According to a study conducted last week by Greenfield Online Eye Apparel, Wilton, CT, 66 percent of online apparel shoppers rated price as extremely important when making online purchases. The study found that brand name had very little influence on decisions, which is in direct contrast to the beliefs of many industry insiders.
Respondents indicated that specific apparel retailer sites, like Gap.com, are the most popular online destinations for shopping, at 69 percent; online department stores came in second with 42 percent; and search engines were third with 40 percent.
Avoiding crowds was the No. 1 reason for shopping online, according to the study. Fifty-eight percent of respondents said avoiding crowds was the reason they shopped online, while 57 percent cited saving time as their main reason. The inability to see and touch items was the No. 1 reason not to make a purchase, at 73 percent. Other reasons included shipping charges and difficulty returning items at 63 percent and 57 percent respectively.
