Abstract:
"
The research project Sri Lankan Fast Fashion Brands, was carried out in order to
understand and identify out of the available fast fashion retail brands in the country both
of local origin and international, which are mostly favored by the Sri Lankan fashion
consumer. Using a mixed method, the study examined the buying behavior of regular
fashion consumers and their preference on different fast fashion brands local and
international.
Three hundred consumers, both male and female from Colombo and suburbs participated
for the study. 6 fast fashion brands (3 each of local and international) were selected for
the participants to base their preferences on. The research design contained of a
questionnaire survey followed by individual semi structured interviews with industry
experts from fashion retail. Survey responses were analyzed through SPSS and the
outcomes were taken into consideration along with the interview answers and interpreted
for further validation.
Statistical analysis of the data narrated that fashion consumers display similar buying
behaviors when it comes to shopping for new clothes. Contextualizing of the gathered
data helped with identifying how branding supports a consumer‘s purchase decision
within the four independent variables of brand personality, brand identity, brand loyalty
and brand image.
The results of this study highlight that fashion consumers are indeed conscious of their
clothing store choices and value quality over quantity when purchasing clothes.
Consequently it showed how the themes derived from literature contribute towards the
consumer mindset. Nonetheless it was found that Sri Lankan fashion consumer‘s first
preference is local fashion brands as they were found to be more affordable. The research
concludes with implications, limitations and areas for further research. "
