Chapter no.

Introduction

1.1 Background

These days fashion is changing very fast and day by day,

changing of fashion rapidly is one of the most successful ways
to fight with the rapid alteration in the business. It presents
comparatively superior than supplementary trending brands in
different phases. Fast fashion is one of the way by which the
retailers adapt in arrange to reproduce the present and up-
coming fashion rapidly and successfully in existing
merchandises.

It can also adjust according to latest trends, and manufacture

goods in a minute number to persuade the youth. There are two
set of frameworks of struggle in the yard goods and garments
division, the one leads to the appearance of Fast Fashions. The
set is the organization to facilitate struggle with one a
different on the foundation of their capabilities to regulate
quickly to the newest styles. The following sets figure the
supports the rapidly changing in the new trends.

1
This idea is currently the hub of United Kingdom fashion
industry. One of the main reasons of introducing this plan is to
lower the demands and produce high usage by manufacturing a
short-cycle fashion brands and products and during the season.
Zara is one of the most popular retailers for this kind of plan.
Extension of brand is one of the successful and well planned
strategies for Fast fashion brands to enlarge the market size
and to fulfill the coverage and increase the customers. For
example, Mango and Gucci extended their manufactured goods into
dissimilar group.

1.2 Rationale of the Study

Brand extensions are successful and accepted way of winning an

aggressive benefit while toward the inside a fresh invention
region.

Customers now days are facing with more and more complex market
place by which they get confused. The potential of a brand is to
behave as an easy way for the customers, thereby making it
easier the method of assessment building, and creating the
product is one of the mainly significant possessions for a
business. Whereas the capability of a product to persuade
customer manners and therefore its succeeding worth to
corporation, therefore boosts up as clients faces a rising
quantity in order to the market.

Particularly the rising worth of recognized brand and the

complexity in introducing new goods, the reputation of brand
addition is logical. Though, the product expansion procedures
have to be cautiously designed and should be arranged to cover
the worth of the brand that is which afterwards it is

2
effectively reassigned to the expansion lacking risk the brands
fairness. To do so, a corporation has to be aware of how
customers distinguish their need and how an expansion may change
their observation.

1.3 Problem Identification

While analyzing and measuring the other resources that are

needed in establishing a new brand, now it has become very
dangerous for the companies to compete in the market and to
survive in the market. Whereas the brand extension has become
one of the most famous development for the fashion brands and
industry it is because of a low cost and medium risk is
connected. (David Taylor, 2004). It is because of the high cost
of Research and Development (R&D) and alert of the truth and the
awareness about the increasing facts of the downfall rates of
the new brands/products entering into the market. Whereas the
new products entering into the market and the, brand makers are
now more tending towards the profit from their current names of
their brands for establishing the latest products in different
categories into the market.

This idea is line with suggestions of David Taylor (2004) in

terms of decreased cost and danger mentioned above (Leslie de
Chaternatony & Malcolm McDonald, 1998). It is significant to
keep in mind that no matter how well a brand extension strategy
is done it can never help a product with a poor image to do well
in the market. Therefore it is significant for the managers of
the brands to have the complete knowledge about the principles

3
 of the product to stay away from diluting the main brand of the
parent brand with the unsuitable extensions of the brand.

1.4 Problem Statement

The aim of this study is to examine the customer attitudes and

preferences against different types of brand extension with
respect to Fast fashion brands.

1.5 Research Question

What are the different factors that can influence the customer
mind-set with respect to brand extensions?

1.6 Objectives of the Research

To study the customer attitudes and their reaction against

different types of brand extensions.

To examine the impact of three factors of behavior against fast

fashion brands towards customer preferences.

4
1.7 Theoretical framework

INDIPENDENT VARIABLES DEPENDENT VARIABLE

Customer
Involvement H1

Brand Loyalty

Brand Perceived H2
Quality
H3

Brand-Image

5
1.8 Hypothesis Development

H1: A higher level of customer Involvement implies a higher

intention of the consumers to evaluate Brand Loyalty

H2: A higher level of customer Perceived quality implies a higher

intention of the consumers to evaluate Brand Loyalty

H3: A higher level of customer Self-Image involves a high purpose

of the customers to calculate Brand Loyalty

1.9 Scope of the Research

It is important for Fast Fashion Brands (FFBs) to understand and

learn the behavior of the customers towards the brand extensions
of Fast Fashion Brands (FFBs), and therefore this is the main
reason of conducting this research. The most basic explanation
of extension of a product is using a well-known brand to step
into the latest product line or classes. Whereas the extension
of brand is not a fresh style of brand extension and it has
appeared in the market of fashion for a long time. For example,
the brands like zara and mango have to hold up accessories and
cosmetics underneath their own original brands.

6
1.10 Limitations of the Study

The early limitation related to this research are limited work

done on this topic in context of twin cities Islamabad and
Rawalpindi, Pakistan, limited time, resources and the collection
of required information related to the Fast Fashion Brand
Extensions.

7
 Chapter No. 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

This study includes the consumer attitudes against other special

types of brand extensions in the fashion industry. The research
highlights the four factors, including brand loyalty, self-
image, brand idea reliability and product elements relationship,
which can transform the attitudes of the customer against
extensions of brand. An assessment form was constructed. The
research also includes numerical analysis to study the figures.
The study also includes the hypotheses and offers executive
insight.

Brand extension is an exciting brand strategy substitute, as

they may catch the attention of the new phases of the consumers
that have not been measured and carefully the brand before
because of different issues. However, the extensions of brand
are the proper methods of increasing the profits and sales of
the corporation. On the other hand, the extensions of the brands
may work well for the consumers value brands; they may have
rather unusual result on the comfort items. On the other hand
the extensions of brand are particularly the descending ones
focus on the attention and make the brands more available and
general between new phases of customers, and they might decline
the position of the comfort brand between existing consumers and
so decrease the luxury brands. The luxury brands are highlighted
their long-standing assessment, once the perception of the

8
comfort brand is decreased, and it also needs to have a very
different and a long way to achieve it status back for the
customers, and not only the brand manages to acquire back the
value it once had.

However, some research or study has been done comfort brands and
luxury product extensions. This research also includes the
assessment of the behavior against the comfort brands and there
are different kinds of extensions of brands as well which were
established. The study also implies the earlier period results
on the assessment of the extensions of the brand and also
comforts of extensions of the brand. H&M is preferred as one of
the most impressive fashion brands. H&M today provides the whole
lot that is required for a lavish standard of living. The study
analyses H&M brand extensions. It is questioned many times that
there is the danger of extension and its penalty on the brand
assortment are very precarious.

Mango is the worlds famous women clothing brand name whose

products are highly valued by the great number of customers.
Mango shows a recent winner carry out of the joint venture among
the comfort and non-comfort brands and displays those extensions
of the brands. The study analyses these brands and their brand
extensions. Every product or brand approaches the extensions of
brand are represented and talk about, and investigate to
highlight basis for getting the failure. Investigation on the
goods yearly information, assessment, piece of writing and
consultations from trend, promotion, standard of living,
economic, and other publication and correspondents are also
listed in this research.

Two studies were conducted to gain perception on how clients

form actions towards variety expansion, (i. e., and make use of

9
a well familiar variety name to go into a new item for using
up). In the subsequent findings, responses to 20 brand expansion
intuition concerning few familiar brands which were inspect.
Mind-set against the expansion was superior when (1) there was
equally an opinion of "fit" among the two items for consumption
statuses beside one of three proportions and an opinion of high
quality for the inventive brand or (2) the expansion was not
observe as too simple to create. A second study revealed that
the usefulness of different positioning stratagem for
expansions. The conclusion show that the characteristics of the
brand expansion than by repeating. This study comprises of the
consumer mind-set against other unique sort of brand expansion
in the fashion business.

(King and Grace, 2006) come up with the study by gathering data
from the managers of different departments of the corporate
world by interviewing them. They seek to observe the collision
of brand management stratagem on the member of staff
responsibility in the deliverance of the service understanding
constant with the product from an administration viewpoint. In
doing so, additional understanding of the region that, to date,
has received little experimental consideration. A number of
themes acknowledged, make available the foundation for
conversation, namely, track, participation, member of staff
selection, significance, employee contentment, suppleness,
management responsibility, comprehension of differences,
pressure role, be in command of, groundwork, domestic
advertising, enhancers and factor of control. The subject matter
of significance and comprehension of differences had not
previously been measured in the writing and for that reason
discovered in depth. Hence, king and grace throw light on the
importance of the employee satisfaction as well that can play an

10
important role in fast fashion brand extension and come up with
the new fashion into the market that will help to gain the
customers attention towards the products offerings and to
maximize the market share in this growing era.

On the basis of the research on the luxury products it is

revealed that the female customers having a lot of money own a
lot of fashionable thing that are very expensive in the market
and everyone cannot buy those products easily. Females have the
objective to acquire the contentious lavishness products, and
clothes made with American alligator leather. The things that
can attract the most of the female customers to adopt the newly
upcoming fashion into the market are their attitude or approach
toward the performing behavior (purchasing), and individual
standard involving (fashion attachment), controversy insight and
social acceptance and to put the risk of status in the society
that can be harmed, the price concept and perception about the
price of the branded stuff and their mental satisfaction about
the products they are using. The linear regression model can
evaluate the data and come to the conclusion that all the
factors explain above are the most considerable and important
predictors of the buying intentions of the customers especially
female user of the fast fashion brands (Belleau et al. 2006).

On the basis of the study on the retail stores of the fast

fashion brands, the results show, that the job criteria and
performing the job within the platform of the retail stores and
your services providing to your customers also play an important
role in adopting the fast fashion extended brands. Good
organization in the supply chain has smooth the progress of fast
fashions achievements into the market and to remove the
authority in a system within the retail stores, from local place

11
to one central place, so that the whole system is under central
control and following the same pattern of structure throughout
the retail store can decrease the factors that can affect the
efficiencies and flexibilities translated in to stores. To
communicate with the customers and to promote the products,
marketing strategies can be apply that play an important role in
influencing the behavior of customers so that they can change
their mind set and move towards the fast fashion upcoming brand
extensions. However, the marketing communication and the
centralized system control can give birth to the problems in
promoting the fast fashion brand extensions and attracting the
customers if, the work is not done properly by giving the
importance to these factors (Bames and Greenwood ,2010).

The study shows that the brand perceptions can be different

across a pathway of members of extravagance products or brands
using the buyer seller trade state of affairs model. The results
revealed by the study shows that there is a difference in the
thinking of wholesalers and retailer that might give birth to a
conflict that can affect the image of the brands in the eye of
customers as well. (Matthiesen and Phau, 2010) said that even
though the regular final consumers perception about the brand
Hugo Boss is positive and in the act of kindness to the product
and they keep on purchasing the products but the conflict
between the retailer and the wholesaler is keep on destroying
the overall image of the product that may cause to lose the
customers in the long run. So, to get the progress in the fast
fashion brand extension the internal as well as external mind
set should e positive, and the relationship building must be
practice among all the stakeholders.

12
The study reveals the relationship between the owners of the
brand and the perception of the young consumers who adopt the
fast fashion brands. A noticeable dissimilarity was experimented
in the way that how the fast fashion brands are intended and how
our young consumers can experienced the new fashion and what the
view point of them is. The study shows that our young consumers
of fast fashion adopters have the obstacle of decision making
that can influence their behavior in deciding the brand and that
can affect the brand loyalty (Ross and Harradine, 2011).

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 Chapter 3

Method

3.1 Sample

The research was based on Preferences of Consumer Behavior

towards Fast Fashion Brand Extensions. The sample population for
this study was consumers having general attitude towards FFBs.
Consumers like retailers, shoppers, teen age, families etc were
also included. The sample size was 200 and sampling technique
was convenient sampling.

The research used the questionnaire method for collecting and

gathering data. This method helped the researcher to collect
data conveniently and efficiently.

3.2 Instrument and measure

The findings for this reading were done using a questionnaire-

based survey. The questionnaire was adopted from the published
research paper, Fast fashion brand extensions: An empirical
study of consumer preferences (Choi, Liu, Liu, Mak, &To, 2010).
The method was utilized by the questionnaire using a five-point
Likert scale. It was distributed among the consumers who had
general attitude towards FFBs. Their responses were sort from 1
(strongly in agreement); to 5 (strongly conflict). The
questionnaire was divided into five parts. The first part of the
questionnaire asked participants about demographics like age and

14
gender, while rest of the part covered the customers
preferences.

The second part of the questionnaire was asked participants

about their faithfulness towards brands, participation,
supposed quality, self-image, brand concept reliability and
product features relationships. A sample of the
questionnaire is available in Appendix.

3.3 Resources

The resource included articles and internet.

3.4 Procedure

The questionnaires were distributed among the consumers have

general attitude towards FFBs. The questionnaires were
disseminated on hand and the members were asked about their
liking to take part in the research and were provided the
questionnaires only when they agreed. The members were granted
clarifications for any doubts that they had associated with the
questionnaire. They were given plenty of time. SPSS software was
used to arrange the data accordingly. After gathering data,
frequency distribution and regression tests were applied to
achieve results.

15
 CHAPTER 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In this chapter the results of the statistical analysis are

presented. The statistical analysis has been done by SPSS
software, the discussion of the research finding are based on the
research objectives and hypotheses that have been identified in
the study, it discusses the customers preferences for the fast
fashion brand extensions, and then some suggestions are given
according to the results. A total of 200 questionnaires were
gathered, the survey for the purpose of this study. In
questionnaire, the respondents were asked for some general
information. The data is gathered from Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
The demographics representation of male and female are shown in
table

Brand Loyalty

Table 4.1

Brand Loyalty
Reliability Statistics

Cronbach's Alpha N of Items

.812 6

16
Involvement

Involvement
Reliability Statistics

Cronbach's Alpha N of Items

.784 6

Perceived quality

Perceived quality
Reliability Statistics

Cronbach's Alpha N of Items

.724 6

Self-Image

Self-Image
Reliability Statistics

Cronbach's Alpha N of Items

.623 3

Frequencies

17
Frequency distribution of the respondents with respect to their
gender (N=200)
Table 4.2 (a)

Gender

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent

Valid Male 165 82.5 82.5 82.5

Female 35 17.5 17.5 100.0

Total 200 100.0 100.0

17.5
%

82.
5

Table 4.2 tells that total numbers of respondents in this study

are 200. Out of these, 82.5% respondents are male and 17.5%

18
respondents are female. Therefore, male respondents were greater
in number.

Frequency distribution of the respondents with respect to their

age (N=200)
Table 4.2 (b)

Age

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent

Valid Below 20 32 16.0 16.0 16.0

21 - 25 75 37.5 37.5 53.5

26 - 30 56 28.0 28.0 81.5

Above 30 37 18.5 18.5 100.0

Total 200 100.0 100.0

18.5% 16%

28% 37.5%

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Table tells that out of 200 respondents, 16% respondents are
between the age group of below 20 years old, 37.5% respondents
are between the age group of 21-25 years old, 28% respondents are
between 26-30 years of age group, 18.5% respondents are between
the age group of above 30 years of age. Therefore, majority of
respondents are between 21-25 years old.

Correlations
Table 4.3 (a)

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 Correlations

I S P B

I Pearson Correlation 1

Sig. (2-tailed)

N 200

S Pearson Correlation .685** 1

Sig. (2-tailed) .000

N 200 200

P Pearson Correlation .960** .638** 1

Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000

N 200 200 200

B Pearson Correlation .739** .685** .716** 1

Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 .000

N 200 200 200 200

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

Pearson correlation is used to validate the Impact of independent

variables on Dependent variable.

Table shows that correlation analyses were used to validate the

relations between the dependent variable (Brand Loyalty) and
independent variables (Involvement, Perceived Quality and Self
Image). Therefore, the values 0.739**, 0.716 and 0.685 shows a
positive relationship between Involvement, perceived quality and
Self Image with Brand Loyalty, while brand loyalty is the
dependent variable, and its value is 1 and it is significant and
shows a positive relationship.

Regression

Table 4.4 (a)

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 Model Summary

Adjusted R Std. Error of the

Model R R Square Square Estimate

1 .780a .609 .603 .40395

a. Predictors: (Constant), P, S, I

The R value is 0.780. The maximum R value is 1. The R value shows

the relationship of dependent variable (Brand Loyalty) with
Independent variables (Involvement, Perceived Quality and Self
Image) and Relationship is 78.0% which is significant
relationship.

Table 4.4 (b)

ANOVAb

Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

1 Regression 49.741 3 16.580 101.612 .000a

Residual 31.982 196 .163

Total 81.722 199

a. Predictors: (Constant), P, S, I

b. Dependent Variable: B

Table shows the ANOVA test results. The most important value here
is the significant value which is less than 0.05. Therefore Model
is significant.

Table 4.4 (c)

22
 Coefficientsa

Standardized
Unstandardized Coefficients Coefficients

Model B Std. Error Beta t Sig.

1 (Constant) .160 .085 1.882 .061

I .353 .179 .336 1.972 .050

S .363 .065 .343 5.572 .000

P .181 .167 .175 1.085 .279

a. Dependent Variable: B

Regression Analysis was applied to investigate the effect of

correlated Involvement, Perceived Quality and Self Image on Brand
Loyalty. As Table shows that Involvement and Self Image have
significant impact on Brand Loyalty (Beta=0.336 and 0.343).

It indicates the influence of Involvement and Self Image on Brand

Loyalty is positively significant.

CHAPTER 5

23
 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 Conclusion

This research concludes the customer preferences for the fast

fashion brand loyalty. By looking to the four main aspects
involvement, self image and perceived quality can influence the
behavior of the customers towards brand loyalty in adopting fast
fashion brand extensions. To benefit from the growing market,
fast fashion brand sector has to introduce new and innovative
products in the fashion industry to capture more market share.

In the context the study has investigated the customers behavior

towards the fast fashion brands loyalty. For the calculation of
research data, correlation and regression analysis was used. The
research has following limitations which gives help to future
research. Firstly the sample involves the view point of customers
from Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Secondly the research has also
experienced limited number of predictors which have used to find
out their impact on the usage of fast fashion brands. For this
reason the future research may include more variables like Brand
Concept Consistency and buying power etc.

So it is concluded that if fashion industry wants to increase

their market share they should introduce new creative fashion
products in the market.

5.2 Recommendations

24
There are following recommendations regarding this research of
customers loyalty about fast fashion brands and factors
affecting the intention to adopt fast fashion brands:

There should be proper marketing strategies for the fashion

industry to promote their products.

There should be proper communication between retailers and

customers.
Fashion industries should advertise as majority doesnt know

about their upcoming products.

Fashion industry should improve their customer relationship

by direct contact with them.

There should be frequent survey on customer perceptions

about fast fashion products.

Fashion industry should improve their customer relationships

by providing them the right information.

Fashion companies should provide attractive packages on

their products.

References

Aaker, D. A., & Keller, K. L. (1990). Consumer evaluations of

brand extensions.The Journal of Marketing, 27-41.

25
Barnes L, Greenwood G, (2010) "Fast fashion in the retail store
environment", International Journal of Retail &
Distribution Management, Vol. 38 Iss: 10, pp.760 772

Choi, T. M., Liu, N., Liu, S. C., Mak, J., & To, Y. T. (2010).
Fast fashion brand extensions: An empirical study of
consumer preferences. Journal of Brand Management, 17(7),
472-487

King C, Grace D, (2006) "Exploring managers' perspectives of the

impact of brand management strategies on employee roles
within a service firm", Journal of Services Marketing, Vol.
20 Iss: 6, pp.369 380

Matthiesen I, Phau L, (2010) "Brand image inconsistencies of

luxury fashion brands: A buyer-seller exchange situation
model of Hugo Boss Australia", Journal of Fashion Marketing
and Management, Vol. 14 Iss: 2, pp.202 218

Ross J, Harradine R, (2011) "Fashion value brands: the

relationship between identity and image", Journal of
Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 15 Iss: 3, pp.306
325

Stankeviciute, R., & Hoffmann, J. (2010). The impact of brand

extension on the parent luxury fashion brand: The cases of
Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein and Jimmy Choo. Journal of
Global Fashion Marketing, 1(2), 119-128.

Summers T, Belleau B, Xu Y, (2006) "Predicting purchase

intention of a controversial luxury apparel product",
Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 10 Iss:
4, pp.405 419

26
 APPENDIX

SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE

27
Fast fashion brand extensions: A study of consumer preferences
in Islamabad and Rawalpindi

Institution:

Kindly fill in and mark tick () against the appropriate statement.

DEMOGRAPHICS

1. Gender Male Female

2. Age

a) Below 20

b) 21 25

c) 26 - 29

e) Above 29

Kindly show your response by marking tick () against each statement:

1 = SA: Strongly Agree 2 = A: Agree 3 = N: Neutral

4= DA: Disagree 5 = SDA: Strongly Disagree

Brand Loyalty

28
1. I have a positive affective feeling towards the fast fashion 5 4 3 2 1
brands, like Zara and Mango.

2. The fast fashion brands like Zara and Mango have a 5 4 3 2 1

personal meaning to me.

3. I consider myself loyal to these fast fashion brands. 5 4 3 2 1

4. I would be very happy to spend money on these fast 5 4 3 2 1

fashion brands.

5. I would prefer to buy from these fast fashion brands than 5 4 3 2 1

others fashion brands.

6. I enjoy discussing these fast fashion brands with other 5 4 3 2 1

people.

Involvement

1. I frequently search for more information about fast fashion 5 4 3 2 1

brands via magazine or internet.

2. I am interested in those products in fast fashion brands. 5 4 3 2 1

3. It is not a big deal, if I make a wrong purchase decision 5 4 3 2 1

from fast fashion brands. For examples, wrong purchase
decision of buying a wrong size.

4. I need a short decision time when I buy a fast fashion 5 4 3 2 1

brands product.

5. I think fast fashion brands product can give me a pleasant 5 4 3 2 1

feeling.

6. I think fast fashion brands give a special meaning to their 5 4 3 2 1

product.

Perceived quality

29
1. The quality of most products I buy in fast fashion brands is 5 4 3 2 1
as good as what I have expected.

2. I am satised with most of the products quality that I have 5 4 3 2 1

bought and used in fast fashion brands.

3. The quality of the products I purchased has consistently 5 4 3 2 1

improved over the years.

4. Most products I bought from a fast fashion brand can be 4 3 2 1

used for long period of time. 5

5. Products are functioned as well as I expected. 5 4 3 2 1

6. Fast fashion companies care about how well their products 5 4 3 2 1

perform.

Self-Image

1. I have a clear picture of which type of person would use 5 4 3 2 1

fast fashion brands.

2. I think fast fashion brands image is closely related to my 5 4 3 2 1

self-image.

3. I think fast fashion brands image is closely related to my 5 4 3 2 1

ideal self-image.

30