Tween consumes: catalog clothing purchase behavior.

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Tween consumes: catalog clothing purchase behavior.

Linda Simpson; Sara Douglas; Julie Schimmel.

Adolescence, Fall 1998 v33 i131 p637(8)

The purpose of this study was to compare the catalog shopping behavior of students in their tween years (i.e., between childhood and adolescence; ages 12-14) with that of older students (ages 15-18). Junior high and high school students who had purchased clothing from a catalog in the past 12 months responded to a questionnaire that examined the label information sought and product-specific attributes considered. Results indicated that tweens were more concerned with style, brand names, and the latest fashion than were older students. This finding was especially interesting, as these attributes all relate to status; the tweens were more interested than the older students in wearing the latest fashions, being in style, and gaining the prestige of wearing brand-name clothing. This supports previous findings indicating that the tween years are a time when peer pressure and "fitting in" are very important.

Children, preadolescents, and teens are the fastest growing market sectors in the United States. According to Teen Research Unlimited (1991), adolescents in the United States spent $82 billion on goods and services in 1991. The children's market for consumer goods increased by 20% from 1988 to 1995, and the preteen, or tween, market is considered extremely significant in itself (Federal Trade Commission, Office of Public Affairs, 1995). The term tween is used to describe preadolescents, ages 12-14, who are in a somewhat awkward, transitional stage of life - they have left childhood but have not actually become teenagers. Described by Cuneo (1989) as too old for Ronald McDonald and to young for car keys, tweens are reported to have more discretionary purchasing power than younger children or older adolescents, to shop at least three times a week, and to save 30% of their spending money for higher ticket items (McLaughlin, 1991). Cuneo (1989) reported that tweens buy or influence the purchase of $45 billion worth of goods a year. Thus, tweens are being targeted heavily by marketers, who recognize the cash clout and influence on family purchases of this consumer group.

The shift in family dynamics in the 1990s also plays an important role in marketing strategy. Many school-age children live in households where both parents work. Additionally, in 1994, one in four households with children was headed by a single parent, up from one in eight in 1970 (Miller, 1994). More dual-income families and nontraditional households has led to greater responsibility being placed upon tweens and teens, giving them greater purchasing power and more independence (Cuneo, 1989; McLaughlin, 1991; Miller, 1994; Rickard, 1994). Parents simply do not have as much time for shopping, so this duty frequently is passed to their children.

For example, about one-third of tweens do the family grocery shopping on a weekly basis (McLaughlin, 1991). Not only do many marketers realize the spending power of tween consumers, they also capitalize on the knowledge that the junior high school years are a time of vulnerability to peer pressure and conformity. Studies have found that wearing certain types of clothing, especially brand-name apparel, is a way of "fitting in" for both tweens and teenagers (Daters, 1990; Forney Forney, 1995; Frances, 1992; Kelly Eicher, 1970; Miller, 1994; Rickard, 1994; Rosenberg, 1989; Smucker Creekmore, 1972; Storm, 1987; Whalen, 1994). According to Kidtrends Report, "kids aged 6-14 care a lot about the brands and styles of clothes they wear" (Guber Berry, 1993, p. 3).

In comparison to breakfast cereals, soft drinks, and videotapes, more kids are concerned with brand-name clothing (Guber Berry, 1993). Research suggests that tweens place even more emphasis on brand names than do older adolescents (Cuneo, 1989; Fitzgerald, 1992; Koester May, 1985; McLaughlin, 1991; Simpson, 1994). Conformity has been associated with the need for acceptance, approval, and harmonious relationships with others (Batra, Kahle, Rose, Shoham, 1994).

It has been suggested that a barrier to social participation among teens is perceived clothing deprivation - not being able to dress as peers do, for whatever reason (Francis, 1992). Studies have supported the idea that clothing can contribute to adolescent acceptance or rejection (Littrell Eicher, 1973; Smucker Creekmore, 1972).

Forney and Forney (1995) have suggested that, for junior high school students, clothing, appearance, and acceptance by peers become so important that tweens may look to gangs for social cues, including dress. Businesses know the demographics and recognize the significance clothing has for young people. One way they have responded is by developing highly specialized catalogs. Catalog shopping, or nonstore marketing, offers convenience and is becoming increasingly popular for families strapped for time. Major retailers and direct marketers, such as Saks, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, J C Penney, Speigel, L. L. Bean, and Eddie Bauer, use catalogs, which include such items as upscale and off-price clothing, specifically targeted at children.

The purpose of the present study was to compare the catalog shopping behavior of students in their tween years (ages 12-14) with that of older students (ages 15-18). The study examined the label information sought and product-specific attributes considered when shopping by catalog for clothing.

METHOD

A self-administered questionnaire was developed to examine catalog clothing shopping practices. In the initial stage of instrument development, telephone interviews were conducted with approximately 20 tweens. The purpose was to determine if this age group did indeed use catalogs to shop for their clothing and, second, to be clear on the vocabulary tweens used in regard to clothes shopping. A final pilot test was conducted with another group of tweens to ensure that the instrument was understandable. In a sample of 1,929 junior high and high school students, 306 said they had purchased clothing from a catalog in the past 12 months; 272 (89%) completed the questionnaire.

Respondents indicated that their grades had been mostly A's and B's (74%), they planned to attend college (92%), and they currently earned some of their own money (88%).

RESULTS

Label Information Sought Students were asked to indicate, on a scale from 1 (almost never) to 5 (almost always), how often they use certain information (i.e., price, size, fiber content, care instructions, and brand name) to help them decide what clothes to buy through a catalog. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test for age differences in information sought. A significant difference was found only for one item; tweens sought information on brand name more often than did older students (see Table 1).

It was found that 66% of tween males and 60% of tween females, compared with 39% of older males and 46% of older females, almost always or usually considered brand-name information when using a catalog to shop for clothing. These results are consistent with research by Colquett (1980), who found that brand names were a concern for younger but not older boys.

Table 1 Label Information Sought: Means (and Standard Deviations) by Age Item Tweens Older Adolescents (12 - 14) (15 - 18) p Price 3.68 3.85 .502 (1.20) (1.23) n = 136 n = 122 Size 4.15 4.08 .406 (1.09) (1.14) n = 136 n = 121 Fiber content 2.48 2.61 .262 (1.27) (1.38) n = 135 n = 122 Care instructions 2.46 2.26 .211 (1.34) (1.15) n = 135 n = 121 Brand name 3.67 3.27 .042 (1.36) (1.39) n = 137 n = 122 Note. Mean scores: 5 = almost always, 1 = almost never. Product-Specific Attributes Considered Students were asked to indicate, on a scale from i (almost never) to 5 (almost always), how often they use product-specific attributes (i.e., how the clothes fit the model in the catalog picture, how the respondent thinks the clothes will fit him/her, style, price, care instructions, color, brand name, other clothes the respondent already has, the latest fashion, and catalog name) in determining what clothes to buy through a catalog.

Results of ANOVA indicated significant differences between age groups for style, brand name, and latest fashion; tweens considered these attributes more often than did older students (see Table 2). This finding was especially interesting, as these attributes all relate to status; the tweens were more interested than the older students in wearing the latest fashions, being in style, and gaining the prestige of wearing brand names.

Table 2 Product-Specific Attributes Considered: Means (and Standard Deviations) by Age Item Tweens Older Adolescents (12 - 14) (15 - 18) p Fit model 2.52 2.56 .788 (1.37) (1.44) n = 133 n = 122 Fit me 3.87 3.93 .958 (1.13) (1.19) n = 134 n = 122 Style 4.38 4.11 .007 (1.00) (1.10) n = 133 n = 122 Price 3.78 3.98 .693 (1.29) (1.22) n = 134 n = 121 Care instructions 2.55 2.51 .572 (1.37) (1.33) n = 132 n = 122 Color 3.94 3.99 .988 (1.20) (1.16) n = 133 n = 121 Brand name 3.86 3.39 .007 (1.32) (1.39) n = 132 n = 121 Other clothes 3.29 3.46 .430 (1.34) (1.29) n = 133 n = 121 Latest fashion 3.86 3.37 .001 (1.31) (1.47) n = 131 n = 122 Catalog name 2.73 2.57 .542 (1.39) (1.37) n = 133 n = 122

Note. Mean scores: 5 = almost always, 1 = almost never. Style was an attribute almost always or usually considered by 77% of tween males and 92% of tween females, as compared with 72% of older males and 84% of older females. As to brand name, 74% of tween males and 63% of tween females, as compared with 37% of older males and 50% of older females, almost always or usually considered this attribute when shopping for clothing by catalog.

The latest fashion was a product-specific attribute almost always or usually considered by 64% of tween males and 78% of tween females, compared with 41% of older males and 57% of older females. Previous studies have not reported age differences in relation to product-specific attributes.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that tweens were more concerned with brand name, style, and the latest fashion than were older students. Moreover, all attributes for which there were significant differences between the two groups were status related. This supports previous findings indicating that the tween years are a time when peer pressure and "fitting in" are very important (Daters, 1990; Forney Forney, 1995). Another interesting finding was that a higher percentage of tween males, as compared with tween females, considered brand names important.

Tweens have noticeably greater spending power and responsibility due to increased numbers of dual-income and nontraditional families (Cuneo, 1989; McLaughlin, 1991; Miller, 1994; Rickard, 1994). Families tend to have more discretionary income but are strapped for time, and often the responsibility for making purchases is passed to children. These factors, combined with developmental issues (e.g., conformity), make tween consumers an important market. There are several implications for parents and educators. Consumer education courses should teach tweens how to be responsible consumers and to recognize the strategies that marketers use.

Helping students to understand price-quality relationships and showing them how to identify quality clothing should be a priority, given the importance of apparel to tweens' self-esteem. Parents with tweens who are shouldering some of the family's buying responsibilities should teach them consumer skills.

Most important, parents can promote self-esteem that is not based on appearance or material possessions. This would help preadolescents overcome the emphasis that is often placed on brand names. Parents and educators need to recognize the vulnerable self-image most tweens have. Compounding this vulnerability is the fact that marketers target this group heavily to capitalize on their discretionary purchasing power and to gain lifetime brand loyalty. Consumer education in school and at home should foster decision-making skills among tweens that will last well into adulthood.

Further research is needed in order to better understand tween consumers. Their clothing purchase habits, the amount of money they spend on specific apparel, and the types of advertising they find appealing - and that are effective - should be investigated, as well as comparisons made with other consumer age groups. Research on internet shopping and advertising geared to teens and tweens also deserves greater attention.

REFERENCES

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Simpson, L. D. (1994). Adolescents' catalog purchasing patterns for clothing. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Smucker, B., Creekmore, A.M. (1972, December). Adolescents' clothing conformity, awareness, and peer acceptance. Home Economics Research Journal, 1(2), 92-97.

Storm, P. (1987). Functions of dress: Tool of culture and the individual. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Teen Research Unlimited. (1991). Teens spend more in 1991. Unpublished manuscript. United States Bureau of the Census. (1995). Statistical Abstract of the United States (155th ed.). Washington, DC: United States Bureau of the Census. Whalen, J. (1994, September 5). Retailers aim straight at teens. Advertising Age, 65, 1, 8.

Sara Douglas, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Illinois. Julie Schimmel, graduate student, Indiana State University.

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