Generational Consumer Segments and Shopping Process Characteristics: Baby Boomers and Echo Boomers with Apparel Product Selection Activities
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Understanding consumers by examining their characteristicswithin segments is a key activity for business success. Manyapparel businesses use this strategic tool for focusing theirpromotions efforts and their assortment selections on a groupor segment of consumers. For practitioners and academicians,two of the largest and most intriguing consumer segments inthe 2000s are Baby Boomers and Echo Boomers (i.e., GenYs). The Echo Boomers are the children of the Baby Boomersor the second generation of consumers following the generationof the Baby Boomers. These generational segments representtwo of the most affluent consumer groups in the market place. Many retailers and academic researchers are interested inthese segments, and although each segment has received somereview, limited academic research has examined their apparelshopping behavior. Studies tend to be focused on onegeneration but not on the comparison of the two generationsand their similar or different shopping activities. The purpose of this study was to examine the influences ofgenerational consumer segments, shopping orientation, andspecific product categories on the shopping process variables. Data collection resulted in 355 usable responses from EchoBoomers (ages 18-24) and 180 responses from Baby Boomers(ages 46-59). The respondents, for both generations, includedthree-fourths female and one-fourth male consumers. Theprimary occupation for Baby Boomers was listed asprofessionals (53%), while the second most commonoccupation was listed as homemaker (16%). More than 98% ofthe Echo Boomers were full time students. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in two shoppingorientation variables (i.e., fashionista and experiential). Multipleregression analyses showed that these two orientation factorssignificantly explained both segments’ shopping processactivities (i.e., wait time and try on). In contrast, thegenerational segment variable showed no significant differences for the shopping process activities. Findings from this study support the previous work placeliterature that notes similarities between the segments. In thisstudy, age (i.e., generational segments) was not a significantfactor in explaining selection activities (i.e., try on and waittime). This finding refutes previous studies that proclaim thedifferences between the Baby Boomers and the Echo Boomersand provides support for the similarities, not differences,between the two generational segments. With the similaritiesbetween generational segments being identified, the differencesfound with other variables are further discussed. The shopping orientation variable provided more informationin explaining consumers’ selection activities than thegenerational segments. Regardless of age (i.e., generationalsegment), both Echo Boomers and Baby Boomers in thisstudy, who scored high on the fashionista shopping orientationfactor, placed less importance on try-on activities and wereless willing to wait for products. The try-on activities variable was also explained by theexperiential shopping orientation in comparison to its lack ofdifferentiation with the generational segments variable. Consumers, regardless of age, who rated experiential activitiesas more important when shopping were the consumers whowanted to try on the products. Denim was the one product category variable, in theconceptual model, that explained try-on and wait timeactivities. Consumers who placed more importance on denim,specifically the fit, color and styling of blue jeans, were theconsumers who were more willing to wait for products to bedelivered. This research has a number of implications for practitionersand for academicians. Previous research studies in severalfields have noted that consumers may react differently tovarious situations according to their generational segment (i.e.,age grouping). However, the findings in this research showedthat other variables from the model in instead of thegenerational segment were more significant in explainingselection activities of consumers. Because of this finding,academic researchers may want to include multiple variableswhen examining or comparing generational segments. Inaddition, marketers and retailers may wish to considerremoving the age factor in their presentations and promotionsof some apparel products. In this study, these femaleconsumers were more driven by their shopping orientationswhen selecting products than by their age. In another example of practical application of the findings, retailers who designdressing rooms and have sales staff assist customers shouldrealize that all consumers who are interested in shopping mayhave varying opinions on trying on products and on how longthey will wait for a product. Retailers should not assume thatthe younger consumer will not want to try on products or thatan older consumer will want to take the time to try on aproduct.
Abstract
Understanding consumers by examining their characteristicswithin segments is a key activity for business success. Manyapparel businesses use this strategic tool for focusing theirpromotions efforts and their assortment selections on a groupor segment of consumers. For practitioners and academicians,two of the largest and most intriguing consumer segments inthe 2000s are Baby Boomers and Echo Boomers (i.e., GenYs). The Echo Boomers are the children of the Baby Boomersor the second generation of consumers following the generationof the Baby Boomers. These generational segments representtwo of the most affluent consumer groups in the market place. Many retailers and academic researchers are interested inthese segments, and although each segment has received somereview, limited academic research has examined their apparelshopping behavior. Studies tend to be focused on onegeneration but not on the comparison of the two generationsand their similar or different shopping activities. The purpose of this study was to examine the influences ofgenerational consumer segments, shopping orientation, andspecific product categories on the shopping process variables. Data collection resulted in 355 usable responses from EchoBoomers (ages 18-24) and 180 responses from Baby Boomers(ages 46-59). The respondents, for both generations, includedthree-fourths female and one-fourth male consumers. Theprimary occupation for Baby Boomers was listed asprofessionals (53%), while the second most commonoccupation was listed as homemaker (16%). More than 98% ofthe Echo Boomers were full time students. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in two shoppingorientation variables (i.e., fashionista and experiential). Multipleregression analyses showed that these two orientation factorssignificantly explained both segments’ shopping processactivities (i.e., wait time and try on). In contrast, thegenerational segment variable showed no significant differences for the shopping process activities. Findings from this study support the previous work placeliterature that notes similarities between the segments. In thisstudy, age (i.e., generational segments) was not a significantfactor in explaining selection activities (i.e., try on and waittime). This finding refutes previous studies that proclaim thedifferences between the Baby Boomers and the Echo Boomersand provides support for the similarities, not differences,between the two generational segments. With the similaritiesbetween generational segments being identified, the differencesfound with other variables are further discussed. The shopping orientation variable provided more informationin explaining consumers’ selection activities than thegenerational segments. Regardless of age (i.e., generationalsegment), both Echo Boomers and Baby Boomers in thisstudy, who scored high on the fashionista shopping orientationfactor, placed less importance on try-on activities and wereless willing to wait for products. The try-on activities variable was also explained by theexperiential shopping orientation in comparison to its lack ofdifferentiation with the generational segments variable. Consumers, regardless of age, who rated experiential activitiesas more important when shopping were the consumers whowanted to try on the products. Denim was the one product category variable, in theconceptual model, that explained try-on and wait timeactivities. Consumers who placed more importance on denim,specifically the fit, color and styling of blue jeans, were theconsumers who were more willing to wait for products to bedelivered. This research has a number of implications for practitionersand for academicians. Previous research studies in severalfields have noted that consumers may react differently tovarious situations according to their generational segment (i.e.,age grouping). However, the findings in this research showedthat other variables from the model in instead of thegenerational segment were more significant in explainingselection activities of consumers. Because of this finding,academic researchers may want to include multiple variableswhen examining or comparing generational segments. Inaddition, marketers and retailers may wish to considerremoving the age factor in their presentations and promotionsof some apparel products. In this study, these femaleconsumers were more driven by their shopping orientationswhen selecting products than by their age. In another example of practical application of the findings, retailers who designdressing rooms and have sales staff assist customers shouldrealize that all consumers who are interested in shopping mayhave varying opinions on trying on products and on how longthey will wait for a product. Retailers should not assume thatthe younger consumer will not want to try on products or thatan older consumer will want to take the time to try on aproduct.
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