Evaluative Criteria of Apparel Product by Chinese Woman Consumers’ Socio-Economic Variables

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to find out difference in the evaluative criteria of apparel product according to the socio-economical variables of Chinese female consumers. The subjects of the research were some women in their 20s-50s who were residing in Beijing, China. A total of 312 questionnaires were used for final analyses. Socio-economic variables were measured upon being classified into educational background, occupation and total household income. And the evaluative criteria of apparel product were classified into internal criteria and external criteria. Compared to consumers with low education background, consumers with high educational background placed more weight on both internal criteria (the style and color of apparel product, harmony with wearer, material, sewing quality, convenience of washing and maintenance, fitness, size and wearing comfort) and external criteria (brand reputation, price, harmony with other clothes, personality expression, suitability for situation, suitability for age and social position, and reputation about product by people around). The Chinese female consumers whose occupation was student placed more weight on the following internal criteria: style, color, harmony with the wearer, durability, convenience of washing and maintenance, fitness, size and wearing comfort. They also placed weight on the following internal criteria: suitability for age and social position. Those whose occupation was salesperson/desk worker placed more weight on the internal criterion of style. Especially, those whose occupation was desk worker placed more weight on both the internal criteria of style and fitness and the external criterion of brand reputation compared to the consumers of the other occupation groups. And compared to the Chinese female consumers of the group with lower total household income, those of the group with higher total household income placed more weight on the following internal criteria: style, color, harmony with the wearer, material, sewing quality, convenience of washing and maintenance, fitness, size, and wearing comfort. They also placed more weight on the external criterion of country of origin.