VARIETY SEEKING AND BRAND SWITCHING BEHAVIOUR IN THE CLOTHING MARKET OF HYDERABAD, SINDH, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Clothing markets are a place where brand switching is prevalent; people are exposed to new collections, new designs, social media fashion content, promotions and more on an almost regular basis. Switching brands does not necessarily mean dissatisfaction with the brand when it comes to apparel consumption. Brand switching is also driven by consumer desire for change, for novelty and for a new look. This study aimed at investigating the impact of variety seeking on brand switching behavior of consumers in Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan regarding clothing purchase. A quantitative cross sectional survey was used with 250 valid clothing consumers' responses. Seven predictors of brand switching were investigated: variety seeking, style, design preference, fit/size consistency, customer service, sales/promotions, perceived social status, and brand fatigue. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, independent sample t test and one way ANOVA were used to analyse data. The results indicated that variety seeking had the highest impact on the brand switching followed by brand fatigue, style and design preference, and sales promotions. The ANOVA results also indicated that the younger respondents had higher tendency towards variety seeking than the older respondents. The study adds to the field of consumer behaviour because it demonstrates that the consumer switching of clothing brands can also be motivated by novelty and exploration, as well as by dissatisfaction. The results indicate that the clothing retailers need to use loyalty strategies together with regular product turnover, trend-driven design and well-planned promotional strategies.

Keywords : Brand switching; variety seeking; novelty; clothing market; consumer behaviour; fashion retail; Hyderabad; Pakistan.