A STUDY ON CONSUMER ATTITUDE TOWARDS MULTINATIONAL CASUAL APPAREL BRANDS

Abstract

The relationship between consumers’ decision-making styles and their choice between domestic and imported brand clothing is investigated using a sample of Indian consumers. The multivariate analysis of variance and discriminant analysis results indicate that seven decision-making styles together with other consumer behavioural characteristics can be used to distinguish and profile consumers who prefer to buy domestic, imported or both types of clothing. Empirical findings reveal that consumers who prefer to buy imported brand clothing tend to have a unique lifestyle and shopping orientation that differ from those who prefer domestic brand clothing. Conceptual contributions and managerial implications are discussed. This study was conducted in order to determine the consumer preferences of global brands instead of local ones. It is also designed to find out the buying behavior patterns of young Indian 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 Delhi and the samples selected included 50 people of age 16-40. The data collected for the research was through a questionnaire and was conducted in two popular shopping malls of the city and two universities since the target audience was largely the youth. Calculations were then analysed and interpreted using a percentage of respondents and through frequency distribution tables and charts.