Investigating The Effects of Social Media On Consumer Purchase Intentions in The Uk Fashion Industry

INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON
CONSUMER PURCHASE INTENTIONS IN THE UK

FASHION INDUSTRY
Name Kavita
Student id 0350481
Table of Content
Chapter 1: Introduction..............................................................................................................5
1.1 Enquiry overview.............................................................................................................5
1.2 Background of the study...................................................................................................5
1.3 Aim and Objectives..........................................................................................................7
1.3.1 Aim.............................................................................................................................7
1.3.2 Objectives..................................................................................................................7
1.4 Research questions...........................................................................................................7
1.5 Rationale of the Study......................................................................................................7
1.6 Scope and Limitation........................................................................................................8
1.6.1 Scope..........................................................................................................................8
1.6.2 Limitations.................................................................................................................8
1.7 Summary...........................................................................................................................9
Chapter 2: Literature review....................................................................................................10
2.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................10
2.2 Conceptual clarification: social media...........................................................................10
2.3 Dimensions of social media............................................................................................11
2.4 Social media and consumer purchase intentions............................................................12
2.5 Social influence theory and social media.......................................................................15
2.7 Summary.........................................................................................................................16
Chapter 3: Methodology..........................................................................................................17
3.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................17
3.2 Research Paradigm.........................................................................................................17
3.3 Research Approach.........................................................................................................18
3.4 Research Strategy...........................................................................................................19
3.5 Data collection methods.................................................................................................20
3.6 Ethics Consideration.......................................................................................................20

3.7 Strengths of the Methodology........................................................................................21
3.8 Weaknesses of the Methodology....................................................................................22
3.9 Summary.........................................................................................................................23
Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Findings....................................................................................24
4.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................24
4.2 Data analytic approach: Thematic analysis....................................................................24
4.3 Categorising the Themes................................................................................................24
4.3.1 Theme 1: Evaluation of the Relationship between SM and UK fashion consumers'

purchase intentions...........................................................................................................25
4.3.2 Theme 2: SM dimensions and their role in formulating the UK fashion industry’s
marketing strategies..........................................................................................................26
4.3.3 Theme 3: Impact of SM on UK fashion consumers' purchase intentions................28
4.3.4 Theme 4: UK fashion industry’s performance development concerning SM

marketing..........................................................................................................................29
4.4 Discussions.....................................................................................................................30
4.4.1 Discussion on Theme 1............................................................................................30
4.5 Summary............................................................................................................................32
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations........................................................................33
5.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................33
5.2 Evaluation of the key findings........................................................................................33
5.3 Recommendations..........................................................................................................34
5.4 Further Research Directions...........................................................................................35
5.5 Conclusion......................................................................................................................35
Reference list............................................................................................................................36
List of Figure
Figure 1.1: SM marketing effectiveness in UK fashion consumers...........................................6
Figure 1.2: Annual expenditure on clothing in the UK from 2005 to 2022...............................6
Figure 1.3: SM influencer marketing benefits...........................................................................8
Figure 2.1: Digital marketing spending in the UK...................................................................15
Figure 4.1: UK fashion industry revenue.................................................................................25
Figure 4.2: UK fashion industry SEO marketing trends in Google.........................................27
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Enquiry overview
Social media is playing a pivotal role in the modern business market. Therefore, the study
investigates the role of SM on UK fashion consumers' purchase intention. The analysis
reveals that SM marketing has enhanced the sales volume of the UK fashion industry during
the emergence of Covid-19. Nevertheless, the UK fashion market is expected to earn
$56.71bn revenue by 2027. The enhancement in the market competition has enhanced the
importance of custom experience (CX). In this regard, leading fashion brands in the UK are
dominating the business market by implementing SM in their business to offer differentiated
CX strategies. As disruptive technologies have covered UK’s fashion market, the application
of SM in the fashion organisation is helping UK companies to enhance their customer
engagement. Thus, an increased number of loyal consumers are purchasing more products
from the UK fashion industry.
1.2 Background of the study
Consumer purchase intention can be identified as a reflection of the combination of their
behaviour, attitude, preference and decision. The UK fashion industry has integrated efficient
changes in its marketing domain over time to meet customer expectations. Majeed et al.
(2021) illustrated that social media (SM) can act as a bridge between brands and customers to
identify their changing expectations. Therefore, appropriate identification of consumer
expectations can push fashion marketers towards a favourable market position by enhancing
comparative advantage over competitors.
Figure 1.1: SM marketing effectiveness in UK fashion consumers
(Source: Statista, 2023)
A range of studies have delineated that SM plays a pivotal role in the development of
consumer purchase intentions. Despite that, pinpoint identification of SM dimensions that are
influencing consumer purchase intentions still needs more attention from scholars (Hu and
Zhu, 2022). Figure 1.1 demonstrates that SM marketing strategies have largely influenced
people in the UK fashion industry where only 6.35% are identified as unaware of this
marketing platform.
The apparel market in the UK is one of the rapidly growing industries creating huge amounts
of state revenue. The market is expected to create 65-bn GBP revenue by 2026 (Statista,
2022). Over the period the purchase of clothing has increased and in 2022 the UK population
purchased around 57.8 billion British pounds worth of clothing as shown in Figure 1.2
(Statista, 2023),
Figure 1.2: Annual expenditure on clothing in the UK from 2005 to 2022

The purchase intention of the UK population regarding fashion products has been noticed to
be highly influenced by SM and networking sites. A survey conducted in 2022 in the UK
population, one out of three participants stated that they made their fashion product
purchasing based on the shared experience and recommendation on the SM platforms
(Statista, 2023). Moreover, SM acts as a source of information related to the products or
services, which can be easily accessed by online users. In 2022, the online purchasing of
fashion shoes, handbags, apparel and other fashion accessories has credited around 48.24-bn
GBP revenue in the UK (Statista, 2022). It implies the positive enhancing influence of SM on
the purchasing intention of the UK fashion sector.
1.3 Aim and Objectives
1.3.1 Aim
This research has the aim of identifying different SM dimensions and exploring their impact
on consumer purchasing intentions in the UK fashion sectors.
1.3.2 Objectives
● To examine the relationship between the social media and consumer purchase
intention in the UK fashion industry
● To identify the different dimensions of SM and their impacts on the marketing
strategies in the UK fashion sector
● To examine the impact of SM on purchase intention in the UK fashion industry
● To recommend required marketing strategies in association with SM to increase
business performance in the UK fashion industry
1.4 Research questions
● How consumer purchase intention in the UK fashion industry is related to social
media?
● What are the different dimensions of SM and what are their impact on the marketing
strategies of the UK fashion sector?
● What is the impact of SM on purchase intention in the UK fashion industry?
● What are the strategic recommendations to be incorporated into the marketing plan to
improve the business performance?
1.5 Rationale of the Study
In order to gain a competitive advantage in UK’s volatile fashion industry, companies need
proper exploration of their target customers. Therefore, efficient customer segmentation can
help UK fashion brands to reach their target audience and earn profits. According to Casadei
and Iammarino (2023), varying degrees of contingencies are necessary to identify for
experiencing growth in the UK fashion industry. As the progressive population in the UK are
intensely engaged with SM platforms, effective utilisation of SM in the fashion market can
help brands to reach their target audience. As viewed by Djafarova and Bowes (2021) SM
platforms integration into the UK fashion industry is influencing the growth of the business.
The tempting dissemination strategies of UK fashion brands through SM platforms create
enhanced appeal to the young generation, which results in their impulse buying behaviour.
Figure 1.3: SM influencer marketing benefits

(Source: Shepherd, 2022)
The UK fashion industry can enhance the appeal of products to its buyers by endorsing
digital influencers in the business. Figure 1.3 delineates that different segmentation of digital
influencers has engaged potential customers in the UK fashion industry from 2018 to 2020.
The scenario reveals that SM influencers can act as powerful integrators for UK fashion
brands to engage valuable clients and develop the business performance of the brands. Hence,
the mentioned facts have created interest to identify the different dimensions of SM and their
impact on customers' purchasing intention in the UK fashion sector.
1.6 Scope and Limitation
1.6.1 Scope
The study has focused on different salient features of SM marketing that are applicable to the
UK fashion industry for its uninterrupted performance. Nevertheless, key dimensions of SM
marketing tools are discussed in the study premise to enhance their further application in the
UK fashion industry context and grab competitive advantages. Thus, small and medium
fashion organisations in the UK fashion sector can apply these outcomes in their businesses
to strengthen their positions in the competitive market.
1.6.2 Limitations
The following study is completed within a specified time with limited resources. Therefore,
study outcomes are limited within a small number of resources, which can offer limited
knowledge about real-world marketing perspectives. Additionally, secondary qualitative
information is considered to complete this study, which may cause data biases in the
outcomes based on previous scholars' sights. Hence, biases in information can reduce the
reliability and validity of the research.
1.7 Summary
The UK business population is highly inclined towards online activities and their respective
benefits. The increased presence of the population on social platforms and networking sites
has modified their buying intention and selection choices. A major portion of the customers
in the UK fashion industry belongs to the age group between 16 and 44. Moreover, these age
groups comprise around 40% of total online users in the UK.
Chapter 2: Literature review
2.1 Introduction
The chapter highlights previous studies and their findings to evaluate new insights into the
current coursework from these research papers. As the following study aims to explore SM's
influence on UK fashion customers' purchase intentions, SM is conceptualised initially.
Hence, different SM dimensions involved in the process are examined in this study.
Additionally, the relationship between SM and UK fashion consumers' purchase intention is
highlighted and the influence of SM is observed from the theoretical perspective of Social
Influence Theory (SIT).
2.2 Conceptual clarification: social media
Nowadays people are globally communicating with each other through SM, which is making
a significant impact on their culture, norms, and style statements. SM is a virtual network that
facilitates the distribution of content and multimedia among online users. As mentioned by
Throuvala et al. (2019) SM can be defined as the platform of different social networking sites
(Facebook), content-sharing sites (Instagram), blogs, micro blogs and video gaming sites.
Contextually, according to Trunfio and Rossi (2021), new product development is effectively
related to the active participation of customers in SM, which is contributing to productive
marketing activity.
Easy sharing of knowledge has opened new cultural premises in front of social media users,
therefore, modifying their fashion psychology in a completely different way. As mentioned
by Firth et al. (2019), after the advent of smartphone technologies, people are getting more
engaged with different digital prompts, which are incoming through email or direct messages
or notifications. Different social media companies are trying to use people's engagement to
capitalise on the digital participation of SM users.
As stated by Throuvala et al. (2019), YouTube is the most popular, preferred social platform
among adolescents in the UK population, which shows 83 % of boys and girls aged between
12-15 years, have their own smartphones, and 99% of them use to visit online daily. Besides
this, Bayeret et al. (2020) opined that SM is categorised as computer-mediated
communication (CMC) that represents the characteristics of the mass media as well as the
quality of personal choices of online users. The social platform expands the opportunities to
expand face-to-face interaction to find, observe, and interact effectively with others. SM has a
subclass known as social networking sites (SNSs), which are the most focused region for
some social psychological researchers due to the high traffic of those sites.
Eventually, SM also affects the psychology of the new generation about what is important to
follow and what is not. As mentioned by Saunders et al. (2020), the frequency of posting
pictures especially selfies on social networking sites is higher among women than men are.
This selfie-sharing behaviour has created appearance consciousness and self-objectification
among both youth and adults. In this way, social media is creating a major impact on the style
statement of the current generation.
2.3 Dimensions of social media
In the current competitive market, SM needs to be effectively utilised to stay ahead in the
market race. As commented by Sun and Wang (2020), price consciousness can negatively
affect purchase intentions, as customers usually prefer to buy products having lower prices
without compromising the quality of the product. Social media pricing capability refers to the
ability to price the company’s products or services competitively and to monitor competitors’
pricing strategies and pricing changes in the market. With the help of various social media
platforms, marketing managers can easily access competitors’ pricing information and also
can monitor customers to get an insight into customer value perceptions.
Product development capability is defined as the capability to develop new products and
services, following social trends and customer needs. SM helps in activities such as
marketing, testing, acquiring information from customers and new product introduction. As
stated by Capatina et al. (2020), sentiment analysis is an active procedure of tracking the
reaction to new products launched in the market and promoted through SM. Likewise,
marketing communication capability is the ability to manage and meet customer expectations.
In SM, marketing communication practices include promoting hashtags, sharing coupons for
sales promotion, creating interesting content on social pages for brand building and spreading
brand awareness through social media channels. As mentioned by Soareset al. (2019), social
media marketing communication practices can be used to improve relationships and build
contact networks that facilitate the development of personalized and interactive contacts.
Brand equity is the value of the brand and its quality and desirability in the market. As opined
by He and Calde (2020), expenditures for branding should be treated as an investment, not
expenses and brands should be viewed as intangible assets. In that case, minimum financial
investment in SM can help in attracting new customers and increase brand equity.
Customization is the process of modifying any pre-existing product according to the
customer's needs. As stated by Oscarius Yudhi Ari Wijayaet al. (2021), customization has
significant effects on purchase intentions. A company can offer opportunities to its clients to
customise their products according to their requirements through SM.
The eWOM or electronic word-of-mouth is the information shared by the old customers
about a product or service to the new customers on the digital platform. As stated by Sulthana
and Vasantha (2019), reviews, experiences, recommendations and comments made by
customers stay for a long time on social networking sites, which can be easily accessible by
the new customer at any time. Positive or negative eWOM has a significant impact on
purchase decisions and the behaviour of the customers.
In social marketing management (SMM), trendiness can be considered as another dimension
through which different organisations represent their advertisement on social platforms in
order to increase customers' brand engagement. Trendiness is the intensity of the brand to
disseminate the latest information about the product to its customers. As stated by Cheung et
al. (2020), consumers search for the details of the product online and can get desired
information online as SM is constantly upgraded. The information related to the trendiness of
a product helps marketers to identify the customer's perceptions.
In SM platforms, company agents share product links through different online pages to
promote their products and enhance customer engagement. Customers can easily access that
information by clicking on links. As stated by Cao et al. (2021), social media marketers use
brand names, links and direct-calls-to-purchase in their posts on social networking sites to
engage consumers with ‘likes’ and ‘comments’. Therefore, using SM dimensions
organisations can enhance product appeals to their clients.
2.4 Social media and consumer purchase intentions
The purchase intention is the selection factor for a product that decides the popularity of that
product. As stated by Naseri (2021), awareness and knowledge can build the trust of a
customer about a particular product, which can lead to positive purchase intention. Therefore,
a good campaign for a particular product can increase the marketing value and sales of that
product. Additionally, the marketing manager can get an insight into the marketing return by
analysing data from the purchase intention. Marketing managers use the intention of the
buyer to predict the future sales of a new or pre-existing product or service.
As mentioned by Aji et al. (2020), in a market full of competition, the business strategy of a
brand cannot be separated from its online marketing activity. Besides, the current generation
is following the clothing style and fashion statements of different socially influential people
who are mainly available on different social platforms. Due to that reason, producers and
marketer are gradually shifting their focus to the activities of online-based brand communities
by using SM as a communication tool. As stated by Jibril et al. (2019), the rapid growth of
digital sectors is serving as a device for gathering pre-purchase information for customers.
SM is helping companies in the dissemination of information about their products, and also
assisting in consumer brand relationship building, consumer brand attachment making,
studying consumer needs, and attracting new customers.
It also emerged as a fact that there are so many products in the market, which are identical
and designed for the same purposes. In that case, the maximum number of buyers is
influenced by digitally made word-of-mouth (WOM) recommendations where SM plays a
significant role in recommending products. As stated by Maria et al. (2019), Information
regarding the products shared by an old consumer to a new one plays an important role in
purchasing behaviour of the new consumer. Maximum new customers cannot rely on the
details of the product given by the company itself. They heavily depend on the experiences,
which are shared by other customers.
Although SM facilitates the creation and sharing of information, the chances of
misinformation are also enhanced due to the presence of SM. As stated by Alnazzawi et al
(2022), millions of people retweet false information believing it is true and almost 54% of
people are concerned about fake news. Besides, the new generation is more tends to be
influenced by the false information the old generations, which needs adequate attention from
the companies. Customer satisfaction is directly related to the quality of the product. SM is
useful in giving immediate responses to customers regarding details of the quality of the
product. As stated by Mason et al. (2021), companies can build meaningful consumer
experiences by continually providing quick responses to consumer inquiries or concerns. SM
can be used to monitor the trending conversation between customers and service providers,
which can further help to get an indication of consumers’ perceptions.
The brand experience of a customer can be defined as the total subjective effect on an
individual’s consciousness when interacting with a particular brand. A positive brand
experience will give a positive impact on brand loyalty that can create positive purchase
intentions among customers. As mentioned by Hwang et al. (2021), brand loyalty is the key
indicator of a company’s success in a competitive market. Customers can share their positive
brand experience through SM, which can effectively help the company to retain its customers
by increasing brand loyalty.
Product development according to the customer's needs is another important factor for a
company to become successful in marketing. Additionally, social trends also need to be
considered while developing new products as buyers’ intent is usually navigated by social
trends. By following the trend, positive customer perceptions will increase the possibility of
high sales of a product. As opined by Gashi and Gashi et al. (2021), social media allows the
company to get closer to its customers, which further helps to understand customer
psychology. Thus, SM plays a vital role in developing and maintaining new products by
keeping the consumers frequently informed and exposed to these products.
A brand page is a profile on a social networking site representing a non-personal online
identity and is used for commercial promotion of the products. The brand pages are created
and managed by individuals who are registered users of that networking site. As mentioned
by Algharabat et al. (2020), online users have a high tendency to check frequently social sites
for getting chances to participate on the social media pages of the brand. They can express
their personal choices, recommendations, ideas, and concepts through those brand pages or
fan pages. In addition to that, the company does not need to worry about any regional or
international time differences. Offers can be 24/7 available and reachable to consumers and
they can have access to a specific offer through brand pages at any time anywhere.
Digital marketing is booming in the UK fashion sector and statistics show that the
performances of the online retail sectors have prevented a drastic fall in Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) in the post-pandemic era (Tariq, 2021). The positive impact of social media
on purchase intention has effectively increased product sales online. Following that, the UK
government has decided to encourage the online sector in the fashion industry. As stated by
Tranos et al. (2021), the UK, which is considered the most developed and advanced country
in the digital sector, has announced that it will support those companies that will adopt digital
practices. Research suggests that it will help the country to add up to 2.5% to its GDP. It can
be stated that the greater economic activities of SM can lead to broader macroeconomic
outcomes.
Figure 2.1: Digital marketing spending in the UK
As demonstrated in this figure 2.1, the spending on digital marketing in the UK has gradually
increased and it is expected to be increased to 11.94 billion USD by 2023. It is anticipated
that SM will play a major role in the SM marketing of the fashion sector of the UK in future.
Fashion can be considered as the way of styling that follows the current trend in society. The
UK fashion industry is one of the biggest fashion industries in the world with a large resource
of materials, designers, producers, consumers, brands and a large market. The sector is
currently focusing on the reduction of its raw material usage and this view is spreading
through digital media also. As stated by Niinimäki (2021), in the UK every year, for each
consumer, around 30 kg of textile waste are disposed of. The reason behind that the disposal
rate of garments is very high due to fast-changing fashion trends prevailing in this country.
According to a study in the UK, 30 % of clothes remain unused for more than one year. This
is because SM is continuously updating fashion trends and guiding the mind of consumers
toward a different fashion system by building a fashion network digitally.
2.5 Social influence theory and social media
Social influence theory denotes that people are heavily influenced by the idea, beliefs, and
thoughts that exist in society. Social influence is the way that changes or modifies individual
thinking ability, perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes according to the social environment. As
stated by Hu et al. (2019), the exchange of information, discussion regarding different issues
and emotional support effectively increase the social influences among customers. In these
circumstances, SM plays a pivotal role to facilitate the interaction between customers through
different online platforms.
As stated by Alkhatib (2019), SIT denotes the way individual emotion, behaviour, and
opinion are affected by that of others. It also affects the decision-making process of the
consumers. On social platforms, different recommendations, comments, and suggestions
from other online users use to change the perceptions of each other. People use to check
online review sites to acquire information related to desired products.
However, from Kelman’s perspective, SIT mainly focuses on the development of individuals'
salient relationships between groups. Thus, group environment remains the key focus of this
mentioned theory to improve the sense of identity in individuals in their respective groups.
According to Hazari et al. (2023), internationalisation, compliance and identification are key
components of individuals’ behaviour. Therefore, Kelman demonstrates that the changing
perspectives in individuals are the product of social influence that impact their attitude,
behaviour and committed actions. Contextually, Chandrasekara and Sedera (2019) argued
that an adequate understanding of the impact of social influence on individual behaviour,
attitude and actions is necessary to assess their further attitudes. As fashion trends are
changing at a rapid pace in the UK fashion industry, people are prone to change their
thoughts about regular products. Thus, efficient knowledge of these SIT components can
improve customer purchase intentions through the deployment of SM platforms in the UK
fashion industry.
It is vital to understand the components of SIT for their proper application in the UK fashion
industry. Abbas Naqvi et al. (2020) opined that compliance refers to the reflection of
individuals’ certain actions whereas social communities' impact on individuals’ behaviour is
reflected through identification. Additionally, the study states that the internationalisation
component of SIT refers to the process of accepting an influencer or group's behaviour
parallel to family norms. Therefore, it is evident from the analysis that social influence can
act as a catalyst to influence individual behaviour, attitude and thoughts, which can be used
by UK fashion marketers to influence their consumer purchase intentions.
In the UK 90% of the young generation uses social networking sites (Viner et al. 2019). Due
to this reason, SM has a considerable impact on the perceptions of the youth of the UK.
Connecting customers with brands is essential for marketing managers. As a consequence,
marketing managers are giving more emphasis on social platforms to enhance customers’
cognitive, behavioural, and emotional engagement with the brands. As stated by Bazi et al.
(2020) SM is transferring a considerable position of marketing power from the brand to the
hand of customers. Following this, SM is transforming online users from passive receivers of
communications to active participants and influencers of the social platform. The active
presence of different social influencers and their easy online availability is creating
impressions on common youth. Clothing patterns, style statements, and fashions of
youngsters can be easily accessible to the young generation that they follow blindly.
2.7 Summary
The literature review summarises that SM has a positive impact on the customers’ buying
intention of fashion products. On social platforms, customers are instantly getting detailed
information about the product. Besides, interaction with old customers on SM also drives the
purchasing behaviour of new customers. The informative and normative influences have
widened the avenue of online marketing. This literature review is showing that online
expenditure in the UK has increased gradually over time and is expected to be increased to
11.94 billion USD by 2023. Analysis reveals that SM dimensions can engage consumers by
sharing product information through links and hashtags.
Chapter 3: Methodology
3.1 Introduction
This chapter aims to make the readers aware of the procedural steps followed in this research
to get accurate answers to research questions. Therefore, this chapter has focused on the
research paradigm, research approach and research strategy to describe the research
procedure consecutively. In addition, the mode of collection of data, the nature of the data
and their analysis process are also included in this methodology chapter to describe the
pattern of information used in this research. Besides this, the discussion includes the strength
and weaknesses of the current research methodology and the corresponding ethical
considerations.
3.2 Research Paradigm
The research paradigm determines the very first step of the initiation of the research
methodology. The philosophical framework of overall research can be represented through
the selected paradigm. Povidaichyk et al. (2021) stated that the research paradigm is a
valuable guideline and directory path for a research study. Therefore, the pivotal role of
delineating a proper research philosophy through the research paradigm is crucial for the
appropriate application of the research methodology.
Moreover, the research paradigm articulates the thoughts of researchers and therefore, it
constructs the base of the philosophical base of the researchers. The absence of proper
guidance can mislead the entire research objectives causing defective results. In this regard,
the research paradigm organises and structures the research journey in a topic-oriented path to
get accurate answers to the research questions. As stated by Kaushik and Walsh (2019), a
paradigm represents the set of perceptions and beliefs, which navigate the research method
and guide the associated actions. The research paradigm has been observed as the process of
identification of key realities of the research facts considered throughout the study. There are
different research paradigms based on the research philosophy, they are realism, positivism,
social constructivism and interpretivism (Choo, 2022). Hence, these paradigms leverage new
approaches to develop knowledge and help in making philosophical assumptions. In this
regard, this research has followed the social constructivism paradigm.
Justification
Appropriate research guidelines are necessary to conduct the research in a directed way with
the highest focus on the research topic. The social constructive research paradigm has
focused on the process of knowledge accumulation and based on that theory construction. As
stated by Bogna et al. (2020), the constructivist research paradigm provides an original
contribution of knowledge and a more insightful understanding of the facts. In this research,
the effect of Social Media (SM) on consumer purchase intention needs to be understood and
for that, new knowledge development is necessary to understand the relation between
research variables. Therefore, this research paradigm can be used in this research
methodology to get a deeper insight into the research topic.
The realism philosophy provides increased emphasis on practical knowledge and it ignores
the emotion of the researchers to avoid obstacles in the way of new research inventions (Ryba
et al. 2022). This research has studied the impact of SM on the buying intention of customers.
Therefore, the current study needs new innovative knowledge development to know the facts
with a clear understanding. As a result, realism cannot be used in the research paradigm of
this research study.
In the positivist paradigm, the fundamental requirement is the acquisition of scientific
knowledge within reality. Moreover, as elucidated by Coleman (2019), this philosophy
requires scientific observation and in this research paradigm, the reality is quantifiable and
relatively constant. Their research study has to know the impact of changing behavioural
aspects of product purchasing for the customers in association with the impact of SM. As a
result, this research cannot follow this positivist paradigm.
The interpretive research paradigm has the major disadvantage of getting biased and it has the
possibility of getting affected by the personal point of view (Darvishi, 2020). In contrast,
social constructivism offers the freedom to explore new things and the associated theory.
Hence, this research paradigm is the best suited according to the current research philosophy.
3.3 Research Approach
The research approach can be represented as the procedural techniques followed by a
researcher while performing data collection, analysis and drawing out the appropriate
interpretation from the analysis of gathered data. Research approaches can vary to prohibit
the generalisation of the study outcome according to the characteristic of the research (Ustun
and Tracey, 2020). Research approaches can be categorised into three types such as inductive,
deductive and abductive. This research study has followed the inductive research approach to
discuss and study the impact of SM on the buying intensity of customers.
Justification
The core purpose of this study is to analyse the data regarding the impact of SM on
consumers’ purchasing behaviour. The inductive research approach has been embraced as it is
the most flexible approach and due to that, this approach has identified the accurate answer to
the research questions. As demonstrated by Olatunji et al. (2019) deductive approach is used
in the case of testing an existing theory or research argument. Therefore, this approach is
associated with collecting information and analysing them to support the pre-constructed
arguments arising from different results of the previous studies. Therefore, this research
approach limits the creativity of the researchers leading to obstacles in the way of new
innovative knowledge development. The inductive research approach is used in formulating,
generating and propagating theory (Xiong et al. 2021). As a result, this research approach can
be used in new research areas with limited secondary sources.
In addition, in the case of the abductive approach, the presumption can create issues in
developing new theories as the previously formed hypotheses can impact the result of current
research (Brandt and Timmermans, 2021). In consequence, abductive approaches can deviate
the research process from the true result being identified regarding the variables. Therefore,
in the deductive approach, there is the possibility of defective outcomes regarding the
variables. Therefore, true relations between dependent and independent variables cannot be
established in a true sense by using this approach. In contrast, as argued by Walte and Ophir
(2019), the inductive research approach tries to establish and discuss the relationship between
primary and secondary variables. It helps to gain a deeper insight into the facts and to
develop a clear understanding of the research topic. This is because this approach does follow
the pre-existing theory and it avoids assuming based on the available hypothesis. Due to that,
by following the inductive approach, the impact of SM, which is the dependent variable in
this study, on the dependent variable, purchasing intensity has been established.
3.4 Research Strategy
The overall planning of research is underpinned by the appropriate development of research
strategy. Research strategy, also referred to as research design, is used by the researchers to
answer research questions. There are different research designs used by the researchers based
on their research criteria such as case study, grounded theory, narrative, phenomenology and
ethnography (Pathiranage et al. 2020). A case study research strategy is used by the
researchers to acknowledge the ‘what’ and ‘how’ questions in a study. Therefore, in-depth
insights regarding the research topic can be produced after research accomplishment by using
a case study design. Contextually, the live experience is focused on in phenomenology, the
action of research participants can be measured by grounded theory design, individual
historic events are assessed through narrative design and cultural groups are focused on
through the ethnography design. However, the overall assessment of the study has pushed the
scholars to select a case study design as the most suitable strategy for this research.
Justification
The study aims to identify the impact of SM on UK consumers' purchase intention and the
appropriate selection of the research strategy can ensure the progress of the study in the
correct direction. In order to examine the impact of SM, researchers need to evaluate the core
factors of SM that can impact purchase intentions. Additionally, the way these factors are
affecting the purchase decisions of customers in the UK fashion industry needs proper
assessment. However, Rashid et al. (2019) opined that case study design is an inferior
research strategy due to improper specification of the research protocols. Despite that, the
current study has selected a case study design due to its simple characteristics. According to
Hancock et al. (2021), case study research follows simple techniques for collecting data
instead of imposing rigorous norms, which makes the study complicated. Hence, research
errors can be avoided efficiently by using a case study strategy alongside answering key
research questions. Thus, the application of the case study strategy has ensured the credibility
as well as the trustworthiness of research outcomes in this research.
3.5 Data collection methods
The nature of the data decides the next steps in the research methodology, as the final
outcome of the research is dependent on the collected data. As opined by Kalu et al. (2019),
the secondary data analysis requires the consent of the owner of the original research study.
In this study, secondary data have been collected from authentic sources such as research
articles, government websites and official reports. Moreover, this research has followed the
qualitative analysis procedure to discuss the collected data. The collected data have been
qualitatively analysed to find out the relation between SM and its impact in the buying
intention of the customers.
The researchers of the following research need to adhere to research constraints to meet their
expected outcomes. As time and money are two important constraints for this study,
researchers have collected secondary qualitative data to complete the study within a
stipulated time. As emphasised by Valcheva (2020), secondary data collection improves the
ease of access to the data source and reduces the cost of study. Additionally, while
performing secondary data collection methods, scholars can collect information from
previously published articles. Therefore, increased availability of information can emerge as
a time-saving method for scholars. Nevertheless, qualitative insights are collected for this
study, as buying intention in UK fashion customers is a qualitative factor. Based on this view,
a secondary qualitative data collection method is observed as most appropriate from the
current research perspective.
3.6 Ethics Consideration
Ethics of the research are the crucial factors as they determine the viability of the research
and its results. Therefore, ethical consideration is a highly important portion of the research
methodology. As stated by Hasan et al. (2021), research ethics provide moral standard-based
guidelines for the study and ensure that a pre-determined group of principles are followed in
the research work. Consequently, research ethics are the set of morals that the researchers can
not violate to maintain the authenticity of the study.
This research study has ensured that all ethical issues are addressed carefully and no such
research principle has been violated. The data and information are collected from the
secondary sources and only the authentic sources are used to gather important data. Original
authentic journals, research articles, government websites and official statistical reports are
used to collect the secondary information. The secondary data are pre-observed and
acknowledged by the previous researchers (Hair et al. 2019). As a result, these data are pre-
checked and have the minimum possibility to be wrong or defective.
Additionally, the background of the authors has been thoroughly checked before using their
articles as secondary sources. Articles before 2019 have been avoided to ensure updated
results of the research. As commented by O’Shaughnessy et al. (2019), dissemination and
application of updated information is an important task as it educates the producers, other
researchers and policymakers about the recent problems and their available solutions. In
consequence, the updated information used in the research can be used to analyse the current
real-time situations to get the advanced solution to the current problems.
The data collection method and the usage of the information ensure that no one has been
harmed by the process of data collection. It also ensures that the secondary data gathering and
their uses did not cause any damage to the previous work. Moreover, anonymity is
maintained and no personal information is used in the research without the respective
permission. As commented by Gregg et al. (2022), the morals of confidentiality and
anonymity are followed to prevent the identity of any personal information from becoming
public. Moreover, the collected data are stored in the official lab and their usage by the
common people is restricted. Besides, multiple checking and scrutinise with attentive
reviewing are performed to avoid any error and data redundancy.
3.7 Strengths of the Methodology
The validity and reliability are the primary strength of this research. This research method has
collected information from authentic journals and government websites, which has increased
its reliability in the current situation. As demonstrated by Sürücü and MASLAKÇI (2020),
reliability is the largely used indicator of the stability of the measured values in the research
study. It shows the same value obtained in repeated measurements using the same measuring
instrument when the circumstances are the same in all cases. The secondary data analysis has
shown constant results in all analytical procedures, therefore showing the reliable research
outcomes of this study.
Primary methods require the direct intervention of people in the study, which makes research
expensive as well as time-consuming. Nevertheless, quantitative interventions require a large
sample to meet desired research outcomes. According to Chukwuemeka (2021), the
requirement of a large sample size makes quantitative data collection time-consuming as well
as expensive process. Therefore, researchers may miss their stipulated research deadlines and
reduce their research credibility by missing out deadlines while gathering quantitative data.
Moreover, the application of qualitative data in this research has increased the scope for
efficient outcomes generation. Quantitative studies follow specific rigours and questionnaires
to grab people’s reviews, which limits the scope of the study by directing the study towards
researchers' expectations. As real-world information is necessary for this research, the
application of qualitative data has increased the scope for exploring the target audience’s
changing attitudes. Hence, in-depth insights are gathered by gathering secondary qualitative
data for this research.
The impact of SM on the purchasing behaviour of the customers has been observed through
the official reports and interpreted by analysing the collected data from the official reports. As
opined by Lukyanenko et al. (2019), the internal validity of the research work ensures that
the test is performed in the empirical investigation. Therefore, the internal procedures such as
data collection and used resources and following official reports make the research valid.
Therefore, the research results can be used in further research studies in future.
3.8 Weaknesses of the Methodology
The weakness of the research methodology represents the limitations that the researchers can
address in the next research study. This study has the primary limitation of secondary data
collection as the secondary data can be biased by the preconception of the author. As
illustrated by Davahli et al. (2020), the risks of biases are there in the collection and use of
secondary data. Consequently, two authors can have two different conclusions according to
their perceptions, which can create confusion in getting the actual authentic result from the
research study.
Moreover, although the resources beyond 2019 have been rejected, the very recent data are
absent in the secondary information. The primary data collection method can collect the real-
time experience of the participants, which cannot be possible in secondary data collection
(Yayeh, 2021). Therefore, it cannot show the exact current situation of the facts regarding the
research topic. As a result, it could create problems in getting real-time results and in the
prediction of the applicability of the research in the current study.
In addition, the current study has followed the data related to the results of previously done
research work, which has directed the current study based on the old results. Therefore, this
study is not free from the pre-existing results and outcomes, as it has not collected any new
information from the fieldwork. Research study free from any other works especially in field
study is involved with the generation of new information, which increases the credibility of
the research (Johnson et al. 2020). However, this research has not followed that process and
therefore, it has to be dependent on the other studies and their results.
3.9 Summary
The chapter demonstrates that the selection of paradigm, approach and strategy are the most
important parts of completing a research methodology appropriately. This study has selected
the social constructivism paradigm to discover new insights into the research topic. Besides
this, an inductive approach is implemented in this research to explore the relationship
between primary and secondary variables. Moreover, the selection of the case study strategy
has increased the simplicity of research by eliminating unnecessary complexities from this
study. Although secondary data collection emerged as a strength of the study due to the
abundance of resources, biases can emanate as a serious limitation of the collected secondary
data.
Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Findings
4.1 Introduction
SM has emanated as an integral part of the modern age of technology. Therefore, companies
are using SM as a powerful tool of communication in their businesses. The study attempts to
investigate the role of SM on UK fashion consumers' purchase intention. Therefore, previous
chapters have highlighted the findings of previous scholars in this same field of research and
the methods used in the current research. Hence, based on the aim and objectives of the
current study, this chapter has commenced a thematic analysis of the collected secondary data
to explore SM’s impact on consumer purchase intention. The study has developed 4 relevant
themes from the research objectives to offer new insights into this field of study and
compared these findings with previous scholars' findings in the discussion section of this
chapter.
4.2 Data analytic approach: Thematic analysis
Thematic analysis is a widely used data analysis approach for analysing secondary qualitative
data. According to Ozuem et al. (2022), thematic analysis efficiently describes human
perceptions through phenomenological notions. As SM, influences on UK fashion consumers'
purchase intentions need to be identified through this study, thematic analysis of the collected
data can describe the experiences and feelings of consumers that lead to their purchase
intentions. Besides this, Lochmiller (2021) viewed that thematic analysis can report, identify
and analyse themes integrated within collected data. Moreover, the flexibility of the thematic
analysis framework reduces the ambiguity in the data analysis process, which has enhanced
the acceptance of this analysis process among scholars.
In order to deliver valuable outcomes from this study, scholars need to ensure their thoughtful
engagement with the study. Wiltshire and Ronkainen (2021) elucidated that instead of
focusing on the procedure, thematic analysis prioritises researchers' thoughtful as well as
reflective engagement with the collected information. Due to this reason, the application of
thematic analysis has enhanced the sense of coherence with the topic. Contextually, Campbell
et al. (2021) demonstrated thematic analysis in six distinct phases, Data familiarisation,
Code generation, Theme development, Review themes, Naming and describing themes and
Reporting. Despite that, the flexibility of thematic analysis keenly focussed on researchers'
thoughtful engagement with the topic.
4.3 Categorising the Themes
This step of thematic analysis plays a crucial role in developing productive outcomes.
Inefficient theme selection can lead to vague research outcomes, which may divert the result
from its objectives. Therefore, this study has developed 4 themes by encompassing research
objectives to meet desired research goals.
4.3.1 Theme 1: Evaluation of the Relationship between SM and UK fashion consumers'
purchase intentions
SM platforms have emanated as a modern medium to connect people with brands. Therefore,
the UK fashion industry has widely implemented SM in their businesses to connect target
consumers with their preferred brands. Paige (2021) highlighted that 1 in 4 persons in UK
shoppers use SM platforms to explore new products. The drastic enhancement in people’s
engagement with SM platforms has enhanced the scope for the UK fashion industry to reach
its target audience on virtual platforms. Although people in the UK are spending maximum
time on their SM accounts to connect with other people and search for their preferred brands,
which offers a millage to the UK fashion industry’s growth.
Figure 4.1: UK fashion industry revenue

The concept of e-commerce marketing of fashion products has revolutionised the pattern of
shopping for UK consumers. As e-commerce sites share product insights alongside client
feedback, UK fashion consumers find these platforms more reliable for their fashion products
purchase. The trend of the UK fashion industry’s revenue generation on e-commerce sites is
demonstrated in Figure 4.1, which highlights a steep growth of revenue generation from
$32.92bn in 2016 to $42.32bn in 2023 (Statista, 2023). Nevertheless, this study further
delineates a projected growth of revenue to $56.71bn by 2027, which indicates positive
integration of customers with e-commerce sites. E-commerce sites monitor the search
intention of UK people and offer personalised reviews to them on SM platforms to appeal to
clients.
Influencer marketing is one of the most powerful strategies used by the UK fashion industry
to influence consumers' purchase intentions. As asserted by Belanche et al. (2021) influencer
marketing of UK fashion brands on SM platforms is predicted to earn double revenue by
2022 from $8bn. As influencers share fashion product information to their private social
accounts, it increases brand acquaintance with their followers. Therefore, followers search for
these products by following their idols. However, Bagchi (2020) argued that the prevalence
of SM could be identified by analysing the dominance of Sainsbury’s, Matalan, Primark,
Marks & Spencer and Peacocks in the UK fashion industry. The strategic application of SM
tools in these fashion brands' businesses has enhanced their revenues by influencing
customers' purchase decisions to grab competitive advantages over their competitors.
Nevertheless, the strategy has increased customer engagement of these brands through their
online posts. Thus, the changing landscape of the UK fashion industry with SM
implementation has shown a positive relationship in influencing fashion consumers.
4.3.2 Theme 2: SM dimensions and their role in formulating the UK fashion industry’s
marketing strategies
The UK fashion industry is gaining a massive competitive advantage by including SM
platforms in its marketing strategy formulation. Different layers or dimensions of SM
marketing are contributing to the growth of UK fashion organisations. The first layer of SM
marketing in the UK fashion industry can be identified as content marketing. According to
Casadei and Lee (2020), leading brands are publishing user-generated content (UGC) on their
SM pages to enhance their market reputation. Additionally, the study highlights that UGCs
application in SM marketing is wiping out the necessity of fashion magazines among the
UK’s fashion consumers.
The second influential dimension of SM in UK fashion marketing can be identified as
advertising. As delineated by Kawaf and Istanbulluoglu (2019), approximately 78% of UK
consumers evaluate product/service reports on the Internet before purchasing. Besides this,
the study highlights that the application of Facebook by fashion companies to promote their
products is creating a space for customers for sharing their words and thoughts.
Advertisements of fashion brands on social media pages develop queries among the people
and by resolving these queries with online support, fashion organisations can consolidate an
elevated number of loyal customers for their firms.
Figure 4.2: UK fashion industry SEO marketing trends in Google

(Source: Silva et al. 2019)
The third dimension of SM marketing strategy for the UK fashion industry can be identified
as search engine optimisation. According to one of the latest fashion industry studies in the
UK market, SEO strategies are booming the fashion market in 2023 by focusing on customer
experience (CX) enhancement strategies (Richclicks, 2023). Nevertheless, the study
demonstrates that the combined application of influencer marketing and SEO strategy can
enhance sales and traffic in fashion sites. Nevertheless, Silva et al. (2019) demonstrated in
Figure 4.2 the rise of SEO marketing trends in the UK fashion industry since 2004. Thus,
increased traffic and enhanced sales through the SEO strategy of SM marketing have shown
massive progress for the UK fashion industry.
Communication can be considered the fourth and final dimension of SM marketing in the UK
fashion industry. According to Kizgin et al. (2020), SM improves interpersonal
communication in people, which further improves social relationships. Therefore, the UK
fashion industry is intensely focused on developing SM channels for improved customer
communication. Similarly, Chu and Seock (2020) highlighted that fashion brands amplify
their marketing communication through SM communication strategies. Nevertheless, UK
fashion organisations are developing emotional bonding with their core clients with powerful
SM communication channels. Therefore, companies become able to address the key
expectations of clients and produce their valuable clients' personalised CX for strengthening
bonding.
4.3.3 Theme 3: Impact of SM on UK fashion consumers' purchase intentions
UK’s fashion industry is an intensely competitive market for the key players of this market.
However, the inclusion of SM in this fashion marketing has increased the competition for
businesses by escalating equal scopes for all fashion brands. A study demonstrates that the
application of SM marketing in the UK fashion industry has enhanced customer engagement
with the leading brands by rewarding customers for their valuable feedback and positive
UGCs (BOF, 2023). Thus, loyal customers are playing the role of influencers for the
company to influence other customers for purchasing fashion products and enhancing the
sales for UK fashion brands.
In this age of digitalisation, the UK fashion industry is experiencing increased agility in the
business procedure by accepting SM cultures into the business. Madsen (2021) opined that in
this SM-driven world, everything could be purchased or achieved through single clicks.
However, the study has criticised SM platforms for being addictive as well as manipulative.
Despite that, fashion organisations are gaining advantages from the SM sites application in
UK fashion marketing due to customers' addiction to the media. Nevertheless, SM marketing
enables UK fashion brands to motivate their clients' purchase intentions by manipulating
customer decisions.
SM is acting as a knowledge hub for online fashion customers in the UK fashion industry.
Therefore, the UK fashion industry's contribution to environmental degradation is emerging
as a threat to the fashion industry. However, the UK fashion industry is encountering this
challenge by increasing adaptation of sustainable fashion and promotion of sustainable
fashion on social media. According to the Fibre2Fashion report, UK fashion consumers have
shown maximum demand of 16% for sustainable fashion in 2022 where the average demand
for fast fashion is observed at 13% (Fibre2Fashion, 2023). Moreover, 52% of fast fashion
online conversions are identified from 2020 to 2022, which shows a revolutionary change in
the fashion industry’s business landscape.
The outbreak of Covid-19 has restricted people’s direct interaction through worldwide
lockdown impositions. However, SM has prevented the sharp fall of the UK fashion market
through online customer generation. As elucidated by Hughes and Jefferys (2021), Covid-19
has boosted a 43% escalation in online marketing for UK fashion customers. People started
purchasing their required fashion products from online fashion stores to maintain lockdown
protocols. Nevertheless, the reliable and timely delivery of products has influenced UK
fashion consumers to purchase their products from online platforms. Thus, the study ensures
that SM positively influences customer purchase intentions in the UK fashion industry.
4.3.4 Theme 4: UK fashion industry’s performance development concerning SM
marketing
The UK fashion industry experiences a continuous change in taste and trends in its clients.
Therefore, innovation is one of the top-notch priorities for fashion brands to satisfy and retain
their clients. According to Wang et al. (2019), SM marketing platforms offer large access to
the target audience with low-cost infrastructure. Therefore, the UK fashion industry can
reduce the promotion costs for its fashion products by accepting innovative SM marketing
strategies in the business. Nevertheless, large access to the audience can improve fashion
brands association with clients by offering them satisfactory services. Therefore, UK fashion
brands are gaining numerous competitive advantages over their competitors by deploying SM
marketing strategies.
Fashion organisations need to understand customer experiences while mapping seamless
customer journeys for their valuable clients. Therefore, insights into customer expectations
are necessary for the UK fashion industry to satisfy customers. Dennis (2021) opined that SM
platforms are widely accessible, which allows companies to gather information regarding
their potential clients' requirements and conversations. Therefore, UK fashion brands can
utilise SM platforms to analyse their potential customer insights. Hence, a proper
understanding of customer expectations can help them to customise their products to maintain
a customer-centric business approach. Nevertheless, customers can get differentiated
treatment from their fashion brands, which is crucial for successful businesses.
The UK fashion industry is enhancing its sales volume by adopting SM marketing strategies
into the business. Usman and Okafor (2019) viewed that in 2017, 9% of online sales are
generated from the UK fashion market. Therefore, sales volume enhancement can contribute
to the financial performance development of the industry, which has increased the acceptance
of SM marketing for these firms. Additionally, SM platforms are increasing brand awareness
among clients with this rising sales volume. Therefore, UK fashion brands' wide use of SM
platforms can improve their customer acquaintance in the market.
Brand loyalty is an important aspect of the fashion industry to retain its performance in the
evolving market. However, SM marketing strategies are showing an efficacious role in
increasing customers' brand loyalty. According to Ibrahim (2022), SM marketing and brand
loyalty are positively integrated where increased use of SM platforms can deliver loyal
customers to the brands. As SM marketing allows UK fashion brands to share key
information with potential customers and minimises the cost of promotion, fashion brands
can ensure positive experiences for their clients by deploying SM networks in their
businesses.
4.4 Discussions
This chapter has drawn a comparative study between present literature findings and previous
researchers' work. The discussion chapter illustrates the way current findings are different
and draws new insights into the topic. The study has developed 4 distinct themes for
conducting thematic analysis. Therefore, each theme is discussed by comparing previous
researchers' work in this same field of study.
4.4.1 Discussion on Theme 1
The primary objective of the study attempts to unfold the relationship between consumer
purchase intention and SM in the UK fashion industry. According to Trunfio and Rossi
(2021), UK fashion brands can promote their new products by using SM platforms as it
generates the ability to increase customers' active participation in productive marketing.
Therefore, SM platforms are identified as important customer engagement platforms for UK
fashion clients in previous studies. However, in the current findings, Paige (2021) marked
that 1 UK fashion client in every 4 consumers search SM platforms for new products.
Therefore, SM platforms are identified as a medium to explore new fashion products in this
current study, which reflects a similarity with previous studies.
The availability of clients on SM platforms is an important factor to understand the
mentioned relationship. As opined by Throuvala et al. (2019) 99% of UK adolescents
conduct online surfing, which reflects the popularity of SM platforms in UK customers.
Therefore, UK fashion companies can reach more target audiences by implementing SM
platforms in their businesses. On the other hand, Bagchi (2020) demonstrated the prevalence
of SM platforms use in leading UK fashion brands such as Sainsbury's, Matalan, Primark,
Marks & Spencer and Peacocks to engage clients and earn revenue. Hence, an asymmetry is
observed between the previous and current findings where setting target customers online is
prioritised by previous findings, the following research has discovered the prevalence of SM
marketing in engaging UK fashion customers.
This theme has discovered essential SM dimensions and their impacts on the UK fashion
industry’s business growth. The identification of Sun and Wang (2020) reflected the
importance of price sensitivity in the fashion marketing strategy while adopting SM platforms
to benefit people. On the contrary, Casadei and Lee (2020) demonstrated the importance of
UGCs for engaging UK fashion customers with their preferred brands. Therefore, differences
in views are observed between previous and current studies where cost is prioritised by
previous literature, and UCGs are considered the first dimension of SM marketing in current
findings.
The implementation of SM marketing in the UK fashion industry has increased competition
in the market. Therefore, UK fashion brands need to focus on CX strategies to enhance their
customer engagement. According to Oscarius Yudhi Ari Wijayaet al. (2021), product
customisation improves personalised experiences for clients to enhance their purchase
intentions. Contextually, Silva et al. (2019) opined that SEO marketing strategy is an
important dimension of SM marketing, which intensely focuses on CX management. Thus,
CX experiences development through SM dimensions are prioritised in both previous as well
as current coursework findings, which demonstrates the similarity between previous and
current studies.
Product impression is an important factor in developing the urge to purchase in UK fashion
clients. Therefore, SM's impact on UK fashion clients' purchase intentions is identified
through the third theme of the study. Naseri (2021) commented that customer purchase
intentions depend on associated brand knowledge and product awareness. Therefore, SM
platforms' utilisation for brand awareness and knowledge development is prioritised through
this study. On the other hand, Madsen (2021) viewed that the application of SM in the UK
fashion industry helps customers to achieve their desired product in a single click. Hence, the
current study shows an asymmetry from previous findings.
The association of product purchase is related to customer motivation factors. Maria et al.
(2019) highlighted the importance of client feedback on social media to influence fashion
customers' purchase intention in the UK fashion industry. On the other hand, Fibre2Fashion
(2023) reported that sustainable fashion is emerging as an important factor to influence
customers' online purchase intention, where the UK fashion market has shown a 16% of
boost for sustainable fashion in 2022. Thus, both these studies have shown asymmetry in
their opinions regarding the impact of SM on UK fashion clients' purchase intentions.
The performance development of the UK fashion industry concerning SM marketing
strategies application is highlighted through the final theme of this assignment. Hu et al.
(2019) opined that information exchange, issue discussion and emotional support are playing
influential roles to influence UK fashion customers. However, Wang et al. (2019)
commented that SM marketing strategies are enhancing access to target audiences with low-
cost infrastructure. The increased reach of the target audience is observed as the most
influential factor to develop the UK fashion industry’s performance. Hence, asymmetry is
identified between the previous and current findings from this point of discussion.
Companies need to develop differentiated CX strategies for their potential clients to stand out
in the competitive environment. Bazi et al. (2020) viewed that SM marketing offers a
significant proportion of marketing power to the clients, which influences their purchase
intentions. Contrarily, Dennis (2021) viewed that SM platforms provide wide access to
customer information to increase sales conversion through customer insights. Thus,
differences are identified in previous study findings and current study findings from this
analysis.
4.5 Summary
The coursework summarises that SM marketing is emanating as a powerful tool for
influencing UK fashion clients' purchase intentions. Nevertheless, the application of SM
marketing has increased UK fashion industry revenues from $32.92bn in 2016 to $42.32bn in
2023. Content marketing is identified as the first dimension of SM marketing that enhances
the growth of the UK fashion industry with UCGs articulation. Similarly, the single-click
purchase feature of SM marketing influence UK customers to enhance their online purchase.
As SM platforms are widely accessible, UK fashion brands can collect in-depth insights into
their customer preferences by applying SM marketing strategies to boost their business
performances.
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations
5.1 Introduction
The advent of SM has changed the marketing concept in the UK fashion industry. Therefore,
the selected study attempted to analyse the role of SM platforms in UK fashion consumers'
purchase intentions. This chapter concludes the overall research to offer a closed view of this
study in a nutshell. The chapter summarises key findings identified through this study.
Henceforth, strategic recommendations are developed in this chapter to efficiently apply SM
in the UK fashion industry for its performance improvement. Finally, the chapter illustrates
further research directions to encourage the development of new insights into this selected
topic.
5.2 Evaluation of the key findings
The evaluation of the relationship between UK fashion consumers' purchase intentions and
SM reveals that by implementing SM in marketing, UK fashion organisations enhanced their
revenues and are expected to earn $56.71bn by 2027. Besides this, the study identified that 1
in every 4 UK individuals search their SM platforms to explore new fashion products.
Nevertheless, fashion market leaders in the UK can gain access to customer insights by
assessing their search intentions and posts. Hence, it can help fashion organisations to
develop personalised experiences for their clients, which is necessary to build a strong
bonding with valuable consumers. Apart from this, influencer marketing on SM platforms is
highlighted as of paramount importance, which has predicted to double the revenue by 2022.
The study emphasised that influencers are increasing brand acquaintance with their followers
by sharing fashion product posts on their SM timelines. Thus, the relationship between SM
and fashion consumers' purchase intention has changed the business landscape to enhance the
positive growth of the firms.
The second theme of this study has highlighted SM dimensions' role in the UK fashion
industry’s marketing strategy development. Content marketing is considered a primary layer
of SM marketing that can increase market reputation through the dissemination of UGCs.
Besides this, advertising is considered the second important layer of SM dimensions in
developing the UK fashion industry’s marketing strategies. Analysis reveals that UK fashion
customers prefer to assess product/service reports online before purchasing a product.
Similarly, SM platforms enable users to share their opinion regarding a product and service,
which increases customer engagement. SEO marketing is observed as the third layer of SM
marketing in the UK fashion industry, which helps fashion marketers in differentiated CX
formulation. Henceforth, communication is identified as the final layer of SM dimensions
that improves social interactions in the UK fashion industry. It is obtained from the findings
that marketing communication is amplified through SM communication strategies. Therefore,
the SM communication dimension acts as an important medium to create emotional bonding
with valuable clients.
The third theme directly addressed the impact of SM on UK fashion consumers’ purchase
intentions. The study reveals that SM platforms application in the UK fashion industry has
enhanced customer engagement. Additionally, it has been identified that SM-driven fashion
organisations facilitate their consumers with single-click purchase options, which is reducing
their effort in shopping. Therefore, a reduction in effort increases purchase intention among
UK fashion consumers. Similarly, the analysis demonstrates that the intense engagement of
fashion customers with SM platforms is helping the UK fashion industry to explore key
requirements of their clients by analysing customers' search habits. Moreover, people in the
UK are using SM platforms as their fashion knowledge hub with the rise in sustainable
fashion product demand. Despite the hindrance of Covid-19 on the UK market, the
prevalence of the pandemic has enhanced UK fashion consumers' online purchasing habits.
Therefore, UK fashion consumers have identified SM platforms as reliable sources for their
online purchases.
The performance development of the UK fashion industry concerning SM marketing is
considered the final theme for this study. Analysis reveals that the UK fashion industry is
gaining access to its target clients with low-cost SM infrastructure. Due to this, the reduction
in promotion costs is enhancing the financial performance of fashion brands. Similarly, the
study emphasises that SM platforms are obtained useful for gathering valuable consumer
insights, which ensures differentiated CX strategy formulation for gaining competitive
advantages. Additionally, studies have shown the enhancement of sales volume in the UK
fashion industry with the advent of SM applications. Nevertheless, findings are revealing that
the application of SM platforms in the UK fashion industry has enhanced brand loyalty by
sharing key information with potential clients.
5.3 Recommendations
● Appropriate SM platform selection: The selection of an appropriate SM platform is
necessary to improve fashion brands' business performance. Although fashion
companies to promote their products use different SM platforms, companies need to
target SM platforms with maximum traffic to enhance their product reach.
● Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create aspirational products: Fashion organisations can
enhance their brand appeal through aspirational product development. AI-driven
aspirational content can seek fashion consumers' attention to the brand.
● Presenting humorous content on SM platforms: Fashion brands can capture the
attention of their target audience by sharing humorous content on SM platforms. The
strategy can entertain the audience and increase follower engagement with the
business.
● Guiding target audience about style statements: Fashion brands can demonstrate
products online using SM platforms to guide their target audience about their style
statements, which is a great strategy to increase customer engagement.
5.4 Further Research Directions
The study has collected secondary data, which may create biases in research outcomes.
Further research needs to incorporate direct information by adhering to primary research
techniques to enhance the feasibility of findings. Nevertheless, limited resources are accessed
in this study to complete the study within a pre-defined deadline. Hence, further research
needs to enhance the timeline for the study to gather in-depth insights into this selected topic.
5.5 Conclusion
The chapter summarises that the UK fashion industry has improved performance by applying
SM in their businesses. The findings of this study reveal that SM platforms are gaining
increased attention from fashion consumers, which can help fashion brands to reach their
target audience and improve their brand communication. However, four main dimensions of
SM involved in fashion brands' marketing strategy formulation are identified as SEO
marketing strategy, communication, content marketing and advertising. Additionally, SM
platforms are identified as important for manipulating customer purchase intentions.
Moreover, effective SM platform selection, AI-driven aspirational product creation,
humorous content generation and online product demonstration are identified as essential
strategies for the improved business performance of fashion brands.
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Investigating The Effects of Social Media On Consumer Purchase Intentions in The Uk Fashion Industry

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Investigating The Effects of Social Media On Consumer Purchase Intentions in The Uk Fashion Industry

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INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON

CONSUMER PURCHASE INTENTIONS IN THE UK

1.1 Enquiry overview.............................................................................................................5

1.2 Background of the study...................................................................................................5

1.3 Aim and Objectives..........................................................................................................7

1.4 Research questions...........................................................................................................7

1.5 Rationale of the Study......................................................................................................7

1.6 Scope and Limitation........................................................................................................8

Chapter 2: Literature review....................................................................................................10

2.2 Conceptual clarification: social media...........................................................................10

2.3 Dimensions of social media............................................................................................11

2.4 Social media and consumer purchase intentions............................................................12

2.5 Social influence theory and social media.......................................................................15

3.2 Research Paradigm.........................................................................................................17

3.3 Research Approach.........................................................................................................18

3.4 Research Strategy...........................................................................................................19

3.5 Data collection methods.................................................................................................20

3.6 Ethics Consideration.......................................................................................................20

3.8 Weaknesses of the Methodology....................................................................................22

Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Findings....................................................................................24

4.2 Data analytic approach: Thematic analysis....................................................................24

4.3 Categorising the Themes................................................................................................24

4.3.1 Theme 1: Evaluation of the Relationship between SM and UK fashion consumers'

4.3.3 Theme 3: Impact of SM on UK fashion consumers' purchase intentions................28

4.3.4 Theme 4: UK fashion industry’s performance development concerning SM

4.4.1 Discussion on Theme 1............................................................................................30

4.4.2 Discussion on Theme 2............................................................................................30

4.4.3 Discussion on Theme 3............................................................................................31

4.4.4 Discussion on Theme 4............................................................................................31

Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations........................................................................33

5.2 Evaluation of the key findings........................................................................................33

5.4 Further Research Directions...........................................................................................35

Figure 1.2: Annual expenditure on clothing in the UK from 2005 to 2022

Figure 1.3: SM influencer marketing benefits

Figure 4.1: UK fashion industry revenue

Figure 4.2: UK fashion industry SEO marketing trends in Google

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