As with other apparel categories, minorities pay higher prices for denim jeans. However, there is a discrepancy between what consumers actually pay for a pair of jeans and what they say they are willing to pay. According to the Lifestyle Monitor, consumers are willing to pay $13.00 more for a good-fitting pair of denim jeans than they paid at retail in the first nine months of 2001. Asian Americans are willing to pay the most, at $38.66 per pair. Hispanic and black consumers will pay $36.20 and $35.94, respectively, while white consumers will pay the least, at $32.67.

What Makes Consumers Tick…

Consumers can be categorized as those who plan their apparel purchases versus those who buy on impulse. Impulse buyers also are likely to spend more on apparel than those who plan their purchases. Thus, it is not surprising that 52% of minority consumers buy on impulse, compared with 39% of white consumers. Those most likely to buy on impulse also are more likely to identify themselves as fashion innovators. Among black consumers, 56% state that they are on the cutting edge of fashion or at least adopt changes before most. Approximately 45% of Hispanic and Asian-American consumers place themselves in these two categories, compared with only 34% of white consumers. However, while consumers of various racial/ethnic groups may differ in whether they keep up with current styles, over half of all consumers feel better if they get a second opinion when buying clothes - creating an opportunity for retailers to maximize the usefulness of sales associates. Hispanic shoppers are most likely to want additional input (29%), and white shoppers are least likely to (18%).

Top

What Apparel Factors Are Important to Consumers…

The past eight years have seen a significant shift in consumer attitudes about what is important when buying apparel. As consumers have begun to cross-shop more, they have become more concerned about price. They also focus more on fabric content, and they increasingly scrutinize care instructions to determine whether garment care requires more effort than they are willing to expend. And, with globalization of the economy, consumers have become less concerned about where a garment is manufactured.

Across racial/ethnic groups, the most important factor consumers consider when purchasing apparel is price. White consumers are the most price sensitive; not only is price their most important factor, but its importance has increased by 14 percentage points since 1994. The next most important factors to consumers shopping for apparel are fabric content and care instructions. The importance of fabric content to consumers overall has increased by 11 percentage points since 1994. Asian Americans are significantly more concerned about brand names than other consumers, and white shoppers are more concerned about where a garment is manufactured.

Top