An exploration of how mature women buy clothing: empirical insights and a model

Abstract

Purpose – Despite mature consumers' monetary power and their growing share of many product markets, research especially on mature women's buying behaviour and attitudes is still scarce. The purpose of this paper is to explore and analyse mature women's buying of clothes.Design/methodology/approach – The empirical material consists of observations made in a department store and of interviews with a sample of ten Finnish women aged 50 to 63 years.Findings – The study yielded empirically grounded elements of mature women's buying processes: the need for clothing, fashionability, clothing fit preferences, brand preferences, retailer preferences, shopping style, and price. Based on an analysis of the findings a new model of mature women's buying patterns was developed.Research limitations/implications – Albeit limited in size, the study provides a starting point for further research on mature women as well as on buying clothes in general.Practical implications – Based on the found preferences, the study offers...