Factors affecting purchase decisions of online shopping for clothing.

Abstract

Online shopping is becoming a popular activity, with consumers seeing the benefits, such as lower prices, and convenience. As much as online shopping is growing, it stands to be tested whether online shopping for clothing is also growing in the world of South African consumers. This study aimed to establish factors affecting consumer purchase decisions for online clothing. Furthermore, this study intended to contribute to Ideals Clothing, in helping them determine whether it would be of value to introduce online shopping. Ideals’ core target market is an African female consumer. The research analysed the factors that influence consumers’ attitudes towards online shopping for clothing within South Africa, giving Ideals insight into the attitude of its potential customers for online shopping. A sample of 191 respondents from Durban and Pietermaritzburg Truevine Community Church members was used to obtain data. Because the respondents were geographically scattered, an electronic questionnaire was used for collecting data. The questionnaire was emailed to 340 respondents via a link to QuestionPro, which is a tool used to collect and analyse data. The sample was made up of 60% females and 40% males, with 95% of the respondents being Africans. The majority of the respondents (82%) did not buy clothing online; the main reasons for which included the fact that they can’t try on garments when buying online. The respondents who bought clothing online enjoyed the benefits that come with shopping online, such as the lower prices and the convenience offered by online shopping. It is recommended that online stores offer cheaper prices than traditional stores, and that they also ensure prompt and free delivery of the clothes purchased. It is also recommended that online stores offer a wide selection of clothes from which to choose, ensuring that the online sites are simple to navigate.