CONSUMER PSYCHOGRAPHICS AND PURCHASING DECISIONS IN FASHION AND APPAREL FIRMS IN PORT HARCOURT

Abstract

This study examined the influence of consumer psychographics on purchasing decisions in fashion and apparel firms in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The study adopted an explanatory research design with a cross-sectional survey approach. Data were collected from consumers of fashion and apparel products in Port Harcourt using a structured questionnaire. Given the indeterminate nature of the population, convenience and purposive sampling techniques were employed to select a sample of 384 respondents. The instrument’s validity was established through expert review and exploratory factor analysis, while reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients. Data collected were analyzed using multiple regression analysis with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings revealed that consumer psychographic variables - specifically lifestyle, personality, values, interest and values - have a significant and positive influence on purchasing decisions in fashion and apparel firms. The regression results indicated that psychographic factors are significant predictors of consumers’ brand preference, purchase frequency, and purchase intention, accounting for a substantial proportion of the variation in purchasing decisions. The study concluded that consumer psychographics has positive and significant influence on purchasing decisions in fashion and apparel firms in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Based on the findings, the study recommended that fashion and apparel firms should integrate psychographic segmentation into their marketing strategies to better understand consumer needs, enhance customer engagement, and improve purchasing outcomes.