Personal preferences of tween shoppers

Abstract

Purpose -This paper seeks to shed light on the behaviors of a group of consumers referred to as "tween", a sub-group of Generation Y, described as pre-adolescents, aged 9 to 15, who are be"tween" the children and juniors markets, by taking previously tested measures and applying them to "tween" girls. The work of Blackwell et al. indicates that individual tastes and preferences are expected to have an effect on to whom tweens look for purchasing cues. Design/methodology/approach -The first section of the survey included demographic items consisting of tweens' age, grade level and race. Section two of the survey consisted of nine items used to determine the influence of two reference groups: parents and friends. Items adapted from the personal involvement index were used to measure the personal involvement of tweens in apparel purchases. Store patronage was measured by assessing the frequency with which participants patronized each of eight given retail settings.Findings -Future research should replicate or adapt the study to a larger sample in order to determine the strength of the relationships, since the majority of the respondents were between the ages of 12 to 15, leaving younger tweens under-represented. Originality/value -The results reveal that tweens exhibit a high level of fashion interest and that fashion interest is the only variable in the study to have significant relationships with each of the other variables.

Generation Y values and lifestyle segments

“…In addition, research to examine the distribution of VALS types among non-college students would provide further insight on the full Generation Y population. It would also be beneficial to examine subsets of Generation Y based on age sub-segments (Drake-Bridges and Burgess, 2010). The results of the present research provide some initial findings on the psychographic profiles and media habits of Generation Y; however, the nature of the research design limits the finding to being descriptive in nature.…”

“…Generation Y is a unique and influential consumer group whose behavior is often discussed but not fully understood (Drake-Bridges and Burgess, 2010;Racolta-Paina and Luca, 2010;Noble et al, 2009;Smith, 2012). Heavily influenced by technology and the internet, this consumer cohort has evolved differently from previous generations making, it a challenging group to target (Lester et al, 2005).…”

Celebrity Endorsements and Beyond: New Avenues for Celebrity Branding

“…There is significant research interest in the effect of various marketing actions on tweens and adolescents. Tweens are described as pre-adolescents who are be"tween" the children and junior markets and are aged 9 through 15 (Drake-Bridges & Burgess, 2010). It has been argued that adolescents are an important target market not only because of their discretionary spending power but also because of their future spending power as adults (Palan, Gentina, & Muratore, 2010).…”

“…Future research can identify whether or not other demographic factors, besides income, affect how celebrities impact adolescents’ attitudes and behaviors. It is also possible that celebrities’ effect on attitudes and purchase intent varies by product category, as recent research indicates that apparel is the category in which tweens express the most interest in purchasing and spend the most of their discretionary income (Drake‐Bridges & Burgess, ). Last but not least, there is a concern about the ethics and morality of using celebrities to influence children's decision making (Clay, ).…”

Identifying tween fashion consumers’ profile concerning fashion innovativeness, opinion leadership, internet use for apparel shopping, interest in online co-design involvement, and brand commitment

“…The 21 million tweens in America account for $43 billion in spending power and apparel represents the primary purchase categories (Cotton Inc. 2012; Drake-Bridges and Burgess 2010). The economic strength of tweens has captured marketers' attention; they are currently exploring ways to gain the trust of this segment in hopes of satisfying them and establishing life-long customer relationships (Cassidy and van Schijndel 2011;Drake-Bridges and Burgess 2010).…”