Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 78 Fashion Marketing &Merchandising
In other cases, a market research fi rm will conduct a study on its own and
make the results available for a fee, or they will offer the information only to
subscribing members of their ongoing market research service. Sometimes,
results of an industry-sponsored research study are published in a trade mag-
azine or special report for industry members. There are also computer soft-
ware packages available to guide companies through the steps of doing their
own market research.
Because there are so many diverse infl that affect the acceptance of fluences
some fashion goods and nonacceptance of others, companies usually gather
market predictions from a variety of sources. In addition to using formal mar-
ket research, they incorporate additional fi ndings from
trade journals, fashion magazines, and watching what
people do and buy.
Customer desires are not always easy to identify
in the fashion business. Consumers fi nd it hard to
clearly state their preferences for products, but know
what they want to buy when they see the right items. t
Therefore, fashion fi rms try to satisfy lifestyle ele-
ments, such as elegance, comfort, or moderate prices.
It also helps if market research can supplement the
qualitative information (what their customers want) e
with quantitative information (how strongly they want
it). See Figure 5.4.
Methods of Market Research
There are many methods of conducting market research.
Some are better than others in specific situations. To be fi
valid for a business, a company should conduct research
with a sampling of consumers from its target market.
The following are examples of market research methods:
• Surveys. With surveys, researchers ask consumers questions via mail,
telephone, electronically, or by stopping people in malls. Researchers try
to profi the consumers as well as the purchases they make. This one- file
on-one method is time-consuming, and results can depend on quality of
the questions, the skill of the interviewers, and the accuracy of people’s
answers. Also, results are in the present, and do not necessarily give infor-
mation that can forecast future fashion trends.
• Consumer panels. Participants in consumer panels keep diaries. This is a
slow method to use to show results for fashion products. One use for this
has been to evaluate television viewing audiences. Results from consumer
panels tend to show broad, sweeping trends better than specific ones. fi
• Focus groups. Consisting of a dozen or so people in a room with a facilita-
tor, the facilitator asks questions, shows merchandise or advertisements,
or leads a discussion about a particular subject or product line. The group
members often face a mirror which is actually a see-through window from
the other side. Company representatives watch through the window and
Jacob Lund/Shutterstock.com
Figure 5.4 Learning how to do market research is basic
to fashion industry success. Gathered data must be analyzed
and related to products and services for consumers.
In other cases, a market research fi rm will conduct a study on its own and
make the results available for a fee, or they will offer the information only to
subscribing members of their ongoing market research service. Sometimes,
results of an industry-sponsored research study are published in a trade mag-
azine or special report for industry members. There are also computer soft-
ware packages available to guide companies through the steps of doing their
own market research.
Because there are so many diverse infl that affect the acceptance of fluences
some fashion goods and nonacceptance of others, companies usually gather
market predictions from a variety of sources. In addition to using formal mar-
ket research, they incorporate additional fi ndings from
trade journals, fashion magazines, and watching what
people do and buy.
Customer desires are not always easy to identify
in the fashion business. Consumers fi nd it hard to
clearly state their preferences for products, but know
what they want to buy when they see the right items. t
Therefore, fashion fi rms try to satisfy lifestyle ele-
ments, such as elegance, comfort, or moderate prices.
It also helps if market research can supplement the
qualitative information (what their customers want) e
with quantitative information (how strongly they want
it). See Figure 5.4.
Methods of Market Research
There are many methods of conducting market research.
Some are better than others in specific situations. To be fi
valid for a business, a company should conduct research
with a sampling of consumers from its target market.
The following are examples of market research methods:
• Surveys. With surveys, researchers ask consumers questions via mail,
telephone, electronically, or by stopping people in malls. Researchers try
to profi the consumers as well as the purchases they make. This one- file
on-one method is time-consuming, and results can depend on quality of
the questions, the skill of the interviewers, and the accuracy of people’s
answers. Also, results are in the present, and do not necessarily give infor-
mation that can forecast future fashion trends.
• Consumer panels. Participants in consumer panels keep diaries. This is a
slow method to use to show results for fashion products. One use for this
has been to evaluate television viewing audiences. Results from consumer
panels tend to show broad, sweeping trends better than specific ones. fi
• Focus groups. Consisting of a dozen or so people in a room with a facilita-
tor, the facilitator asks questions, shows merchandise or advertisements,
or leads a discussion about a particular subject or product line. The group
members often face a mirror which is actually a see-through window from
the other side. Company representatives watch through the window and
Jacob Lund/Shutterstock.com
Figure 5.4 Learning how to do market research is basic
to fashion industry success. Gathered data must be analyzed
and related to products and services for consumers.