1. INTRODUCTION:

India is one of the fastest growing economies with a projected CAGR of 10 per cent making it a lucrative market. In comparison to India, the developed markets of the US, Europe and Japan are expected to grow at a meagre rate of 2-3 percent. Women’s wear segment of the market is mostly dominated by unorganized players. But recently many organized players have started showing interest in this segment. These organized players have realized the market potential and have aggressively grown over a short span of time with the help of e-commerce and other disruptive distribution channels. Increase in number of working women has resulted in increase in disposable income which in turn has fueled this market segment.

Globalization coupled with fast fashion has resulted in awareness on fashion trends and styling. It has been estimated that the Rs 1,02,358 crore women’s wear market will grow at a CAGR of 11 per cent to reach Rs 2,89,518 crore in 2025. This growth will not only be limited to market size, but will also see a paradigm shift from non-branded to branded and ethnic wear to western wear as well. It can be predicted that women’s wear may have a bigger market than men’s wear in India between 2025-30.

After globalization Indian branded apparels products creates a revolution for rural and urban people with cheap price and varieties of apparels for men and women. Mid 80’s people believe only the tailors to stitch their dresses including pant, shirts, salwar kameez, blows etc., but in the competitive branded apparels markets the players promoting readymade brands in different category of people dresses in the need of hour. The major players dominating in Indian readymade market like Pantaloon, Westside, Shoppers Stop, Life Style, Globus Stores etc.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW:

According to Ritu Narang (2006), in a research analyzed on branded men’s wear, it was taken up in the city of Lucknow with an intention to explore the buying behavior of the buyers of branded men’s wear. The objectives of this research are to find out the buying behavior of the buyers of branded men’s garments and the study concluded that most of the times buyers visit the showrooms of branded garments with the purpose of shopping. The purchasing of branded garments is not impulsive. However, compared to women, male buyers visit the showroom for passing the time; the number of people visiting the showroom with a brand in mind is same as the number of people visiting the showroom with no brand in mind; Advertising has maximum impact in creating brand awareness.

Kamalaveni (2008), the study has reveal purchasing of branded garments is not impulsive. However, compared to women, male buyers visit the showroom for passing the time; the number of people visiting the showroom with a brand in mind is same as the number of people visiting the showroom with no brand in mind; Advertising has maximum impact in creating brand awareness

Sheik Meeran and Ranjitham (2016), study has investigated customer perception towards branded apparel and to ascertain the brand of apparel using by the respondents in Tirunelveli Hub. The study is a descriptive nature and were used primary data was collected through the structured questionnaire with the sample size of two hundred and fifteen male respondents in the particular city. The study reveals that Raymond, Peter England, and John player remains the top three branded apparels preferred by the respondents. It is clear that most of the shoppers on branded apparel were highly influenced by the factors such as durability, reference groups, wider choice of color and design, attractiveness, price range and celebrity en-dorser. Most of the customers are expecting reduced price and wider choice of color and design.

(Brown and Rice, 1998:154), stated that in ready-to-wear apparel, fit is one of the key factors shaping and determining consumer preference in clothes. Fit further influences other people’s perceptions of one and tends to boost one’s emotions.

(Anderson et al., 2000), the consumer does not only keep it in the wardrobe but attractively coordinates it with other clothes to improve her self-image and appearance. Poor fitting clothes attract negative attention from people and make the individual feel uncomfortable

According to Chun-Yoon and Jasper (2005), good fit in clothes depend on accurate body measurements and sizing of the target group. Apparel sizing depends on understanding different body forms and structure variation. Incorrect sizing is the most common reason why plus-size women consumers return ready-to-wear garments.

Atul Pandey, Sachin Bhardwaj, Sanjay Mishra (2014), estimated that the Indian retail industry is considered as one of the world’s top five retail markets in terms of economic value. The industry is experiencing exponential growth, with retail development taking place not just in major cities and metros, but also in Tier-II and Tier-III cities. India's strong growth fundamentals along with increased urbanization and consumerism have opened up immense scope for retail expansion. Further, easy availability of Debit/ Credit cards has contributed significantly to a strong and growing online consumer culture in India.

Deepa Katiyal, (2017), determines reference group appeal in the present era, has become important for the marketers to reach consumers and to persuade them to buy their products. The present study tries to investigate the relationship between consumer buying behavior towards determinants of reference Group Appeal and their purchase intention with reference to different demographical dimensions.

Nidhi Jhawar, Vivek S. Kushwaha (2017), found that visual merchandising practices certainly influence customers’ buying behavior and leads to Impulse buying as well. The results suggest that attributes that are associated most strongly with purchase intention were: merchandise coloring, presentation, styling, awareness of fixtures, path to merchandise, sensory qualities of materials and lighting.

Pawan Kumar, Kanchan. (2018), investigates buying behavior is the psychological, social and economic situation of the consumers to buy branded apparels. Consumer behavior of purchasing branded apparels is liable to change due to many factors. Presently, the nature of fashion industry wheeled on the tract of social media, internet and television which lead to make fast changes in this sector. Branded apparel is an important component of modern fashion industry.

Mridulesh Singh, Ankit Kumar Katiyar (2018), discovered an on-line shopping system that allows a client to submit on-line orders for goods and services from a store that serves each walk-in customers and online customers. The web searching system presents an internet show of associate order bring to associate end time and an associated delivery window for things elect by the client.

Abdelmutalab Ibrahim Adam (2020), the study briefly reviews the shopping behavior and factors influencing it of college going students for apparel products. The results shows that the students were brand loyal, price, value conscious, brand and fashion conscious as they seek for new variety according to the changing trends.

Dipti Baghel, Archi Dubey (2012), the findings indicated that there was a positive relationship between visual merchandising and consumers’ impulse buying behavior. Moreover, the study revealed that the strongest correlation exist between impulse buying behavior and window display next to floor merchandising followed by In store form and Promotional signage. The findings are useful for retailers to choose an appropriate technique in presenting merchandise in the most attractive manner to catch the eyes of the customer to convert them into buyers of the products.

Pratibha Rai, Bobby. B. Pandey (2016), the study shows the importance of visual merchandising on the part of store and its impact on various segments of consumers. After this study the stores may reframe their strategies of visual merchandising in a manner to attract more and more customers towards their store to increase their sales.

V. R. Palanivelu, D. Manikandan. (2018), explains entrepreneurship amongst women is a relatively recent Phenomenon, which is gradually changing with the growing sensitivity of the roles, responsibilities and Economic status of women in the society in general and family in particular. For women entrepreneurs, starting and operating a business involves considerable risks and difficulties, because in the Indian social Environment women has always lived as subordinate to men. Increase in the education levels of women and increased social awareness in respect of the role Women plays a vital role in the society.

Partha Prasad Chowdhury (2019), the study extends a direction for new researchers and concludes with suggestions for further research and suggests marketers to use social media to generate demand and to focus on offering superior value products to provide customer satisfaction so that buyers spread positive word-of-mouth which will in turn develop company/brand image and will bring more customers and will play significant role on the buying behavior of consumers.

3. RESEARCH GAP:

It is evident from the review of literature that a study of women’s apparel buying behavior with reference to Kolhapur district is not done; therefore, this study is an attempt to review the women’s apparel buying behavior with reference to Kolhapur district. Also, much concentration is not given to identify steps required to identify women’s behavior towards branded apparels. For these reasons it is determine to deal with these specific gaps in the span of this study with supportive objectives.

4. PROBLEM STATEMENT:

A new focus on the apparel retail sector has attracted attention in recent days. Top exporters have introduced their own brands and are aggressively positioning themselves within segments of the domestic markets. The rising importance of brand segments in the domestic market combined with the pressure of competition is blurring the boundaries between exports and domestic production in countries with large home markets, such as India. With the changing lifestyle, organized retail is playing a key role in structuring the Indian domestic market, reinforced in particular by rising incomes and growing purchasing power among consumers. International brands such as Benetton, Lacoste, Levi Strauss, Crocodile, Lee, Wrangler, Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Guess, Esprit, Mango, Hugo Boss, Mark and Spencer’s and Tommy Hilfiger have already built a retail presence in the country, while market watchers point out that several more such as Versace, FCUK, Zara, Mother Care, IKEA, Fendi, NEXT, Debenhams, Trussardi, and DKNY have charted out a strategy to enter the Indian market.

5. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY:

· To identify women’s buying behavior towards lifestyle.

· To analyze women’s buying preference for branded apparels according to income level.

· To analyze the women’s consumers satisfaction levels and expectation level on branded apparels.

· To study women’s buying behavior towards fashion

· To explore relation between women’s buying behavior and price of the garments

6. HYPOTHESIS:

H0: There is no significant relationship between lifestyle and women’s buying behavior towards branded readymade garments.

H1: There is significant relationship between lifestyle and women’s buying behavior towards branded readymade garments

H0: There is no significant relationship between income level of the respondent and branded apparel preference.

H1: There is significant relationship between income level of the respondent and branded apparel preference

H0: There is no significant difference between women’s consumers satisfaction levels and expectation level on branded apparels.

H1: There is significant difference between women’s consumers satisfaction levels and expectation level on branded apparels.

H0: There is no significant difference between the satisfaction level and expectation level of branded tops.

H1: There is significant difference between the satisfaction level and expectation level of branded tops.

H0: There is no significant difference between the expectation level and satisfaction level of branded bottoms.

H1: There is significant difference between the expectation level and satisfaction level of branded bottoms.

H0: There is no significant relationship between price of garment and women’s buying behavior towards branded readymade garments.

H1: There is significant relationship between price of garment and women’s buying behavior towards branded readymade garments.

H0: There is no significant relationship between fashion and women’s buying behavior towards branded readymade garments.

H1: There is significant relationship between fashion and women’s buying behavior towards branded readymade garments.

7. IMPORTANCE AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY:

a. Importance:

· Study would be beneficial for the retailer in and around Kolhapur district.

· The study would be helpful for various garment manufactures to identify women’s buying behavior.

· Based on this study companies can take necessary actions to fulfil women’s buying in Kolhapur district.

b. Scope:

· Topical scope: The topical scope of the study is related with the women’s apparel buying behavior.

· Analytical scope: The Analytical scope is related with the data collection to fulfillment of objectives of the study.

· Geographical scope: The Geographical scope is related with Kolhapur district, Maharashtra.

8. 8.1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

a. Primary Data:

The questionnaire based on the above stated objectives will be prepared in order to have the first-hand information from the customer. The questionnaire will be prepared for customer. Also, observation method will be adopted.

b. Secondary Data:

The secondary data will be collected from the web site of the company, references from earlier research reports related to this topic, etc.

c. Sample Design and Sample Size:

Sample Companies: 30

Total population: 750

Sample Size: 100 Samples

Sampling Frame: Women Customer

Sampling Method: Random Sample

8.2 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY:

· The study is limited to 10 retail outlets in Kolhapur district and cannot be generalized to other areas.

· The respondents may tend to disclose information unwillingly.

8.3 ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSIONS:

Data analysis is to be conducted by using chi-square test for women’s buying behavior in selected retail outlets against different factors such as like income level, satisfaction level, branded apparel preference, fashion, price, expectation level of branded tops, bottoms etc. Calculated Chi-Square = N*(ad-bc) *(ad-bc)/ (a+b) (c+d) (a+c) (b+d)

	Attribute I
			Total
Attribute II	a	b	(a + b)
Attribute II	c	d	(c + d)
Total	(a + c)	(b + d)	N

If Calculated Chi-Square is greater than 3.84 then H1 is accepted and if less than 3.84 then Ho is accepted at 5 % level of significance.

Table 1:

Factors	a	b	c	d	Calculated Chai- Square
lifestyle	14	16	48	22	4.276821085
Satisfaction level	28	12	34	26	0.5521875
Branded apparel preference	12	14	44	30	0.723378906
Expectation level of tops	40	26	16	18	1.671412367
Expectation level of bottoms	25	17	48	22	0.233818526
Income level	45	28	18	09	4.68768595
Price	42	31	17	10	4.164423967
Fashion	48	22	22	08	4.41

9. FINDINGS:

There is significant relationship between lifestyle and women’s buying behavior towards branded readymade garments. Income level of the respondent directly effects on branded apparel preference. Women’s consumers satisfaction levels and expectation level varies on branded apparels. Satisfaction level and expectation level of branded tops are not associated. There is no relation found between the expectation level and satisfaction level of branded bottoms. Price of garment can affect women’s buying behavior towards branded readymade garments. Fashion and women’s buying behavior towards branded readymade garments is positive. New fashion attracts women to buy branded apparels.

10. SUGGESTIONS:

Branded readymade garment manufacturer and retailer should concentrate on expectation of women’s fashion in rural area. Income level of women in rural area is not compared with metropolitan cities women. Most of the women in Kolhapur district are housewife. So, retailers should consider their need and preference while selecting apparels to put in store for sale. Retailer should work on price range of branded apparels. Fashion is another point to be consider while assortment of merchandise for Kolhapur district.

11. CONCLUSION:

Women in Kolhapur district are more flexible towards changing situation. They are not dominated by any fixed ideology-driven lifestyle. In near future, Indian society is going to see more versatile women. Women in the rural areas tended to be more conservative in their dress than women living in urban areas. Rural women when coming to the cities would like to look good and they tend to dress well.

The advent of international brands, the growing popularity of social media and e-commerce sites, rise in brand awareness, nuclear families, and working women with high disposable incomes are the key growth drivers in the western wear segments for brands in the coming years. The rise in urbanization and a greater number of women exploring the world, there is a visible rise in western wear. Hence the market is bound to embrace the changes and evolve with the needs of the consumer which can bring some threat to ethnic wear segment in the coming years, especially in the metros and larger cities.

12. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

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Received on 24.08.2020 Modified on 14.09.2020

Asian Journal of Management. 2020;11(4):402-406.

DOI: 10.5958/2321-5763.2020.00061.X