Consumer behaviour and preferences regarding children's clothing in Turkey

Purpose – The aim of this study is to determine the factors affecting the consumer preferences and behaviour in the children's clothing market in Turkey, a country where the majority of the population is under 18 years old. Design/methodology/approach – Whilst the study investigated the purchasing preferences and behaviour of parents, such as shopping frequency and period, type of retailer and the effect of reference groups in the children's clothing market, it also explored some children's purchasing characteristics, like shopping decision age. Findings – This study offers some academic results on consumer behaviour and preferences in the children's clothing market: There is no set shopping period; consumers prefer shopping from independent shops; in the selection of retailers, consumers consider payment conditions, pricing, and range of merchandise; in the family the parents mostly make the buying decisions for their children's clothes; the age of children making their own clothing decisions varies between six and ten; the most important factors affecting consumers' decisions towards shopping for children's clothing are the price, quality, convenience, payment conditions, and size of the clothing. Research limitations/implications – The study concentrated on consumer behaviour and preferences regarding children's clothing in a limited population – Izmir, a city of three million. Originality/value – There are few studies related to children in the literature. For the first time, this study has attempted to explore the growing children's clothing market in Turkey.