Highlights from the Ezibuy Fashion Survey 2013

What drives the Kiwi clothing consumer to purchase? Highlights from the Ezibuy Fashion Survey 2013

Auckland, New Zealand (February 25th, 2013) –

A recent survey was sent out by New Zealand fashion retailer Ezibuy through Great Sites NZ to over 4,000 new Zealanders from all walks of life. The mission - to determine what drives New Zealanders' consumer choices when it comes to summer clothes shopping. Participants were asked three primary questions specifically geared towards pinpointing the key motivators behind their summer season buying behavior.

Question 1 – How would you best describe shopping for your summer wardrobe?

35.62% of the respondents indicated that they buy only a few new clothes and keep most of their old clothes. 28.13% of respondents polled responded that they keep most of their old clothes and buy just a few new clothes and similarly 25.97% of respondents stated that they keep some new clothes and buy some new clothes. In contrast, only 8.69% responded that they buy a lot of new clothes but keep some of their old clothes too, and a meager 1.58% indicated that they buy almost entirely new clothes every summer.

It is apparent that the vast majority of New Zealanders are economically-minded and sensible when it comes to their summer shopping. They prefer to spend cautiously and out of a sense of necessity as opposed to merely shopping for the appeal of having a new wardrobe. It is reasonably safe to assume therefore that those doing their summer clothes shopping are in the market for new additions to their existing wardrobe and not for replacing or re-inventing their look altogether.

Question 2 – What encourages you to buy new clothes for the summer?

25.67% of respondents to question #2 indicated that they look for summer clothes that are more comfortable and suitable. 19.62% of respondents that they are most encouraged to buy clothes that fit them better and similarly 19.57% chose ‘Better prices’ as the key indicator in determining what drives them to buy new clothes. ‘Better styles’ also proved to be a significant indicator, with 15.87% of those polled marking this as the deciding factor in what encourages their summer purchases. Only 13.57% of shoppers stated that keeping up with fashions was the pivotal factor in driving them to purchase. The remaining 5.71% respondents checked ‘other’ over all the other options presented to them.

The data clearly indicates that comfort, suitability and utility are the key components shoppers look for in new clothes. Similarly, price and style are also significant elements consumers consider, followed by staying current with fashion trends. Overall then, we can conclude that the average New Zealander is pragmatic yet stylish and considers the comfort and value of their clothes over how accurately they reflect the prevailing fashion trend.

Question 3 – Where do you find fashion inspiration when it comes to summer clothes shopping?

New Zealanders from a broad spectrum of social and economic backgrounds responded to this question, with 30.93% of them stating that the most dominant source of fashion inspiration for them is derived from what the shops have and their window displays. The second largest contingent, 15.49% people, indicated that magazines serve as their primary resource on what to wear for the summer closely followed by the category of respondents who stipulated that friends, families and colleagues were the most instrumental in their choice of summer fashion – this group numbered 14.66% respondents. ‘Online pictures, websites and blogs’ captured 14.5% of the vote, followed by ‘TV & Film’ with 5.58%, and celebrities with just 2.00%. Those who chose ‘other’ accounted for 3.13% of those polled.

New Zealand clothing shoppers are clearly most inspired by what the stores stock on their shelves and also by what they display in their storefronts. Whilst print and online media also play an influential role in shaping consumer’s ideas of what to buy for the new season, the effect of friends, family members and work colleagues should not be overlooked. What is somewhat surprising is just how little influence celebrities wield over the everyday Kiwi clothing consumer. This seems to indicate that although New Zealand shoppers are not impervious to the marketing and advertising strategies of mainstream media they are more independently driven in their choices and rely on the retailers to direct their options on what is and isn’t a great choice for new summer apparel.

In conclusion then, the data pulled through Ezibuy’s ( http://www.ezibuy.co.nz ) survey provides an overall snapshot of the New Zealand clothing shopper. The picture it paints is of a consumer who is sensible and economically minded, values comfort and suitability most in their clothing and who is led in their decisions by what the fashion retailers stock and display as opposed to what the latest celebrity is flouting on the red carpet.

Ezibuy.co.nz is one of New Zealand’s leading online retailers and is constantly driven to better understanding and enhancing their relationship to their customers.

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