Hitting Purchase: The Influence of Social and Demographic Variables on Fast Fashion Consumers

Abstract

With an average annual growth rate of around 11.68%, the fast fashion industry is expanding immensely. Increasing sales of affordable yet trendy clothes are driven by the rising youth population, boosting the fast fashion market. Previous research on influences of the life cycle of fashion and consumer behavior theories sparked this research study’s goal: for fast fashion marketers to understand consumer behavior in terms of social and demographic variables.

To assess the most prominent themes that influenced fast fashion consumer behavior in Southern California, two procedures were implemented: a survey on consumers’ shopping behaviors and short interviews with a range of demographics and genders for both qualitative and quantitative analysis. In this study, five occurring themes of (1) Trendiness of Apparel, (2) Broad Range of Apparel, (3) Age and Gender, (4) Affordability, and (5) Follower-Leader Relationships were found to be the largest influences to draw consumers. Three core themes were found to influence consumer behavior the most: (1) Age and Gender, (2) Affordability, and (3) Follower-Leader Relationships. 

This study’s findings may improve future marketing tactics to expand a fast fashion business’s popularity and sales. It was concluded that while fast fashion companies should focus on expanding their trendiness and range of clothing, companies should target females in the 11-20 age group using social media influences to involve more potential consumers. It was further concluded that attraction of the business will proliferate through word-of-mouth recommendations by customers.