A Study on the Clothing Purchasing Behavior of Elderly Women

노년기 여성의 의복구매행동에 관한 연구

The increasing number of senior citizens, combined with the power of purchasing due to discretionary income have vaulted the elderly into the position of an attractive future target market. Therefore, it would be crucial for marketers to understand elderly's purchasing behavior. The purpose of this study was to identify clothing purchasing behavior of elderly women. For this study, questionnaires were administered to 600 women over 55 years of age. However, the sample that was analyzed fer statistical analysis was involved 418 elderly women. Statistical analysis were majorly descriptives such as frequencies and percentages. The major results of this study were summarized as follows. 1. In relation to problem recognition in purchasing process, motives of purchasing apparel were identified as a happy event in home such as a wedding and a birthday, a change of seasons and a casual discovery of a suitable clothing in shopping, in orders. 2. In relation to information search, important information on apparel and fashionability were thought as display racks in a store, opinion from friends and family and fashionability from others or streets, in orders. 3. In relation to selecting a store in purchasing process, older consumers assessed that attractive price, design suited to my age, variety in one store and apparel product quality were important store attributes, in orders. In terms of a purchase place, older consumers purchased clothing mainly on department stores, wholesale stores such as Namdaemoon or Dongdaemoon market, mainly retail stores located close to home and discount stores of well known brand, in orders. 4. In relation to alternative evaluation in purchasing process, older consumeres considered that style or appearance suited to me, color, design, comfort and fitness were important selection criteria, in orders. 5. In relation to purchase choice, 61.7% of the respondents paid money by themselves and 68.9% paid on cash in purchasing apparel. 6. In relation to outcomes of purchase, older consumers solved their complaint against a unsatisfactory product mainly by returning the unsatisfactory clothing. Also, there were those who took no action against the unsatisfactory product and who altered the clothing for fitness by themselves.