Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International

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Analysing the influence of the presentation of fashion garments on young consumers’
online behaviour
Helen McCormick Charlotte Livett
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Presentation of
Analysing the influence of the fashion garments
presentation of fashion garments online
on young consumers’ online
behaviour 21
Helen McCormick and Charlotte Livett
Textiles and Paper, School of Materials, University of Manchester,
Manchester, UK
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Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the web experience elements that aid the
interaction between the consumer and fashion garments online. Two elements have been identified,
product viewing and fashion information online, and analysis of the effects of these elements and the
influence they have on consumers’ behaviour and decision-making process are explored.
Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative data collection was employed utilising both
photo-elicitation and projective techniques during in-depth interviews. Analysis of the elements is
necessary to confirm how the cues are likely to affect the consumers’ interaction and influence the
consumers’ shopping experience. Focus is placed on hedonic and utilitarian effects and purchase
intentions towards fashion apparel investigating young consumers in reference to online retailing.
Findings – It is evident from the interviews that the two elements create very different experiences for
the consumer with regards to viewing fashion online, the first area identified functional product
viewing, allows the consumer to personalise how they view and interact with the garment stimulating
more utilitarian effects, whilst the second area, aesthetic fashion information is driven by the retailer
providing advice and information about the garments stimulating hedonic effects. Online fashion
retailers must sufficiently intertwine hedonic entertainment with practical utilitarianism to provide a
satisfying online shopping experience.
Originality/value – This research provides an examination into the complex area of interaction with
garments online and its link to fashion-related consumer behaviour. This study makes an important
contribution to the literature to date, and raises additional questions for future research.
Keywords Consumer behaviour, Young consumers, Internet, Fashion, Electronic commerce,
Product viewing, Hedonic effects, Utilitarian effects
Paper type Research paper

1. Introduction
Constantinides (2004) coined “the Web experience” (p. 112) as the right and correct
online experience. This is compiled from “online functionality, information, emotions,
cues, stimuli and products or services” (Constantinides, 2004, p. 112). The design
of a website should create gripping and influential experiences (Solomon, 2008),
which engage visitors through the provision of “relevant and rich” information (Kim
and Kim, 2004, p. 886). Although the correct “Web experience”, where functionality
and information are combined with stimulating emotions remains essential
(Constantinides, 2004, p. 112), consumers are now demanding higher levels of
interactivity and recreation (Oh et al., 2008). Thus, they are moving towards online
shopping experiences that can provide higher levels of hedonic value (Liu and Journal of Fashion Marketing and
Forsythe, 2010). Greater levels of interactive involvement with an apparel product Management
Vol. 16 No. 1, 2012
online might provoke greater levels of attraction for the fashion forward individuals, as pp. 21-41
r Emerald Group Publishing Limited
it catalysts higher levels of communication (Yang and Young, 2009) and in turn can 1361-2026
increase likelihood of repatronage and e-loyalty (Cyr et al., 2009). Ha et al. (2007) have DOI 10.1108/13612021211203014
 JFMM argued that providing a more experiential e-retail environment through developments
16,1 such as providing fashion inspiration would become increasingly important. With
growing awareness that particularly amongst younger target groups consumers’ are
seeking to find original environments with innovative interactive designs (Tractinsky
and Lowengart, 2007), there has never been a more important time to research how this
can be effectively and efficiently achieved.
22 As fashion clothing shoppers are largely enthused by their senses (Yang and Young,
2009), a large number of apparel consumers still insist that nothing can replace
shopping in a physical store (Mintel, 2009). Removing the possible high purchase risk
of online fashion products by using features which allow the consumers to feel as if
they are interacting with the product is becoming progressively more crucial to the
success of fashion e-businesses (Yang and Young, 2009). Consumers when purchasing
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clothing online analyse a number of factors, how the item will look on the body, sensory
and aesthetic information and how the garment can be worn with other products
(Cho and Workman, 2011). It is possible for retailers to use image interactivity technology
(IIT) or offer fashion information, that provide the consumers with sensory information
that enables them to reduce the risk of shopping online. Consumers have high levels of
interest in product viewing, particularly being able to manipulate the product to benefit
from a variety of viewing angles (Rowley, 2009). IIT therefore holds particular
significance in online fashion retailing, as it allows the apparel product presentation to
be as innovative as possible thus creating a more stimulating online experience
(Kim et al., 2007a). Fashion information refers to the collection of information regarding
fashion trends (Rowley, 2009). Particularly within the online fashion sector, consumers
have been seeking experiences that involve high levels of interactivity (Siddiqui et al.,
2003). The provision of additional information on fashion and trends can help to improve
levels of interactivity, helping to meet growing consumer expectations (Siddiqui et al.,
2003). Increasingly, online fashion websites are even more capable than physical stores of
successfully and innovatively conveying to the customer up to date trends and sharing
cutting edge fashion advice. Online retail provides the opportunity for retailers to
communicate and promote the products to the end customer in a much more efficient
way than a sales assistant in-store offering style advice. Fashion information is currently
a distinctly under researched area and despite an extensive collection of studies
regarding fashion website design, a theoretical explanation of the benefits and affects of
the provision of fashion information has not yet been recorded or explained.
What influences consumers purchasing decision and choices and how these
decisions are made is popular marketing topic and the analysis of online consumer
behaviour is a priority issue for academics and practitioners (Cheung et al., 2005). This
paper focuses on identifying the web experience elements that aid the interaction
between the consumer and fashion garments online. Two elements have been
identified, product viewing and fashion information online, and analysis of the effects
of these elements and the influence they have on online consumers’ behaviour and
decision-making process will be explored. Analysis of these elements is necessary to
confirm how these cues are likely to affect the consumers’ interaction and influence on
the consumer shopping experience. Focus is placed on hedonic and utilitarian effects
and purchase intentions towards fashion apparel of young consumers in reference to
online retailing. This study will argue that the inclusion of both functional and
aesthetic information with regards to viewing garments on fashion websites can
significantly contribute to satisfying consumers that seek both a practical and hedonic
online experience.
 2. Literature review Presentation of
The study of online consumer behaviour is an important part of understanding the fashion garments
shopping motivations of retail consumers in order to enhance customer satisfaction
and retail performance (Puccinelli et al., 2009). Online consumer behaviour has adopted online
many traditional consumer behaviour theories in order to explain attitude-intention-
behaviour relations (Cheung et al., 2005). Cheung et al. (2005) identified that the theory
of reasoned action (TRA) (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980) and its family theories including 23
the technology acceptance model (TAM) (Davis, 1989) and the theory of planned
behaviour (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991) are the dominant theories in online consumer behaviour
studies. Dennis et al. (2009) developed a conceptual model to identify factors that
influence e-shopping behaviour, postulating that consumer’s behaviour is governed
by their beliefs, attitudes and intentions when shopping. Using the TRA (Ajzen and
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Fishbein, 1980) to underpin their framework, functional, experiential, social and

consumer traits are included as factors that influence attitude and intention showing
the complexity of online shopping. The TAM is an extension of the TRA theory
measuring two key attitude measures to do with technology adoption, ease of use and
usefulness (Davis, 1989). In the current highly competitive marketplace, the success of
an online fashion retailer revolves around maintaining a positive relationship between
themselves and their consumer (Kim et al., 2009), thus, fulfilling the consumers need is
vital. Utilitarian aspects of online shopping are associated with rational experiences
that aid the consumer when shopping and reduce frustration (Park and Sullivan, 2009).
Elements which aid logical product assessments and optimum efficiency (Fiore et al.,
2005) to save time, money and consumer effort are therefore intrinsically linked to a
utilitarian shopping experience (Kim et al., 2007a).
Davis et al. (1992) added “enjoyment” as a new dimension of attitude into the TAM.
Doherty and Ellis-Chadwick (2009) have argued that an improved relationship between
businesses and consumers is the main driver for positive attitudes towards the
adoption of e-commerce. This is a hypothesis which other critics such as Yang and
Young (2009) also promote. Hedonism is orientated around the entertainment and
enjoyment values that can be pertained through an online shopping experience
(Park and Sullivan, 2009). Hedonic consumers typically have both high fashion interest
and require higher fashion content from websites which leads to advanced levels
of brand loyalty, making them a superior and stable consumer base (Park and Sullivan,
2009). Online fashion retailers must sufficiently intertwine hedonic entertainment with
practical utilitarianism to provide an online shopping experience that provides value
and ultimately, success for both the e-shopper and e-retailer (Kang and Park-Poaps,
2010).
Social and consumer traits are important to consider when analysing attitudes
driving behavioural intentions (Dennis et al., 2009). Retailing today is inextricably
linked with consumer lifestyles, attitudes and beliefs and fashion retailers need
to design websites to reflect the personalities and social stance of the consumer.
Personal values such as achievement, hedonism, self-direction (Schwartz, 1992), social
recognition and a sense of accomplishment (Rokeach, 1973) affect aspects of
consumption behaviours and attitudes ( Jayawardhena, 2004). A study of personal
values in e-shopping behaviour was carried out by Jayawardhena (2004) using a
value-attitude-behaviour model found that e-shoppers place a strong emphasis on
self-direction, enjoyment and self-achievement values, confirming a direct influence
on consumers desire to browse, repatronage intentions and switching intentions. A
key driver of consumer behaviour towards fashion products are social interactions
 JFMM and the values generated in various social interactions, depending not only on
16,1 consumers own perceptions but also on peers response to validate opinions (Buunk
and Gibbons, 2007). Providing fashion information addresses an opportunity for
retailers to compound relationships with consumers that are essential to their success,
it is a chance for retailers to impress consumers by portraying themselves as the
most stylish and fashionable brand which can influence fashion decision making,
24 adding value to a brand and further encouraging shopping online. Understanding
how consumers interpret clothing and how groups make judgements about fashion
products is critical for fashion retailers as they can maximise satisfaction by providing
features that appeal to consumer needs. Consumers with high fashion interest tend to
consider fashion as a lifestyle, holding appearances in high regard and possessing
advanced levels of fashion confidence, often exhibiting an orientation towards
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fashion leadership (Johnson and Attmann, 2009). Young people are classed as typically
being more concerned with their appearance and are therefore more interested in
purchasing and browsing for fashion clothing (O’Cass, 2004). High involvement with
a product can increase consumer confidence, thus boosting the decision-making
process (O’Cass, 2004). Young women have the highest recorded interest in fashion
magazines and are therefore hungry for fashion knowledge (Bailey and Seock, 2010).
The growth in weekly magazines, which in 2007 accounted for 89 per cent of volume in
a market worth £700 million in 2008, led by fashion publications such as Grazia,
indicates the growth of a fashion hungry consumer (Mintel, 2008). Fashion websites
can provide fashion features such as style and trend advice, blogs and look books,
and due to tough retail competition, communication of retailer’s product offering is
imperative.
Over two decades ago, Kotler and Rath (1984) advocated that design can be used
to communicate value to the customer, making selection easier, informing and
entertaining consumers. Retailers need to communicate information to influence
search, purchase and use. The environmental psychology literature draws on the S-O-R
paradigm (stimulus-organism-response) (Donovan and Rossiter, 1982), to explain the
effects of the environment on emotional states affect on consumers’ emotions, which in
turn can influence behaviour. Experience can be an outcome from the exposure of a
shopping environment and the environment cues perceived (Kaplan and Kaplan,
1982). The environmental cues allow the consumer to form an opinion and provoke a
reaction and an emotional impact in order to form a memorable experience. Dennis
et al. (2009) discuss the experiential aspects of e-shopping emphasising that experience
and enjoyment derive from customers interactions with a website. Dennis et al. (2009)
discuss how interactivity online is the equivalent of a salesperson-customer interaction
as well as visual merchandising. The elements of website interactivity that aid
interaction with fashion garments online to be discussed in this study will be product
viewing, and the provision of fashion information.

2.1 Product viewing

IIT which facilitates the manipulation of images, such as zoom or rotation, has been
recorded as one of the key benefits of interactivity for an e-marketer (Kim et al., 2007a).
Vivid and interactive product viewing can be provided with high levels of IIT such as a
zoom feature or the ability to rotate a model to view a garment from various angles
(Kim et al., 2007a). This allows the user greater levels of perceived control over their
experience. A consumer’s perception of their own self-efficacy, which is formulated by
an assessment of levels of control, can be directly linked to awareness of efficiency and
 ease of use (Hernandez et al., 2009). Efficiency and ease of use are key elements of a Presentation of
utilitarian online shopping experience (Park and Sullivan, 2009). Thus, product fashion garments
viewing can contribute to the provision of a utilitarian experience, as higher levels of
IIT enhance the consumer’s sense of control which has a positive affect on both the online
perceived ease of use and usefulness of a website (Hernandez et al., 2009). However, the
higher levels of enjoyment which result from innovative and stimulating product
viewing can also facilitate the provision of a hedonic online shopping experience 25
(Oh et al., 2008). Product viewing that is both vivid and interactive can result in
distinctly higher levels of consumer enjoyment, which has a strong link with enhanced
e-loyalty from a consumer (Cyr et al., 2009). This is a critical contributing factor to
the success of an online fashion retailer (Kim et al., 2007a).
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2.2 Fashion information

The collection of product information is a key part of interactivity (Cyr et al., 2009), and
the absence of fashion information is an element that has been recorded as an issue
significantly concerning consumers (Rowley, 2009). Hedonic consumers are believed
to require higher fashion content from e-retail websites (Park and Sullivan, 2009).
Conversely, the inclusion of fashion information can arguably stimulate emotions and
induce feelings of excitement (Rowley, 2009), a vital contributing factor towards
the provision of a hedonic experience. Due to the “cyclical nature of fashion” and the
ongoing changes of trends, the consumer’s “knowledge about fashion apparel products
quickly becomes outdated” (Frings, 2005, cited in Van Staden and Van Aardt, 2011).
Thus, regular fashion information and updates are becoming increasingly relevant and
useful for consumers. Features on fashion retailers’ websites, such as blogs, styling
tips, online magazines and social networking sites can emphasise their fashion
consciousness to the consumer. A range of retailers from high-end pure-play e-tailer,
Net-a-Porter, to multi-channel high street retailer Topshop are now beginning to
provide fashion information alongside their products online. This is considered a
response to the budding consumer demand for further fashion information about
products and trends.
Based on the S-O-R paradigm and TRA family of theories, this study will begin to
analyse the affect of the online stimulus, product viewing and fashion information. The
core discussion of the in-depth interviews was to uncover participants’ attitudes and
opinions regarding interaction with fashion products on the ASOS website and how
that may influence purchase behaviour.

3. Methodology
This study conducted 12 in-depth interviews, excluding pilot studies, each lasting
between 45 minutes to one hour. The study was continued to the point where no
further new insights could be predicted and a thorough understanding of the studied
phenomena began to occur; the considered point of saturation. The high fashion
interest consumers that were recruited to participate in this study were females aged
18-24, as the most common set of e-shoppers tend to be young; the 18-24s can in fact be
placed as the second highest demographic group of internet users at 79 per cent
(Mintel, 2010). The main purpose of the study was to gather information about how
consumer interact with a fashion garments online and more specifically the effect of
that interaction and the influence on the buying process such as selecting and choosing
garments. Three types of questions were selected for the interviews; “opinion and
value questions”, “feeling questions” and “sensory questions” (Patton, 2002, p. 350).
 JFMM These three categories of questions seek to uncover the true subconscious interpretive
16,1 processes of the participants, evoke emotions and seek to understand sensory reactions
(Patton, 2002).
The methods used within the interviews were projective techniques (Donoghue,
2000) and photo-elicitation techniques (Croghan et al., 2008). The projective comparison
task provided a uniform structure and the photo-elicitation task outlined the key topics
26 to participants, allowing them to express their opinions regarding these in an
individual manner, whilst giving the interviewer freedom to probe common or
interesting themes. Participants prior to the interview were asked to view the ASOS
website (www.asos.com) and print screen shots of the elements of the website they
believe are relevant or associated with viewing fashion garments online. This
inductive session was the first task in the interview allowing the assessment and
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collation of themes to be gathered regarding how the participants interact with the
selected interactive areas regardless of preconceived ideas collected for this study from
the previously assessed literature (Patton, 2002). The second half of the interview
utilised a projective technique exercise around a spot-the-difference style image
response exercise (Pettigrew and Charters, 2008). Screen shots of the current ASOS
website were used to compare with doctored screen shots of the ASOS website that
have been edited according to the elements to be investigated in this study. For
example, a page with only a fashion garment would be compared to a page with a
fashion garment with additional style advice and trend information. This was
undertaken to discover the affect the changes have on the consumer’s experience of the
ASOS website. The participant was not made directly aware of the changes made to
the screen shots in order to enable them to use their own powers of interpretation, thus
revealing their true subconscious perceptions and opinions and removing the potential
for interviewer bias, so increasing validity of results (Flick, 2002). This is therefore a
deductive process that sought to further validate and authenticate the previously
discussed inductive data collected in the photo-elicitation task (Patton, 2002). Each
interview was recorded and transcribed. Analysis began at the early stages of data
collection by transcription and close reading of the transcripts, identifying themes and
categories from the interviews that represent interests, opinions and behaviour
(Spiggle, 1994), and these then form the foundation of the analytical categories, these
categories become the codes with which the transcript will be interpreted and
meanings developed.

4. Findings
Rigorous analysis of the two elements product viewing and fashion information online,
allowed themes to emerge which included functional cues and aesthetic information,
further analysis took place to understand how the themes affect the consumers’
interaction and influence the consumer shopping experience. The first finding was that
participants viewed the cues related to product viewing as functional cues to aid
purchasing, whereas the fashion information cues were more aesthetic to inspire,
therefore the elements have been renamed, functional product viewing and aesthetic
fashion information. Table I includes the areas of the website that were discussed
during the interview and will be included in the analysis.
Table II illustrates all of the participants’ responses and the identified themes and
affects. Several of the themes had a number of effects which are outlined in Table III as
1.1, 1.2, etc. and the same numbering system is used within the discussion of the
findings.
 4.1 Functional product viewing Presentation of
Functional product viewing goes beyond IIT, to include the refining, viewing, fashion garments
movement and garment information, therefore including the key areas with regards to
how consumer choose and interact with a garment. There were four themes extracted online
from the data regarding product viewing: Theme 1. “personalised product viewing”,
Theme 2. “zoom and multi-view”, Theme 3. “practical information” and Theme 4.
“catwalk”. 27
4.1.1 Theme 1. Personalised product viewing. Participants found utilitarian value
through their ability to control the way they viewed products via the “refine by”
function. Fiore et al. (2005) found that utilitarian value can be obtained by the inclusion
of interactive elements that save time. The key effect of the “personalised product
viewing” theme was found to be ease and convenience (1.1) (see Table I), thus implying
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that utilitarian value has been provided in this instance.

4.1.2 Theme 2. Zoom and multi-view. The zoom and extra viewing capabilities
of the ASOS website were discussed in great length by participants to illustrate the
importance of it as a product viewing tool. Rowley (2009) found that consumers have
particularly high levels of interest in the ability to manipulate a product and view it

Functional product viewing cues Aesthetic fashion information cues

Garment images (product page) Style pages (complete outfits)

Multiple garment views Trend information (catwalk interpretation)
Zoom function ASOS community (blogs, social media)
Catwalk Magazine Table I.
Product categorisation (refine by colour, brand, price) Trend boutiques Functional product
Practical information (measurements for individual viewing and aesthetic
garments and size guides) fashion information cues

Utilitarian Hedonic Attitude and

Elements Cues/themes effect effect intention affects

Functional product 1. Personalised product Ease and

viewing viewing convenience
2. Zoom and multi-view Ease of use Confidence and
trust
Purchase
intensions
4. Practical information Informative help
3. Catwalk Enjoyment Purchase
intensions
Aesthetic fashion 5. Trend information Inspiration
information Enjoyment
6. Social media Entertainment
7. Magazine Inspiration
8. Style advice Informative help Inspiration Purchase Table II.
intentions Utilitarian an hedonic
Enjoyment Time spent in affects of the presentation
Visualisation store of fashion garments online
 Downloaded by UNIVERSITAET OSNABRUCK At 06:41 10 February 2016 (PT)
Table III.
and effects
reponses, themes
Table of participants
Themes
Product viewing analysis
Theme 1: Personalised product viewing
“Their facility to refine things by colour and
size and price [y] if you know what you are
looking for the refine search is better”
“You can see down the side that you can refine it
by colour, section, price, brand [y] that is
good because obviously there are so many items”
Theme 2: Zoom and multi-view
“You see a big picture of the most important view
[y] it shows you a close up underneath [y]
zoom up on the quality of the material [y] see it
from a distance which is helpful [y] then the
back, I always like to see that”
“I would say that the pictures of it and the zoom
and the various angles [y] this is the most
important thing”
28
16,1
JFMM
Effects and intentions
Effect 1.1: Ease of use
“You don’t have to trawl through the whole
website to see if they have got it [y] it’s easier”
“I sometimes find the website quite slow so if you
want to load up everything it’s quite difficult so if
you want a particular coloured dress it’s much
easier because you can just click on these and
it will come up”
Effect 2.1: Ease of use Effect 2.2: Confidence and trust
“It’s 10 times better. You can actually get a good “Online, people get nervous about things [y]
view and see what you want to see rather it’s hard to tell sometimes, so different angles
than what they want you to see [y] it’s like a and nice quality pictures [y] it helps [y] it
shopping experience and it bridges the gap looks like a stylish website [y] Net-a-Porter or
between online and physical shopping [y] something”
it’s bad not to have sufficient viewing
options.”
“It’s really good to have lots of different “I wouldn’t have a very good opinion of a website
views. I think it’s good to be able to see it without these viewing functions because I
closer up and in intricate detail. It wouldn’t wouldn’t trust it as much [y] this adds
look very professional at all without these confidence, I would be more likely to buy
functions [y] it would hinder me” something if I could view it more
thoroughly”
(continued)
 Downloaded by UNIVERSITAET OSNABRUCK At 06:41 10 February 2016 (PT)
Themes
Theme 3: Practical information
“It gives you lots of information [y] different
sizes [y] I like how they give you info and
care”
“I like to be able to see what a garment is made
out of”
Theme 4: Catwalk
“They do have the catwalk so you can
physically see it on somebody moving and
you can see what the fabric looks like which is
good”
“I know ASOS have got the catwalk so it makes
the clothes seem a bit more real. You can see it
moving and things and you can see it from a lot
more angles. I do think that helps because online
it’s a completely different shopping experience to
when you are in a shop”
Fashion Information
Table III.
Effects and intentions
Intention 2.3: Purchase intentions
“I would query what the product looked like and
be less likely to buy it [y] I would feel a lot more
hard done by [y] here [y] you are more likely
to buy it because you know more about it”
“I would be much more inclined to buy from a
site with lots of detail, it just gives you a better
feel for the item”
Effect 3.1: Informative help
“I think when you know the material [y] you can
almost begin to picture that product in your
hands rather than just on screen”
“I like the way materials are written, you want to
know what materials are in the item you’re
buying”
Effect 4.1: Enjoyment Intention 4.2: Purchase intentions
“It’s entertaining as well [y] a different way to “I like it. Especially because they are one of the
see the outfit [y] it’s really easy to click on that only people that does it [y] you see it and it does
and see it from every angle [y] more fun and look nice on the actual person walking down then
easy to watch” obviously you might be more likely to buy it”
“If I were going to buy something I would click “If I am going to buy something I will click on
onto catwalk. It’s really helpful and fun. The the catwalk. It’s really helpful [y] you can see
catwalk is definitely a good thing” how it moves and think ‘oh actually that material
I’m not too keen on it’ or ‘actually I really like that’
[y] this definitely is something different to
other websites”
(continued)
online
fashion garments
29
Presentation of
 Downloaded by UNIVERSITAET OSNABRUCK At 06:41 10 February 2016 (PT)
Table III.
Themes
Theme 5: Trend information
“It was really good [y] they have different
trends that are in fashion at the moment so you
can click on different trends and it gives you
items within that trend”
“I clicked on trends [y] it’s good because
you’ve got all the different styles like
‘glamazon’ and ‘urban army’ [y] it’s all very
accessible to teenagers [y] they are all going
to have different styles and different moods
when they are shopping so you can pick what you
are feeling at that time”
Theme 6: Social media
“It makes it more fashion [y] not just a shop [y]
it’s got different elements [y] it makes it like a
little mini fashion world”
“That ASOS Life area is cool [y] if they
recommend something, I will look into it, because
that’s interesting, that’s good”
30
16,1
JFMM
Effects and intentions
Effect 5.1: Inspiration Effect 5.2: Enjoyment
“It’s like ASOS are making more effort to get “It makes it more enjoyable, I like looking at
customers [y] they are giving me ideas rather clothes [y] it’s a fun activity [y] seeing different
than leaving me to fend for myself [y] even if you things and what else is out there”
don’t pick those things it still gives you
inspiration”
“It informs the customer about what’s on trend. “It’s a bit more exciting, they highlight what they
It shows them how to put different pieces together think are wow pieces. I would like to see it done
like accessories [y] it’s good for those who more [y] it gives me ideas and makes me think
struggle to put an outfit together [y] it makes of things to buy [y] I would definitely say it’s
it easier [y] it’s just there in front of you and a lot enjoyable”
of the product ideas and outfits are put together
for you”
Effect 6.1: Entertainment
“If you can’t actually afford to buy anything and
don’t want to look through and get depressed [y]
it’s nice to go on there [y] it’s all fashion but it’s
more entertaining [y] fun”
“I think they are fun to read and it’s cool for
getting some fashion inspiration that would
maybe lead me further onto the ASOS site, or
just give me ideas [y] the content [y] the
inspiration is so good [y] there is quite a lot of
exciting material on it”
(continued)
 Downloaded by UNIVERSITAET OSNABRUCK At 06:41 10 February 2016 (PT)
Themes
Theme 7: Magazine
“The magazine [y] it’s just a nice thing [y] it
feels like a very up-to-date website, very
fashion forward [y] almost like Elle or
Vogue [y] it makes it feel more fashionable
and more trendy”
“If you hover you can see how much it is [y]
then you can click on the item and click
straight through and buy it which is good”
Theme 8: Style advice
“They’re evocative, I just really like them. I like
the way they are written [y] it’s interesting to
read and see what they have said about it and
whether I would have said the same thing [y] it’s
really good”
“It’s more effective than stuff you would see
in a shop. I would be more inclined to look and
read about that [y] I find some of the
mannequins in shops are quite uninspiring really
[y] it’s probably on a par with the Style or
Sunday Telegraph magazine [y] it’s accessible
[y] it does the same kind of thing as a
fashion magazine would”
Table III.
Effects and intentions
Effect 7.1: Inspiration
“It’s good [y] I like looking at magazines [y]
online it’s a little bit different [y] seeing stuff in
there that you like, you would be able to find it a
lot easier or get an idea of what seasons
styles are [y] you just get more of an idea
what it looks like on”
“You can be looking at something and if you
weren’t quite sure you can just have a little flick
through and it gives you ideas about fashion
and what goes with what [y] things like that I
enjoy”
Effect 8.1: Inspiration Effect 8.2: Visualisation
“It’s good if you are not sure what the dress “You’re not only seeing it you are also hearing it. So
would go with [y] you don’t have to follow it it’s increasing the way that your senses react
[y] just a bit of extra information [y] they are to ASOS [y] these transform you a bit”
trying to help you”
“More enjoyable in a way that you can begin to
picture that item as yours, as an outfit [y] it
“More inspirational than say the could make an experience more enjoyable because
mannequins you would see in a shop or front you begin to place that outfit in your
dressing [y] it’s more trustworthy in the same wardrobe”
way as a fashion magazine [y] the text is quite
evocative and easy to take in”
Effect 8.3: Enjoyment Intention 8.4: Time spent on ASOS
(continued)
online
fashion garments
31
Presentation of
 Downloaded by UNIVERSITAET OSNABRUCK At 06:41 10 February 2016 (PT)
Table III.
Themes Effects and intentions
“I like it because it’s fun and it’s like journalism
and it’s making it more like a magazine. I really
like them and I think they are really good”
“I think it’s nicely written, it excites you more
about the product [y] it makes you feel a bit more
exciting than just having the information and
then the product code”
Effect 8.5: Informative help
“It’s just another thing to make it more clear, it
gives you an idea about the product”
“It’s nice to have a bit of background about the
product [y] you might research to find out more
[y] it’s quite helpful”
32
16,1
JFMM
“It gives me more options of what I want to do
while I am shopping [y] I just keep clicking so I
guess it keeps you on their for longer”
“It gets me to look at other things on the site
[y] like if it said ‘block coloured heels’, I would
think ‘oh yeah’ and would have a quick nosy at
them whilst I am here”
Intention 8.6: Purchase intentions
“It would probably make me look, even without
the intention of buying, but it might make me
buy if I saw something I liked!”
“It’s reassuring that it’s OK to buy because they
are telling you it goes with something”
 from a variety of angles. Cyr et al. (2009) have argued that it is through the provision Presentation of
of vivid and interactive product viewing that e-retailers can provoke higher levels fashion garments
of enjoyment and thus result in satisfied and loyal consumers. The findings of this
study found consumer perception of greater product accessibility provides ease of online
use (2.1), increased confidence (2.2) and thus higher purchase intentions (2.3) as a result
of the “zoom and multi-view” product viewing options, utilitarian value rather than
enjoyment. 33
4.1.3 Theme 3. Practical information. Participants were keen to highlight the
“practical information” that is provided which included information like size, fit and
washing instructions. The provision of this practical information resulted in an
entirely utilitarian affect “informative help” (3.1) (Carpenter and Moore, 2009). This
was therefore a utilitarian element that aided the participants in making logical
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product assessments and achieving efficiency (Fiore et al., 2005).

4.1.4 Theme 4. Catwalk. Participants expressed that the catwalk on the ASOS
website was in fact an extension of the “zoom and multi-view” theme as it helped them
to better get to grips with a product when considering a purchase. It therefore had a
largely utilitarian outcome of helpfulness in purchasing (Carpenter and Moore, 2009)
helping customer to visualise how the garment would look on. The predominant affect
of this extra purchasing aid consequently resulted in increased purchase intentions.
Purchase intentions (4.2) are therefore the affect that has been extracted from the data
as a result of the “catwalk” theme. Online catwalks are currently a distinctly under
researched area. However, as illustrated in Table III, it is the only element of functional
product viewing that can provide a hedonic online shopping experience, enjoyment
(4.1), with participants using adjectives such as “entertaining” and “fun”.

4.2 Aesthetic fashion information

The gathering of information regarding fashion trends is known as fashion
information (Rowley, 2009). ASOS provide a significant amount of aesthetic fashion
information in a multitude of visual forms on their site. Consequently, there were
four themes in total that were extracted from the data of the present study: Theme 5.
“trend information”, Theme 6. “social media”, Theme 7. “magazine” and Theme 8.
“style advice”.
4.2.1 Theme 5. Trend information. Many participants were keen to express their
pleasure and satisfaction at the provision of trend information by ASOS. Siddiqui et al.
(2003) found that supplying trend information provoked a perception of enhanced value
to a consumer thus encouraging online shopping. This is reiterated in the data collected
in this study as participants found added value from the trend information in two
different ways. First, in the form of “inspiration” (5.1), informing the customer of how to
put outfits and looks together. The inclusion of trend information can also stimulate
emotions (Rowley, 2009), which is reflected in the second value adding effect “enjoyment”
(5.2). “Trend information” is therefore instrumental in stimulating emotions and
enhancing the value perception that is essential to the provision of a hedonic experience
and thus e-retail success (Jayawardhena and Wright, 2009). Since the start of this study,
ASOS have started to add trend information to individual products.
4.2.2 Theme 6. Social media. Like many other fashion retailers, ASOS do currently
participate on a number of social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter.
Social media has been hailed as “revolutionary” (Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010), as it has
enhanced the shopping experience, thus increasing consumers’ purchase and
repatronage intentions (Chen and Yen, 2004). As illustrated in the final participant
 JFMM quotation, social media “adds value” which is reiterated by Kaplan and Haenlein (2010)
16,1 who argue that social media augments the shopping experience.
The ASOS Life site is a really good website. You could go on this and forget that they sell
clothes [y] the blogs and the fashion inspiration [y] it’s a strong thing for them to do [y]
it adds value [y] I would feel satisfied even though I hadn’t bought anything.
In the current study, “social media” was found to enhance the experience of the
34 e-shopper through the provision of entertainment (6.1).
4.2.3 Theme 7. Magazine. As well as their social media advances, ASOS offer a
monthly magazine that is available online and direct to the door of a consumer. In this
study, value was added onto the ASOS experience of the participants, who extracted
fashion inspiration from accessing the magazine. “Inspiration” (7.1) is therefore the
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effect of the theme “magazine”.

4.2.4 Theme 8. Style advice. During the in-depth interview process, part of the
projective technique task asked participants to consider the addition of a styling note
to the normal ASOS product screen layout. The “style advice” theme resulted in a wide
range of different effects, suggesting that it is the combination of a utilitarian and
hedonic experience that is now necessary to achieve beneficial results and e-retail
success. Participants highlighted three particular hedonic affects that occurred as a
result of this theme, “inspiration” (8.1), “visualisation” (8.2) and “enjoyment” (8.3) as a
result of the pleasing and satisfying experience that the provision of style advice
creates, participants felt that they would then stay longer on the site. The most
significant effects for e-retailers that occurred as a result of this theme were “time spent
on ASOS” (8.4), “informative help” (8.5) and thus “purchase intentions” (8.6). The above
data illustrates that of all the “fashion information” themes, it is “style advice” that has
the most positive benefits for ASOS, as it is the theme that successfully conveys both
hedonic and utilitarian value to the consumer, thus executing the ideal e-shopping
experience ( Jayawardhena and Wright, 2009).
As seen from the results collected in this study, the inclusion of fashion information
in its various forms can kindle emotions and create feelings of excitement (Rowley,
2009). The previous themes have created experiences that have been inspiring and
enjoyable in their own right, regardless of any actual purchasing outcomes (Ha and
Stoel, 2009). These are elements that are indicative towards the creation of a hedonic
experience ( Jayawardhena and Wright, 2009). However, it is clear from the previous
themes that despite the provision of a hedonic e-shopping experience, vital effects such
as purchase and repatronage intentions are not raised unless consumers also recognise
utilitarian benefits.

5. Discussion
It is evident from the interviews that the two elements create very different experiences
for the consumer with regards to viewing fashion online, the first area functional
product viewing, allows the consumer to personalise how they view and interact with
the garment stimulating more utilitarian effects, whilst the second area, aesthetic
fashion information is driven by the retailer providing advice and information about
the products stimulating hedonic effects.

5.1 Functional product viewing discussion

Participants in this study were impressed by the IIT provided by ASOS and felt it
enhanced the accessibility of the product and thus their confidence and trust, which led
 to raised purchase intentions. The IIT on www.asos.com contributes only to a Presentation of
utilitarian experience as it portrays enhanced efficiency and a greater sense of control; fashion garments
both of which being important to consumers (Park and Sullivan, 2009; Kim et al.,
2007a). In this instance the hedonistic enjoyment that the literature argues consumers online
will feel and respond positively too as a result if IIT (Cyr et al., 2009) is not present.
Innovative and stimulating product viewing has been found to catalyst enjoyment,
which denotes the provision of hedonic value in an online shopping experience 35
(Kim et al., 2007b; Cyr et al., 2009). The catwalk represents a particularly innovative use
of IIT producing the only hedonic effect within product viewing. Participants viewed
the catwalk as an interactive viewing function which allowed consumers to see
movement of the garments, allowing better assessment of fit, colour and fabric. The
catwalk function was viewed very positively, not only making viewing the product
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more enjoyable, but also increasing purchase intent. Despite participants currently
finding the ASOS website useful as a result of the control they have over their purchase
(Hernandez et al., 2009), ASOS must begin to develop their existing catwalk as a
product viewing method and also innovate further; to significantly increase the levels
of enjoyment needed to create the unforgettable online shopping experience.

5.2 Aesthetic fashion information discussion

The most significant area of aesthetic fashion information was “style advice”, which
produced six effects, half of which were hedonic illustrating a clear rise in the
appreciation of hedonic value when shopping online (Jayawardhena and Wright, 2009).
The provision of trend information formulates the main crux of aesthetic fashion
information as is recorded in the literature (Rowley, 2009). This is an area that can
stimulate emotions and induce feelings of excitement which are important factors in
the provision of a hedonic experience (Rowley, 2009; Jayawardhena and Wright, 2009).
The “trend information”, “social media” and “magazine” themes illustrate that ASOS
are successfully appealing to and satisfying the more lucrative hedonic consumer.
E-shoppers that actively seek fashion information or brand involvement and locate
hedonic value in an experience are considered a far more stable consumer base for
online fashion retailers (Park and Sullivan, 2009). The above data collected indicates
that aesthetic fashion information is particularly affective for online fashion retailers
when conveyed in a manner that permits consumers to recognise both utilitarian and
hedonic value. This is confirmed by academic literature that simply providing a
singularly hedonic or utilitarian experience is no longer enough to retain satisfied
and loyal consumers (Liu and Forsythe, 2010). The aesthetic fashion information
elements must therefore be actively used by ASOS alongside the functional product
viewing features that convey utilitarian value to encourage spending and sustain
e-retailing success.

6. Conclusion and implications

This paper focuses on identifying the web experience elements that aid the interaction
between the consumer and fashion garments online. Although many researchers have
investigated product viewing online, with the growing nature of technology means
advancements and improvements can always be made online. Two elements have been
identified; functional product viewing and aesthetic fashion information online and the
effects and influence of the areas have been explored. Researchers have yet to uncover
how product viewing and fashion information impacts on young consumer shopping
behaviours. The most successful fashion retailer will seek to understand how these
 JFMM elements influence those consumers shopping experience to capitalise on potential
16,1 profit or growth opportunities. A clear understanding of how these young women
perceive these viewing elements is crucial in designing the correct web experience that
delivers both utilitarian and hedonic value to the consumer.
The study first sought to examine how consumers view garments online and there
are two distinct methods, the first is functional product viewing. It was evident that
36 these functional cues cater for users’ utilitarian needs, narrowing down the shopping
process, allowing the consumers to select what garment they want to view, how they
want to view it (zoom and multiple views), view the garment moving on the catwalk
and the product specifics. With regards to the functional product viewing cues,
participants centred distinctly upon the utilitarian elements such as greater levels of
control and the ease and convenience that comprehensive product viewing can provide
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(Hernandez et al., 2009). An interesting finding is that the functional elements are now
expected to be available to view garments online, with many participants emphasising
not only the importance but necessity of these features when making a purchase. This
finding provides valuable information for online fashion retailers as the technological
features that help shoppers inspect the product not only influences the shoppers
overall experience, making it easier for them to shop but it also increases intention to
buy online. With regards to the TAM the importance of the “usefulness”, “eases of use”
and “enjoyment” factors have been manifested by their strong association with overall
satisfaction of adopting the online channel (Monsuwe et al., 2004; Hirst and Omar,
2007). It is evident that the young consumers which took part in this study had fully
integrated the internet into their lives, viewing websites to search for information
efficiently as well as for entertainment purposes.
Another method and area that has been identified in this study for interacting with
product online is through aesthetic fashion information. According to Hulme (2009)
young consumers are moving towards a more visual right-brain orientated society,
developing characteristics of being visually literate and visual-spatial skills. The
young generation have grown up viewing and interacting with televisions, mobile
phones, computers and the web and have learnt to convey information in a visual
format. Retailers that target young consumers need to provide a variety of methods
to convey aesthetic fashion information about products to these visually literate
consumers. Style advice can be provided to consumers online, via blogs, product pages,
look books and in many other forms. As seen in the discussion of this theme, it has the
potential to be highly lucrative and should not be overlooked. The participants in this
study found the aesthetic fashion information not only inspiring but also enjoyable and
entertaining. Shopping enjoyment can be directly linked to time spent shopping, as
recreational e-shoppers have been found to spend a greater amount of time shopping
(Kang and Park-Poaps, 2010). Participants in this study confirmed that style advice on
a fashion website would make them spend more time online and increase their
purchase intention. Participants shopped on the ASOS to retrieve fashion information,
for both interest in fashion and trends or advice, style pages were viewed for
inspiration. Table II illustrates that a key hedonic effect of this theme is “visualisation”.
This implies that having the styling note on a product page creates a variation of a “try
before you buy” atmosphere which further immerses the consumer in their online
shopping experience and allows them to obtain greater control over the item ( Jones
et al., 2010). This energises the shopper which leads to enjoyment and consequently
enhanced sales, closer business to consumer relationships and brand loyalty ( Jones
et al., 2010). Despite the growing popularity of internet shopping it is still an area
 plagued with a degree of uncertainty and mistrust (Mintel, 2010). Both the results Presentation of
of this study and the literature imply that “style advice” is an area that can be used fashion garments
to overcome that problem and create an enhanced online shopping experience that
permits ASOS to stand above the competitive crowd and drive their business forward; online
two elements that are critical in today’s hectic online fashion marketplace.
“Social media” is another area within aesthetic fashion information that has been
uncovered from the data. This is perhaps unsurprising just under half of all 16-24 year 37
olds (44 per cent) have a social network profile (Hulme, 2009). Currently, social media is
a highly useful marketing design tool for ASOS as it provokes entertainment, which is
an extremely positive hedonic affect as it can lead to benefits such as positive word of
mouth and intent to return ( Jayawardhena and Wright, 2009). It is important to think
about the values of young consumers and how they influence behaviour. Overall,
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clothing can be viewed as a social tool in the lives of young people (Piacentini and
Mailer, 2004), therefore by creating a community on the ASOS site consumers can have
interactive engagement with content and with their peer group. Hulme (2009) revealed
that young consumers tend to be more explorative and participative in use of different
media, particularly the internet. ASOS are providing aesthetic fashion information to
their clientele by deploying a multitude of innovative methods and a recommendation
for them would be to utilise other media mediums such as social networks and mobile
phones to interact, offer information and build relationships with consumers.

7. Limitations, directions for future research

In conclusion, this study provides an examination into the complex area of interaction
with garments online and its link to fashion-related consumer behaviour. This study
makes an important contribution to the literature to date, and raises additional
questions for future research. Product viewing and fashion information is one small
aspect of the web experience; however, an important area as it is the interaction
between the garments and the consumers. Future research may examine how multi-
channel retailers can synergise key areas of garment interaction such as conveying
trends and style advice and the effects that has on attitude and behaviour. Future
research may investigate the effect of aesthetic fashion information online and offline
on customer’s behavioural responses to multi-channel shopping. Clearly, while this
study begins to unpack the effects of functional product viewing and aesthetic fashion
information for young consumers, areas such as social media and community as well
as style advice are still fairly new and constantly expanding areas of fashion websites,
pointing to the need for additional research on this growing demographic group and
their fashion consumption behaviour.
It is important to note that due to the nature of the study, there are a number of
limitations; however, they do not hinder or detract from the conclusions that have been
reached. The study was conducted in the UK using only British participants therefore
the findings are not applicable to the broader international markets. The data were
collected from only female participants; therefore the findings are not applicable to the
male demographic. ASOS sell fashion for men so it would be interesting to conduct a
similar study using a male sample. The participants were all between the ages of 18-24,
therefore the findings are not applicable to a mature demographic; however, how
mature consumers interact with garments online is also important therefore an
investigation of that market would be an interesting area of research. It is also
important to note that ASOS are a rapidly growing highly innovative company and
changes have been made to the site even since the beginning of this study. In light of
 JFMM this it would be interesting to study them again in a years’ time to record further
16,1 developments and explore what affect they may have had. This research method for
this study was qualitative, a quantitative study could further valid the findings.
Research in the above areas would serve to support and further expand the findings
made in this study.

38
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41
About the authors
Dr Helen McCormick is a Lecturer in Fashion E-tailing at the University of Manchester. Her
research specialism is the fashion online shopping environment, with a particular focus on
Interactive E-marketing used by fashion online retailers. Her interest is in exploring fashion
retail’s development, with particular interest in technology development, interactivity,
Downloaded by UNIVERSITAET OSNABRUCK At 06:41 10 February 2016 (PT)

entertainment and experience. Her current research is investigating fashion retailers’ use of
fashion apps on smart phones and tablets. Helen McCormick is the corresponding author and
can be contacted at: helen.mccormick@manchester.ac.uk
Charlotte Livett graduated from Manchester University in 2010 with an MSc in International
Fashion Retailing, Multichannel Management. She had previously gained a degree in English
Literature from the same university. She has worked for Nicole Farhi and ASOS and her current
role is Online Marketing Assistant at Jaeger.

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