Chapter II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.0. Introduction

2.1. Consumer Perception

2.2 Consumer Buying Behavior

2.3. Influence of Brand Preference on Consumer Buying Behavior

2.4. Consumer Perception and Socio-Cultural Background Of Consumers

2.5. Consumers` Perception and Their Economic Background

2.6. Role of Pricing in Creating Consumer Perception

2.7. Influence of Brand Ambassadors on Consumer Perception

 Chapter II
Review of Literature

2. Introduction

Review of literature is an early step for conducting research. Review of related literature is

conducted to enable the researcher to get a clear understanding about the specific field of

study. It also helps the researcher to have an insight into the tested methods, procedures

and interpretations of similar studies conducted elsewhere. The literature review helps

researcher to remove limitations of existing work or may assist to extend prevailing study.

Considerable amount of literature is available in the present chapter an attempt has

been made to study previous researches in the field consumer perception and buying

behavior in apparel retail sector.

2.1. Consumer Perception

1) Eastwood, D.B, (1985)1: The concept of consumer needs to be understood before

getting an insight about the behavior and perceptions of consumer. Thus, ‘A

consumer unit is one or more persons who collectively generate income and allocate

it for consumption among the members of the unit’ .Making it more clear it can be

said that the term customer unit refers domiciliary which includes individuals,

ancestry and those who are living together.

2) (Zeithaml, 1996)2: Perceptions of Consumers’ about a brand are positively

enhanced and dampen with increasing levels of perceived quality and with

increasing levels of endure they ambience respectively. For instance, customers’

judgments of quality are likely to be affected by the quality suggested by such exotic
 cues as brand name and price. Brand name, price, store name/image, and country of

origin have also been identified by researchers as extrinsic cues to (quality)

perceptions (Teas and Agarwal, 2000).

2.2 Consumer Buying Behavior

3) (Bhattacharya, C.B. &Sen, S., 2003)3: Customer behavior advert to the mental ,

emotional process and the noticeable behavior of customers during searching,

buying and post consumption of a product or service. It includes study of how

people buy, what, when and why they purchase. It amalgam the aspects from

Psychology, Sociology, Socio psychology, Anthropology and Economics. And also

tries to evaluate the access on the customers from groups such as ancestry, friends,

reference groups and society in general.

4) ( Aaker, D. J. &Joachimsthaler, E ,2000)4: Checking the inducement of brand

names Consumers can either be subjective or objective. The decisions of customers

are also yield by retail stores selling the products. Sales or the service of the sales

ladies or the clerks could be determined by the package or visual appeal of the retail

outlet. moreover, consumers may select distinct products/brands not only because

these products gives the functional or performance benefits expected, but also

because products can be utilized to absolute consumers’ personality, social

dignity or alliance (symbolic purposes) or to fulfill their internal psychological

needs, such as the need for difference or newness.

5) Ritu Narang (2006)5 : With an aim to consider the purchase behavior of the

buyers of branded men’s wear in a study entitled “A Study on Branded Men’s

wear”, was catch up in the city of Lucknow.

This research was executed with objectives as to study the purchase behavior of the

buyers of branded men’s garments, to study the impact of advertising on the

purchase decision of purchasers, to study the effect of promotional activities on

purchase behavior of buyers (Kazmi, 2001;Mathur, 2002). An exploratory type of

research was conducted to develop abstraction about the purchasing behavior of

buyers of class men’s attire and the impact of advertising on their purchase

decision. Hence from the study it could be concluded that most of the times

purchasers visit the showrooms of branded attire with the intension of shopping

(Jaishri and Jethwaney, 1999). The purchasing of branded garments is not

impetuous. However, compared to female, male buyers visit the showroom for

passing the time; the number of people visiting the showroom with a brand in mind

is same as the number of people visiting the showroom with no brand in mind; And

Advertising has maximum effect in creating brand awareness (Kamalaveni, 2008).

6) Pathak and Tripathi (2009)6 : An exploratory research was executed entitled

“Customer Shopping Behavior among Modem Retail Formats: A Study of Delhi &

NCR”. It particularly emphasis on consumer shopping behavior the modern retail

formats in Indian scenario among (Sumathi, 2003). Objectives of the study are to

analyze the factors that affect the buyer's decisions among the modern retail

formats and to inquiry the comparative strength of these factors in buying decision

of the consumers.
7) Mishra, (2009) 7: On the basis of primary as well as secondary research the authors

beamed that retailers tries to apply their own offerings upon consumers and usually

over look the schemes and offerings expected by the customer which eventually

cause the dissatisfaction (Fornell, et al., 2006; 2009). It is also been noticed that in

the fast moving retailing environment, understanding the mind of a customer is

difficult for success in retailing. Agglomerated level picture may be misleading, as

it averages the weary and the cleft. Hence, Individual understanding is adorable

8) Jayashree Y (1998)8: “In the matter of textiles, the consumers go for a wide range

of fabrics to select them, and their desire changes according to the season and

geographical areas. Consumer taste is a controlling aspect in determining the

character of goods that appears in the market. A prudent approach to clothing needs

and expense makes the customer more impressive participates in entire market

economy”. Gender has been identified in much literature on consumer shopping

behavior as a crucial aspect in catch on consumer behavior and as a basic market

segmentation index for companies to meet their consumer’ needs and wants;

Marketers should focus to understand the gender differences in decision-making

styles. Research addressing the issue of gender differences in decision-making

styles could assist marketers to identify better ways of communicating with

both sexes and to supervise marketing mix decisions (Mitchell and Walsh,

2004)9.
2.3. Influence of Brand Preference on Consumer Buying Behavior
9) Elliot,R. &Wattanasuwan, K., (1998)9 :Brand preference ascribe to eclectic

demand for a company's brand rather than a product; the degree to which

customers select one brand over another brand. In a perusal to build brand

preference exhibiting, the advertising must drive a target audience to

acknowledge the advantages of a brand, often by building its reputation as a

long-established and faithful name in the industry. If the advertising is

impressive, the target consumer will prefer the brand over other brands in any

category.

2.4. Consumer Perception and Socio-Cultural Background Of Consumers

10)Henry, W. A., (1976)10: The fashion boosted by the presence of celebrities and

socialites who actually accord to the making of the specific brand. In the events we

generally grasp that the public who are from higher part of the society, are

seated on the front rows of a fashion show or any other big sociable event. Though

many times the product does not necessarily fulfill a commitment, but they develop

desire and feelings. So these products are generally preferred by this particular

group. Therefore brand preference takes place.

11)(Kahle, L. R., 1983)11: As a survey conducted in Poland concluded that the Polish

students opiate Polish products like electronics, clothing, cosmetics and variety

of other products. It is apparent that these socio-cultural aspects affect the

customers to purchase only those products made in their own country. Patriotism is

a crucial key dimension in this scenario as it affects the consumer behavior.

Likewise even some Indians would optate products made only in India.
2.5 Consumers` Perception And Their Economic Background
12)Jones, B., (1996)12: The target audience plays a very important role in the

achievement of the product. The competitive markets these days are cataract with

multiple discretion but the consumer select his choice as per his financial standing.

The size of the dent in his pocket makes him prioritize his needs. For instance: In

spite of there being number of shampoos in the market, an average middle class

family chooses to buy sunsilk because it fits into their monthly budget. However the

key word here is necessity over want.

13)Barry Berman and Joel R. Evans, (2007)13: "As HNI customers become more

discerning about their expenditure in luxury goods, the desire luxury handbag

category players are accretion the bar in uniqueness, exclusivity and artistic value to

satisfy customer demand for true luxury," said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the

Luxury Institute. "The Judith Leiber brand is rated as much for being a work of art

as it is rated a luxury by the only pundits who count wealthy customers who can

purchase the brands. Candid surveys are placed on the principle that highly

educated; discerning luxury consumers have the farthest expertise and

reliableness in luxury consumption. The Luxury Institute executes its research

with independent panels, and uses third party analytical firms to tabulate the

results so that the true voice of luxury consumers is aggrandizing for the benefit of

their associate and industry executives alike.".

2.6. Role of Pricing in Creating Consumer Perception
14)(Richins, M.L., & Dawson, S, 1992)14: Price sensitivity is an major contrivance in

the market today, as an decent customer would definitely adopt a product that is

cheaper than a product which is above his budget. Although brand image comes into

picture, but it’s the money that plays vital role in the consumer behavior. It is the

pricing of the product that affects or influences the consumer to go ahead and

choose a product that he desires.

15)(Reda, Susan, 2001)15: When marketers discuss about what they do as part of

their liability for marketing products, the tasks aide with setting price are

constantly not at the top of the list. Marketers are much more likely to discuss their

activities concerned to promotion, product development, market research and

other tasks that are vista as the more interesting and exciting parts of the job.

2.7. Influence of Brand Ambassadors on Consumer Perception

16)Sharma, R., Smitha, D.C., Parking, C.W., (2000)16: According to Sarika Sharma,

Director, Exclussive Writing Instruments Ltd (EWIL), “Brand endorsement is a

method to get your brand attention in the market. Brand endorsement is a

important tool to create awareness rating of your brand up there in the stratosphere

and it totally depends on the celebrity whom you are appointing as brand

ambassador for your brand. When we made Mr. Amer the brand ambassador for

Premium the sales automatically went up 30 per cent. Exclusive Writing

Instruments Ltd has now renewed Mr. Amar contract and raised its annual ad spend

by 25 per cent to touch Rs 05 crore this year. Premium now accounts for 40 per cent

of our turnover, at Rs 150 crore”

17)Aronson, E., Wilson, T.D. and Akert, R.M., (2005)17: When you identify a

chocolate bar as ‘Dairy Milk’ and noodles as ‘Maggi’, you have made a confer to a

brand manager’s success by diagnosing the brand’s name that enacts the product.

If you can build a powerful brand, you will have a effective marketing program. If

you can’t then all the advertising, decorative packaging, sales promotion and public

relations in the world won’t help you attain your objective.”.

18)R. B. Balki, Sethi, R., Smith, D.C., Park, C.W. (2001):18 Executive Creative Director,

Lowe, says, “Today organizations believe that celebrity endorsements are the simple

way to develop awareness for a particular brand in the mind of the consumer. It also

depends on how effective a brand uses the celebrity. Sometimes, a good brand

uses a celebrity ineffectively, and there are times when a smaller brand does

extremely well with good use of a celebrity endorser. It is not that the

customer gets tired or confused about the same star accrediting various

products. If an ad film is told well with a differentiated story, it works. Or

sometimes it doesn’t.”

19)Erdem, Oumlil and Tuncalp , (1999)19: Brand management needs planning,

developing, and directing marketing strategies. It includes amend the brand’s acme;

as a brand manager one should first diagnose the competitors brand building

strategies and should be smart enough to face potential threats by the

competitors before launching your company’s product and make their weakness

as your strength.
20) Gupta, Monica, (2007)20: The very first thing that strikes our mind when we listen

the biscut word is Parle G. The same thing happens when we think of toothpaste; the

first thing that strikes our mind is the brand Colgate. or in soft drink as Coca- cola.

These brand names are just fitted in our mind’s dictionary to enact the product

itself; this is the basic goal where the brand management concept works. The very

first thing that bangs our mind when we hear the word ‘fast food’ is either a

pizza from Pizza Hut, burger from McDonald’s.

21)Dwarika Prasad and Gandhi, Amrita V., (2007)21, “Brand management starts

with the building a image of any product; it requires team effort with a

effective marketing plan that concentrate at a consumer division. Apart from this,

we conduct a market survey in advance to get consumer feedback. Next, we

develop brand identity in the market by communicating directly with the

customers on how the brand would accomplish them in terms of their needs. This

process is then developed with confident promotions and campaigning using

different media and non-media platforms.

22)Mishra, Mundra, 2007)22: Brand management consultant, Mr. Sharad Oswal says,

“There is tough competition in the market these days, so if a Specific brand has to

approve in the market, it should be designed, packed and presented in such a

effective way that a product cleaves a permanent niche in the consumers mind.

Brand management is all about furnishing innovative and creating exclusives

strategies and using marketing techniques which may constitute a standing for

the product during fierce market competition.

23)Fernandez, P. (2009)23, He suggests that brand acquainted is the right choice of

apparel which helps them to build a positive image and identity for themselves. Peer

impact plays a crucial role in their choice of brands as it assist in their socialization

process. In addition to that, advertising is an important factor in conferring brand

values and develop an image for the brand. Celebrity endorsements have a big

impact on branded apparel too as they promote certain attributes like apparel

image, quality of apparel and status. Additionally, advertising must be used to not

only create awareness but influence brand image and preference of consumer.

24)Khare, A. (2010)24, recommended that in developing countries consumers are

inclining aware of fashion brands. He was expressed towards understanding the

different parameters of apparel of Indian Consumers. He researched on customers

in colleges to understand the importance of fashion apparels in their lives. The

result of the Indian youth consumers involved with brand fashion wear. There was

not much variance in the involvement of females and males towards fashion

apparel.

25)Verma, A.P. and Tiwari, K(2011)25, studies the medium to high potential

customers that international and national brands can target in the Indian scenario.

This study bangs the compartment values of few brands those have achieve success

in the Indian market. Study identified the people are inclining mere brand conscious

with the raise in income level.

26)Yin, H.S. and Susan, S. (2012)26This study reveals the purchase preferences

towards international and national branded attires. It was identified that

preferences towards international branded apparels are revealed to the level of

 purchasing power and is not revealed to the demographics factors. There is a

positive relationship between media impact and preferences towards international/

national branded apparels

27)Mittal, P. and Aggarwal, S. (2012)27, In this study it can be said that the consumer

and his behavior is the crucial factor of success in the marketing. It consist all the

physical, metal and emotional processes and concerned behavior which are

detectable. Study insistences on understanding those emotional or rational pleas,

which drive the purchase decision toward the branded garments. Also certain

demographic and psychographic profiles have been studied and certain relation has

been developed.

28)Rajput, N and Kesharwani, S (2012)28 this article gives high quality materials and

lot of variety in Indian garment market to gratify the desire of consumers. The

consumers are utilizing the opportunity too. Output of study mentions Indian people

have become highly brand noxious presently. Hence, brand image is not a important

factor in apparel product or brand to buy. Study also mentions attitude of males

towards clothing differs from that of females.

29)With reference to store choice variables, Moye and Kincade(2003)29identified

that the incident for which an apparel item is purchased does impact the

consumer’s crucial rating of the store environment and there were higher

expectations for the environment of a store overturing different apparel brands.

30)Leung and Taylor (2002)30 in a study on fashion buying criteria of X generation

consumers in Hong Kong found that X-ers are fascinated by a good interior store
 layout; and feel good service is essential when buying fashionable clothing. In the

Indian lexicon, a study was done by Sinha et al.

31)Prus (1993)31 in a qualitative study said that a number of dilemmas for

consumers are constituted by shopping factors like additional definitions impact

of products, money, users as well as their concerns with the identities and ensuing

relationships implied by the presence of their companions.

32)Magleburg et al. (2004)32 recommended that the teenagers who shop often with

their friends are more vulnerable to informational impact and less prone to

normative influence.

33)Mascarenhas and Higby (1993)33have identified the interpersonal impact in

teenagers and found three major impacts sources were considered-peers, parents

and the media.

34)Krishna, C. V. (2011)34says that Indian retail is in extension spree and many

companies are joining the retail landscape. After food and groceries division apparel

is the next large retail division and the consumption of apparel is also very large in

volume. Previously the manufacturing brands used to direct the apparel category in

the early days and the penetration of the private label brands was very small. But

now things have converted and private label brands are leading in every segment. In

the apparel segment also many private label brands are leading the competition.

35)Rossiter& Percy, 1987 and Aaker, (1991)35: One of the major components of

brand knowledge is brand awareness, which is taken as the capacity of a potential

buyer to descry or recall that a brand is a member of a certain product category. It is

 created by an increase in the acquaintance of the brands through repeated

disclosure, strong associations and consumption cues (Keller, 2003).

Relevant literature review enables the researcher to appraise the existing

information, prospect the gap and make efforts in the direction of fulfilling the established

gap. For this purpose, highlights of several concepts and studies are mentioned in this

chapter. To understand consumer perception, a very simple definition is provided by

Berelson and Steiner (1964) who say that Perception is a process by which we select,

construct, and construe information to create a meaningful picture of the world.

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