International Journal of Consumer Studies ISSN 1470-6423

The influence of consumer decision-making styles on online

apparel consumption by college students
Kelly O. Cowart and Ronald E. Goldsmith
College of Business, Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA

Keywords
Online shopping, apparel, consumer
decision-making styles, e-commerce.
Correspondence
Ronald E. Goldsmith, College of Business,
Florida State University, Tallahassee,
FL 32306–1110, USA.
E-mail: rgoldsm@cob.fsu.edu
Kelly O. Cowart is currently a doctoral student
in Marketing, Florida State University,
Tallahassee, FL, USA.
Abstract
Apparel purchases now constitute one of the fastest-growing segments of e-commerce.
Thus, there are strong theoretical and managerial reasons to better understand consumer
characteristics associated with buying apparel online. This paper investigates motivations
for online apparel consumption using the Consumer Styles Inventory. Data from a sample
of 357 US college students showed that quality consciousness, brand consciousness,
fashion consciousness, hedonistic shopping, impulsiveness and brand loyalty were posi-
tively correlated with online apparel shopping. Price sensitivity was negatively correlated
with online spending.

doi: 10.1111/j.1470-6431.2007.00615.x

Apparel consumption is herein defined as the use of websites to

Introduction
In 2005, apparel surpassed jewelry and automobile sales to
become the second most profitable e-commerce domain (Auchard,
2005). Consumer spending exceeded $US4.68 billion at apparel
websites, and for the first time, Internet sales topped catalogue
sales, which had traditionally generated the majority of non-store
retail revenue. Retailers benefited greatly from the surge in online
sales and its multiplicative effect across other distribution chan-
nels. For every dollar spent for online clothing, an extra $US1.36
of sales was driven to a call centre, and another $US4.63 shifted to
a brick-and-mortar location (Nantel, 2004). Additionally, 8 in 10
adults indicated that they use the Internet to gather information on
products or services before buying. Heavy users of the Internet are
three times more likely to use it to gather information on clothing
than other Internet users, and 90% more likely to buy clothing
online (Assael, 2005). One-third of Americans complete at least
one retail transaction online each year (U.S. Department of Com-
merce News, 2005). As the trend towards online apparel consump-
tion continues to grow, analysts forecast that sales will exceed
$US13 billion by the end of 2006 (Nantel, 2004; Schadler and
Golvin, 2006). Although much research has addressed online
shopping in a broad sense, only a few studies have focused on
web-based consumption specifically in the apparel domain. Given
the fiscal importance of the online apparel category to clothing
retailers and its impact on total retail profitability, it seems impera-
tive that marketers and academicians identify the predictors and
processes that are associated with online apparel consumption.
complete a transaction that results in the purchase of clothing
items.
Studies of online shopping have tended towards a uses-and-
gratifications approach (Eighmey and McCord, 1998). Studies
have also examined demographic variables (Bellman et al., 1999),
customer innovativeness (Goldsmith et al., 1999), involvement
(O’Cass, 2004), technology acceptance (Chen et al., 2002) and
impulsiveness (Phau and Lo, 2004). Although many researchers
have studied e-commerce, few studies (e.g. Goldsmith and
Goldsmith, 2002; Goldsmith and Flynn, 2004, 2005) have exam-
ined consumption behaviour in the online apparel domain. The
apparel sector has distinct qualities, which have led retailers to
become involved in the development of their own brands, target
marketing and polarity in the marketplace (Moore, 1995; Mintel
International Group, 2000). Thus, it is appropriate that the behav-
iour of apparel consumers be investigated separately from the
online purchase of other merchandise. The present study addresses
this topic and is among the first to investigate online apparel
consumption using the Consumer Styles Inventory (CSI), a basic
shopping orientation comparable to the concept of personality in
psychology (Sproles and Kendall, 1986). This measure has been
used successfully to study apparel buying in other contexts (e.g.
Wang et al., 2004), and so it shows promise as a tool for under-
standing online apparel shopping. The study’s objective is to
determine whether the eight basic decision-making styles of the
CSI influence US customers’ propensities to shop for and buy
clothing over the Internet.

International Journal of Consumer Studies 31 (2007) 639–647 © The Authors. Journal compilation © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 639
Consumer decision-making styles and online clothing purchasing
Background
Characteristics of online consumer behaviour
Much of the early research on Internet shopping described the
consumer characteristics most likely associated with web-based
commerce. These characteristics included demographics, motiva-
tions, personal characteristics and attitudes. In general, the com-
parative impact of age on online shopping has been studied less
frequently than motivational and attitudinal factors (Sorce et al.,
2005). When age was placed in the equation, conflicting conclu-
sions have been drawn. For example, Bellman et al. (1999) con-
cluded that demographic variables such as income, education
and age have only a modest impact on the decision to purchase
online. Several authors (Donthu and Garcia, 1999; Korgaonkar
and Wolin, 1999) found that older Internet users were more
likely to buy online than younger users. This seems ironic in
light of findings that younger users possessed more agreeable
attitudes towards Internet shopping. When Joines et al. (2003)
readdressed this topic, they found that younger consumers were
more prone to shop online than older consumers. The observed
difference in age effects on online shopping may be a reflection
of the different analytical tools used or the assorted outcome
variables examined.
Korgaonkar and Wolin (1999) extended the research stream by
identifying seven motivations for online shopping: social escap-
ism, transaction security and privacy, information, interactive
control, socialization, non-transactional privacy and economic
motivation. Previous online purchases were used as a measure of
the dependent variable, and transaction-based security concerns,
interactive control, conversation motives and economic motives
were deemed significant predictors of future consumption. The
findings indicated that once people are online, whether they buy
and how much they spend are direct consequences of their Internet
proficiency and time availability. Goldsmith and Bridges (2000)
found that positive attitudes towards Internet shopping (percep-
tions that it is fun, safe, cheap and easy) were associated with
buying textbooks online.
When Goldsmith and Goldsmith (2002) investigated online
apparel shopping, they found that positive attitudes were associ-
ated with buying apparel on the Internet. In addition, they found
that online apparel buyers purchased over the Internet more often
than non-apparel buyers, were more confident in their ability to
buy online, and were more innovative and knowledgeable about
the Internet. They also spent more time online and were more
likely to buy online in the future than were non-buyers.
When Goldsmith and Flynn (2005) investigated online apparel
shopping, they found that general enthusiasm for online buying
and a history of remote apparel shopping were the best indicators
of future online apparel purchases. They also established that
apparel innovativeness and involvement were weakly related to
online buying, less so than Internet innovativeness. The results
suggested that Internet savvy and a familiarity with distance shop-
ping were more predictive of online apparel shopping than apparel
consciousness. A second study (Goldsmith and Flynn, 2005) com-
pared in-store, catalogue and online apparel buying. It confirmed
that being involved and innovative with regard to apparel had less
of an influence than previous purchasing history, especially when
purchasing from catalogues.
640 International Journal of Consumer Studies 31 (2007) 639–647 © The Authors. Journal compilation © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
K.O. Cowart and R.E. Goldsmith
Many studies support the hypothesis that the Internet is a
staple in the daily life of America’s youth (Ige, 2004). Young
adult consumers grew up with computers (CBSNews.com,
2004), and spend an average of 16.7 h a week online compared
with 13.5 h watching TV and 12 h listening to radio (Greenspan,
2003). A survey of over 10 000 teens and young adults showed
that 43% of Internet users in the US buy online, with 60% indi-
cating enthusiasm about browsing for products online. The most
popular items purchased were music, clothing and books (Ige,
2004). Research by Lester et al. (2005) found that 91% of the
college-age market completed online purchases. Close to a
quarter of the buyers spent over $500 per year for banking
service, concert tickets, apparel and entertainment products.
Finally, Silverman (2000) reported that clothing is one of the
most popular categories of Internet shopping among high-school
and college-aged consumers, with almost 30% having experience
in purchasing apparel items online. In general, college students
have been found to have greater access to the Internet than most
consumer groups (Jones, 2002), and to spend more online than
any demographic segment in the US (O’Donnell & Associates,
LLC, 2004).
When college students participate in e-commerce, fashion is a
primary purchase. College students were of interest to Xu and
Paulins (2005), who found that students generally have positive
attitudes towards shopping online for apparel products. Internet
usage, employment status and car access had significant influence
on students’ attitudes towards the phenomenon. Then and DeLong
(1999) found that realistic online imagery, security, convenience
and return policy were important determinants in buying deci-
sions. Respondents reported an inclination to purchase apparel
online when fit was not a crucial concern and when items were not
readily available in traditional outlets. Internet apparel buyers
customarily have been affluent (Lee and Johnson, 2002), educated
(Lee and Johnson, 2002), women (PricewaterhouseCoopers,
2000), and younger than 35 years old (PricewaterhouseCoopers,
2000). This description is the epitome of today’s college student
and adds additional support for choosing this segment as the
population for the present analysis.
Consumer decision-making styles
The relevant literature suggests three ways to characterize styles
of buyer behaviour: the psychographic/lifestyle approach
(Lastovicka, 1982), the consumer typology approach (Moschis,
1976) and the consumer characteristics approach (Sproles, 1985;
Westbrook and Black, 1985). Studies have also identified key
consumer decision-making characteristics, which range from
rational shopping and quality consciousness to impulsiveness and
information overload (Maynes, 1976). Sproles and Kendall
(1986) used these findings from previous authors as the founda-
tion for their CSI, a validated measure of eight basic consumer
decision-making characteristics, each of which independently
represented an important mental approach to consumption. The
eight characteristics are: (1) perfectionism, high-quality con-
sciousness; (2) brand consciousness; (3) novelty-apparel con-
sciousness; (4) hedonistic, recreational shopping consciousness;
(5) ‘value for money’ shopping consciousness; (6) impulsiveness;
(7) confusion from overchoice; and (8) habitual, brand-loyal
orientation.
K.O. Cowart and R.E. Goldsmith
The CSI has been used to examine consumer behaviour in the US
and abroad and within several product categories. Construct and
content validity of the eight consumer characteristics were origi-
nally verified using the principal-components method with varimax
rotation. The factor solution explained 46% of the variation; all
eigenvalues exceeded 1.0 and the resulting eight factors confirmed
the characteristics proposed. A reliability of 0.74 was observed for
the scale (Sproles and Kendall, 1986). With the aid of the CSI, Siu
et al. (2001) determined that four decision-making styles, perfec-
tionist, brand conscious, novelty-fashion conscious and hedonic/
recreational, were relatively stable among Chinese shoppers.
Bakewell and Mitchell (2003) used the CSI to segment adult female
GenerationY consumers into five distinct and meaningful decision-
making groups, namely: recreational quality seekers, recreational
discount seekers, trend setting loyals, shopping and fashion unin-
terested, and confused time/money conserving.
When applied to German shoppers, Mitchell and Walsh (2004)
confirmed the construct validity of all eight CSI factors for female
shoppers and four of the factors for male shoppers. They subse-
quently concluded that male individuals were slightly less likely to
be perfectionists, somewhat less novelty and fashion conscious, and
less likely to be confused when making purchases than their female
counterparts. Recently, Bauer et al. (2006) used the CSI to study the
relationship between high-involvement products (stereo systems,
jeans and wristwatches), low-involvement products (toothpaste,
chocolate bars and yogurt) and the consumer decision-making
styles (CDMS) of British and German consumers. Their findings
offered the first glimpse of a product-dependent CDMS governed
in part by consumers’ levels of product involvement. Collectively,
these findings make an appeal for research that further delves into
decision-making styles within specific product categories.
The CSI is a basic shopping orientation, comparable to the
concept of personality in psychology. Although numerous factors
influence consumer choices, customers are thought to approach
the market with certain basic cognitions. Most consumers are said
to have patterns of one or two dominant characteristics while
others may be ‘average’, with neither dominance nor lack of any
characteristic (Sproles and Kendall, 1986). The body of work that
addresses online apparel purchases is quite modest. Since its intro-
duction, CSI research has mainly encompassed scale purification
and validity. This study merges the two interests and seeks to
determine whether the CSI describes the influences related to
purchase behaviour for online apparel. It looks beyond the mere
categorization of shoppers into a specific decision-making style; it
is the first to use the validated CSI to understand the type of
American consumers who are most likely to use the Internet to
purchase fashion items. It adds to the sparse collection of aca-
demic literature on the online shopping behaviour of American
college students and provides empirical evidence to augment the
data collected by commercial market researchers. More impor-
tantly, it paves the way for additional research on best practices for
selling to this lucrative market.
Method
Study participants
Data were collected from 367 undergraduate students at a large
university in the south-eastern US during autumn 2005. Students
International Journal of Consumer Studies 31 (2007) 639–647 © The Authors. Journal compilation © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Consumer decision-making styles and online clothing purchasing
received extra credit in their introductory marketing classes in
return for their participation. Surveys were administered at the
beginning of each class period and submitted to researchers prior
to the commencement of the scheduled lecture. Institutional
Review Board approval was gained prior to data collection and
analyses. While this is a convenience sample, the respondents
provide considerable diversity in their demographics. The study
does not provide point and interval estimates of a population, but
examines the relationship between the CSI characteristics and the
dependent variables. Thus, the data are appropriate for the purpose
of the study (Calder et al., 1981). Furthermore, the apparent bias
towards youth is fitting for the subject of online apparel consump-
tion, as younger consumers are a targeted, realistic market
segment for both clothing and online purchasing (Bakewell and
Mitchell, 2004).
Two questionnaires were rejected because of incomplete data. A
quality-check question, ‘If you read this item don’t respond to it’,
was included in the CSI to identify blind checking or bogus
responses. Eight students erroneously answered this question, sug-
gesting they were not reading the items before recording their
responses. They were removed from the data set, leaving a total
357 participants. The sample consisted of 186 (52%) men and 173
women (47%). Ages of respondents ranged from 18 to 54 years,
with a mean age of 21 years (SD = 2.92). The sample consisted
of 259 (71%) whites, 33 (9%) African Americans, 52 (14%)
Hispanics and 7 (2%) Asians. Most participants were business
majors (94%). Cross-tabulations indicated a lack of statistically
significant association between gender, age, ethnicity and
major. Correlation coefficients for the bivariate relationships were
non-significant as well (P > 0.05). Table 1 shows the sample
demographics.
Measures
Six different versions of the questionnaire were used presenting
the measures in different orders in an effort to mitigate the possible
effects of order on the responses. Sproles and Kendall’s (1986)
CSI was used to assess respondents’ decision-making styles. Each
of the eight mental characteristics was measured by two items for
a total of 16 questions (see Table 2). Responses were scored from
1 to 5, with ratings of ‘strongly disagree’ and ‘strongly agree’ as
the lower and upper anchors respectively. The sum of the scores on
the two items operationalized each characteristic. Internal consis-
tency of the eight subscales was assessed using Cronbach’s coef-
ficient alpha. These values are shown in Table 3. Only three of the
CSI dimensions, fashion consciousness, confused shopping and
brand loyalty, had alpha coefficients higher than the convention-
ally accepted 0.70. Although this represents a potential limitation
on the findings, the results are consistent with other studies
showing low reliabilities for many of the CSI measures (Bakewell
and Mitchell, 2004).
Two screening questions determined whether participants pur-
chased apparel online. The first item asked whether respondents
had ever used the Internet to look at clothing. The second asked:
‘Have you ever purchased clothing online?’ Table 1 shows fre-
quency distributions for responses to these items, which revealed
that 323 survey participants (91%) had looked at clothing online,
confirming that this is a common activity for this segment of
consumers, and 197 (61%) of those who looked had purchased
641
Consumer decision-making styles and online clothing purchasing K.O. Cowart and R.E. Goldsmith

Table 1 Descriptive statistics for the samples

Number of respondents % of respondents

Gender
Male 185 51.8
Female 172 48.2
Age (years)
18–20 127 35.7
21–30 226 63.5
31–40 1 0.3
Over 40 2 0.6
Race
European descent 253 70.9
African descent 33 9.2
Latin descent 50 14.0
Asian descent 7 2.0
Other 14 3.9
I have looked at fashion online
Yes 323 90.0
No 34 9.5
I have purchased fashion online
Yes 197 55.2
No 160 44.8
Frequency
In a typical month, how often do you purchase clothing online?
None – –
1–2 times 45 23.2
3–4 times 144 73.7
5–6 times 6 3.1
7–8 times – –
9–10 times – –
On average, how much time do you spend online each week purchasing clothing?
None – –
1–2 h 128 66.0
3–4 h 7 33.6
5–6 h 1 0.5
7–8 h – –
Amount
How much money did you spend for online clothing purchases over the past 30 days
0–75 146 75.6
$76–150 31 16.1
$151–225 11 5.7
$226–300 2 1.0
$301–375 1 0.5
$376–450 2 1.0
$451–525 –
$526–600 – –
More than $600 – –
In a typical month, what is the total amount you spend for online clothing purchases?
0–75 152 78.8
$76–150 25 13.0
$151–225 11 5.7
$226–300 3 1.6
$301–375 1 0.5
$376–450 1 0.5
$451–525 – –
$526–600 – –
More than $600 – –

642 International Journal of Consumer Studies 31 (2007) 639–647 © The Authors. Journal compilation © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
K.O. Cowart and R.E. Goldsmith
Table 2 Consumer Styles Inventory items grouped by subscale
Consumer characteristic
Perfectionism/high-quality consciousness – buys very best quality in
products
Getting very good quality is very important to me.
When it comes to purchasing products, I try to get the very best.
Brand consciousness – buys more expensive, well-known national
brands
The well-known national brands are best for me.
The more expensive brands are usually my choice.
Fashion consciousness – gain excitement and pleasure from seeking
out new things
I usually have one or more outfits of the very latest style.
I keep my wardrobe up-to-date with the changing apparels.
Hedonistic/recreational consciousness – find shopping pleasant; shop
for the fun of it
Shopping is a pleasant activity to me.
Shopping is one of the enjoyable activities of my life.
Value consciousness – looking for sale prices and lower prices
I buy as much as possible at ‘sale prices’.
The lower priced brands are usually my choice.
Impulsiveness – unplanned shopping; unconcerned with the amount
they spend
I should plan my shopping more carefully than I do.
I am impulsive when shopping.
Confusion from overchoice – have difficulty making choices
There are so many brands to choose from that often I feel
confused.
Sometimes it’s hard to choose which stores to shop.
Habitual/brand-loyal orientation – have favorite brands and stores
I have favorite brands I buy over & over.
Once I find a product or brand I like, I stick with it.
clothing this way. The 197 participants who indicated a history of
online clothing consumption were asked to provide additional data
on their online buying behaviour.
A two-item scale measured the amount spent online for fashion
apparel. Participants were asked: ‘In a typical month, how often do
you purchase clothing online?’ and ‘On average, how much time
do you spend online each week purchasing clothing?’ A 7-point
response format was used. Two more items asked how much they
spent for online apparel purchases. Respondents were asked to use
9-point response formats to report: ‘How much money did you
spend for online clothing purchases over the past 30 days?’ and ‘In
a typical month, what is the total amount you spend for online
clothing purchases?’ The first two items and the second two items
were correlated. Therefore, we summed their scores respectively
to form two dependent variables, frequency of online shopping
and amount of spending. The internal consistency (coefficient
alpha) for the dimensions were frequency = 0.84 and
amount = 0.82.
Analyses and results
A total of 197 survey participants (55%) reported using the Inter-
net to make apparel purchases. In contrast to long-held stereo-
types, the results indicate that almost as many men had purchased
International Journal of Consumer Studies 31 (2007) 639–647 © The Authors. Journal compilation © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Consumer decision-making styles and online clothing purchasing
apparel, at least online, as had the women: 49% men vs. 51%
women. In total, 153 of these buyers (74%) purchased apparel
online at least once a month. A majority (67%) spent at least 1 h
per week purchasing apparel online. Twenty-four per cent had
spent more than $75 for clothing via the Internet in the past
30 days, and 21% normally spent more than $75 in a typical
month.
The scores on the eight CSI scales and two dependent variables
were correlated for this group of 197 online buyers. Frequency of
Internet shopping was positively related to the amount spent on
online apparel purchases (r = 0.57, P < 0.01), as one might expect.
Among the eight CSI dimensions, perfectionism, high-quality
consciousness; brand consciousness; novelty-apparel conscious-
ness; hedonistic, recreational shopping consciousness; impulsive-
ness; and habitual, brand-loyal consciousness had statistically
significant correlations (P < 0.01) with the frequency of online
apparel purchases. In addition, perfectionism, high-quality con-
sciousness; brand consciousness; novelty-apparel consciousness;
hedonistic, recreational shopping consciousness; impulsiveness;
and value consciousness were significantly correlated (P < 0.05)
with amount spent online apparel. These findings suggest that
some of the mental characteristics of the CSI are related to the
frequency and dollar amount spent online for apparel (see
Table 3).
For a multivariate view of the relationships between the CSI
dimensions and the dependent variables, we used linear regression
to regress scores on frequency and amount across the eight CSI
subscale scores. These results appear in Table 4 and show that
frequency of online shopping was significantly related only to
three dimensions of the CSI: hedonic/recreational shopping
(b = 0.17), value consciousness (b = -0.21) and impulsiveness
(b = 0.27). The amount of spent on apparel online was signifi-
cantly related only to value consciousness (b = -0.27) and impul-
siveness (b = 0.23). It appears that the more consumers enjoy
shopping and the more impulsive they are, the more they shop for
apparel online, while the more value conscious they are, the less
they shop for apparel online. Likewise, for amount of spending
online, value consciousness is negatively associated with it, while
impulsiveness is positively associated. Multicollinearity in the
independent variables in these analyses was low (highest Variance
Inflation Factor was 3.2), and only one outlier was detected with a
standardized residual larger than 3.0. Repeating the analyses with
this case removed did not appreciably influence the results.
Discussion and conclusion
Owing to the fiscal size of the online apparel category, it is impor-
tant to identify the predictors and processes that encourage con-
sumption through the online portal. Although a plethora of
previous research has addressed the behaviours of online shop-
pers, few have focused specifically on the apparel domain. This
paper is the first to investigate the motivations for online apparel
consumption using the CSI, a measure that has been used success-
fully to study apparel buying in other contexts. It expands the
existing theoretical framework of online shopping behaviour and
paves the way for additional empirical research in this area.
Given that time is a limited and precious resource, it is likely
that a number of apparel shoppers will eventually shift some
of their shopping from brick-and-mortar environments for the
643
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Table 3 Correlation matrix and descriptive statistics for measures

FREQ AMT Quality Brand Fashion Hedonic Value Impulse Confuse Loyal Age

Correlations
Frequency (FREQ) (0.84)a
Amount (AMT) 0.37** (0.87)
Quality 0.22** 0.22** (0.53)
Brand 0.19** 0.17* 0.50** (0.69)
Fashion 0.21** 0.26** 0.45** 0.77** (0.87)
Hedonic 0.27** 0.17* 0.25** 0.28** 0.49** (0.91)
Value -0.07 -0.17* -0.10 -0.33** -0.25** 0.02 (0.43)
Impulse 0.24** 0.12 0.24** 0.20** 0.22** 0.31** 0.49** (0.44)
Confuse 0.03 -0.04 0.05 0.09 0.02 -0.08 0.15* 0.21** (0.65)
Consumer decision-making styles and online clothing purchasing

Loyal 0.15* 0.12 0.42** 0.46** 0.42** 0.27** -0.16* 0.20** 0.02 (0.73)
Age -0.10 0.01 -0.06 -0.14 -0.17* -0.19** -0.06 -0.14* 0.08 -0.04
Genderb 0.21** 0.08 0.02 0.03 0.27** 0.65** 0.17* 0.29** 0.00 0.12 -0.07
Descriptive statistics
Range 2–6 2–12 4–10 2–10 2–10 2–10 3–10 2–10 2–9 2–10 18–54
Mean 3.56 2.73 8.57 6.59 6.83 7.03 6.57 7.15 4.91 7.78 21.28
SD 0.96 1.52 1.19 1.66 1.58 2.26 1.51 1.1.43 1.74 1.51 3.33
95% CI 3.42–3.69 2.51–2.95 8.40–8.73 6.36–6.83 6.61–7.05 6.98–7.62 6.35–6.78 6.95–7.35 4.67–5.16 7.57–7.99 20.81–21.75
Skewness -0.436c 2.97c -0.823c -0.316 -0.237 -0.602c -0.187 -0.262 0.383c -0.894c 8.00c
Kurtosis -0.227 11.05c 0.872c -0.077 -0.160 -0.520 -0.116 0.335 -0.629 1.02 72.01c

n = 197.
a
Coefficient alpha in parentheses on diagonal.
b
Correlations with gender are Kendall’s tau-b non-parametric correlation coefficients, where 0 = male and 1 = female. All others are Pearson product moment correlations.
c
Skewness or kurtosis more than twice their standard errors.
*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01.
K.O. Cowart and R.E. Goldsmith

International Journal of Consumer Studies 31 (2007) 639–647 © The Authors. Journal compilation © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
K.O. Cowart and R.E. Goldsmith Consumer decision-making styles and online clothing purchasing

Table 4 Regression results

Independent variables B b t Significance Part

DV = shopping frequency
Quality consciousness 0.075 0.092 1.095 0.275 0.076
Brand consciousness 0.006 0.011 0.089 0.930 0.006
Fashion consciousness -0.022 -0.036 -0.287 0.775 -0.020
Hedonic consciousness 0.073 0.170 2.001 0.047* 0.139
Value consciousness -0.134 -0.208 -2.238 0.026* -0.155
Impulsiveness 0.181 0.267 2.824 0.005** 0.196
Confused/overchoice 0.002 0.004 0.049 0.961 0.003
Loyal consciousness 0.001 0.002 0.025 0.980 0.002
(n = 188; d.f. = 8, 179; F = 3.6; significant F = 0.001; R2 = 0.138; adjusted R2 = 0.099)
DV = spending
Quality consciousness 0.158 0.122 1.422 0.157 0.100
Brand consciousness -0.157 -0.167 -1.337 0.183 -0.094
Fashion consciousness 0.218 0.222 1.762 0.080 0.123
Hedonic consciousness 0.016 0.023 0.270 0.787 0.019
Value consciousness -0.275 -0.267 -2.847 0.005** -0.199
Impulsiveness 0.245 0.227 2.370 0.019* 0.166
Confused/overchoice -0.041 -0.047 -0.644 0.520 -0.045
Loyal consciousness -0.030 -0.029 -0.357 0.722 -0.025
(n = 186; d.f. = 8, 177; F = 3.3; significant F = 0.001; R2 = 0.131; adjusted R2 = 0.092)

DV, dependent variable.

*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01.

convenience and speed afforded by e-commerce. The findings of
the present study show that among a diversified respondent pool,
shoppers with a hedonistic, recreational and impulsive orientation
are more inclined to buy clothes online than patrons with other
consumer styles. Hedonistic, recreational shoppers spent signifi-
cantly more time online purchasing clothes than their peers, which
implies that the pleasure derived from shopping is not relegated to
face-to-face transactions. In other words, the elation associated
with shopping for apparel can transcend the mode of contact and
emanate from an in-store encounter as well as an online experi-
ence. This finding is consistent with results reported by Goldsmith
and Flynn (2005). It appears that fulfilment is derived from par-
ticipation in the act regardless of the venue in which the activity
occurs. As two-income households become a cornerstone of
society and busy people search for ways to streamline and simplify
their lives, consumers may find that transactions with online mer-
chants impart the same level of enjoyment gleaned from the
in-store experience.
Another key finding of this study is that value-conscious con-
sumers may purchase apparel online less readily than shoppers
with other decision-making styles. Earlier researcher (Goldsmith
and Bridges, 2000) determined that low prices were a positive
attribute encouraging online buying. Although value seeking does
motivate consumers in general, value-conscious consumers appear
to be less likely to buy apparel online. A possible explanation for
this finding is that an overall value/price orientation to shopping
might lead these consumers to buy less in many product catego-
ries, including apparel.
In addition, the findings from this study reveal that impulsive
shoppers spend more for apparel online in a typical month and
spend more time online than other consumers. These findings can
lead one to infer that a substantial number of online apparel pur-
chases are unplanned and precipitous. This discovery is on par
with earlier research (Phau and Lo, 2004) which concluded that
the characteristics of impulsiveness, such as immediacy, might be
embodied in the psychology of the online shopper. For example,
Phau and Lo (2004) found that apparel innovators generally dis-
played impulsive behaviour, and Stern (1962) argued that fashion-
oriented impulsiveness is manifested when a product is viewed in
a different style and the customer resolves to purchase it as a
representation of fashionable dress.
Moreover, Assael (1987) observed that male college students,
who comprised approximately half of our study respondents, were
particularly impulsive, self-loving and exhibitionists. This finding
is generally consistent with Bakewell and Mitchell (2004). The
combination of these findings implied that, in general, people who
enjoy shopping will indulge in online apparel consumption more
frequently and individuals with an impulsive nature may be
readily enticed to make online apparel buys. Thus, clothiers may
find that interactive marketing tools such as banner ads and online
sales promotions are particularly effective in increasing sales to
this subgroup.
The high number of male respondents in this study could
account for the significant impulsiveness scores reported. Recent
authors (Zhang et al., 2007) observed that the online shopping
behaviour of male individuals is more impulsive than female
people. This difference results from an enduring and easily dis-
cernable human trait that should be particularly relevant to Internet
marketers. Likewise, researchers have found that men differ sig-
nificantly from women with regard to the frequency of their online
purchases (Zhang et al., 2007). These results are at odds with the
present findings because men were found to shop online just as
often as women.
Considering the shopping conveniences available through
online exchanges and the proliferation of the electronic age, it is
sensible that more impulsive consumers would be drawn to
e-commerce. Men have been noted to shop with the goal of
quickly, and perhaps impulsively, fulfilling their shopping needs

International Journal of Consumer Studies 31 (2007) 639–647 © The Authors. Journal compilation © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 645
Consumer decision-making styles and online clothing purchasing
(Schumacher and Morahan-Martin, 2001), while women take a
more methodical, planned approach to online shopping (ClickZ,
2004). Because the number of men buying online is in an upward
trend, firms that sell male-oriented apparel may be able to realize
higher turnover and greater revenue than conventional stores.
Overall, male consumers have a greater inclination to impulsively
react to web-based promotions. Thus, they could comprise an
attractive and lucrative subgroup that has historically been linked
to female consumers. Retailers targeting the segment of male
online shoppers may be well served by concentrating on web
design and layout that entices visitor click thru, which can parlay
into impulse purchases (cf. Bakewell and Mitchell, 2004).
Limitations and future research
This research has several limitations, which suggest that different
approaches for future studies may be useful. First, the data were
collected from college students, who may be more proficient and
familiar with computer technology than the general public. This
group may be more comfortable using the Internet in general and
more inclined to order merchandise online than older shoppers.
Second, college students are thought to be very fashion con-
scious and concerned with the latest clothing trends. Thus, they
are likely to browse and buy clothing more regardless of the
venue. Third, this study occurred in a small college town where
residents have limited access to many of the fashion retailers that
are available in metropolitan cities. Subjects may be forced to
purchase fashion over the Internet because a preferred brand or
clothier is unavailable locally. Finally, this study does not iden-
tify the specific type(s) of fashion items purchased online. For
example, do consumers purchase mainstay items such as shoes
and belts online, or do they visit the Internet to buy the season’s
latest styles?
As the Internet continues to gather influence and momentum,
the impending applications of this resource throughout business
and personal life will be progressively more important. As con-
sumers continue to seek convenience, it is certain that online
merchants will capture a substantial portion of the dollars spent on
apparel. The findings of this study suggest that online apparel
purchases are common and those who indulge in the activity do so
regularly. The study does not provide point and interval estimates
of a population, but examines the relationship between the CSI
characteristics and the dependent variables. However, the question
of what drives online apparel consumption is only partially
answered.
Future research should readdress the topic using different mea-
surement scales or conducting experiments to determine whether
causal relationships exist. In addition, future studies could test a
CSI with fewer than eight factors to determine its effectiveness as
a predictor of online apparel shopping and overall consumer deci-
sion making. The creators of the CSI argued that a scale of less
than eight factors sacrificed valuable information. However,
another attempt to confirm the scale actually refuted that allegation
when a seven-dimension structure was found to most appropri-
ately represent customer decision-making styles (Walsh et al.,
2001). Finally, the low internal consistency of the CSI subscales
suggests that increasing the number of items is advisable
to improve the psychometrics of the scale (see Bakewell and
Mitchell, 2004).
646 International Journal of Consumer Studies 31 (2007) 639–647 © The Authors. Journal compilation © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
K.O. Cowart and R.E. Goldsmith
This research was intended to help identify the predictors and
processes that are associated with online apparel consumption.
The findings suggest that the CSI may be an effective tool in
identifying those consumers who are most apt to buy clothing
online. College students with certain decision-making styles were
found to be more likely to shop for and purchase fashion online as
compared with their peers. The data also suggest that men buy
fashion items online just as often as women and tend to spend just
as much per transaction. However, it is still unclear whether online
fashion purchases actually replace or complement in-store buys.
A comparative study that simultaneously looks at the distribution
of consumer apparel purchases across online, mail and in-store
venues would answer this important question. There is still much
work needed to uncover the motivations driving online shopping
behaviour in the fashion domain. The volatility, speed and pro-
jected profit in the fashion category make it crucial that managers
and academics remain atop of the latest trends and developments
in this arena.
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