Fashion Marketing Survey Findings

This semester, I investigated consumer’s fiber preferences when shopping, specifically in an online setting. This question was delved into through a three-part survey, asking questions about fiber preferences, online shopping habits, and general demographics. Out of the 30 survey respondents, 100% were aged 18-25, with 68% having completed some college and another 24% having graduated with either an associate or bachelor’s degree (Fig. 1). Along with this, 89% of respondents make less than $18,000 per year (Fig. 2). From this, we can conclude that these responses came from Gen Z college students or recent graduates with either part time or full-time minimum wage jobs, or who don’t work at all.

In the fiber preferences section, respondents were asked what fibers they currently have in their closets, along with what gibers they try to avoid purchasing. This was followed by specific opinions on cotton and polyester, asking for a short response, what garments they have that fiber in, and a ranking on a 1-10 scale. Consumers were overwhelmingly fond of cotton, with 100% having cotton in their wardrobe (Fig. 3) and 30% ranking the fiber a 10 (Fig. 4). Polyester had much more varied opinions, with an equal 7% or respondents giving cotton a 1 and a 10 (Fig. 5). It was also the most avoided fiber in the survey, with 40% saying they try not to purchase garments with polyester in them (Fig. 6), despite 96% having it in their wardrobe (Fig. 3). Overall, it appears that those surveyed responded very well to cotton and had mixed reviews to polyester and synthetic fibers.

In the online shopping habits section, respondents were asked about the frequency of their online shopping, who they shop from online, how much they generally spend per garment, and how much more they would be willing to spend on a garment knowing it was made sustainably. While 97% of respondents shop online (Fig. 7), only 62% consider fiber type when shopping online (Fig. 8). Even though it was shown that consumers have strong opinions on fibers, there is a large population that does not look at this information when shopping online. When considering how much someone spends per on a garment, or how much more they would be willing to spend if made sustainably, the question luxury shopping is important. 24% or respondents said they shop luxury brands (Fig. 9), meaning they are likely willing to spend more for quality or ethics. Respondents were given an open-ended question about how much more they would be willing to spend on a garment knowing It was made sustainably, with responses ranging from $0-100. Most responses were between $10-20. Amount spent per garment also ranged greatly, with responses being anywhere from <$5-100+ in each category (categories included t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, denim jeans, dress pants, blazers, and coats).

After analyses of all survey questions, it appears that consumers do have preferences when it comes to the fiber content of the clothes they buy. Many consumers reported that they try to avoid certain fibers and that they would be willing to spend more money on a garment made sustainably, despite the fact they do not all look at fiber content when shopping online. This disparity in answers could be due to a range of things, from lack of information online to forgetting since the piece is not in front of you.