the effect of in-store promotions and its

influence on purchase of apparel by customers. The study was conducted in

two Reliance Trend outlets in Bangalore City, India. 750 customers were

intercepted after their shopping with questionnaires. Analyses of data reveal

that in-store promotions results in 87 percent of unplanned purchase in apparel

buying. 80 per cent of the customers seek to visit the “Best buy” section within

62
Hui-Chu Chen and Robert D. Green, (2011). “Brand Equity, Marketing
Strategy, and Consumer Income: A Hypermarket Study” Journal of Management
and Marketing Research, Brand Equity, Marketing Strategy, Vol.3.pp. 1-18.
63
Satya S (2011). “In-Store Promotions and Its Effect on Apparel Purchase.”
Information Management and Business Review, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 112-117.

68
the store and in- store display of large photographs induce trials of the same

design to the tune of 72 per cent. When translated to money terms a customer

spends Rs 400 to Rs 1,200 on apparel, which was not in the planned list

prepared before shopping which shows that in-store promotions are effective

means to induce on the spot buying decisions especially in apparel purchase.

Mazedul Islam, et.al.,64 (2014) observe that many demographic factors

and others purchase pattern factors have a significant influence on the

customer‟s choice of retail outlet and buying of apparel product. Showroom

specific factors also influence the buying behaviour of retail outlet. Cat‟s Eye,

Artisti, Aarong, Westecs, Ecstacy, Kay-kraft, Yellow are the leading brands

which are most preferred as they possess many better positive attributes.

According to the ranking by customers, the quality tops the list and colour and

design, comfort and style and price secure successive ranks respectively.

Vidhya and Vanishree65 (2015) focus on the consumers satisfaction

towards branded readymade garments based on the showroom aspects in the

selected textile showrooms in Coimbatore City. It is clear from that there are

many variables which affect the consumer buying behaviour of the readymade

garments like price, sales promotion schemes, quality, durability, guarantee and
64
Mazedul Islam, Muhammad Mufidul Islam, Abu Yousuf Mohammad
AnwarulAzim, Md. Russel Anwar (2014), “Customer Perceptions In Buying Decision
Towards Branded Bangladeshi Local Apparel Products”, European Scientific
Journal, Vol.10, No.7,pp.482-497.
65
Vidhya, M and D. Vanishree., (2015). Satisfaction of Consumers towards
Showroom Aspects of the Readymade Garments in Coimbatore”, Vol. 5, No. 6, pp.

69
warranty, store location, ambiance of the store, sales assistance, media and

reference group. These variables have been classified under four groups,

namely, Economy, Convenience, Media Affects and Reference Group as they

are found to carry the highest factor loadings. Finally, the authors suggest that

reference group, price and sales promotion schemes are the most important

while purchasing the readymade garments. It implies that before setting prices

managers should consider the price range that the target consumers are willing

or able to pay.

Shiek Meeran and Ranjitham66 (2016) attempt to ascertain the branded

apparel most preferred by respondents and examine customer‟s perception

towards retail garments showrooms and the reasons for the choice of a

particular retail garments showroom for their shopping in Tirunelveli Hub.

The manufacturers of branded apparel must focus on all these factors to

formulate branding strategies effectively and to sustain their growth.

Convenient shop hours and the offer and discounts are the two factors that

contribute more to prefer a particular retail garment showroom. The retailers

need to give more attention to these factors in order to attract new consumers

and retain their existing customers.

66
Sheik Meeran, Ranjitham (2016), “Customers Buying Attitude Towards
Branded Apparel on Showrooms at Tirunelveli District, Tamilnadu”, Indian Journal
of Applied Research, Vol. 6, Issue. 2, pp.16-21.

70
2.2 Research Gap

A comprehensive review of the available literature has revealed that

there have been a number of studies covering the various aspects of readymade

garments industry in India and in the Foreign Countries. Broadly, these studies

have portrayed various dimensions of the readymade garments industry such

as, the Indian Textile Industry, Buying Behaviour of Garments, Brand

Preference and Retail Outlet.

Though a few studies have been conducted in Tamil Nadu, a

comprehensive study covering the different geographical regions of Tamil

Nadu, especially, in Madurai City, based on the various dimensions, has not

been carried out so far. Moreover, the studies conducted already have not made

any in-depth analysis of the buying behaviour of readymade garments,

selection of textile shops and post purchase behaviour. Hence, the present study

attempts to fill the gap through a microscopic analysis of the garments industry.

71