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Consumer Insights on Sustainable Clothing:

Analyzing Purchase Intentions and Recommendation Willingness based on Online Survey

Project Overview

This project is centered on the evolving role of fashion in contemporary society and its environmental implications. There has been a marked increase in clothing consumption, which raises concerns about the environmental impact of the textile industry, particularly in the fast fashion sector. This backdrop frames our investigation into consumer attitudes towards sustainable clothing.

Objective:

We aim to analyze and understand consumer willingness to purchase and recommend sustainable clothing. By utilizing a comprehensive dataset gathered from an online survey, the project seeks to uncover the underlying factors that influence these consumer behaviors and identify key drivers and variations among different consumer demographics.

Outline

Part1: Introduction and Background

Part2: Data Collection and Description

  • Details of the online survey

  • Description of the dataset

Part3: Data Cleaning and Preprocessing

  • Handling missing or incomplete data

  • Ensuring data consistency

  • Standardizing and normalizing data

Part4: Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)

  • Descriptive statistics to understand basic trends and patterns

  • Visualizations

  • Correlation Matrices: Identifying relationships between different variables

Part5: Methodology (Data Analysis)

  • Factor Analysis

  • Generalized Linear Models (GLM) Analysis

Part6: Key Findings and Insights

Part7: Conclusions & Managerial Implications

Part 1: Introduction & Background

The main goal of this project is to assist businesses in comprehending the changing consumer trends towards sustainable clothing, enabling them to respond appropriately and effectively to this evolving preference.

The growing environmental concerns in the fashion industry, particularly regarding fast fashion, are influencing consumer behavior towards sustainable clothing. As more people become aware of the environmental impact of their clothing choices, they are shifting towards sustainable options. Brands need to grasp this change in consumer mindset to tailor their marketing strategies effectively.

Based on a survey of 156 people, our analysis aims to uncover what drives consumers to choose sustainable clothing, such as bio-cotton, and how these preferences vary among different consumer groups.

This understanding is crucial for brands looking to align with the rising trend of eco-conscious fashion.

Part 2: Data Collection and Description

This project's data was sourced from a comprehensive online survey conducted by a market research company. The survey gathered detailed responses from 156 consumers, providing a valuable cross-section of data reflective of current consumer trends. The survey questions can be divided into five categories as follows:

Category 1 : Consumers Demographics (Q1 - Q6)

Category 2: Clothing Purchasing Behavior (Q7 - Q10)

This section contains the following questions and answer choices:

Q7: Purchase Frequency: "How often do you buy new clothes in a year?"

Q8: Spending on Clothes: "On average, how much do you spend on clothes each month?"

Q9: Preferred Shopping Location: "Do you mostly buy clothes online or offline?"

  • Always online

  • Mostly online

  • Both online and offline equally

  • Mostly offline

  • Always offline

Q10: History of Buying Sustainable Clothing: "How often have you bought sustainable clothing before?"

  • Always

  • Sometimes

  • Never

  • Not sure

Category 3: Consumers Lifestyles (Q11 - Q23)

Answer are rated on scale from (1 = Totally Disagree, 5 = Totally Agree)

Q11: Fashion Coordination: "I am skilled at mixing and matching colors and designs in clothing."

Q12: Value of Accessories: "Expensive accessories are necessary for a classy look."

Q13: Brand Influence: "Wearing well-known brands makes me feel more recognized by others."

Q14: Shopping for Inspiration: "I often go shopping just to get new ideas, even if I don't plan to buy anything."

Q15: Functional Clothing Preference: "I prioritize the practicality of clothes over their color or design."

Q16: Clothing Selection Skill: "I have a knack for picking out the right clothes."

Q17: Perception of Expensive Clothes: "I believe that costly clothes are of good quality."

Q18: Comfort in Clothing: "I prefer wearing clothes that are comfortable."

Q19: Need-Based Purchases: "I only buy clothes when I really need them."

Q20: Diverse Shopping: "I enjoy shopping at a variety of stores."

Q21: Fashion Trendsetter: "I am usually the first among my friends to try new fashion trends."

Q22: Fashion Literacy: "I frequently read books and magazines about fashion."

Q23: Outfit Coordination: "I pay attention to how well my clothes go together as a whole."

Category 4: Perceptions on Sustainable Clothing (Q24 - Q34)

Answer are rated on scale from (1 = Totally Disagree, 5 = Totally Agree)

Q24: Awareness of Organic Apparel: "I know where to find clothes made from organic cotton."

Q25: Knowledge of Organic Apparel: "I am quite knowledgeable about clothes made from organic cotton."

Q26: Unfamiliarity with Organic Apparel: "I don't feel very informed about clothes made from organic cotton." (Reverse scored)

Q27: Expertise Among Friends: "Among my friends, I am considered knowledgeable about organic cotton apparel."

Q28: Lack of Knowledge in Organic Apparel: "Compared to others, I don't know much about clothes made from organic cotton." (Reverse scored)

Q29: Uncertainty about Organic Apparel: "I am not very familiar with clothes made from organic cotton." (Reverse scored)

Q30: Ease of Buying Organic Apparel: "How easy is it for you to buy clothes made from organic cotton?" (1 = Very Easy, 5 = Very Difficult)

Q31: Confidence in Buying Organic Apparel: "If I want to, I can easily purchase clothes made from organic cotton." (1 = Strongly Agree, 5 = Strongly Disagree)

Q32: External Barriers to Buying Organic Apparel: "How many obstacles do you face when buying clothes made from organic cotton?" (1 = Numerous, 5 = None at All)

Q33: Perceived Cost of Organic Apparel: "I think clothes made from organic cotton are more expensive than those made from conventional cotton." (1 = Strongly Agree, 5 = Strongly Disagree)

Q34: Control Over Buying Organic Apparel: "How much control do you feel you have in your ability to purchase organic cotton apparel?" (1 = Complete Control, 5 = No Control)

Category 5: Purchase Intentions and Willingness-to-Recommend (Q35 - Q37)

Answer are rated on scale from (1 = Totally Disagree, 5 = Totally Agree)

Q35: Personal Purchase Intent: "I am open to buying this product for myself."

Q36: Gift Purchase Intent: "I would consider buying this product for my family or friends."

Q37: Recommendation Willingness: "I am likely to recommend this product to others."

Part 3: Data Cleaning & Preprocessing

In the data cleaning and preprocessing stage of our analysis, we conducted a preliminary inspection to understand the structure and integrity of the survey dataset.

We confirmed the absence of missing values, ensuring complete data across all variables. Subsequently, we differentiated between categorical and numerical variables, converting the relevant columns to factors to reflect their categorical nature.

We also performed an outlier analysis on key numerical variables to ensure the accuracy of our dataset.

Finally, we standardized the numerical variables within the consumers' lifestyle and sustainability perception data to normalize their scales, facilitating equitable comparison and analysis.

Part 4: Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)

During the exploratory data analysis (EDA) phase, we delved into the dataset to uncover basic trends and patterns.

Descriptive statistics were employed to provide an initial understanding of the data's characteristics.

We also used visualizations, including boxplots and correlation matrices, to identify relationships between variables and to visually inspect for outliers. These steps allowed us to gain valuable insights into the dataset's structure before proceeding to more complex analyses.

In our exploratory data analysis, the box plots for 'Age', 'Purchase Frequency', and 'Money Spent on Clothing' provided valuable visual insights.

'Age': the distribution appeared relatively symmetrical, suggesting a balanced spread across the surveyed population.

'Purchase Frequency': showed a concentration of data points at the lower end, indicating that most respondents buy clothes infrequently. There were a few outliers suggesting that a small segment of the sample purchases clothes very frequently.

'Money Spent on Clothing': displayed a right-skewed distribution, with several outliers indicating that while the majority spend less, there is a subset of consumers who spend significantly more on clothing monthly. These outliers may represent high-value customers or could be indicative of data entry errors that warrant further investigation.

For our next step, we used a correlation plot to show how closely related the survey questions were to each other, especially those about consumer habits and thoughts on sustainability.

With many questions to consider, our goal was to see if certain questions were linked and if they touched on similar topics. This helped us understand the main themes in the survey before moving on to a more detailed analysis.

In the lifestyle domain, several variables exhibited strong positive correlations, suggesting clusters of lifestyle attributes that tend to be interrelated. For instance, certain questions may cluster around a specific aspect of lifestyle, such as fashion consciousness or brand affinity, indicating that respondents who align with one behavior or belief in this cluster are likely to align with others.

Similarly, the sustainability perceptions section displayed notable correlations, particularly among questions that pertain to knowledge and awareness of sustainable practices. This implies that respondents with higher awareness of sustainability issues tend to have consistent attitudes across several dimensions of sustainable behavior and perceptions.

These initial insights suggest a foundation upon which to build factor analyses, potentially reducing the dimensionality of the survey data to key underlying factors.

Part 5: Methodology (Data Analysis)

The methodological and analysis steps we conducted for this project are as follows:

1. Factor Analysis of Consumers Lifestyle and Sustainable Clothing Perceptions:

Our first step involves applying Factor Analysis to the dataset. This will help simplify a wide range of variables related to lifestyle and perceptions of sustainable clothing into a more manageable number of factors.

This stage will include standardizing variables, performing necessary tests (e.g., KMO Test), and interpreting the factors, mainly focusing on how they vary across different age groups.

2. Evaluation of Purchase Intentions and Willingness to Recommend Across Education Levels:

We then plan to examine whether there is a variation in purchase intentions (PI1) and the willingness to recommend (WTR) sustainable clothing across different education levels. This analysis will involve conducting ANCOVA controlling for factors such as clothing purchase frequency to isolate the effect of education on these behaviors.

3. Identifying Drivers of Purchase Intentions and Recommendation Willingness:

The next phase of the project will provide a detailed analysis to determine the most significant factors influencing PI1 and WTR. This step includes conducting multiple regression analysis controlling for gender and ranking the variables regarding their influence on these behaviors.

4. Analysis of Key Drivers Across Different Respondent Types:

Finally, we will explore whether the effects of the critical drivers of PI1 and WTR vary among different types of respondents, focusing specifically on variations based on clothing spending and education level.

Part 6: Key Findings and Insights

Insight1: Consumer segments defined by lifestyle choices and sustainability perceptions demonstrate clear age-related patterns, indicating distinct market opportunities

Factor analysis has enabled us to identify four key consumer segments based on lifestyle choices and three distinct groups based on their perceptions of sustainability. Each of these segments exhibits unique characteristics that are further nuanced by the consumers' age.

[1] Consumer Lifestyle Segmentation:

Based on the analysis approach attached below, we have identified four consumer profiles from the survey responses:

Segment1: Style Consumers

A demographic that stays up-to-date with the latest fashion trends, often being the first to adopt new styles. They are highly engaged with fashion media and prioritize staying fashion-forward.

Segment2: Aesthetic Buyers

Individuals who place a high value on the aesthetic appeal of their clothing, demonstrating skill in matching and coordinating their attire to reflect their personal style.

Segment3: Prestige Seekers

This group sees clothing as a status symbol and prefers expensive and renowned brands to convey their social standing.

Segment4: Functionality Shoppers

Consumers in this segment are pragmatic, focusing on the practical aspects of clothing and making purchases based on needs rather than fashion statements.

Further analysis shows that the lifestyle preferences of consumers change notably with age, reflecting diverse priorities and values as follows:

Under 20 Years Old:

Younger consumers are drawn to current trends and aesthetics, valuing the look and coordination of their outfits over brand prestige and practicality.

Ages 21 to 30:

Those in their twenties share similarities with the youngest shoppers in their taste for trends and style. However, they show a slightly increased interest in functional and branded clothing compared to the teenagers.

Ages 31 to 40:

Consumers in this age bracket tend to be more brand-conscious, often associating fashion choices with status, perhaps due to professional advancement. While they appreciate practicality, their focus on fashion's prestige aspects remains substantial.

Ages 41 to 50:

This group predominantly values the practicality of clothing, with some still maintaining an interest in the status. The emphasis is on functionality rather than following the latest fashion trends.

Ages 51 to 60:

Practicality is paramount for consumers in this age range, although they also pride themselves on having a refined taste in fashion. They are less concerned with trends and brand names.

Over 60 Years Old:

The oldest age group prioritizes comfort and functionality in their clothing choices, indicating a clear preference for practical aspects over style or brand recognition.

These insights suggest a shift from fashion-forward choices in youth to a balanced approach between prestige and practicality in middle age, settling into a comfort-oriented preference in the later years.

[2] Sustainability Perceptions Segmentation:

Perceptions of sustainable clothing among consumers can be encapsulated into three distinct factors, with variations observed across different age groups (Methodological steps can be found in the attached file below):

Segment1: Eco Experts

Individuals who consider themselves well-versed in sustainable clothing, know where to find such items, and do not associate high costs with sustainable products.

Segment2: Eco Learners

These consumers recognize their limited understanding of sustainable clothing options and feel they have much to learn.

Segment3: Beginners

This group finds purchasing sustainable clothing daunting, feeling a lack of control and accessibility in the market.

Age-related insights suggest a journey from limited awareness to a confident understanding of sustainable fashion:

Under 20 Years Old:

Young shoppers typically lack awareness and find sustainable options less accessible, likely influenced by financial constraints and life stage.

Ages 21 to 30:

Emerging adults start to recognize the importance of sustainability in fashion, gaining some knowledge but still finding it somewhat out of reach.

Ages 31 to 40:

With increasing life experience, this group exhibits a growing understanding and accessibility to sustainable fashion choices.

Ages 41 to 50:

These individuals often show a strong sense of accessibility and awareness, indicating a more mature perspective on sustainable clothing.

Ages 51 to 60:

Shoppers in this category do not perceive significant barriers to purchasing sustainable clothing, reflecting an established sense of market knowledge.

Over 60 Years Old:

The senior demographic considers themselves well-informed and confident in navigating the market for sustainable clothing, suggesting ease in purchase decisions.

These insights depict an evolution in sustainable clothing perceptions, with younger consumers at the start of their sustainability journey, middle-aged consumers becoming increasingly savvy, and older consumers feeling fully equipped with the knowledge and ease of access in sustainable fashion.

[Note: To be continued on further insights and analysis]