Consumers Are Always at the Crossroads - Essay Example

Consumer Behavior Question Self-concept and symbolic consumption are crucial components in understanding the consumers of fashion and in fulfilling their needs. Discuss and critically evaluate this statement. Answer: The world of fashion is changing at a rapid speed. The consumers are always on the crossroads of choosing attires over one another since there is a lot to look out for. They cannot be certain as to whether the chosen piece of cloth or fashion accessory would be of any use, say six months down the lane. This means that the changing trends require some sort of shining armor and this is only obtainable through the fashion conscious eye of the consumers. More than this, it is the fashion retailer with added promotions and media hypes to boost up the consumer’s need to have the new piece of clothing for his own social projection. A lot of say is also from the word of mouth approach which suggests that the friends and family circles play a very positive and vibrant role in the whole equation. When we talk about the consumers’ needs of understanding their own self in a better manner, we must make note of the self concept which discusses a person’s understanding of his own personality and what does or does not echo his personal statements. This could include issues like his mood shifts that can happen with the changing seasons, the attachment of peculiar feelings with certain colors and going out of the way to buy a certain piece of cloth which is usually not considered a viable option when it comes to buying by the masses. Thus the self concept is quintessential since it underpins his own notions related with the fashion needs and in what manner he can best fulfill the very same. As stated earlier, the people who are considered amongst the aspired groups by the relevant sets of consumers, who are about to make a potential purchase, are the right people to which these consumers can actually focus their symbolic wishes and aspirations. This aspired group could be consisting of those people who are looked upon at by the consumers with a sense of desire and yearning and the consumers always make sure that they buy this just to remain attached with the aspired group. When it comes to these aspired groups, we can easily understand that they consist of models, celebrities, sportspersons or just about anybody who the consumers think worthy of being hailed as something different, so much so to bring about a different in their belief system. Thus symbolic consumption forms up as a very imperative part of the whole thinking mindset of the consumers before they hope to change their fashion practices and mold their own selves in line with what should be their need and in what manner they would fulfill the very same. Consumers of fashion are very conscious of their needs and wishes and usually they go out of their budgets to satisfy their whims. This means that there is a lot of room for strengthening the products in the best manner possible when the talk is of quality rather than mere quantity. Question 2: How does an understanding of the social influence of reference groups help us to understand fashion consumption and the successful diffusion of products? Answer: The social groups to which the consumers try their best to attach with have a lot of positive say on the sale of a particular category of fashion. This means that the clothes worn by the social groups of the particular consumers are very significant and they can make or break the fashion in a very small period of time. Their influence over the fashion accessories which they choose to wear or endorse is something that goes down well with the masses and the ones who like to call these social groups as their personal favorites. More specifically, we can refer to these social factions as the reference groups, meaning the referencing points for the consumers so that they can easily relate with the celebrities, sportspersons, models and so on. The influence which is exerted by these reference or social groups is immense as it can literally change the thinking mindsets of its followers which are a very positive sign. Thus the reference groups really pave the way for the successful sale of fashion items and accessories and more than that tries its hand at spreading the same fashion things within the target audiences and even within the ones who are not actually very frequent buyers of it. It brings us to the question that whether or not these reference groups force the consumers, who are attached with them into making a purchase? The answer to the same question is pretty much true and holds a lot of basis as this would eventually bring a lot of revenue for the fashion houses; outlets and so on and in return boost the business manifolds. What is more important is the fact that people who are influenced in a very easy and cordial manner by the social or reference group are not difficult to turn away from when the relation is of the fashion outlet itself and the retention rate is also high as compared to new outlets which are tried in a very placid manner to say the least, on the part of the consumers who are fashion conscious and want to look their very best. Since the influence is tremendous by the social group, we expect to see the products of the fashion house or outlet to spread like jungle fire within the pertinent audiences and that too without any such wastage on the part of the fashion outlet when it comes to relevant expenditures and investments. The per capita is also low and the people reached is in higher proportions – a major plus for any outlet or fashion house which can afford to have a social or reference group for boosting up its sales and building upon a solid platform nonetheless. The speed with which the products diffuse within these people is something to write home about as well, when seen in the proper contexts. Question 3: Discuss the extent to which the store environment of the fashion retailer influences customers’ memories, moods and attitudes towards the fashion brand. Your answer must include an explanation of attitude formation. Answer: Store environment is a very basic aspect of making a sale to a prospective customer who comes in a fashion outlet and wants to know about the possible options to suit his needs as concerns to fashion and its different items. Thus the need is to outline the exact points which can bring about a change in the thinking mindset when the consumer is puzzled and confused and does not know whether to buy one thing or the other or just leave the outlet and select any other shop for that matter. The manner in which he is greeted by the staff is also something that the store environment encompasses of in the literal sense of the word. When it comes to fashion retailers, it is pretty essential to fathom that these outlets must focus on the finer aspects of fashion itself where intrinsic details and basic designs have to be the buzzword. With that there must be specific emphasis on providing value for money and having price labels so as to make the journey of the potential consumer an easy and hassle-free one. The mood swings and that too in a positive fashion can turn the feelings of this consumer into a purchase which could eventually boost the business of the fashion house and thus ask for retentive sale opportunities. The attitude is the most important thing here in this whole equation. Without a positive attitude, the consumer might never be able to make up his mind and hence quit the process of buying from the very same outlet. Thus it is imperative to psychologically force the consumer into buying the product. There should be help and facilitation at all possible levels, through the displaying of proper tags and notes and even with the presence of a changing room which provides him an opportunity to try out the new outfit to suit his needs to his own liking. The fashion brand becomes strong only when its consumers have fond memories of its experience and this can only be made possible when there is a powerful effort by the store authorities to convince the buyer that the outfit thus selected by him for the potential sale process is indeed the very best and he would actually look good after he tries it. Trying the outfit at a fashion outlet means more than half of the purchase process has already been accomplished and there needs to be a slight push by the staff so that the sale could be ended then and there. Then again, attitude formation is something that needs to be aligned in properly here since without a positive attitude, there can be no two views that the customer will indeed run away and not come back to have that vital sale which was sought after when he stepped into the fashion outlet. The attitude is also strengthened by the general feel and a sense of warmth present within the store. Question 4: Discuss the importance of fashion and clothing needs, risks and characteristics to the consumer decision-making process. Illustrate your answer using at least one fashion retailer. Answer: Fashion and clothing needs are very necessary ingredients of a person’s desire to look good and gorgeous and stand out when seen in a horde of people around him. This means that man (or woman) has always yearned for appreciation and in the quest of the very same, he tries to outdo others by putting on his very best and to look different all this while. Moreover, there are certain problems when it comes to fulfilling these needs which are easily remarked as the risks and downsides of fashion and clothing. The risks are something that suggest a person might not look really nice if he tries to imitate the person from the social group, with which he holds special affinity and wants to look just like him merely for the sake of nothing but sheer attachment. The characteristics of the consumer decision making process are something that we will delve into a little detail here. This decision making procedure becomes all the more necessary to know since there is a lot of say on the part of the consumer itself and it is him who has to look good and feel good at the end of the day more than anything else. Decision making process starts from getting the hang of the fashion which is hit and booming when a consumer relates his own self on the lines of the social or reference group that he likes to call it his own. Then only he decides to go out and look for the outlets from where he can get his desire fulfilled from, though at a price which is affordable. Price is not the imperative aspect here since in the yearn to look good and be appreciated for the fashion deeds that he puts on, he is ready to bring down his budget compared to fashion desires since it is this acceptability which comes with the fashion statement that he wears and carries from place to place. One fashion retailer which is particularly precise about its clientele is Marks & Spencer where quality is everything, not only for the consumers but also for the brand itself. It is reflected quite easily in the name, sign and products of Marks & Spencer all over the world and there could be no two views when one tries the outfits or different products of this fashion label. The decision making process of the consumers within the Marks & Spencer retail outlets is based on quality compared with his desire to stand out when within a crowd of people. This decision is somewhat easy to understand since Marks & Spencer is a global fashion brand and nearly everyone can relate to it in an easy manner. BIBLIOGRAPHY AUTHOR UNKNOWN. (1999). Back to School: Top Marks from Marks & Spencer. The News Letter (Belfast, Northern Ireland), 12 August CHADWICK, Whitney. (2004). Couture Culture: A Study in Modern Art and Fashion. The Art Bulletin, Vol. 86 HATTIE, John. (1992). Self Concept. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates RAMSOY, Odd. (1962). Social Groups as System and Subsystem. Norwegian University Press Word Count: 2,036 Read More