An Empirical Study to Understand the Consumer Buying Behaviour in Ethnicwear Market in India through the Application of Factor and Cluster Analysis

Abstract

In the study the researchers tried to cover up the present scenario of ethnic wear market in India and the consumer behaviorism. Thirty-one variables were selected from the study of (Gurunathan & Krishnakumar, 2013). 10 variables were taken on consumer characteristics, 3 variables on promotional techniques of the brand, 5 on influence of reference group, 5 on product attributes and 8 on store attributes were chosen from the study and Five point Likert Scale for opinion and responses. Exploratory factor analysis was run to understand the consumer buying styles in ethnic wear market and to identify the important indicators behind the purchase decision. Ten components or ten distinct types of customers were extracted through Varimax method and rotated component matrix namely Rational Purchasers, Influenced Shoppers, Quality Gift Purchasers, Promotion Driven Customers, Unplanned Purchasers, Passionate Consumers, Planned Purchasers, Customers looking for Card Facilities, Customers having Brand Knowledge and Brand Aware Customers. Four indicators on the basis of highest factor loading extracted from exploratory factor analysis were chosen for cluster analysis namely parking facilities, brand consciousness, preferences of parents and advertisement. Cluster analysis was done first by hierarchical method to deduce number of clusters which can be formed, and then the data was further processed through Ward Method in K-Means Cluster Method. Four distinct and differentiating segment namely emotional, rational, value driven and traditional modern were concluded with discrete characteristics.

Keywords: Consumer Behaviour, Customer types. Ethnicwear, Factor Analysis and Cluster Analysis

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