CHAPTER NO.

INTRODUCTION

Background

In today's competitive marketplace, the importance of brands

cannot be underestimated. Brands and branding are today
considered being a vital part of an organization's efforts
to satisfy its customers and establish itself against its
rivals, in the markets in which it competes. Brands add
value economically as well as strategically and are thus one
of their companies' most valuable assets.

In the words of two of the biggest authorities on marketing,

a brand helps a product or service offering organization
identify itself to its potential markets. It does this by
using a sign, some symbol, a name or a term, a unique design
or even a combination of these (Kotler & Armstrong, 2001).
Nowadays, customers differentiate products on the basis of
their brands and thus, a brand can add value to a company's
product or service offering. The importance of branding can
be judged from the fact that managers and organizations are
beginning to perceive a brand as much more than a logo or
colors. Research suggests that a brand is no longer
represented simply by a logo but that it has now developed
into a platform. As a platform, a brand is not fixed but it
is flexible. It is recognizable but still it is not a fixed
and constrained thing (Businessweek, 2006). This means that
companies can use their brands to implement their strategies

1
effectively and achieve their goals and objectives. Because
a brand is not fixed but is flexible, companies and managers
can add more dimensions to a brand and use it to communicate
effectively with customers and maintain a competitive
advantage. Companies market their products or services and
advertise and promote them only after they have developed
brand identities of their products. Branding helps firms
attract their 'targeted' segments and, helps these segments
perceive the brands as a solution to their needs and wants.

Once consumers have the perception about a brand that the

brand is the 'only' solution to their needs, wants or
problems, these consumers will form an association with the
brands and will pay a premium to get it (Businessweek,
2008).

Organizations all around the world are now paying attention

to their brands after realizing the importance of brands and
branding. They are assessing the value of their brands and
then investing in them accordingly to improve them. Brand
Valuation has emerged as an area of immense activity in
recent years because of the importance marketing specialists
are increasingly attaching to it. Brand value is commonly
referred to as 'Brand Equity'.

Brand Equity is a measure of the value of a brand as an

asset in terms of the financial and marketing benefits
contributed by the positioning of the brand in the
marketplace. It also refers to the value added by a certain
brand name into a product, in addition, to its listed
features. A number of factors contribute to a brand's equity
like brand awareness, perceived quality, brand emotions,

2
brand associations but one factor which contributes most to
a brand's value and which is most important is Brand
Loyalty. Brand Loyalty means that consumers seek a brand
even when they have other attractive alternatives. They
revisit the stores or channels through which they bought a
brand and are even ready pay a premium for their choice of
brand.

Because of the significance and importance of brand loyalty

and the impact of high brand loyalty among consumers on a
company's financial condition, organizations and companies
are investing resources and carrying out research to develop
a framework which would help in creating, maintaining,
enhancing and assessing brand loyalty. Nowadays, there is an
emerging trend in the Pakistani marketplace of wearing
sportswear. People of all ages are wearing more and more
sportswear especially when they are off-duty because they
think that wearing branded sportswear is fashionable and it
tends to be very comfortable. Consumers also get attracted
by the advertising carried out by sportswear makers and the
celebrities who endorse them. As a result, more and more
people wear sportswear to look smart and fashionable.
Different sportswear brands are offering their products to
meet the needs of consumers in Pakistan like Nike, Adidas
and Slazenger and a number of local retailers as well.

In light of all this importance of brands and the positive

impact that brand loyalty can have on a business
organization, sportswear organizations in Pakistan, are now
paying more attention to their brands. Well-established
competitors are spending large sums of money and time to
develop their brand identities, brand communications and

3
their brand loyalty among their consumers. They recognize
that by developing brand loyalty among their consumers, they
can minimize the switching of consumers from their brands to
rivals' brands. They also recognize that developing brand
loyalty helps them to retain customers.

Rationale of the Study

Although Business Organizations and managers in Pakistan

realize the necessity of branding and understand the
importance of brands and brand loyalty for their businesses,
they still are not proceeding with their branding efforts in
the right way. Although businesses in Pakistan have now
begun to invest large amounts of financial resources towards
their branding efforts, there still remain doubts and
concerns as to the effectiveness of their efforts. Business
Organizations in Pakistan are investing in their brands.

However, they are not paying attention to the underlying

factors of branding. These factors carry a lot of
importance, like the equity created by brands which is the
real measure of a brand's effectiveness. Sportswear in
Pakistan is a category where there is fierce competition,
but there is a lack of understanding of the importance of
brand loyalty and the role that brands can play in business
success. Furthermore, there is no knowledge about the
factors that customers value most and that result in
attracting them. This research aims to identify the brand
loyalty of customers and aims to identify key factors of
sportswear brand loyalty and the extent to which each factor
influences brand loyalty. The research, therefore, attempts
to aid the sportswear businesses with their branding

4
efforts, in that how they can create brand loyalty in their
customers and how they can retain customers through brand
loyalty. The research aims to help the effectiveness and
efficiency of sportswear marketers' brand loyalty efforts by
identifying the factors which effect consumer brand loyalty
the most.

Problem Identification

Nowadays, the sportswear companies are meeting the

increasing demand for their products in Pakistan but they
are also facing increased competition due to the entry of
more and more new players into the market. As a result of
this competition, these sportswear businesses are now
developing unique identities and images through branding in
order to compete in this age of competition. They are
investing and implementing in different branding strategies.
One of the main aims of branding is to develop brand
loyalty. However, because of the fast switching nature of
their customer base and the constantly changing trends in
media, society and fashion, the branding strategies need to
be perfectly designed in order to attract the customers and
develop brand loyalty. In order to develop brand loyalty,
sportswear businesses need to identify and analyze the
factors which effect brand loyalty in customers so that they
take care and pay attention to these factors and to ensure
that they are not overlooked. Sportswear businesses are able
to develop better brands when they know the factors that
effect brand loyalty and are thus, able to attract customers
and create brand loyalty. Moreover, sportswear businesses
can better retain their hardcore customers by consistently

5
satisfying them and keeping their loyalty and retaining
them. They can also attract customers who switch brands by
developing brands with elements which attract and appeal to
this set of customers. Thus, understanding brand loyalty and
the key factors that effect it is paramount for sportswear
makers. Also, an understanding of the loyalty factors that
effect customers allows sportswear businesses to increase
the effectiveness with which they attract consumers, and
helps them in better retaining their customers.

Problem Statement

This research investigates the brand loyalty behavior of

consumers in sportswear by determining key brand factors
which influence and have an effect on the brand loyalty of
customers. It aims to identify the attributes and factors
that are vital for inducing brand loyalty in consumers.

Research Question

What are the consumers' perceptions, attitudes and beliefs

towards brand loyalty of sportswear that is being sold in
Pakistan?

Objectives of the Research

This research aims to investigate brand loyalty of

sportswear customers and as such, aims to identify the key

6
factors which effect brand loyalty. The objectives of this
research are:

I) To determine the key factors which influence brand

loyalty of consumers in Pakistan
II) To determine the sub-factors and sub-attributes,
classified under the key factors, which can have an
influence on and effect consumer brand loyalty.
III) To determine the brand loyalty perceptions and
opinions that sportswear consumers have in Pakistan.

Scope of the Research

This research deals with sportswear brand loyalty in

Pakistan and the factors which affect it. It also analyzes
and describes which factors effect and influence the brand
loyalty of sportswear among the major customer segments of
sportswear in Pakistan: the younger population between the
ages of 18-30 years. It attempts to do so by collecting data
related to brand loyalty from sportswear customers studying
in the educational institutions of Pakistan. Mainly, young
people in their 'teens' or their 'early twenties' purchase
sportswear heavily.

In keeping with this, research has been carried out in

educational institutions like colleges and universities of
Islamabad and Wah. Since students fall in the appropriate
age group, they are a valid respondent segment for carrying
out the research. They also follow the trends of looking
fashionable and follow sports, so, they constitute a key
segment for sportswear.

7
People who play sports and are physically active and
participate in sports in clubs and the outdoors were also
approached to collect data. Thus, the scope is not limited
to the educational institution students only but is
applicable to the mainstream sportswear customers as well.
Since the research aims to uncover brand loyalty of
sportswear and its underlying factors, the findings of this
research are applicable to the sportswear industry in
Pakistan.

8
 CHAPTER NO. 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

Previous research conducted to find out more about branding

showed that brand and customer loyalty consist of two
distinct components. These components are attitudinal
loyalty and behavioral loyalty. Attitudinal loyalty means
the psychological processes which initiate brand loyalty
within a consumer while behavioral loyalty means the
physical manifestation of loyalty, which results in the
consumer actually picking up and purchasing the product or
service regularly.

This means that attitudinal loyalty precedes behavioral

loyalty. When considering brand loyalty, both the
attitudinal and behavioral aspects must be kept in mind
(Bennett, Kennedy, & Coote, 2007). Therefore, by paying
adequate attention to both attitudinal and behavioral
loyalty aspects of a brand, businesses can expect to
experience brand loyalty. If there is attitudinal loyalty in
the customer, a business can expect behavioral loyalty from
him.

Sportswear businesses stand a chance to increase the

behavioral loyalty of their customers by increasing
attitudinal loyalty. Previous research shows that there is a
strong relationship between satisfaction and attitudinal
loyalty (Bennett et al., 2007). Thus, by paying more
attention to the satisfaction of a customer, sportswear

9
businesses can ensure attitudinal loyalty which ultimately
leads to behavioral loyalty.

In order for sportswear businesses to better understand

brand loyalty of their customers, they should attempt to
understand the various determinants of brand loyalty which
influence customers. Customer attitudes, their beliefs
regarding a product and their demographic characteristics
may prove to be very valuable brand loyalty indicators.
However, research also predicted that demographic variables
were not the most reliable 'initial' indicators of loyalty
and did not directly affect brand loyalty as is generally
considered.

Instead, marketers need to focus on other factors and

determine their importance and determine their link with
brand loyalty. These factors include brand differentiation,
brand performance, media exposure and online capability.
After these factors are identified, their ties with the
demographics should be considered and analyzed. While
developing and designing strategies for brand loyalty,
businesses should place a lesser emphasis on price and focus
more on the value delivered to the customer by their
products. Thus, businesses should focus more on delivering
value by prioritizing product quality, service and providing
relevant information (Harbor, Martin, & Akridge, 2006).

Furthermore, the ideal brand loyalty measure would

incorporate differences both at the individual and the brand
levels because characteristics based on both the individual
and brand may create and affect the difference in brand
loyalty. One example of a characteristic based on the

10
individual is the degree of risk aversion, and an example of
a branding characteristic is the quality of the brand. If
decision makers overlook any of these factors, the outcomes
of their decisions might not be optimal ( Mellens, Dekimpe,
& Steenkamp, 1996).

Researchers have also identified guidelines and strategies

that help marketers to develop consumer-centric branding
activities and thus, get better brand loyalty. By managing
the brand and brand equity through developing consumer
centric branding activities, it is more likely to generate
favorable responses from the customers and create positive
brand loyalty for that brand.

The guidelines developed by researchers for managing

customer based brand equity stress the importance of taking
a broad and long view of marketing a brand, specifying the
desired consumer benefits for a brand, using both
traditional and non-traditional forms of promotion and
advertising, better coordination of the marketing options
that are chosen, conducting tracking studies and controlled
experiments like focus groups and evaluating possible
extension candidates (Keller, 1993). These guidelines would
no doubt be extremely valuable for sportswear makers.
Moreover, the plans and strategies used to generate
customer-based brand equity should incorporate the original
brand identities and then they should also consider how
these identities would be integrated into and supported by
the marketing activities (Keller, 1993).

It is common sense to think that brand loyalty would result

in financial gain for the businesses involved because, brand

11
loyal customers would purchase again and again, and would be
ready to pay a premium which would result in economic gains
for the businesses involved.

Research has also pointed towards the financial gains

received as a result of brand loyalty. Even in retail
settings and outlets, where different outlets might have the
same homogeneous and similar products, the brand is an
important differentiator for the customer and plays a vital
role in the choice selection of the customer. And brand
loyal consumers remain willing to pay a price, that is, at a
premium for the same homogeneous and similar products.
Customers take the brand as a signal for retailer
credibility and as an assurance for the quality of the
products. They also view the brand as a signal of service
consistency and credibility (Smith & Brynjolfsson, 2001).

Also, in an attempt to build brand loyalty, sportswear

businesses should aim to develop their brands in a way so
that customers develop unique and positive associations with
their brand. An individual association means that it serves
to differentiate the brand in the customer's mind from rival
and competing brands. A positive association means that the
customers should have a positive and appropriate
relationship with the brands, one that excites them and
positions the brand favorably in their minds. Previous
research indicates that brand interest and brand equity are
high when consumers have unique and positive associations
with the brand (Korchia, 2006).

While studying brand loyalty, the question of whether or not

gender effects brand loyalty arises. Is Brand Loyalty

12
affected by gender? Do brand Loyalty and its accompanying
factors get affected by gender differences? Previous studies
have analyzed the differences in brand loyalty and brand
perceptions between the two genders. According to research,
males have higher brand loyalty as compared to females but
females have higher brand awareness, higher perceived
quality (Chen, Miller, & Green, 2008). This means that males
tend to be more loyal to their brand preferences, once they
have settled for them while females tend to be brand
switchers because of their gender characteristics of brand
awareness, perceived quality and brand association. Because
of their brand awareness and perceived quality, females tend
to be more aware of the alternative choices to a product
whereas the opposite is true for males. Thus, sportswear
makers and retailers can modify their strategies according
to the gender they are targeting.

Sportswear businesses should also pay attention to the

retail outlets and the retail environment in which they sell
sportswear. Previous research and findings prove that by
adding an ambient scent to their store environments, retail
businesses can contribute to the positive perception of
their store environments by the customers (Chebat & Michon,
2003). Because ambient scent directly affects shoppers'
perceptions retailers should seriously consider their use.
Ambient Odors have an influential impact on the customers'
perceptions towards both product quality and shopping
environment. The perceptions towards product quality are
formed directly by consumers as well as indirectly through
influence of other factors. Perceptions of the retail
environment can effect the consumer perceptions towards
product quality. The impact of odor on store environment is

13
especially important because it impacts on the perception of
a product which results in higher spending potential by the
consumer (Chebat & Michon, 2003). Thus, sportswear makers
should pay attention to their store and retail environments
and add ambient odors.

Research has also suggested that preconsumption cues and

experience that the customer goes through, effect the post-
purchase evaluations of customers. The effects of pleasure
and arousal need to be factored into the design of the
service settings and the retail settings because these
emotional responses to the preprocess service may influence
the determination of the post-purchase evaluations and thus,
might influence repeat purchase behavior (Matilla & Wirtz,
2000).

The implications of this research are that sportswear

managers can enhance customer satisfaction levels and thus,
the repurchase intentions of customers by arranging and
putting the right elements in place in their physical
environments. They should make the physical environment to
reflect the desired behaviors sought by customers and thus,
increase brand loyalty. Sportswear businesses should also
pay attention to the service aspect of their businesses.
Nowadays because of the sophisticated tastes of customers
and also because of the increasing competition, product
retailers like sportswear businesses provide a variety of
different services to differentiate their brands and to
provide more value to their customers.

Analyzing the impact of these services and whether they

provide the intended benefits to the customers is extremely

14
important. Customers should be provided with the answers to
their queries as soon as possible and they should not be
made to wait in lines at the counter. Previously conducted
research relates waiting time with customer satisfaction and
service quality. There was a negative correlation between
length of perceived waiting time and customer satisfaction
(Lee & Lambert, 2001). This means that retailers and any
business which provides some level of services should try to
shorten the customers' waiting time as much as possible.
Customers have an expectation of reasonable waiting times
and if they perceive the actual waiting time is more than
their expectations, they form feelings of dissatisfaction
which influences their brand loyalty (Lee & Lambert, 2001).

Because the retail environments that sell sportswear provide

some level of services to their customers, the quality of
this service provided can be a decisive factor for customer
satisfaction and thus, brand loyalty. In fact, businesses
should now try to think beyond the concept of customer
satisfaction and should strive to delight customers.
Delighting customers means that businesses should make every
possible effort to meet customers' needs and even exceed
them. Services are a key differentiating factor because
research has pointed out that the differences between
delighted and satisfied customers are mainly because of
service delivery (Yau & Kwong, 2007).

Delighted customers have more positive perceptions on

service delivery elements like service behavior, service
outcome and product outcome. Thus, sportswear businesses
cannot overlook the importance of the service elements of
their businesses and provide them at a high level of

15
efficiency consistently to the customer to increase the
number of delighted customers.

Research has also been conducted that suggested that

businesses should pay more attention to the brand specific
factors rather than personality factors when measuring brand
loyalty from an attitudinal loyalty perspective (Bennett,
2000). Common marketing literature has recommended two main
approaches for the measurement of attitudinal loyalty. These
two measures are brand specific measures and personality
trait measures. However, as research has suggested,
attitudinal loyalty should be measured using brand-specific
measures rather than using an individual's personality trait
measures and both of these measures should not be combined
to form an overall measure for the assessment of attitudinal
loyalty as this measure does not give reliable results
(Bennett, 2000).

Research was also carried out about the shopping traits and
decision-making styles of male consumers, who are normally
the main customers of sportswear in Pakistan. Sportswear
makers and retailers should focus on these traits of male
consumers and develop their brands along these lines to be
more effective and develop brand loyalty in their male
customers, who constitute their main customer base. Male
customers show the traits of being store-loyal, Low-price
seeking, time-energy conserving, time-restricted and store
promiscuity (Bakewell & Mitchell, 2004).

Another element that sportswear makers can use to add value

to their products and offerings is to respect the consumer
because respect positively influences customer selection and

16
evaluation of encounters with service providers. (Costley,
Friend, & Babis, 2005).

Similarly, another critical area that sportswear makers need

to focus on and pay attention to is the role of emotions in
creating brand loyalty. Research exists which supports the
role and importance of emotions for creating loyalty and
attachment in customers. Brands which make strong emotional
connections, and thus, have strong brand loyalty, have a
massive impact on customers form the financial aspect which
can be both in terms of the amount of repeat business and
the amount of money spent (McEwen, 2004).

Also, businesses that built strong emotional connections

with customers, had strong brand loyalty and were likely to
see significant increases in both sales and profits. The
importance that a business should give to emotions can also
be judged by the fact that emotional connections are not
static. Instead, they keep fluctuating over a period of time
and these fluctuations can have a large impact on any
business's brand loyalty and ultimately its fortunes
(McEwen, 2004).

Research also pointed out that for a retail setting, like

the one for most sportswear businesses, product quality,
service quality and brand image are the main factors
contributing to customer loyalty. Out of these brand image
is the strongest factor which drives customer loyalty
followed by product quality and service (Clottey, Collier, &
Stodnick 2008). By focusing on factors of loyalty,
sportswear managers can improve the loyalty of their
businesses. Since the main customer base of sportswear

17
consists of young people especially students, sportswear
marketers should focus their attention on the
characteristics that students display while purchasing their
needs from the marketplace. Previously conducted research
has also revealed some important traits and perceptions of
student consumers. Student consumers prefer the convenience
of their retail locations, are more prone to find out the
best shopping offer in the market and then purchasing it, as
compared with other segments and are not very brand loyal
(Thwaites & Vere, 1995).

18
 CHAPTER NO. 3

METHOD

Sample

This study made use of the questionnaire method for

collecting and gathering data. This method allowed
researchers to collect data conveniently and efficiently.
The design of the questionnaire allowed the respondents, to
participate in the research process easily.

The sample population for this study was the student body of
various educational institutions of Islamabad and Wah Cantt.
All of these institutions were HEC recognized educational
institutions and thus, were relevant institutions with
highly educated students. The sample size for the study was
300. The locations of Wah and Islamabad got chosen because
both these places have educated people and people in both
the places have awareness and an inclination to purchase
sportswear. In Islamabad, the financial condition and
sophisticated taste of people allows them to spend more on
their apparel needs. Wah Cantt has one of the highest
literacy rates in Pakistan and also has various sports
facilities, because of which people have a tendency to
purchase sportswear.

19
 Instrument and Measures

The research for this study was done using a questionnaire-

based survey. The questionnaire was retrieved from the
literature: “The Brand Loyalty of Sportswear in Hong Kong”
(Lau, Chang, Moon & Liu, 2006). The instrument that was
utilized by this questionnaire is a five-point Likert scale.
It was distributed among students of various educational
institutions in Islamabad and Wah. The participants provided
and expressed their perceptions, on a wide range of
statements using a five-point Likert scale. Their responses
ranged from (strongly agree), to (strongly disagree). The
questionnaire was divided into two parts. The first part
asked participants about their brand loyalty. At first, the
questionnaire asked a screening question that enquired the
participants whether they had purchased any sportswear
during the past year. This question screened out any
nonusers of sportswear. The second question directly asked
customers about loyalty and allowed segmentation of
customers into 'brand switchers' and 'hardcore loyal'
customers, and thus revealed the importance and attachment
which the respondents placed on their brands. The last
question asked participants about their favorite brands.

The second part of the questionnaire is related to the

factors of brand loyalty. It asked customers about the
importance of various factors of brand loyalty. These
factors were very relevant for brand loyalty and their
responses were highly valuable and instrumental in
determining brand loyalty of sportswear in Pakistan. Among

20
these factors are brand name, price, product quality, style,
store environment, service quality and promotion. Again,
participant responses were gathered using a five-point
Likert scale. A sample of the questionnaire is available in
Appendix

Procedure

The questionnaire was distributed among students in well-

renowned educational institutions of Pakistan, located in
Islamabad and Wah Cantt. People who actively pursue sports
and lied in the appropriate age group were also sought to
participate in the research. The questionnaire was
distributed by hand and the participants got asked about
their inclination to participate in the research and were
handed the questionnaires only upon their willingness to
participate. The participants were provided explanations for
any queries that they had regarded to the questionnaire
statements. The participants were not rushed upon, to
complete the questionnaire. They were given ample time. Care
was taken to manage the validity of data. SPSS (Statistical
Package for Social Sciences Program) will be used for
compiling and analyzing of data.

21
 CHAPTER NO. 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Table 4.1

Frequency Distribution wrt Gender (N=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Male 219 73.0 73.0 73.0
Female 81 27.0 27.0 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.1

Male
Female

Table 4.1 and its accompanying figure show frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to gender. The
table reveals that out of the total 300 respondents, 219 or
73% are male while 81 or 27% are female. Thus, the table
reveals that a clear majority of the respondents were males.
Table 4.2

22
 Frequency Distribution wrt Class Rank

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Graduation 180 60.0 60.0 60.0
Post-Graduation 45 15.0 15.0 75.0
MS 53 17.7 17.7 92.7
Other 22 7.3 7.3 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.2

Graduation
Post-Graduation
MS
Other

Table 4.2 and its accompanying figure show frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to rank of
educational class. The table reveals that out of a total of
300 respondents, 60% are from the graduation class, 17.7%
are from the MS class, 15% are from the post-graduation
class while 7.3% belong to other class ranks.

Table 4.3

23
 Frequency Distribution wrt SportswearPurchase (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Yes 300 100.0 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.3

Yes

Table 4.3 and its accompanying figure show frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to Purchase of
sportswear in the last year. The table reveals that 100% or
all of the respondents had purchased sportswear during the
last year.

Table 4.4

24
 Frequency Distribution wrt SportswearBrandLoyalty (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Yes 264 88.0 88.0 88.0
No 36 12.0 12.0 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.4

Frequency Distribution wrt SportswearBrandLoyalty (n=300)

Yes
No

Table 4.4 and its accompanying figure show frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to loyalty to a
particular brand of sportswear. The table reveals that out
of a total of 300 respondents, 264 or 88% were loyal to a
particular brand of sportswear while 36 or 12% are not.

Table 4.5

25
 Frequency Distribution wrt BrandReputation (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Strongly Disagree 34 11.3 11.3 11.3
Disagree 22 7.3 7.3 18.7
I don't know 13 4.3 4.3 23.0
Agree 85 28.3 28.3 51.3
Strongly Agree 146 48.7 48.7 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.5

Frequency Distribution wrt BrandReputation (n=300)

Strongly Disagree
Disagree
I don't know
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.5 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the feeling that
their favorite brand is reputable. The table reveals that
48.7 % of the respondents strongly agree, 28.3% agree, 11.3%
strongly disagree, 7.3% disagree and 4.3% don’t know whether
or not their favorite brand is reputable.

Table 4.6

26
 Frequency Distribution wrt Prestige (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Disagree 39 13.0 13.0 13.0
I don't know 44 14.7 14.7 27.7
Agree 83 27.7 27.7 55.3
Strongly Agree 134 44.7 44.7 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.6

Frequency Distribution wrt Prestige (n=300)

Disagree
I don't know
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.6 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of the respondents with respect to the
statement that prestigious brand name and image attracted
them to purchase from a brand. Table 4.6 reveals that 44.7%
of the respondents strongly agree, 27.7% agree, 14.7% don’t
know and 13 % of the respondents disagree with the
statement.

Table 4.7

27
 Frequency Distribution wrt Price (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Strongly Disagree 36 12.0 12.0 12.0
Disagree 115 38.3 38.3 50.3
Agree 136 45.3 45.3 95.7
Strongly Agree 13 4.3 4.3 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.7

Frequency Distribution wrt Price (n=300)

Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.7 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution with respect to the feeling that the brand name
is selected regardless of the price. The table reveals that
out of a total of 300 respondents, 45.3% agree, 38.3%
disagree, 12% disagree and 4.3% agree with the statement
that brand name is selected regardless of price.

Table 4.8

28
 Frequency Distribution wrt PersonalityReflection (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Strongly Disagree 19 6.3 6.3 6.3
Disagree 20 6.7 6.7 13.0
I don't know 84 28.0 28.0 41.0
Agree 162 54.0 54.0 95.0
Strongly Agree 15 5.0 5.0 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.8

Frequency Distribution wrt PersonalityReflection (n=300)

Strongly Disagree
Disagree
I don't know
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.8 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the feeling
that their favorite band reflects their personality. The
table reveals that out of a total of 300 respondents, 54%
agree to this statement, 38% don’t know, 6.7% disagree with
the statement, 6.3% strongly disagree with the statement and
5% strongly agree with the statement.

29
Table 4.9

Frequency Distribution wrt Size (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Disagree 16 5.3 5.3 5.3
I don't know 71 23.7 23.7 29.0
Agree 133 44.3 44.3 73.3
Strongly Agree 80 26.7 26.7 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.9

Frequency Distribution wrt Size (n=300)

Disagree
I don't know
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.9 and its accompanying figure show frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the feeling that
the size of their favorite sportswear brand fits them very
much. As the table reveals, 44.3% of the respondents agree
to this statement, 26.7% strongly agree, 23.7% don’t know
and 5.3% of the respondents disagree with the statement.

Table 4.10

30
 Frequency Distribution wrt Comfort (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Disagree 1 .3 .3 .3
Agree 112 37.3 37.3 37.7
Strongly Agree 187 62.3 62.3 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.10

Frequency Distribution wrt Comfort (n=300)

Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.10 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to comfort of the
materials used by their favorite brand of sportswear. The
table reveals that 62.3% strongly agree with the statement,
37.3% agree and 1.3% of the respondents disagree with the
statement.

Table 4.11

31
 Frequency Distribution wrt ColorChoice (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Disagree 30 10.0 10.0 10.0
I don't know 19 6.3 6.3 16.3
Agree 117 39.0 39.0 55.3
Strongly Disagree 134 44.7 44.7 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.11

Frequency Distribution wrt ColorChoice (n=300)

Disagree
I don't know
Agree
Strongly Disagree

Table 4.11 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the color choice
sufficiency of their favorite brand of sportswear. The table
reveals that 44.7% of the respondents disagree, 39% agree,
10% disagree and 6.3% don’t know whether the color choice
offered by their favorite brand is sufficient or not.

Table 4.12

32
 Frequency Distribution wrt Functional Quality (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Disagree 87 29.0 29.0 29.0
I don't know 37 12.3 12.3 41.3
Agree 110 36.7 36.7 78.0
Strongly Agree 66 22.0 22.0 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.12

Frequency Distribution wrt Functional Quality (n=300)

Disagree
I don't know
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.12 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the functional
quality of their favorite band of sportswear. The table
reveals that 36.7% of the respondents agree with the
statement, 29% disagree, 22% strongly agree and 12.3% of the
respondents don’t know whether their favorite sportswear
brand has functional quality.

Table 4.13

33
 Frequency Distribution wrt Durability (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Disagree 10 3.3 3.3 3.3
I don't know 170 56.7 56.7 60.0
Agree 72 24.0 24.0 84.0
Strongly Agree 48 16.0 16.0 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.13

Frequency Distribution wrt Durability (n=300)

Disagree
I don't know
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.13 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the durability
of their favorite sportswear brand. The table reveals that
56.7 % of the respondents don’t know, 24% agree, 16%
strongly agree and 3.3% disagree that their favorite brand
of sportswear is durable.

Table 4.14

34
 Frequency Distribution wrt PriceHindrance (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Strongly Disagree 64 21.3 21.3 21.3
Disagree 103 34.3 34.3 55.7
I don't know 80 26.7 26.7 82.3
Agree 38 12.7 12.7 95.0
Strongly Agree 15 5.0 5.0 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.14

Frequency Distribution wrt PriceHindrance (n=300)

Strongly Disagree
Disagree
I don't know
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.14 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the statement
that increased price would not hinder their purchase
intentions. According to the table 34.3% of the respondents
disagree with the statement, 26.7% don’t know, 21.3%
strongly disagree with the statement while 12.7% agree and
only 5% strongly agree with the statement.

Table 4.15

35
 Frequency Distribution wrt ValueForMoney (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Disagree 15 5.0 5.0 5.0
I don't know 18 6.0 6.0 11.0
Agree 94 31.3 31.3 42.3
Strongly Agree 173 57.7 57.7 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.15

Frequency Distribution wrt ValueForMoney (n=300)

Disagree
I don't know
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.15 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to good value for
money provided by their favorite sportswear brands. The
table reveals that 57.7% of the respondents strongly agree,
31.3% agree, 6% don’t know and 5% disagree with the
statement.

36
Table 4.16

Frequency Distribution wrt VarietyOfStyles (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Disagree 49 16.3 16.3 16.3
I don't Know 17 5.7 5.7 22.0
Agree 113 37.7 37.7 59.7
Strongly Agree 121 40.3 40.3 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.16

Frequency Distribution wrt VarietyOfStyles (n=300)

Disagree
I don't Know
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.16 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the provision of
a wide variety of styles by their favorite brand. According
to the table, out of a total of 300 respondents, 40.3%
strongly agreed with the statement, 37.7% agreed, 16.3%
disagreed and 5.7% did not know that their favorite brands
were offering a wide variety of styles.

37
Table 4.17

Frequency Distribution wrt StyleSuitability (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Agree 136 45.3 45.3 45.3
Strongly Agree 164 54.7 54.7 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.17

Frequency Distribution wrt StyleSuitability (n=300)

Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.17 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the style
suitability of their favorite brand of sportswear. The table
reveals that 54.7 % of the respondents strongly agreed to
the statement while 45.3 % agreed to the statement.

Table 4.18

38
 Frequency Distribution wrt StyleHasDistinctiveFeatures (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Disagree 121 40.3 40.3 40.3
I don't know 117 39.0 39.0 79.3
Agree 37 12.3 12.3 91.7
Strongly Agree 25 8.3 8.3 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.18

Frequency Distribution wrt StyleHasDistinctiveFeatures (n=300)

Disagree
I don't know
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.18 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the statement
that their favorite sportswear brand’s style has distinctive
features. The table reveals that 40.3% of the respondents
disagreed with the statement, 39% did not know, 12.3% agreed
and 8.3% strongly agreed to the statement

Table 4.19

39
 Frequency Distribution wrt TrendyAnd Fashionable (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
I don't Know 17 5.7 5.7 5.7
Agree 158 52.7 52.7 58.3
Strongly Agree 125 41.7 41.7 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.19

Frequency Distribution wrt TrendyAnd Fashionable (n=300)

I don't Know
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.19 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the statement
that the styles of their favorite sportswear brands are
trendy and fashionable. The table reveals that out of a
total of 300 respondents, 52.7% agree with the statement,
41.7% strongly agree and 5.7% don’t know if their favorite
sportswear brand styles are trendy and fashionable
Table 4.20

40
 Frequency Distribution wrt GoodStoreLocation (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Disagree 116 38.7 38.7 38.7
Agree 147 49.0 49.0 87.7
Strongly Agree 37 12.3 12.3 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.20

Frequency Distribution wrt GoodStoreLocation (n=300)

Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.20 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to good store
location of their favorite sportswear brands. The table
reveals that 49% of the respondents agree with the
statement, 38.7% disagree while 12.3 % of the respondents
strongly agreed with the statement.

Table 4.21

41
 Frequency Distribution wrt SufficientOutlets (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Disagree 209 69.7 69.7 69.7
I don't know 17 5.7 5.7 75.3
Agree 52 17.3 17.3 92.7
Strongly Agree 22 7.3 7.3 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.21

Frequency Distribution wrt SufficientOutlets (n=300)

Disagree
I don't know
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.21 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to sufficient
store outlets of their favorite sportswear brands. The table
reveals that 69.7% of the respondents disagreed with the
statement, 17.3% agreed, 7.3 % strongly agreed and 5.7% did
not know whether the store outlets of their favorite brands
were sufficient or not.

Table 4.22

42
 Frequency Distribution wrt AttractiveInteriorDisplay (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
I don't know 31 10.3 10.3 10.3
Agree 72 24.0 24.0 34.3
Strongly Agree 197 65.7 65.7 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.22

Frequency Distribution wrt AttractiveInteriorDisplay (n=300)

I don't know
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.22 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the statement
that the interior display of the brand is attractive. The
table reveals that 65.7% of the respondents strongly agree
with the statement, 24% agree while 10.3% don’t know whether
the interior display of the brand is attractive or not.

Table 4.23

43
 Frequency Distribution wrt AttractiveAndComfortableColorAndMusic (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Disagree 49 16.3 16.3 16.3
Agree 35 11.7 11.7 28.0
Strongly Agree 216 72.0 72.0 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.23

Frequency Distribution wrt AttractiveAndComfortableColorAndMusic (n=300)

Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.23 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the statement
that color and music inside the stores of their favorite
sportswear brands are attractive and comfortable. The table
reveals that 72% of the respondents strongly agree to the
statement, 16.3% disagree and 11.7% agree with the
statement.

Table 4.24

44
 Frequency Distribution wrt AttractiveAdvertisement (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Disagree 80 26.7 26.7 26.7
Agree 13 4.3 4.3 31.0
Strongly Agree 207 69.0 69.0 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.24

Frequency Distribution wrt AttractiveAdvertisement (n=300)

Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.24 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the statement
that the advertisements of their favorite sportswear brands
are attractive. The table reveals that out of a total of 300
people, 69% strongly agreed with the statement, 26.7%
disagreed with the statement while 4.3% agreed with the
statement.

45
Table 4.25

Frequency Distribution wrt AdsCauseAttractionToPurchase (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Strongly Disagree 31 10.3 10.3 10.3
Disagree 66 22.0 22.0 32.3
Agree 9 3.0 3.0 35.3
Strongly Agree 194 64.7 64.7 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.25

Frequency Distribution wrt AdsCauseAttractionToPurchase (n=300)

Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.25 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the statement
that the ads of their favorite sportswear brands attract
them to purchase those brands. The table reveals that 64.7%
of the respondents strongly agree with the statement, 22%
disagree, 10.3% strongly disagree while 3% agree with the
statement.

Table 4.26

46
 Frequency Distribution wrt AttractiveWindowDisplays (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Strongly Disagree 17 5.7 5.7 5.7
Disagree 19 6.3 6.3 12.0
I don't Know 13 4.3 4.3 16.3
Agree 108 36.0 36.0 52.3
Strongly Agree 143 47.7 47.7 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.26

Frequency Distribution wrt AttractiveWindowDisplays (n=300)

Strongly Disagree
Disagree
I don't Know
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.26 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the statement
that the window displays of their favorite brands of
sportswear are attractive. The table reveals that 47.7% of
the respondents strongly agreed with the statement, 36%
agreed, 6.3% disagreed, 5.7% strongly disagreed and 4.3% did
not know.

47
Table 4.27

Frequency Distribution wrt WellTrainedSalesmen (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Disagree 123 41.0 41.0 41.0
I don't Know 9 3.0 3.0 44.0
Agree 168 56.0 56.0 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.27

Frequency Distribution wrt WellTrainedSalesmen (n=300)

Disagree
I don't Know
Agree

Table 4.27 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the statement
that the salesmen at the stores are well-trained and
knowledgeable. The table reveals that 56% of the
participants agree, 41% disagree while 3% did not know

48
Table 4.28

Frequency Distribution wrt Helping Salesmen (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Disagree 104 34.7 34.7 34.7
I don't know 11 3.7 3.7 38.3
Agree 171 57.0 57.0 95.3
Strongly Agree 14 4.7 4.7 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.28

Frequency Distribution wrt Helping Salesmen (n=300)

Disagree
I don't know
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.28 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the statement
that the salespersons at the stores are willing to help
them. The table reveals that 57% of the respondents agree
with the statement, 34.7% disagree, 4.7% strongly agree and
3.7% don’t know whether the salesmen at the stores of their
favorite brands are helpful or not.

49
Table 4.29

Frequency Distribution wrt FriendlyAndCourteousSalesmen (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Disagree 87 29.0 29.0 29.0
I don't Know 11 3.7 3.7 32.7
Agree 188 62.7 62.7 95.3
Strongly Agree 14 4.7 4.7 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.29

Frequency Distribution wrt FriendlyAndCourteousSalesmen (n=300)

Disagree
I don't Know
Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.29 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the statement
that the salespersons at the stores are friendly and
courteous. The table reveals that out of a total of 300
respondents, 62.7% agree, 29% disagree, 4.7% strongly agree
while 3.7% did not know whether the salespersons at the
stores were friendly and courteous.

50
Table 4.30

Frequency Distribution wrt NeatAppearanceOfSalesmen (n=300)

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Agree 159 53.0 53.0 53.0
Strongly Agree 141 47.0 47.0 100.0
Total 300 100.0 100.0

Figure 4.30

Frequency Distribution wrt NeatAppearanceOfSalesmen (n=300)

Agree
Strongly Agree

Table 4.30 and its accompanying figure show the frequency

distribution of respondents with respect to the statement
that the salespersons of the stores have a neat appearance.
The table reveals that 53% of the respondents agree with the
statement and 47% strongly agree with this statement.

51
 Major Findings

Most of the respondents considered a majority of the factors

outlined in the questionnaire to be vital and extremely
important for brand loyalty of sportswear. However, upon
analysis, it was evident that some factors were more
important and carried more importance as compared to others.
These factors include the neat appearance of store salesmen,
the suitability of the styles offered by the brand for the
consumer, Attractive window displays, Attractive Interior
display, trendy and fashionable styles of brand, good value
of money provided by brand and the use of comfortable
materials by the sportswear brands. All of these above-
mentioned factors received a high number of positive
responses by the respondents thus, highlighting their
importance for brand loyalty of sportswear consumers in
Pakistan. Another finding was that Pakistani sportswear
consumers tend to be brand loyal and stick to the brands of
their choice when purchasing sportswear.

Although in general, all of the factors included in the

questionnaire are important, there were also some factors
highlighted that, the respondents felt, were not as relevant
as other factors for the brand loyalty of sportswear. These
factors included purchasing of their favorite brands
regardless of price, the availability of sufficient color
choice by the brand, the distinctive features of styles and
the presence of sufficient outlets of the brand

52
 CHAPTER NO. 5

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The findings indicate that most of the respondents agree

with the importance and relevance of most of the brand
loyalty factors of sportswear brand loyalty. It is evident
that the respondents agree with most of the brand loyalty
factors mentioned in the questionnaire regardless of the
gender, university and class rank.

The sample population for this study consists of the

student bodies of various educational institutions of
Islamabad and Wah Cantt. Consumers in this segment tend to
show a high interest in purchasing sportswear because of
their interest in sports as well as their inclination to
look trendy and casual. They want to reflect their
personality through their belongings and for them, clothing
is one major item towards this purpose. Thus, this segment
provides a significant opportunity for sportswear marketers
and manufacturers in Pakistan.

However, recognizing this opportunity, a large number of

firms have entered the market that specialize in
manufacturing or marketing sportswear to the above-defined
target segment. Because of the rising competition, these
firms are now resorting to develop their brands in order to
attract new customers and retain current customers. The
reason for this emphasis is that these branding efforts can
help the firms to create brand loyal customers who do not
switch brands. Also, retaining a customer tends to be
cheaper than attracting a new one. The sportswear

53
manufacturers thus need to develop their brands in-line with
the factors which their potential consumers see as most
important.

A majority of the respondents expressed their importance for

'brand name' factors like Brand reputation, Prestige and
Personality Reflection. This shows that the young consumers
clamor for brands that have a good image, name and prestige
because it helps them improve their image and helps them
differentiate themselves from their peers. They want to
reflect their personality through 'prestigious' image brands
because this helps them to feel important.

Consumers also value some 'Product Quality' attributes like

the fitting size of the brand offerings and the use of
comfortable materials by the brand. This highlights the fact
that the consumers target not only aesthetics but also other
'experience' quality features like the usage of comfortable
materials and appropriate sizes and fittings. Usage of
comfortable materials and appropriate sizes and fittings
help consumers to stay comfortable when they are wearing
their sportswear items of their favorite brands.

Consumers also place a close eye on the value for money

provided by their favorite brands. A large number of
respondents thought that value for money was a very
influential factor when determining their favorite
sportswear brand. This goes on to show that although
Pakistani consumers are brand conscious, they are also value
conscious.

The findings also reveal that according to the respondents,

the most important factor for brand loyalty is style. They
placed an absolute importance on style suitability of the

54
brand for themselves while having a wide variety of styles
that are trendy and fashionable, are also very important for
the respondents from a brand loyalty point of view. All the
respondents in the study expressed the importance of style
suitability, so, according to the research, style
suitability is a brand loyalty factor that should not be
overlooked. Thus, brands that can develop styles based on
the needs and wants of the market have a certain edge.
Brands that offer variety and trendy and fashionable styles
also improve their brand loyalty among consumers.

Respondents also value the 'Store Environment' of their

favorite brands. One attribute of store environment which
was highly stressed was the attractive interior of the
stores. Attractive and comfortable color and music in the
stores was also highly appreciated by the audience and thus,
it contributes to the brand loyalty of the respondents.
Thus, a sportswear marketer should concentrate on the
interior of its stores and introduce colors and music which
are comfortable to increase appeal for its brands.

'Promotion' was another considerable brand loyalty factor

and among its attributes the one that was most admired was
attractive window displays. This highlights the fact that
youngsters like to shop out in groups and like to window-
shop. Thus, an attractive window display can attract them
and create a sense of brand loyalty.

Finally, among the service quality factors which were most

appreciated is the neat appearance of salesmen. All the
respondents included in the study identified this as a major
source of brand loyalty. Thus, sportswear marketers should
pay serious attention to the appearance of their sales staff

55
and make sure they are neat and clean, in order to win brand
loyalty from consumers.

The findings also suggest that, a majority of sportswear

consumers in Pakistan are loyal to a certain brand of
sportswear. So, sportswear businesses that are building
brands and establishing them stand a better chance of
creating loyal customers and retaining them.

Some of the factors and brand attributes which the

respondents did not value and which sportswear marketers
need to keep an eye on, so as not to lose brand loyalty are
Price of brand, and the hindrance of purchase intentions
because of increase in prices of the brand. This shows that
although Pakistani consumers might be brand loyal, they are
price conscious too and as identified in the paragraphs
above they are value conscious, too. So a sportswear
marketer must think twice before increasing prices and must
do proper research before setting prices because customers
are price-conscious.

Similarly, respondents did not attach considerable

importance to color choices offered by the brand or
distinctive style features. This means that makers of
sportswear should focus on simplicity and as outlined in the
paragraphs above, should offer a wide variety of styles
rather than offering distinctive features of the same style.

Respondents also did not place a major importance and value

on having a sufficient number of outlets for a brand. This
means that if a brand offers the right type of styles that
are trendy, fashionable and suitable, are in the proper
price-ranges and has neatly dressed salesmen, offers value
for money, then this brand has a significant chance of

56
creating brand loyalty. Also, if a brand has all the above
factors, respondents don't necessarily view a lesser number
of stores as a hindrance, but will seek these fewer number
of stores for their purchases.

57
 Recommendations

The main findings indicate that there are some areas of

paramount significance from a brand loyalty point-of-view
which sportswear marketers in Pakistan cannot afford to
overlook. Following are some of the recommendations for
sportswear marketers in light of the findings of this study
which would help the sportswear marketers to develop their
brands effectively and successfully.

 The styles of sportswear should be suitable for the

targeted consumers in order for the consumers to be
brand loyal. The sportswear marketers should carry out
market research and identify the needs and wants of
their potential market in order to offer styles which
suit their target consumers. No brand loyalty efforts
can succeed unless style suitability for consumers is
ensured.
 The neat and clean appearance of the salesmen should be
ensured. Salesmen should be provided neat and clean
clothes and should have a neat appearance in the
stores. This can contribute towards brand loyalty.
 Interior Display of the store should be attractive. It
should be neat and clean and have attractive and
comfortable colors and music. This creates a strong
brand image and produces brand loyalty.
 Window Displays should be made as attractive as
possible because the consumers normally judge the
quality of the brand and the items offered by it
through the window displays.

58
 Styles of the sportswear should be trendy and
fashionable in order to promote brand loyalty in
potential consumers.
 Sportswear brands should offer good value for money to
their consumers. Products and offerings should be
priced properly as price is a serious consideration
during the purchase. People's purchase decisions are
negatively affected when prices are raised.
 It should be ensured that the materials used in the
brands' products are comfortable. This enhances the use
of these products and creates satisfaction which boosts
brand loyalty.
 In light of this study, sportswear makers should not
waste their resources on creating more and more
outlets. Instead, they should focus on the
recommendations outlined above and use their resources
towards these goals in order to make consumers brand
loyal.
 Instead of offering a wide variety of color choices and
distinctive features in a certain style, sportswear
makers should focus on offering a wide variety of
styles.
 Style and promotion are the most powerful brand loyalty
factors so sportswear businesses should focus on them.
 Sportswear makers should focus on building their brands
because Pakistani consumers are brand loyal and prefer
to purchase sportswear from their favorite brands.

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 APPENDIX

RESPONDENT PROFILE

Please tell us about yourself:

1. Your Gender: M ____ F _____
2. What is the name of your university?

3. Can you specify your class rank?

Graduation ( ) Post-Graduation ( ) MS ( )
Please specify if any
other:________________________________

4. Have you purchased any sportswear during the past

year?
Yes ( ) No ( )
5. Are you especially loyal to a brand of sportswear?
Yes ( ) No ( )
6. Please list the brands of 5 items of sportswear you
purchased
lately:_______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

63
Please indicate your level of agreement with the statements
that best describe your feeling towards your favorite
brand by circling the appropriate number ( Note: 1=
Strongly Disagree, 2=Disagree, 3= I don’t know, 4=
Agree, 5= Strongly Agree).

Brand name
(a) The brand is reputable.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
(b) The prestigious brand name and image attract me to
purchase from the brand.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
(c) The brand name is selected regardless of price.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
(d) The brand reflects my own personality.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )

Product Quality

(a) The size measurement of sportswear fits me very

much
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
(b) The materials used by the brand of sportswear are
comfortable
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
(c) The brand has sufficient color choice of
sportswear I need.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
(d) Sportswear of the brand has good functional
quality (e.g. breathable, waterproof, odor-
resistant, light weight).
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )

64
 (e) Sportswear of the brand is durable
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
Price
(a) The increased price would not hinder my purchase
intention.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
(b) The brand provides good value for money.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )

Style
(a) The brand of sportswear provides wide variety of
styles for me to choose
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
(b) Styles of the brand of sportswear are suitable for
me.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
(c) Styles of the brand of sportswear have distinctive
features.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
(d) Styles of the brand of sportswear are trendy and
fashionable
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )

Store Environment
(a) The brand has good store locations and easy to
access.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
(b) The brand has sufficient outlets.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
(c) The interior display of the brand is attractive.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )

65
 (d) Color and music inside the stores are attractive
and comfortable.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )

Promotion
(a) Advertisements of the brand are attractive.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
(b) Advertisements of the brand attract me to purchase
more frequently.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
(c) Window Displays of the stores are attractive.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )

Service Quality
(a) Salespersons of the stores are well-trained and
knowledgeable.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
(b) Sales persons of the stores are willing to help me.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
(c) Sales persons of the stores are friendly and
courteous.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
(d) Salespersons of the stores have neat appearance.
( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )

*************************

ESSAY RATER REPORTS

66
CHAPTER NO.1

CHAPTER NO.2

67
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CHAPTER NO.3

CHAPTER NO.5

69
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