Major B Research Report

Rachael Jones - s3564449

(Stillman & Stillman 2018)

“The Modern Day Consumer”

Word Count:
Table of Contents
1.0 Abstract...................................................................................................................3
2.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................5
2.1 Aim .........................................................................................................................5
2.2 Objectives ..............................................................................................................5
2.3 Rationale ................................................................................................................5
2.4 Stakeholders .........................................................................................................6
3.0 Research Methodology .........................................................................................8
3.1 Research Methods ................................................................................................8
3.2 Data Sources .........................................................................................................9
3.3 Limitations ............................................................................................................14
4.0 Research Results.................................................................................................15
4.1 Objective 1 ..........................................................................................................15
4.1.1 Secondary Findings .......................................................................................15
4.1.2 Primary Findings ............................................................................................16
4.1.3 Discussion .....................................................................................................18
4.2 Objective 2 ..........................................................................................................18
4.2.1 Secondary Findings .......................................................................................18
4.2.2 Primary Findings ............................................................................................19
4.2.3 Discussion .....................................................................................................25
4.3 Objective 3 ..........................................................................................................26
4.3.1 Secondary Findings .......................................................................................26
4.3.2 Primary Findings ............................................................................................28
4.3.3 Discussion .....................................................................................................31
5.0 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................32
6.0 Recommendations ..............................................................................................33
7.0 Reference List .......................................................................................................34
8.0 Appendices ............................................................................................................36

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1.0 Abstract

The following research report was designed to determine what business model or strategy is

suitable for a fashion retailer to most appeal to today’s fashion conscious Generation Z (Gen

Z).

The investigation of the modern-day consumer is necessary as Gen Z holds the most buying

power in today's fashion retail industry and has developed a unique set of behavioral

characteristics due to being brought up in a digital era that has heavily impacted their

purchasing behavior. Many retailers are struggling to attract and retain this consumer

demographic due to the lack of research and knowledge on the motives that influence their

purchasing decisions. The key strategy that retailers are implementing that doesn’t appeal to

the Gen Z consumer is the oversaturation of paid representatives endorsing brands products

through social media. This key issue causes a problem in attracting the consumer as it conflicts

against the emotional values and characteristics of the Gen Z consumer, in which the research

results discuss an in-depth analysis of these findings such as; smart technology, physical

touch, security, brand loyalty, sustainable & ethical measures, personalization & accessibility,

and lastly, free returns & shipping. Furthermore, these primary research findings of the Gen Z

consumers influencing factors have been analyzed to strategize business models that are most

effective to attract and retain the cohort within the saturated, mature fashion retail market such

as; green strategies, omnichannel strategies, and brand orientation strategies.

The research report uses the quantitative and qualitative methodology in order to attain

measurable data. Quantitative data was sourced through a survey of 80 respondents, who

undertook 14 structured questions where the author was enabled to make a statistical analysis

from un-bias opinions. On the contrary, qualitative data methodology was used to support the

quantitative findings using unstructured data and a smaller sample collection from in-depth

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expert interviews and focus groups, which provided a narrative understanding. To validate the

methodology used, data was triangulated by using secondary sources which were sourced

from web pages, and library databases that provided scholarly books, reports & articles that

assisted in achieving the aim and objectives of this study.

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2.0 Introduction
2.1 Aim
The aim of this study is to determine what business model or strategy is suitable for a fashion

retailer to most appeal to today’s fashion conscious Generation Z.

2.2 Objectives
The objectives of the research were as follows;

• To identify strategies fashion retailers are implementing that doesn’t appeal to the Gen

Z consumer and may cause a problem in trying to attract them.

• To analyze and understand what factors influence the Gen Z fashion consumer

purchasing decisions and what retailers need to do to attract them.

• To evaluate what business model or strategy is the most effective to attract and retain

the Gen Z fashion consumer.

2.3 Rationale
The fashion retail market is becoming increasingly saturated with brands trying to capture the

modern day Gen Z demographic as they hold 40% consumers worldwide, with the worth of

$269 billion in direct buying power. As the Gen Z consumer is being brought up in a digital

age, they have developed unique characteristics that has disrupted the traditional methods of

appealing the fashion conscious consumer. Therefore, the aim for this research report is to

gather a deep understanding on the motives that influence the Gen Z consumers purchasing

decisions, in order to strategize what business models or techniques are the most effective to

attract and retain the consumer demographic through attaining a competitive advantage.

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2.4 Stakeholders
The parties whom will most benefit from the results and recommendations of this study are as

follows;

• Small-medium sized fashion retailers targeting Gen Z;

The research findings and recommendations from this study will provide fashion

retailers who have a target market of 1995 and over with a deep understanding on the

demographics purchasing behaviour, in order for them to strategically position

themselves within the competitive market and attract the targeted consumer. Small-

medium fashion retailer stakeholders who are in the introduction or growth stage of

their business lifecycle will particularly benefit from the results of this study as they can

easily re-position themselves and effectively adapt their business models or strategies

to meet the modern day consumer purchasing behaviour.

• E-commerce retailers targeting Gen Z;

The research findings and recommendations from this study will enable retailers that

operate solely on e-commerce platforms who acquire the target market of Gen Z to

effectively provide an online experience that meets the wants, needs, and demands of

the particular 1995+ aged consumer. Due to Gen Z being brought up in the modern

digital age, e-commerce retailers can implement strategies that meet the target markets

demands of innovative technology and accessibility to shop online from any place and

at any time.

• Brick-and-mortar retailers targeting Gen Z;

The research findings and recommendations from this study will enable brick-and-

mortar retailers who acquire the target market of Gen Z to provide an in-store shopping

experience that meets the wants, needs, and demands of the specific demographic.

As Gen Z has a specific interest in advanced technology, they still value the physical

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 in-store experience, therefore brick-and-mortar retailers will be highly applicable to this

study as they can implement in-store business models or strategies that meet the

psychographic and behavioral characteristics of the Gen Z consumer.

• Fashion retail marketers;

The research findings and recommendations from this study will provide retail fashion

marketers who target Gen Z with a deep and analytical understanding of the

demographics whole buying process and key factors that connect them to brands,

rather than just the purchasing process. As gen Z is brought up in a digital age and

subconsciously revolved around promotional activity, marketers can implement models

& strategies that consumers go through from the first influencing motive, which is

commonly word-of-mouth or social media motives, in order to attract them and

effectively retain them as a long-term consumer.

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 3.0 Research Methodology
3.1 Research Methods
Throughout the scope of this research report, the system of methods used for collecting data

enabled the author to identify, analyze and evaluate a wide set of variables in order to execute

the aim and objectives of the study.

In order to attain measurable data, quantitative research methods were implemented

throughout the research methodology, designed to provide key objective structured data from

a large number of respondents whom encountered standardized questions related to my

research aim & objectives where I could effectively analyse patterns and make generalisations

involving a statistical analysis from unbiased opinions (Salvador 2016). In contrary, qualitative

research methods were implemented to further develop the research hypothesis from the

quantitative results, using unstructured data and a smaller, more direct sample collection from

in-depth expert interviews and focus groups, in which resulted in a narrative understanding

(Baines, Fill & Page 2011).

In order to investigate and collect quantitative and qualitative data, information was sourced

using secondary and primary research methods, which enabled validity of the measurement

procedures in order to make a conclusive analysis. Secondary research set the preliminary

stages of the proposed research report, due to information collected from previously published

external sources, which got extracted in order to find a gap that set the direction and specific

purpose of this study (Kumar 2011). Supporting the secondary findings, primary research was

initiated to set the framework of the study, key data was collected directly from respondents

which specifically addressed the key aim and objectives of the research report (Pride & Ferrell

2013). The concept of validity was applied to measure each step of the research process,

enabling the author to achieve the research aim and objectives throughout the report.

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 3.2 Data Sources
WHO WHAT HOW

Secondary Sources

Industry Experts; Industry experts have conducted research Secondary research was
in the area of modern day consumer conducted and collected through
⁃ Scholarly books,
purchasing behavior through their own online search engines, industry
reports & articles
quantitative and qualitative research databases, and RMIT University
methods. However, many secondary library.
⁃ Webpages & web research findings did not specifically focus
documents on Gen Z behavioral purchasing patterns
or how fashion retailers should most
⁃ Library databases: appeal to them, they only made
ProQuest, conclusive evaluations on the
ScienceDirect & Generations personality characteristics
Emerald and how this might impact their
purchasing patterns. The industry experts
who were used for secondary data
provided thorough information on Gen Y
& X, but very little on Gen Z which
assisted my direction and purpose of this
study. Furthermore, the industry expert
findings highlighted a gap within the
research, providing a point of direction for
the following primary research & assisting
the achievement of the aim and objectives
throughout the study.

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 Primary Sources

Expert Interview - Iyia Liu: An entrepreneur who has started several An in-depth interview was
Founder and CEO of Bambi global, multi-million dollar successful conducted face-to-face at the
Boutique businesses such as; Waist Trainer, Luxe Bambi Boutique headquarters in
(e-commerce retailer) Fitness, Bambi Boutique and now Auckland, New Zealand (see
Celebration Box. Since launching Bambi appendix …..). Iyia received a
Boutique as a global e-commerce retailer briefing of the interview before it
in 2017, Iyia now also operates as a began, highlighting the research
business consultant, coaching aim and objectives in order for her
businesses and retailers on how to to prepare and gather an
successfully position themselves within understanding of the purpose for
the market and grow. From her the expert interview. The primary
experience she was a perfect candidate research method was a semi-
for an expert interview, comprehensively formal approach where questions
providing a satisfactory amount of were semi-structured which
qualitative and quantitative information enabled further discussion if
from the in-depth sample of 5 questions necessary, providing the
which assisted the achievement of interviewee with flexibility in her
meeting the research aim and objectives. answers which enabled the
conversation to flow openly.

Industry Panel; - Matthew Morgan works as the director of Four industry experts attended a
a company called Buying Intelligence, a panel held at RMIT University to
Matthew Morgan – Director
of Buying Intelligence technology that is enabling fashion educate students on their years of
retailers to understand their marketplace professional experience,
Dain Friis – Myer Group
General Manager through the application of big data which specifically within the fashion retail
provides an analysis of the brands' industry or the consumer goods
Sarah Gale – Coach
Consultant competitors range strategies & product industry. All four experts provided
performance. With over 14+ years of thorough information and advice
Frederick – H&M
experience holding roles as a creative based on each individuals
director and head of strategy in brands expertise as they vary across
such as; Levis, Adidas, eBay, and Loreal different departments and roles
as well as other consumers goods within the workplace. Three of the
industries. industry experts have specifically
been used for the primary

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 - Dan Friis whom works as the group research findings of this report,
general manager in at Myer was an expert enabling the author to articulate a
that supported the primary findings of the discussion for objectives 2 and 3
following research results discussed in which analyses and evaluates the
3.0 as he has had 14+ years of research aim for this study. A
experience as a divisional direction, voice recording from the industry
global operations, and commercial panel was used to quote the
director roles that provided him with primary research findings with
experience in stores, operations, online, questions asked by students of
digital, merchandise strategies & special RMIT and discussions were made
projects (business developments & to answer those questions. The
international expansion). questions were semi-structured,
with specific reference to students
- Sarah Gale has three decades of research aims that have also been
experience within the fashion industry, used for the purpose of this study.
with roles ranging from executive, The many questions enabled
leadership and managerial roles. She was further discussion between the
the vice president and contributed to the industry experts, where the
start-up of The Iconic (Australian pure- conversation openly flowed,
play e-commerce retailer) and two years where each expert was enabled to
as a judge on Project Runway. With 30+ voice their own professional
years of experience in many different opinion, in which at times were
fields, she now works as a coach- contrasting against one another.
consultant, working with companies to
achieve the omnichannel retailing through
e-commerce, marketing, product and
customer experience.

Expert Interview – Sophie Lisa is currently the global marketing An in-depth interview was
Hopkins manager for Cotton On, Cotton On Body conducted over the phone, where
and Rubi. All three brands are a part of the LinkedIn enabled the author to
Cotton On Group, therefore, she has wide originally contact the interviewee
knowledge of marketing the different in order to organize the phone call.
product categories of apparel, lingerie, Sophie received a short briefing of
and footwear that all target the Gen Z the interview that was about to
consumer. Previously she has worked as take place before the set of 5
the global & e-commerce manager for semi-structured questions were

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 Cotton On Group and other marketing asked. The short briefing
positions at Mecca, as well as Kookai. highlighted the research aim and
Sophie's unique set of skills has led her to objectives, and specifically
expertise in integrating the creative and emphasized the Objective 2 and 3
retail departments of the industry as Sophie have high knowledge
together. Over her years of experience, and expertise that relate to the two
Sophie has grown to be brand obsessed, objectives. As the interview was
from assisting the launch of brands in the approached via phone, this
introductory stage of business life cycle enabled the interviewee so
and growing established mature brands. elaborate on her answers as there
Her 17 years of experience in the fashion may not have been as much
industry has provided the ability to pressure than conducting the
develop marketing and brand strategies. interview face-to-face.

Focus Groups - 12 Gen Z Generation Z are the most influential Three separate focus groups of
consumers consumer demographic in today’s fashion four participants per setting were
retail market due to them holding the most conducted in-person at various
(3 sets of 4 individuals)
buying power and developing new locations around Melbourne (see
consumer purchasing behavior as they appendix ….). The focus groups
are being brought up in the modern digital were conducted in-person to
age. This puts great amounts of pressure encourage in-depth conversation
on fashion retailers due to the ambiguity flow through an unstructured set of
of the unknown on their preferences and 12 questions. All participants were
motives behind their purchasing briefed on the purpose of the
decisions. Therefore, gaining Gen Z’s research and were given pre-
opinion on their influencing factors and determined questions that they will
motives behind shopping behavior is vital, need to answer. The type of
in order for fashion retailers to adopt exploratory research enabled the
models and strategies to effectively attract individuals within the three
and retain the Gen Z fashion consumer. different set of focus groups to
have an open discussion and
share their opinions, the flow of
conversation was back-and-forth
with everybody participating and
sharing their common set of
influencing factors that impact
their purchasing decisions.

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Survey – 80 Respondents A survey was conducted to support the The survey was conducted
quantitative research methodology, 80 through a research webpage
respondents took part in this primary called Qualtrics where
research method in which participants respondents were connected to a
were all fashion retail consumers from a hyperlink that got distributed
wide spread of generations & locations. through email and social media
The data demonstrated the differences platforms. See appendix …., 14
between the motivating factors behind structured questions were
consumers purchasing decisions, administered where there was a
primarily the main demographic that blend of open/closed,
participated in the survey was Gen Z. This dichotomous, multichotomous and
was beneficial as the pre-determined well-constructed scaled questions
methodology provided a large sample as a measure of the respondents'
size, which enabled an analysis on the priorities to consumer purchasing
common consumer shopping behavior behavior motives. The questions
characteristics of Gen Y, X and baby were very clear and specific,
boomers, and comparing these three reflecting the structural technique,
generational characteristics with Gen Z in order to retrieve valid and
which is the sole focus of this study. A valuable information. The
survey provided unbiased opinions responses within the survey were
compares to focus groups where they forced, all participants were not
opinion of other participants may affect enabled to complete the survey if
theirs. Therefore the data collected from they didn't answer the question,
the 80 respondents varied greatly, this ensured all data collected
enabling a deep understanding of the would be valid and usable for the
underlying motives and influences of the research result findings. This
wide-spread public purchasing decisions primary research method was
in the fashion retail market today. time-efficient as it took
approximately 10 minutes for a
respondent to complete, and didn't
require them to physically be in a
location to take part in the study,
highlighting the widespread of
applicants.

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3.3 Limitations
A key limitation faced during this study was organizing the expert interviews and focus groups.

The author had to work around all of the expert interviewees and participants involved,

requiring flexibility and patience in order to gather the primary data. Another limitation was the

second expert interview was conducted via the phone, rather than face-to-face. This limited

the depth of discussion that took place compared to the first interview. Another limitation was

the expert industry panel, as they provided key information for the research findings, the author

wasn’t able to ask the panel more than one direct question. Therefore it was beneficial that

further discussions took place between the panel, focusing largely on the modern day Gen Z

consumer which provided further evidence beyond the authors singular question. Another

limitation was not all survey respondents were Gen Z consumers which limited the data

analysis of valid Gen Z consumer purchasing behavior that related directly to the research aim

and objectives. However, the small percentage of the other generations of respondents

enabled the author to compare certain behavioral characteristics between Gen Z and so on.

Another limitation was the majority of survey respondents were male and all focus group were

female. For a discussion and analysis on the overall Gen Z consumer, it would have provided

more validity if there was an even balance between genders of the modern day consumer

demographic.

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4.0 Research Results

4.1 Objective 1
To identify strategies fashion retailers are implementing that doesn’t appeal to the Gen Z

consumer and may cause a problem in trying to attract them.

4.1.1 Secondary Findings

As Gen Z are being brought up in a modern digital age, they are becoming increasingly

exposed to constant technological advancements which changes their way of engaging with

mankind. Gen Z are known as digital natives who are operating day-to-day tasks through an

online world, therefore the significance of technology is rapidly changing the way fashion

retailers communicate with Gen Z and establish a relationship with the consumer (Roblek et

al. 2018). Furthermore, the internet has become a powerful force in attracting the fashion

conscious Gen Z consumer due to their constant attachment to the platforms within. As the

internet enables retailers to capture a worldwide market, this also poses an issue due to the

oversaturation of brands competing for the same consumer demographic who holds the most

buying power, already representing 40% of consumers worldwide, with the worth of $269 billion

in direct buying power (Rees 2018). Therefore, many brands are fighting for the same target

consumer and using the same marketing techniques to attract the Gen Z demographic as they

spend the majority of their time on the internet. According to Bergh & Behrer (2016), 9 out of

10 thirteen-eighteen year-olds find it very important to get good grades and 63% enjoy school

for the purpose of learning and enhancing their education, therefore Gen Z are more

responsible than the other generations and seem to be intuitive and smart. Retailers marketing

to this generation need to be more informative with a genuine meaning and honesty behind

the concept, as the Gen Z consumer sees beyond the traditional paid advertising way of

grabbing a consumers attention and appreciate things to be done in a realistic and practical

manner.

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4.1.2 Primary Findings
4.1.2.1 Focus Group 1

From the first focus group conducted with four Gen Z participants, there was an overall unity

to the constant association with the internet and using social media as their dominant way of

communicating and engaging with people or brands. However, from the focus group, question

3 stated that the oversaturation of retailers using paid advertisements to endorse their products

through social media is becoming unattractive and unappealing to the consumer. Participant

3 agrees by indicating strongly “Within the fast fashion industry, there are so many brands

promoting the same thing and so many paid influencers wearing the same stuff, what they

perceive is fashionable is so mainstream and you see it all over your social media, fashion is

about having your own style and not being paid to wear a product. It’s very off-putting and I

unfollow the brand along with the blogger or influencer straight away as it show’s inauthentic

advertising and the brand is buying their consumers”. On contrary, participant 1 indicates "For

someone who isn't fashion savvy, will see the paid representatives wearing the products as a

great trend, as the people advertising the product are well-known icons with a large follower

base, therefore they will feel fashionable when they wear the product too and it's nice for them

to feel like they can belong to something in the fashion world".

4.1.2.2 Focus Group 3

The second focus group conducted with four Gen Z participants had a strong unity as all

individuals highlighted that it is off-putting how brands and retailers pay bloggers and

influencers to wear their products for promotion. Participant 1 specifies "I would rather not wear

something that influencers have been paid to wear, especially if it has been promoted all

throughout social media. If it were a smaller influencer and they were a brand ambassador that

were truly passionate about the product offering that doesn’t cater to a mainstream wide

audience then I would be more likely to shop with them and wouldn’t be put off”. This statement

supports the previous findings from 3.1.2.1 as social media platforms are clearly being

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oversaturated by brands that target the same consumer, commonly fast-fashion retailers that

replicate the same trends and product mixes, contributing to the mainstream aesthetic.

4.1.2.3 Survey Data

From the survey data, question 4 (see appendix …) asked the 80 respondents if they are put

off brands that oversaturate the market where you see their designs worn everywhere

throughout social media by paid representatives/influencers. 71% of the respondents

answered yes to the question, highlighting that 57/80 participants agreed that retailers using

this marketing strategy is unattractive due to the over implementation of the selling technique

across social media platforms e.g. Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat. The issue of paid

advertisement marketing strategies is also supported from the survey data in question 8 where

respondents mentioned multiple factors that retailers and brands are doing wrong which

creates a negative shopping experience for them. Collectively 42 comments were made

relating to the topic of oversaturation of social media endorsements/paid advertisements,

which 39/42 comments on this topic were from Gen Z respondents. This emphasizes that this

is a key issue that is unappealing to the demographics consumer and may not have such a

negative effect on other generations.

4.1.2.4 Expert Interview – Sophie Hopkins

During the short expert interview conducted via phone, Hopkins made many comments that

indicated her perception on retailers that implement marketing strategies through paying social

media influencers to capture the younger consumer as they assume it is most effective due to

their attachment to technology. As many experts may perceive this technique as creating brand

awareness, Hopkins (2018) has many years of experience within the field of brand strategies

and highlights "Advertising standards are now requiring paid influencers to include within their

social media posts as ads. Before these standards were implemented, the strategy was highly

effective, however, the strategy is now having the opposite effect where the consumer sees

through the sales-forward approaches”.

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4.1.3 Discussion
Concluding, the key issue that retailers are facing today are their marketing strategies that are

being implemented across consumers technological channels such as social media platforms.

The oversaturation of paid representatives where brands are essentially buying their

consumers and manipulating their purchasing decisions is becoming less effective, as today's

realist consumers Gen Z, see through the dishonest and transparent way of generating sales

and growing as a brand. Furthermore, the key issue of marketing to consumers through paid

representatives leads to underlying factors further down the line that changes consumers

purchasing behavior and effectively impacting their purchasing decision due to the unattractive

perception of the brands marketing techniques, diminishing the worth of the brand in the

consumer's eye.

4.2 Objective 2
To analyze and understand what factors influence the Gen Z fashion consumer purchasing

decisions and what retailers need to do to attract them.

4.2.1 Secondary Findings

Gen Z is the most diverse and globally integrated generation, with the widest variety of ethnic

backgrounds, in which you can see many cultures within one social circle, emphasizing how

this generation expresses cultural diversity and acceptance of one another. Gen Z have been

brought up in a more socially and culturally conscious world due to them witnessing the

movement of gender equality, expression of LGBT and the decline in racism (Ernst & Young

2015). Therefore trends in diversity are expected to become more present, due to their high

level of education demonstrated in 3.1.1, their intuition and responsible behavioural

characteristics has the drive to help the world, with a particular interest in sustainability and

global warming. However, throughout Gen Z’s upbringing, they have been confronted with

many social, political, technological and economic changes which has subconsciously inflicted

their desire to feel safe and accepted within the society. This reflects their need for security as

their surroundings are invariably unpredictable, they are drawn to reliability and the

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reassurance within a decision. Due to their revolvement around rapid societal changes, this

developed a demand for security within their purchasing decisions. As Gen Z interact mostly

through technology, they still value a sense of belonging and are influenced by online virtual

social platforms where they feel accepted, this demonstrates their high brand awareness as

they are constantly seeking for a sense of a community within a group of individuals. With that

being said, Bergh & Behrer (2016) suggests that 9 out of 10 Gen Z consumers would be

reluctant to give up their phone in order to have a face-to-face interaction with someone,

demonstrating they still value a personal connection rather than through a digital screen. Due

to their constant connectivity with technology where the Gen Z consumer can pause live

television and customize their media consumption, they have a demand for personalization

and customization. The Gen Z consumer is motivated by attentiveness and personalization

within their shopping experience, as the fashion retail industry is highly saturated with

substitutes, the demographic is willing to shop elsewhere if their wants and needs are not met

instantaneously. … suggests the Gen Z consumer will never shop with or trust a brand again

if their request is not responded to within 24 hours, demonstrating their high brand awareness

and loyalty to a brand if they feel appreciated and valued from previous past shopping

experiences.

4.2.2 Primary Findings

4.2.2.1 Focus Group 1

From the first focus group, participant 4 highlighted in question 2 “It's off-putting to come across

websites that appear authentic and give you a sense of security, legitimacy has to be locked

and coded properly which provides the consumer with a secure state of mind when making

the purchase". Participant 4 also stated, "Never shop with websites that don't provide safe

payment methods when processing my credit card through the platform”. This supports the

factor that security measures are key in influencing the Gen Z shopping experience, whether

that is online or in-store, is it essential for retailers to offer a safety net for their personal details

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in order to obtain their trust and retain them as an ongoing consumer. Following the influence

and appeal of retailers supporting societal/environmental issues, providing security and

emphasizing brand loyalty, personalization is another key competing motive for the Gen Z

consumer, specifically demonstrated throughout this focus group. A brand personalizing a Gen

Z consumers shopping experience can be done in many ways such as; loyalty cardholder

programs, customer service & free returns/shipping. Customer service is an evident motivator

for the Gen Z consumer as participant 1 highlights from question 5 “Customer service is the

biggest promoter for a brand in a way as you get personal one-on-one interaction with an

employee that is essentially the face of the brand. If you receive exceptional customer service,

it makes you feel valued and it builds a relationship with the brand, making you want to shop

with them in the future as you are satisfied with the care you experienced”. This quote is also

supported by participant 3 indicating “I personally don’t like customer service techniques that

are overbearing and overly talkative, I appreciate genuine and authentic care”. The two

participants highlight how attentive customer service is a key influencing factor for the Gen Z

consumer as it can make or break the in-store physical shopping experience. Participant 3

highlights how authenticity and the genuine interest of a brand is essential, avoiding harassing

sales motives that are also discussed previously through marketing strategies. Participant 2

added to the discussion from an online perspective stating in question 4 “Easy accessibility,

online chat boxes, security and also ethically or morally inclined”. Participant 2 supports the

previous findings as to how customer service online through chat boxes is essential for an e-

commerce retailer to provide, also supporting the previous findings of a seamless shopping

process, security and supporting societal/environmental issues. Free returns and shipping is

another influencing factor that contributes to a seamless and accessible shopping experience,

in question 4 participant 2 indicated “I like to know the returns policy before I purchase, brands

making it accessible and clear to consumers where you don’t have to search hard for it is

something I value”. Supporting this, participant 3 indicates "Free returns or shipping is a huge

bonus for me. Especially if you are an international customer and you shop with the brand a

lot online or if you can return the product in store that you have bought online. It makes you

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feel like your money is safe". These two statements from question 4 indicates that accessible

and financially beneficial returns/shipping is a key motive to appeal the Gen Z fashion

consumer and to retain them as an ongoing loyal consumer.

4.2.2.2 Focus Group 2 (Cherie)

Many participants from focus group 2, question 6 emphasized the importance of brand loyalty

in today's saturated fashion retail market, participant 1 stated “I think that brand loyalty is more

important than ever, especially now that the market is so saturated and many brands have lost

their identity due to targeting such a wide market and trying to provide for everyone, they have

lost their competitive advantage and lost their authenticity in the process”. This quote

specifically highlights how the participant believes brand loyalty is about providing a

competitive advantage for the consumer, providing them with a shopping experience that is

unlike competitors and that competitive advantage will be the key influencing factor for the

consumers future purchasing decisions, which essentially the brand loyalty will grow from

there. Supporting the influencing factor of brand loyalty in the Gen Z consumer purchasing

decision process by offering a competitive advantage is the retailer offering a personalized

shopping experience. Question 8 provided a response from participant 4 who agreed that they

are inclined to become a loyal consumer if the retailer personalizes their shopping experience,

stating “Yes when they recommend products based on your purchase history or if you get

notified that common purchases bought are on sale or almost out of stock”. This outlines that

brands personalizing shopping experiences is a key influencing factor as it shows an emotional

value of appreciation to the Gen Z consumer, which they perceive as genuine and the brand

appreciating their loyalty to the brand based on previous purchases.

4.2.2.3 Focus Group 3

From the third focus group, the fourth participant highlighted they feel strongly on

acknowledging societal issues in the fashion retail industry from question 4 “Website content

is very important for how you portray your brand Website content is very important, I don't

21
think anyone wants to stumble across anything as racist or sexist. Brands embracing

modern-day issues within society such as female empowerment and global warming is a

huge influencing factor. Especially when a small amount of the consumer's purchase is being

donated towards environmental organizations that the brand has teamed up with. It makes

you feel like you are being a part of something that makes the world a better place”. This

participant highlights how purchasing decisions are influenced by brands that express

societal changes and actively involve their consumers with their campaigns and contributions

to the environment. Brand loyalty was an extremely apparent factor throughout focus group 3

that influencers their purchasing decisions. Demonstrated in question 4, participant 1 states

“Loyalty is still a big thing. But more so with high-end retailers, if you shopped with a high-

end retailer and they didn't offer some sort of loyalty program, as a customer you would be

taken back”. Participant 2 indicates “If loyalty cardholder programs are promoted in a

positive, community orientated way with a financial benefit that isn’t harassing or putting

pressure on the consumer then it is effective, it comes down to the way the retailer portrays

it". These quotes from both participants specifically highlight that brand loyalty is still very

important to a consumer, particularly in the sense of a loyalty program offering if you are a

regular consumer. Loyalty programs demonstrate the sense of appreciation to a consumers

time and money invested within the brand, also reflecting the sense of a belonging that the

Gen Z is appealed to within the fashion retail market.

4.2.2.4 Survey data

From the survey data, question 5 which was an open-ended question asked the participants

what they would like to see in the future of retail. As respondents can submit multiple answers,

more than 80 were contributed to this specific question. A conclusive 31 comments on ethical

or sustainable factors were the terms used by respondents who wish to see this type of fashion

in the future of retail. Supporting the influencing factor of brands embracing modern day

societal issues is question 8, where respondents were asked an open question on what are

retailers/brands doing wrong that creates a negative shopping experience for you. The

22
oversaturation of fast-fashion unethical clothing was a competing factor that ranked one of the

highest amounts of comments from respondents. This underlines the importance of societal

issues such as people and planet in the fashion retail industry, encouraging brands to

implement environmentally friendly supply chain practices as this appears to be a leading

motivator or factor to the Gen Z consumer. As the Gen Z consumer is being brought up in a

society with unstable forces, they are influenced by security within their purchasing decisions.

This is demonstrated by question 2 where 54% of respondents answered that technology in

retail has been an influence when making a purchasing decision in-store/online. From the 54%

that answered yes, the security within payment methods was the largest comment made as to

why they agree technology in retail is a key influence. The implementation of Afterpay and

PayPal was specifically mentioned (22 out of the 43 respondents that said yes) as it provides

the Gen Z consumer with secure payment methods where they can shop online or in-store,

fostering larger basket sizes for retailers as the consumer is influenced to impulse buy and

specifically targets budgeting methods for students, which is the entire Gen Z demographic.

Comments were also made on how the advanced payment methods give them a sense of

higher security within the purchases, protecting their personal details. With the rapidly growing

saturation of retailers within the fashion industry, brand loyalty is becoming more apparent to

the Gen Z consumer as they have faced many unstable forces throughout their upbringing, the

generation subconsciously is appealed to reliable surroundings. Brand loyalty is one of the

most dominant influencing factors within Gen Z’ purchasing decisions, supporting this is

question 9 from the survey, data results show 58% of respondents prefer to shop with brands

they have previously shopped with as they trust them. In contrast, 36% prefer to shop at a

range of different/new stores and 6% indicated other. This highlights that majority of survey

participants shop with the same brands due to previous memorable shopping experiences

where trust has been built between the two parties over a period of time and multiple

purchasing decisions have been made. This reflects the security motivating factor, as the

consumer is confident the future experiences will be satisfying and there is less of a doubt in

mind compared to new retailers the consumer hasn’t shopped with before. Essentially trust is

23
the key influencing factor within brand loyalty, as the Gen Z consumer believes the brand is

reliable in meeting the wants and needs of the consumer. Following brand loyalty, many Gen

Z consumers are appealed to the personalized experience a brand may offer, providing them

with a deeper connection and appreciation for the consumers time and money spent that

fostered the growth of the retailer. As loyalty programs were mentioned in the focus group data

from 3.2.2.1 where the Gen Z participants indicate that the programs enhance brand loyalty

and personalization within a shopping experience due to the exclusivity within the loyalty

offerings, survey data supports the influencing factor as in question 6, 65% of the survey

respondents indicated they sign up to loyalty cardholder programs that retailers offer.

Furthermore, the continuing question 7, for the 35% of respondents that answered no from

question 6, 96% indicated they would sign up to loyalty cardholder programs if there were a

financial benefit. Therefore, loyalty programs that provide a financial benefit is a key influence

to the Gen Z consumer as they feel as if they are receiving an incentive or reward for the

accumulation of money spent with the retailer over a period of time. Essentially a loyalty

program that offers a financial benefit signifies appreciation for the consumer's loyalty to the

brand, particularly if the loyalty program offers personalized EDM's that is tailored for the

consumers based on their previous purchasing history. With that being said, the Gen Z

consumer doesn't like to be harassed through EDM's and perceives too many emails from a

brand as harassment as the consumer sees it as a pure sales motive by sending spam. This

is supported by question 8, where many comments were made from the survey respondents

indicating they receive too many emails.

4.2.2.5 Expert Interview – Iyia Liu

The first expert interview provided key factors that were believed to influence the Gen Z fashion

buyers shopping process as the interviewee operates a pure-play global e-commerce retailer

that specifically targets the Gen Z consumer. Liu (2018) indicates from question 3 that the

modern day Gen Z consumer is brand loyal "I believe they will still be brand loyal, however,

they have far more information and abilities to compare competing brands than other

24
generations through the use of the internet". This emphasizes how the Gen Z consumer is

constantly attached to technology and uses the internet to complete everyday tasks, discussed

in 3.1.1. Therefore, the Gen Z consumer has the constant accessibility to compare retailers

and their product offerings more frequently than less tech-savvy generations. Secondly, the

expert interview results highlight that personalized shopping experiences are another key

influencing factor to Gen Z's consumer purchasing behavior as it is driven from brand loyalty

where a retailer customizes their purchasing process which demonstrates an appreciation of

the consumers time and money invested. Liu (2018) believes motives that ensure the

consumers shopping experience is seamless and personalized from question 4 is done by

“Reducing the number of steps it takes within the purchasing process. Nobody likes a

complicated sales funnel. By ensuring they can do what they want in the least amount of

actions and steps involved as possible is providing the consumer value without them having

to put into too much effort. That is the ultimate key, to provide a seamless process that is

personalized from their previous purchasing behavior where it leaves a memorable imprint of

an easy and enjoyable experience for them”. From the above, the expert interviewee

emphasizes that providing the consumer with enough information is key to a successful

purchasing decision by stating from question 3 "The main factor when a consumer isn't 100%

sure about committing to their purchase is a lack of information, the more information you have

to make the decisions, the more they will be comfortable in the decision-making process". This

reflects on the previous discussions on how the Gen Z consumer needs security and reliability

within their decision-making process, therefore the personalized process of providing tailored

information is a key motivating factor to the demographics purchasing decision.

4.2.3 Discussion
Concluding, Gen Z has many contributing motives that influencers their purchasing decisions

within the fashion retail industry. Due to the Gen Z consumer being brought up in a world of

constant technological change, they appeal to retailers that implement smart technology

across their e-commerce platforms and in-store experiences. However the Gen Z consumer

25
still values one-on-one interaction with human beings, therefore it is essential for retailers to

implement customer service that is genuine and engaging for the consumer. As the Gen Z

consumer has also been brought up in a world of unstable societal changes, their

determination to attain high levels of education has led their intuitiveness to actively want to

change the world by expressing and supporting modern day issues that are seen in the fashion

retail industry such as sustainability, gender equality, global warming & racism. The

generations unsteady and conflicting upbringing witnessing rapid changes in their

surroundings, this has led them to be subconsciously drawn to reliability and security. Security

influencing factors can be seen through retailers secure payment methods and confidentiality

of their purchasing history where the consumer's personal details aren't used against their will

for sales motive purposes. Due to the fashion retail market being oversaturated with brands

that use standardized approaches, this leads the Gen Z consumer to develop brand loyalty as

they are drawn to authenticity and personalized approaches that meet their specific wants and

needs. Brand loyalty is composed of many contributing aspects such as the retailer offering

benefits and incentives to build the loyalty and relationship with the consumer through;

attentive customer service, loyalty cardholder programs, free returns/shipping and offering an

overall seamless experience by minimizing the steps involved within the purchasing process.

4.3 Objective 3
To evaluate what business model or strategy is the most effective to attract and retain the Gen

Z fashion consumer.

4.3.1 Secondary Findings

Many secondary research findings such as Dabija (2018) have highlighted how retailers in the

fashion industry need to implement measures that support environmental protection in order

to attract and retain the modern day consumer due to their high awareness of the

environmental issues that are being inflicted from brands supply chain activities. Therefore if

retailers integrate green strategies and support environmental organizations, this will attract

26
the Gen Z demographic and increase their purchasing behavior and loyalty as they are

influenced by societal and environmental measures discussed in 3.2. If such brands adopt a

vertical integration strategy, they can have increased control and implement sustainable

practices across all stages of the supply chain. According to Dabija (2018), Gen Z are aware

of the impact from their buying decisions and have direct interest in the green movement and

the consumer demographic prefer brands/retailers that define their actions and implement

strategies in accordance with sustainable development and actively support corporate social

responsibility, the welfare of local communities, worker empowerment and the protection of

the environment. As the Gen Z consumer is influenced by a sense of belonging and is drawn

to brands that provide the sense of a community, Xu & Annett-Hitchcock (2015) suggest that

retailers should adopt strategies that integrate the emotional appeal to consumers shopping

experience, by providing a community where the consumer can identify themselves with the

brand, essentially this gives them a sense of moral responsibility and encourages their loyalty

with the brand. As the Gen Z consumer is constantly attached to the internet and uses

technology for an everyday way of life, retailers adopting virtual communities will integrate the

technological aspect with the sense of a belonging for a retailers consumer. Virtual

communities have been proven to increase brand awareness and identity, retaining

consumers through differentiation of the experiences and relationships developed within. The

Gen Z consumer is heavily influenced by technology (demonstrated in 3.2 findings), as it

provides them with more information than ever before, enabling them to engage with retailers

across many touch-points (Li & Cao 2018). However, it is proven that the Gen Z consumer still

demands accessibility to physical touch, whether that is the product or an in-store experience.

Therefore, omnichannel business models are vital for retailers to adopt in order to capture the

Gen Z consumer from multiple channels and retain the online and in-store consumers.

According to Li & Cao (2018) 85% of modern day consumers expect a seamless and

consistent brand experience across all of the retail channels, whilst only 10% of the survey

reported brands achieve this. The seamless integration is a key influencing factor for Gen Z

consumer shopping behavior (demonstrated in 3.2.2.2 & 3.2.2.5), therefore applying

27
consistent omnichannel strategies is essential for any retailer to attract the Gen Z consumer

and retain them as the strategy has been proven to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty,

essentially improving the brand/retailers performance.

4.3.2 Primary Findings

4.3.2.1 Focus Group 1

Supporting the brand orientation strategy, participant 1 indicates from question 10 “Brand

identity is so much stronger and will last the longevity of the company”. Participant 2 supports

the previous statement “I think brand identity rather than market driven is more important for

me because I think as you look at the fast fashion market at the moment they are trying so

hard to give their demographic what they want and they have lost their sense of who they are

as a brand and they have such a broad offering, it’s so saturated”. Supporting this statement,

in question 11, participant 4 states “For a smaller brand I think yes of course as they should

really meet the wants and needs of their demographic surrounding and direct environment.”

This highlights that the Gen Z consumers influencing factors on their purchasing decisions

such as brand loyalty contribute to their perspective on brand orientation being more

effective and playing a more important role than market orientation within the fashion retail

industry.

4.3.2.2 Focus Group 2

Supporting the brand orientation strategy, many participants from focus group 2 indicated that

brand orientation is the most appealing strategy as participant 4 indicated from question 10 "I

think brand oriented as it reflects brand identity is crucial in the over-saturated fashion industry

today. Holding an authentic and strong identity will last the longevity of the retailer". Participant

3 also indicates in question 11 “I think a brand should adapt products to a local market, at least

slightly. They can keep the same garment but maybe adapt the colour offering or sizes to fit

the countries standard or common sizing”. This demonstrates the awareness of the Gen Z

28
consumer to brands meeting the local and specialized needs of a consumer, down to the detail

of a product that may better suit their season or cultural preferences.

4.3.2.3 Expert Interview – Industry Panel

From the industry panel, multiple business models and strategies were discussed from the 4

industry experts that reflected the secondary research findings in 3.3.1. Specifically, the

omnichannel model as it provides consumers with a wide channel of accessibility from various

touch-points, this discussion is supported by Morgan (2018) “Customers are starting to come

into the store and then shop online, brands are creating more of an experience in-store and

then directing sales and returns online". This demonstrates the importance of providing an

online shopping experience for the Gen Z consumer and also an in-store physical experience.

Supporting this quote, Friis indicates “The physical environment is having to adapt to Gen Z’s

consumer shopping behavior. It is understanding what the ideal combination is between in-

store and online experiences. 80% - 90% of online sales come from brands that do acquire

brick-and-mortar”. Furthermore, this highlights the importance for brands to incorporate a

physical and online omnichannel experience to provide the sense of authenticity. However,

Frederick (2018) indicates during the discussion of an omnichannel strategy “Retailers have

to be more efficient with connecting their stores to online”. This demonstrates that retailers are

lacking the consistency of portraying the brands' identity across all channels, however, he is

conclusively supporting the concept of the omnichannel strategy. Secondly, brand orientation

strategies were highlighted throughout the industry panel as Morgan (2018) indicates

“International brands that adapt their goods and services to localized markets tend to be more

profitable”. Furthermore, Morgan (2018) also indicates during the discussion “Brands that stay

true to who they are, are the ones that stay successful throughout generational changes”. This

demonstrates that brand orientation strategies are highly effective, specifically for the Gen Z

consumer as they are influenced by personalization, authenticity and specialized attentiveness

to their emotions, wants and needs. As Mathew Morgan works as the director of Buying

Intelligence, he compares brands strategies against their competitors by analyzing big data,

29
therefore he has thorough knowledge and expertise on the current most competitive strategy.

Furthermore, the recommended brand orientation strategy supports long-term growth as they

build a loyal consumer throughout their journey. Therefore, brand orientation supports the key

influencing factor of Gen Z's loyalty in the fashion retail market, if brands acquire a strong

identity and offer specialized goods are services within their market, this also satisfies the Gen

Z consumers motive of personalization discussed throughout 3.2.

4.3.2.4 Expert Interview - Iyia Liu

Many Gen Z participants from objective 3.1 emphasize the influential motives retailers have

on their purchasing behavior that incorporate ethical or sustainable practices which may be

through workplace conditions or sustainable measures that supports the environment within

the fashion retail industry. This is supported by expert interview 1 where Liu (2018) highlights

from question 5 “Retailers operating on a global scale need to incorporate ethical activities

within one or more stages of their supply chain, whether that is the sourcing of materials or the

packaging of the product. Especially for fast-fashion retailers as you are producing large

economies of scale for a target market that genuinely cares for the environment and their

surroundings, by a brand showing care for their retailers' values and interests really builds on

the relationship you have with them as you can create a common ground other than your

product offering". Following Liu’s response from question 4 during the interview, the author

asked the interviewee an un-structured question if her brand Bambi Boutique implements

sustainable/ethical practices, her reply was “Not at this very moment. We are currently in the

process of providing this demand for our target market as recently the pressure on fast fashion

retailers to include green practices has increased, very soon we will be providing capsule

ranges that are 100% sustainable to test the demand for the product”. This quote indicates

that many fast fashion retailers are starting to apply sustainable practices in order to meet the

demands of the environmentally conscious Gen Z consumer in order to enhance their brand

involvement and retain the target market as they will defer to substitutes who integrate these

strategies if not.

30
4.3.3 Discussion
Concluding, the implementation of green strategies, as well as brand oriented strategies will

be highly effective for retailers in the fashion industry as the methods suggested satisfy the

wants and needs of the Gen Z consumer, attracting them due to the motives that influence

their purchasing decisions. The implementation of green strategies acknowledges the Gen Z

consumers awareness of the social and environmental issues that are being inflicted in the

fashion retail industry. The omnichannel strategy can meet all of Gen Z’s influencing factors

as it provides consistency, a seamless integrated shopping experience, customer service in-

store and online through chat-boxes, brand loyalty as it enhances customer satisfaction

through more accessibility and touch-points from various channels (click and collect) and it

also emphasizes the Gen Z consumers appeal to both technology and the in-person physical

touch.

31
5.0 Conclusion

From the discussions in; 3.1, 3.2 & 3.3, the key strategy retailers are implementing that doesn’t

appeal to the Gen Z consumer is the oversaturation of brands paying representatives and

influencers to endorse their products through social media channels. The fashion retail industry

is currently fighting for the Gen Z consumers attention through the use of technology as they

are aware the generation is being brought up in a digital world. Many sources from primary

research data have outlined the key influencing factors to Gen Z's purchasing decisions such

as; smart technology, personalization & accessibility, brand loyalty, sustainable & ethical

procedures, free returns & shipping, physical touch, and security. All of these contributing

factors provide an overall seamless shopping experience which attracts the Gen Z consumers

and retains them through continuous satisfied shopping experiences. Furthermore, the

influencing motives supported by the secondary and primary research findings reflect the

strategy of brand orientation. Many previous secondary resources have claimed that the Gen

Z consumer is not brand loyal due to their high intuition and independency from their unstable

societal upbringing, however, as the fashion retail market is becoming rapidly saturated with

retailers implementing standardized and market-oriented approaches, the Gen Z consumer

has become increasingly brand loyal as they value the sense of belonging to a community that

meets their specializes needs and personalizes their shopping experience. Concluding, in

order for retailers to hold a competitive position within the saturated, mature fashion retail

market, it is vital to undergo continuous research and development to build on the Gen Z

consumer relationship due to their unique purchasing behavioral characteristic. The more the

brand engages with them on a genuine and authentic level, the depth of understanding Gen

Z’s wants and needs from the fashion retail market will continuously grow. Concluding, the aim

and objectives of the research has been achieved through a deep analysis as fashion retailers

need to let go of standardization approaches, as personalization is key to attracting and

retaining the Gen Z consumer.

32
6.0 Recommendations

• Firstly, the implementation of a brand orientation strategy meets the specialized

needs of your local consumer by constantly building, developing and nurturing the

brand identity and retaining the consumer. Brand orientation is particularly effective if

the small-medium retailer operates on a global scale, as the Gen Z consumer is

appealed to personalization, you may meet your customers localized demands not only

through the product mix but through marketing strategies to demonstrate awareness of

the different societal and environmental surroundings from the wide Gen Z

demographic target markets various geographical locations.

• Secondly, integrating the omnichannel strategy for small-medium retailers as it is

essential to increase brand awareness by engaging with the Gen Z consumer through

multiple channels and touchpoints. As they heavily rely on technology, they also value

the physical touch where the emotional influence of authenticity plays a crucial role as

the in-store experience is more memorable and real, leaving a strong imprint of the

retailers experience they encountered through the senses of sight, hearing, smell &

touch. Essentially this communicates the brand through multiple channels of both in-

store and online experiences.

• Lastly, for small-medium retailers that are brand orientated and want to provide their

consumers with the sense of belonging through engagement other than the product

offering is to implement green strategies such as upcycling programs, recycled

packaging, empowering workplace environment/workers or actively participating in

local community/environmental projects. Fostering brand identity and the longevity of

loyal consumers affiliated with the brand.

33
7.0 Reference List

Baines, P, Fill, C & Page, K 2011, Marketing, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Bergh, J & Behreh 2016, How Cool Brands Stay Hot: Branding to Generations Y & Z, 3rd
edition, Kogan Page Publishers, London, United Kingdom.

Cao, L & Li, L 2018, ‘Determinants of Retailers' Cross-channel Integration: An Innovation

Diffusion Perspective on Omni-channel Retailing’, Journal of Interactive Marketing, vol. 44,
pp. 1-6, viewed 9 October 2018, <https://www-sciencedirect
com.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/science/article/pii/S1094996818300288>.

Dabija, D-C 2018, ‘Enhancing green loyalty towards apparel retail stores: A cross-
generational analysis on an emerging market’, Journal of Open Innovation: Technology,
Market, and Complexity, vol. 4, viewed 11 October 2018,
<https://jopeninnovation.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40852-018-0090-7>.

Ernst & Young 2015, What if the next big distributor isn’t a what but a who?, Ernst & Young,
London.

Foster, M n.d., ‘What Makes Customers Loyal to Brands?’, Convince & Convert, blog post,
n.d., viewed 10 October 2018, <https://www.convinceandconvert.com/online-customer-
experience/what-makes-customers-loyal/>.

Kumar, R 2011, Research methodology: a step-by-step guide for beginners, 3rd edn, Sage,
Los Angeles.

Pride, W.M & Ferrell, O.C 2013, Foundations of Marketing, 5th edn, South-Western,
Cengage Learning, Mason, OH, USA.

Rees, T 2018, ‘Generation Z are savers, not spenders’, The Sydney Morning Herald, viewed
10 October 2018, <https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/generation-z-are-savers-
not-spenders-20180809-p4zwcu.html>.

Roblek, V, Mesko, M, Dimovski, V & Peterlin, J 2018, ‘Smart technologies as social

innovation and complex social issues of the Z generation’ , Kybernetes, viewed 10

34
October 2018, <https://www-emeraldinsight-
com.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/doi/full/10.1108/K-09-2017-0356>.

Salvador, J 2016, ‘Exploring Quantitative and Qualitative Methodologies: A Guide to Novice

Nursing Researchers’, European Scientific Journal, vol. 12, no. 18, viewed 8 October 2018,
<https://eujournal.org/index.php/esj/article/viewFile/7603/7328>

Stillman, D & Stillman J 2017, Move Over, Millennials; Generation Z Is Here, photograph,
viewed 20 October 2018, <https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/behavioral-
competencies/global-and-cultural-effectiveness/pages/move-over-millennials-generation-z-is-
here.aspx>.

Xu, Y. & Annett-Hitchcock, K 2015, ‘Shopping and virtual communities for consumers with
physical disabilities’, International Journal of Consumer Studies, vol. 39, iss. 2, pp. 85-192,
viewed 10 October 2018, < https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ijcs.12161>.

35
8.0 Appendices

7.0 Infographic Poster

36
37
8.0 Reflection – SEPARATE DOCUMENT DO
NOT PRINT WITH
The journey has definitely had its ups and downs, firstly I struggled to find a specific direction
within the Gen Z consumer purchasing behavior gap as I had the passion towards business
models and strategies because it looks at a long-term perspective of how retailers attract and
then retain the consumer demographic. During the first few weeks of the semester when Brian
advised a direction within from my Major A research proposal and set a rough guideline for my
aims and objectives. I was highly motivated and truly excited about preparing and collecting
the data as I envisioned how I thought it was going to all come together as being a Gen Z
consumer myself, there was so much to be highlighted and recognized within the fashion
industry that retailers are doing so wrong due to the lack of research on specific consumer
purchasing behavior characteristics. Every mentor meeting I attended, I came in with a set of
questions and doubts in the back of my mind if I am moving at a quick enough pace, however
not once I left the mentor meetings feeling that way. Brian was extremely supportive during
this process, indicating if I needed to pick up the pace, it was in a motivating way by assisting
the process I was stuck in, pushing me to always do the best of my own personal capabilities.
I enjoyed how in multiple meetings, there was another student present, this reminded me that
we are all in this together and even so we have different research proposals, we all follow the
same concept and have the same sense of pressure.

I was so proud of myself for starting to conduct a lot of my primary research a few weeks before
mid-semester break, I felt motivated and on track as I could see myself gathering the rest of
the primary data by early September. However within the space of a few weeks just before
mid-semester break started, I lost two very close people to my heart and I had to urgently fly
home back to New Zealand. I wasn't in the best state of mind for a while after that and I put
my study life on hold. This is where things started to take a downturn and I fell behind as all
the other students used the break productively and gathered the majority of their primary data.
As I was nearing towards early September, I had a wake-up call as I was having to fly back to
Australia to continue my study. So I managed to organize one of my expert interviewees
through a mutual friend whilst I was still in NZ, and I slowly started to feel motivated again, as
if I could really pull this off and get back on track. When classes started again in early
September, I fell back into an unmotivated state of mind, I wasn't exactly thinking straight and
didn't see the university as my pain priority at the point in time. Looking back at it, I have
thoroughly enjoyed the concept of the Major A research proposal and the Major B research
report. I have always had a particular interest in research throughout my years of learning,

38
however, it is one of my weaknesses to interpret what I am trying to say from a large chunk of
information in front of me. I think it is definitely something I need to further develop as I really
want to enhance my analytical skills. From the primary research, I enjoyed conducting the
primary survey as there was really valuable, un-bias conclusions made from the data.
However, I found it difficult to get a lot of respondents due to my lack of contacts here in
Australia, so I then had to send the survey to friends and family back in New Zealand in order
to reach the minimum of 80 respondents. I would have hoped to receive more respondents to
make stronger discussions throughout the report, however, I had to close the online survey
and start collecting the data to write up the report. Initially, I conducted an interview whilst
home in the mid-semester break with a relative, however, I didn't use them in the report as the
feedback was too irrelevant due to them being in the pharmaceutical industry. I also would
have hoped to conduct another expert interview, however, I also struggled with this due to my
lack of contacts in Australia. I emailed many brands through their contact details on their
website, however, I continuously got turned down due to them being a "private company". This
un-motivated my development in the research as I saw peers around me conducting multiple
expert interviews. I then made a Linked In account during the past few weeks of collecting
data, in hope to find another viable expert interview to support my research, I successfully
found the global marketing manager of the Cotton On Group, Sophie Hopkins. After only
conducting two expert interviews, I then had to refer to the industry panel held at the start of
the semester for expert primary evidence. The focus groups were a great source of primary
data for me, I realized I needed to conduct more of them from the lack of expert interviews and
this picked up my motivation again as I felt really in control during the process. All of them were
in such depth and many discussions reflected the key aim and objectives of the study. After all
four were conducted, I felt extremely proud of myself for achieving such key information.
Overall, I wish I had communicated my struggles with this study a lot more with the mentor,
especially during the rough time when I was dealing with bereavement as there was a support
base university provided which I should have taken as I kept on falling more behind. I never
fully understood the workload that would be commencing in the last few weeks, and I definitely
did not leave enough time to constructively analyze my research findings to write an
outstanding report, in which I am really disappointed in myself. However I will not punish myself
from this, I will learn from it and I will continue to learn about the strengths and faults of my
capabilities in learning. Particularly, the focus groups and the expert interview has developed
leadership qualities, as I tend to not step up and make myself recognized due to my lack of
confidence in public speaking and the fear of not leading a team properly. I feel my skills have
developed largely in constructing literature reviews, especially since the Major A research
proposal. However, I am aware I need to further develop my skills in analyzing and constructing
primary research data. I don't completely understand how to articulate quotes and I found the

39
structure to follow of this report didn't make so much sense in my mind as to how my research
should flow. I would have been able to make stronger discussions and comparisons of both
left and right side, also a triangulation point of view if I were able to integrate all of the primary
research data together. As I had many micro topics within objective 2, I found some of the
primary data was apparent in some areas and not in others. Therefore I found it extremely
difficult to compare and hone in all of the data to make a strong analysis. However, I can only
learn from this, practice makes perfect and I appreciate all of the ups and downs from this
memorable journey.

40
TO DO

• Proof read – Grammarly & send to dani

• Enter in appendices
- Graphs – ask Brian about open ended questions
- Focus groups
- Expert interviews
• Re arrange expert interviews & survey in order
• Find more recommendations that are different from conclusion
• Formatting – table of contents & page numbers & front cover
• Look at feedback from Major A
• Cut words from research analysis
• Maybe enter in the sizing factor for objective 1 if I have enough words
• Add a quote from Lisa somewhere
• Referencing
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Change Lisa to Sophie Hopkins and include 1 quote from Sophie about paid
representatives – Look at cotton on group brands
• Justified left & right hand perspective

• Referencing
- Call it Reference List
- Make sure the link is in all the references? > email brain about that or get him to skim over
mine

• Appendices
- Attachments of all information

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- Screenshot of survey questions > Put survey question results into a graph e.g. Pie graph, or
bar graph. > for survey questions that were open ended just state the question and then note
next to it that it was open ended if I can’t narrow down to enough segments
- Expert interview > write all the questions and answers from the interview
- Focus group > write all the questions asked and not every single answer/monologue > only
include highlighted answers that I would have used in my report > refer to participant 1,2,3,4

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