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Analysing the predictors of the young buyers' satisfaction in the e-retailing apparel sector

Claudia Stoian Bobalca (Management, Marketing and Business Administration, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi, Romania)
Oana Ţugulea (Management, Marketing and Business Administration, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi, Romania)
Mihaela Ifrim (Economics and International Relations, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi, Romania)
Liviu-George Maha (Economics and International Relations, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi, Romania)

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management

ISSN: 0959-0552

Article publication date: 10 June 2021

Issue publication date: 25 October 2021

2149

Abstract

Purpose

As satisfaction is one of the most important conditions for loyalty, this study aims to investigate the main factors affecting online satisfaction for buying clothes from the internet. In this research, the authors followed two main objectives: (1) to identify factors influencing online satisfaction and (2) to determine the importance of the main determinants that explain online satisfaction in the retailing clothing sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The research combines qualitative and quantitative research methods. The authors used the focus group technique and a survey based on a questionnaire. For the first exploratory phase of the research, we conducted four focus groups with 21 women, 18–39 years old, who have at least two years experiences as online buyers and who made at least two acquisitions for clothing products in the past six months, from the same website. The purpose of this qualitative method was to understand the young women's perception about online satisfaction and to collect items to be included in the questionnaire. For the second quantitative phase of this study, the sample consisted of 241 participants. To analyse the data, two different types of inferential analysis were used: factor analysis (for identifying the factors that compose online customer satisfaction) and analysis of regression (to determine the most important factors that determine and predict online buyers' satisfaction).

Findings

The main results indicate that the significant factors determining a satisfactory experience in an e-retailing market are: good deal (savings), product expectations, customer service and website reputation.

Originality/value

The study is more relevant in the current pandemic context, when the consumer’s behaviour has changed and online shopping has substantially increased. The research can be used by companies that sell clothing on the internet and are interested in increasing their financial results and also their customers' satisfaction.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P4-ID-PCCF-2016-0166, within the PNCDI III project “ReGrowEU – Advancing ground-breaking research in regional growth and development theories, through a resilience approach: towards a convergent, balanced and sustainable European Union”.

Citation

Stoian Bobalca, C., Ţugulea, O., Ifrim, M. and Maha, L.-G. (2021), "Analysing the predictors of the young buyers' satisfaction in the e-retailing apparel sector", International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 49 No. 12, pp. 1597-1620. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-08-2020-0302

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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