On 29 September 2016, the Cologne IFH published its study “Customer Journeys in the Fashion Trade – How Fashion is Purchased Today and Tomorrow”, which was commissioned by the HSH Nordbank. The study deals with the information process and buying process of consumers and the significance of online shopping and impulse purchases.

The IFH study shows that around 29% of the consumers surveyed are happy to seek inspiration online. Among the young generation, the so-called Smart Natives, this figure rises to 34%. Online sources are almost as popular as shopping centres. Although impulse purchases still mostly take place within the context of bricks-and-mortar retail, the Internet is catching up when it comes to providing inspiration.

Nearly 14% of the Smart Natives and 8% of consumers overall look to fashion blogs for some new inspiration. Print magazines are the medium of choice for around 11%. The shopping centre, on the other hand, is preferred by 40% of Smart Natives and around 34% of German consumers overall when it comes to inspiration for fashion and outfits.

“Just as the purchasing channel is chosen according to the occasion and the situation, the inspiration phase is also increasingly situation-dependent. Consumers are seeking outfit inspiration while mobile on the train, at home on the sofa, as well as spontaneously in the city centre or in shopping centres,” says Dr. Kai Hudetz, Managing Director of the IFH Cologne, who presented the study yesterday evening in Hamburg.

For online shopping, the study shows that a large selection of brands is more important for men than for women, while women attach greater importance than men to a comfortable returns policy. For stationary retailers, the decisive criteria for customers, especially for women, include accessibility, a good range, and good advice. 30% of women said that good advice was the main reason why they chose a particular retailer, while this fell to just 16% for the men.

Resource: Luna Journal