15A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

Segment: my market segment is a demographic of middle class American women between the ages of 18-30. They have the need for finding their essential clothing items (shirts, pants, sweaters) in one store that they can trust to have good quality for reasonable prices.

1. My first interviewee said that when evaluating alternatives, she's usually left between buying from Zara and Isabelle's Cabinet. Both have good quality pieces and are around the same price range, but what usually plays a role in her decision is the style of the clothes. Although she buys from both stores, her style is more of girly and soft colors so she prefers Isabelle's Cabinet. She classified herself as an online shopper mainly because it is easy and she can see the full scope of products. After receiving and trying out the clothes she said that she determines if it was good purchase by the shipping time, and if the quality of the clothes matches expectation.
2. The second interviewee said she shops primarily in-stores because she likes to go to outlets and malls and try on the clothes before purchasing. She has several stores that she is more drawn to, but ultimately she bases her decisions on price, when she feels like she's getting a good deal. This she said, doesn't mean she only buys cheap clothing, it can be a more expensive item/brand as long as it's discounted. Quality and price is how she determines if the purchase was good or not.
3. My last interviewee was similar to the first in the aspect that she shops mostly online. However she is price conscious and shops mostly through Shein, Misguided, and H&M. When choosing between alternatives she says it's a combination of style, reviews of the products, and price. These stores, she said, can be a hit or miss so it takes her a bit longer to decide but now she is more aware of what to look for.

Conclusion: After the interviews it seems that the main factors that influence customers decision making is quality, price, shipping, and reviews. This segment shops both online and in-stores and they evaluate their purchases mostly by the quality of the pieces.