The need for popularity and Its Impact on Buying Fashion Clothing

What is it about?

Consumer researchers have devoted special attention to understanding consumer behavior concerning fashion clothing, and some studies have been conducted on popularity in consumer research assessing either brand or product popularity. Questions such as, “How popular do consumers perceive themselves to be?”; “What consumption activities make them feel popular or cool consumers within their peer groups?”; “Are there any product brand groups that make consumers seem more popular to others?”; and in more general terms, “What does it mean to be or feel popular in a consumption context?” have been ignored by consumer researchers until now. Although many different factors affect fashion-oriented impulse buying and its involvement in purchase decisions, the effects of the need for popularity on impulse buying, and the involvement in purchase decisions concerning fashion clothing, are investigated in this study.

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Photo by Brandon Erlinger-Ford on Unsplash

Photo by Brandon Erlinger-Ford on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study reveals that the need for popularity is important in fashion clothing consumption. This has some theoretical and practical implications. First, it is interesting that “both consumer researchers and clothing theorists have disregarded the need to be popular,” among others. However, it would not be wrong to say that being popular or feeling popular has always been an important part of social interaction. As human beings, we always want positive attention and desire to leave a good impression on others. Furthermore, this is particularly true when we think about fashion clothing. Undoubtedly, dressing in fashion clothing products is an effective way to impress others. For this reason, both consumer researchers and clothing theorists who study fashion clothing should add “popularity” to their research agendas as a new and promising concept.