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Fashion effects on customer satisfaction: an analysis of the Pakistani shoe

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Article · January 2013

DOI: 10.1504/IJSEI.2013.052761

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52 Int. J. Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2013

Fashion effects on customer satisfaction: an analysis

of the Pakistani shoe industry

Munazza Saeed* and Aysha Karamat Baig

Riphah International University,
Main Campus, Sector I-14, Islamabad, Pakistan
E-mail: myz_munaza@yahoo.com
E-mail: ayshakaramat@gmail.com
*Corresponding author

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to identify the perceptions of Pakistani

fashion consumers and variables that have an impact on their satisfaction level.
The findings from this study are limited to consumers on the eastern side of
Pakistan. A survey was conducted to examine the factors that affect customer
satisfaction regarding fashion. Convenience sampling was used and data was
collected from three sites. A total of 100 usable questionnaires were collected
from Pakistani consumers. Fashion consciousness is rapidly increasing in
Pakistan. A key factor behind the purchasing behaviour of people is that they
are not compromising on the comfort of shoes, but they want to differentiate
themselves from others. This study suggests that the foot wear industry
should focus on certain important factors to attract and satisfy young
fashion-conscious consumers, and other age groups should also be focused on
and engaged. Most of the fashion-related studies have been conducted in
developed countries but in developing countries like in Pakistan, this area is
barren. Fashion and customer satisfaction have not been utilised to explain
consumers’ perceptions. This paper tries to focus on key factors regarding
satisfaction level of footwear consumers in the province of Punjab, Pakistan.

Keywords: footwear; fashion consciousness; customer satisfaction;

perceptions; quality; comfort; Pakistan.

Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Saeed, M. and Baig, A.K.
(2013) ‘Fashion effects on customer satisfaction: an analysis of the Pakistani
shoe industry’, Int. J. Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Vol. 2, No. 1,
pp.52–66.

Biographical notes: Munazza Saeed is a Researcher, and working as a

Lecturer of Marketing at Riphah International University. She obtained her MS
and MBA degree from Riphah International University Islamabad, prior to that
she completed her Bcom from Punjab University Lahore, Pakistan.

Aysha Karamat Baig is a Researcher, and working as a Lecturer at Riphah

International University. She obtained her MS in Marketing from Riphah
International University Islamabad, prior to that she completed her BBA from
GC University Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Copyright © 2013 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

 Fashion effects on customer satisfaction 53

1 Introduction

In today’s modern world people are more conscious about their appearance compared to
earlier times. Gone are the days when clothing and shoes were just basic needs.
Nowadays people like positive change in their life with the help of life style. They plan
for various social occasions to dress up and wear more stylish and matching shoes.
Through fashion a person can express his/her identity. Fashion is associated with the
complete outlook of an individual of today and that is only for today. Shoes are part of
the outlook. People are interested in a glowing appearance. They do not hesitate to
purchase styles of their liking (Moye and Kincade, 2003) even for shoes. Fashion
frequently changes. Customer needs now change accordingly. It is very difficult to keep a
fashion-conscious consumer happy. Consumers who have explicit lifestyle, motivations,
and opinions regarding shopping get more pleasure in shopping (Lee and Kim, 2008;
Shim and Kotsiopulos, 1993). Their shopping motivation is the expression of their
societal and recreational identities (Gam, 2010). Pakistanis are not much different despite
the economic hardships of the country. Youngsters, particularly students at colleges and
universities, are very conscious about fashion adoption in Pakistan. They like to adopt
and follow any new thing that becomes a trend. Their trendy nature never lets them wear
or use anything for long time. They are induced in more shopping-related activities, such
as attending promotional events and exhibitions, and recreational shopping. They keep on
changing for the sake of their own satisfaction.
In modern marketing theory the role of the marketing department is not just to sell the
products but to satisfy the consumers as well. In the modern age companies give
importance to customer value and customer satisfaction. Business is totally based on the
customer, and marketers have to be customer centred rather than being producer centred.
In any business it is important to work closely with customers to certify the product or
commodity that has been created. It helps to maintain a close working relationship with
the shoppers as customer services are of crucial importance. Achievement of
organisational goals depends on knowing the needs and wants of the target market and
delivering the needed commodities in a desired manner and better than the competitors.
As Herb Kelleher, CEO of Southwest Airline’s focused on customers, said, we do not
have a marketing department; we have a customer department (Kotler and Armstrong,
2010). Fashion conscious consumers immediately purchase where they find suitable and
different products.
The study of footwear fashion has been an area under discussion to an extensive level
of research, with most of the fashion-related studies having been conducted in developed
countries. In developing countries like Pakistan this area has been neglected. The
attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of fashion consumers in developed countries are
significantly different from developing countries (Rathnayake, 2011). In this study we
want to explore the perceptions of Pakistani fashion consumers in the shoe industry. The
main objective of this study is to examine the effects of frequent changes in footwear
fashion on customer satisfaction.
54 M. Saeed and A.K. Baig

1.1 Objectives of the study

• to assess fashion consciousness of Pakistani customers
• to identify key factors that can enhance customer satisfaction regarding shoe
manufacturing companies in Pakistan
• to suggest a measure for improving the products and services in the footwear
industry.

2 Review of the literature

IBIS World Industry Report (2010), about Global Footwear manufacturing, presents the
journey of the footwear industry. Footwear was initiated thousands of years ago to
provide protection when moving over rough land in different weather conditions.
Initially, footwear was probably made from plaited grass or animal skin then new styles
came out. The advancements in foot coverings, from the sandal to the present-day athletic
shoe, is due to continuous research and engineering. In the 1890s, rubber heels become
popular, and until the 1950s leather was still popular, but it was being rivalled by new,
synthetic materials. Plastics replaced leather for women’s shoes in the late 1960s. In the
1970s plastics, leather, fabrics, wood, and countless other materials were used to create
and decorate footwear. Great changes came about in the 1980s with athletic footwear,
with the evolution of hundreds of different styles and brands, each with their own special
creation. In the 1990s, materials like microfibers, stretchable fabrics, and other synthetic
materials were included in shoe production. Technology had also improved
manufacturing processes with computerised embroidery.
Up to the second half of the 19th century it was common practice for shoes across the
world to be made by cobblers and their trainees. After years of struggle and
advancements in technology, like sewing machines, local shoe-making shops extended
into factories. Great progression in ready-to-wear shoes was the introduction of standard
size in Britain and the USA. It later guaranteed consumers a better fit. Europe was the
hub for developments in the shoe industry. In Asia shoe machines were developed,
originated from European machines. Europe developed the CAD system that is being
used worldwide. The creation of ‘white’ shoes has been established in parallel with the
USA, with brands like Nike, New Balance, and Reebok. Hitec started in the UK, Adidas
and Puma in Germany, Lotto and Fila in Italy, and Le Coq Sportif in France. Italy has
been the world leader in terms of fashion and design and has a vibrant shoe
machinery-making industry based on progressive technology and is a major supplier of
shoe components to the world in the 20th century. The industries will also increase future
competition based on branding and increased globalisation. Major products and services
in the footwear industry are women’s shoes (except athletic), men’s footwear (except
athletic), athletic shoes, rubber and plastic footwear, children shoes, slippers, protective
footwear, and others.
Pakistan is a South Asian country with a rich and strong multicultural background.
Pakistani people have their own norms, beliefs, and attitudes which shape consumer
behaviour. Consumers sometimes face a conflict between Western fashion and local
cultures.
 Fashion effects on customer satisfaction 55

The fashion adoption process, described in fashion adoption theory, contains three
main variables, as reported in Gam (2010) and Sproles (1979). These are pre-existing
conditions, directing influences on consumer choice and use of fashion, a central channel
of consumer decision making. Pre-existing conditions; anybody who is fashion conscious
and looking for the appropriate option to adopt or purchase. Fashion marketers focus on
such customers as their target market as they are leaders in adoption. Fashion leaders
have more interest in fashion, search for more fashion-related information, spend more
money, shop more habitually, and strive to wear more new fashion items than others
(Bertrandias and Goldsmith, 2006; Goldsmith et al., 1991).
The second variable is when marketers are directing the customers’ choices in a way
that influences them, and so they purchase their product. That is all done by providing
information and assuring them that their product is in their best interest. For example,
anybody who wanted to buy a pair of shoes with some Western clothing, but not sure
what type, by watching TV ads of some shoe brands he/she is influenced towards the
purchase of a specific type. The third stage; customers visit different shoe outlets and
then take a decision according to preferences after evaluation during shopping. Shopping
habits are developing day by day; housewives during the shopping for households enter
into unrelated shops just for window shopping that helps them when they actually shop.
The acceptance process of the fashion leader and the fashion follower may be the same,
but timing is different (Cholachatpinyo et al., 2002).
Tauber (1972) states that customer reasons for shopping: personal motives, social
motives, and impulse buying. Personal motives are personal reasons for buying a
commodity. Anybody who wants to wear matching shoes has his/her personal motives;
social motives are desires that are influenced due to the abundance of a commodity in
society. Any person who wants to get matching shoes for their clothing prefers to buy
core shoes as they are in fashion (socially). Impulse motives are intense feelings of desire
regarding any particular commodity; matching core shoes are in fashion and the desire to
buy shoes, from Borjan especially that is impulse buying.
The focus of marketers is to deliver the quality of a product (that can be durability,
economical price, consoling, stylish design, suitable according to height of customer,
etc.) that meets customer satisfaction level, to motivate them for repurchasing their brand.
Product image is of foremost important to induce customers to spend money for any
particular brand that is only possible when the customer is satisfied. In collaborative
customisation, the needs and preferences of the consumer are identified by interacting
with the consumer. This develops as follows in their mission to deliver customised
footwear:
1 educate consumer about the custom fitting process
2 discuss with customer service personnel about fitting needs and selection of footwear
3 fitting appointment (1–2 hours)
4 fit in, fit information
5 trial shoe fitting and customer endorsement
6 selection of material, colours, patterns, and finalising the order (Gilmore and
Pine, 1997).
56 M. Saeed and A.K. Baig

Footwear is important because it is customised according to the needs of the customer,

and it is a need of the times to give priority to the customer. Such behaviour can only
highlight the good reputation of a company. It is evaluated from many studies that
repurchase behaviour is a sign of loyalty (Bolton, 1998; Bolton and Lemon, 1999;
Kalwani and Silk, 1982; Mittal and Kamakura, 2001; Morwitz and Schmittlein, 1992).
Customisation not only relates to the best fitting pair of shoes, there are many more
factors that are also important.
The emphasis of this study is on Pakistani shoe stores ‘Ehsan Chapal Store’ (ECS),
‘Borjan’, ‘Stylo’, ‘Raja Rani’, ‘Bata’, and ‘service’. They are facing some problems
regarding customer satisfaction due to frequent changes in fashion. People want the latest
designs and other factors also come into play. They are offering best designs just
according to new trends, but some issues are creating hurdles. They are trying to
minimise these by providing after sales services, yet the problem exists. In this context,
all relevant aspects are discussed, particularly major factors regarding some sort of
dissatisfaction in the mind of consumers. The study aims to bridge the gap between
marketers and customer satisfaction of footwear consumers on the eastern side of
Pakistan.

3 Research design

3.1 Study designs and methods

This study examines the factors that affect the satisfaction level of fashion-conscious
consumers in the Eastern province (Punjab) of Pakistan. This study was focused on the
degree of fashion consciousness of respondents. Similarly, psychographic and
demographic factors are also influencing the buying motives of customers.
Francis and Burns (1992) stated that apparels could play an important role in
providing individuals with the incentive to remain socially active. Johnson et al. (1977)
studied how wearing style differences relate to the formation of sociability impression.
They discovered that college students wearing in-fashion items were more sociable than
those wearing out-of-fashion items. This raised the important question “what was the
impact of demographics on fashion adoption and customer satisfaction?”

3.2 The research instrument

The data for the survey was collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The
questionnaire was divided into three sections. The first section was about general
information of the respondents. The second section focused on general demographic and
psychographic factors which may have an effect on customer satisfaction. The third
section focused on fashion consciousness but response is recorded on a scale. The
questionnaire was prepared in English.

3.3 Sample of the study

As the objective of the study was to focus on both men and women, a convenience
sampling procedure was adopted. The sample of the study comprised 110 Pakistani
 Fashion effects on customer satisfaction 57

consumers (males and females) with no age limit. Ten were discarded due to incomplete
responses; the final sample consists of 100 respondents. Data collection was undertaken
at three sites. The questionnaire was administered to shoppers in the D-ground
(Faisalabad) and shopping malls, and to students of various universities and colleges in
Lahore and Faisalabad, Pakistan. These sites were selected because they provided
representative shopping fashion environments with behaviour, where a convenience
sample was available. Customers from a wide variety of the population segment
frequently visit D-ground and different shopping malls to purchase footwear. Sirgy et al.
(2000) suggest that stores situated in large shopping malls are perceived as being
eye-catching and one can be seen shopping. The initial selection of respondents was
made first by the researchers in footwear stores. The respondent was requested to
contribute to the study by either filling in the questionnaire or answering the questions as
the research assistant wrote down the answers in the shopping malls. However, students
were required to fill in the questionnaire. Where necessary, one field assistant and the
researcher helped individual respondents to fill in the questionnaire.

3.4 Statistical analysis technique

A proportionate technique was used through the Excel package, and frequency tables,
graphs, and pie charts were plotted to make it presentable and have a check of evaluated
percentages in different parameters for obtaining the required output. Using the Excel
package, different socio-demographic factors have been analysed whether customer
satisfaction is dependent over them while determining fashion consciousness, which has
been working as a key tool to fluctuate the satisfaction level of respondents.

4 Results and discussion

4.1 Respondent’s profile

Gender should be considered as an important factor affecting a person’s choice of
footwear (Bohdanowicz and Clamp, 1994). Women are more involved in fashion
than men (O’Cass, 2004). Gender difference is a major factor in purchase by a
fashion-conscious consumer, as decision would be according to gender. Gould and Stern
(1989) explained that fashion-conscious women are apt to focus more on their own
external appearance; conversely, males who are more fashion conscious focus more on
who they are, and these men connect fashion with their self identity and internalised
maleness. Compared with men, women are more oriented toward ‘shopping for fun’,
spend more time browsing, more mental energy researching available options, compile
information from various sources in order to make an informed decision (Beaudry, 1999;
Falk and Campbell, 1997; Hensen and Jensen, 2009). Similarly, the satisfaction level
regarding footwear varies from man to woman.
Univariate analysis gives an insight of demographical characteristics of the sample. In
accordance with the first section of the questionnaire, interviewees were asked about their
general demographic information.
58 M. Saeed and A.K. Baig

Figure 1 Educational level of people surveyed (%) (see online version for colours)

Figure 1 shows the educational level of people surveyed. The level of education on the
eastern side is 48.00% with graduate and postgraduate degrees, 31.00% HSSC (these two
groups made up the major portion of respondents), 14.00% SSC, 6.00% primary and
middle, and 1.00% uneducated (the smallest portion of respondents). Educated people
have different priorities, may be defined by their profession or according to their
personality, and have different preferences or lifestyles. For example, it is confusing,
unsuitable, and impractical to wear glittered bang shoes in office. Education is the key
factor that can alter the mind set of people regarding their philosophies, likes, dislikes,
etc. The satisfaction of any customer belongs to his/her thinking and preferences about
the products they prefer to wear.

Figure 2 Age classification of people surveyed (%) (see online version for colours)

Figure 2 shows the age classification of respondents. Sixty-one percent of respondents

were below 25 and above 15, 21.00% below 35 and above 25, and 8.00% below 45 and
above 35, and the remaining 8.00% were above 45. Age is a very important variable as
choice varies according to different ages. Marketers should focus on all age groups and
particularly design. There is no relationship between age perception and fashion
consciousness (Chowdhary, 1988). But the definition of fashion is different for different
age groups, and according to that their satisfaction level varies.

Figure 3 Marital status of people interviewed (%) (see online version for colours)
 Fashion effects on customer satisfaction 59

Figure 3 shows the marital status of respondents. The sample represents married to
unmarried percentage of 33.00% and 67.00%, respectively.

Figure 4 Working status of people interviewed (%) (see online version for colours)

Figure 4 shows the working status of people interviewed. A major portion of respondents
were students while the smallest portion was unemployed and business persons, 48.00%
were students, 7.00% were unemployed, 26.00% were employed, 6.00% were doing
business, and 13.00% were housewives.

4.1.1 Factors pertinent to enhancing customer satisfaction & consciousness

Sixty-five percent of those surveyed suggest their shoe store to others, the majority of
consumers share their experience with others, but the degree of relaying negative an
experience is high. Seventy-nine percent of consumers have no problem regarding the
price of footwear charged by stores. A big percentage of consumers (81%) were satisfied
with their store. Right fashion means you are getting the right value for your money. That
is the reason people prefer designs and trends that are appealing beyond the time, and
people like to spend more happily for such a commodity, e.g., Levi’s and Calvin Klein.
Some brands are just focusing on the elite class; they charge more as they know their
target customer has the ability to buy their product at a high price, for example, ‘HUB’
(manufacturing shoes and handbags for female elite class customers). But if a customer
belongs to the middle or lower classes, he or she will prefer to buy products that are
durable and stylish as well, but within the boundaries of what they can afford. So
affordability is one of the important factors that can enhance customer satisfaction.
In Pakistan people were conscious about their height while purchasing shoes, 53% of
consumers said no to this statement. In Pakistan most people are of medium height
normally, most designs are not available in large sizes, as long tall people normally have
large feet too. Height had a strong effect on customer satisfaction, when a female
customer who is short likes to buy a good design but the shoe is without heels, she is
wearing good and stylish shoes rather than wanting to look tall. So, it can be said that
customer satisfaction is derived from customer priorities.
People prefer a quality product as 81% was said yes to quality consciousness.
Fashion-conscious customers can only be catered to when demands of the customer
regarding quality and other issues are settled in a way that retains customer satisfaction.
Quality is one of the attributes as quality regarding material is of foremost importance
and should be stable. Quality stability means ensuring quality standards in new and/or
existing products’ development and manufacturing processes. In a highly competitive
environment, customer satisfaction can also be achieved by providing the right quality of
their needs (Reid and Brown, 1996; Otieno et al., 2005).
60 M. Saeed and A.K. Baig

Table 1 Responses of interviewees to Section B of the survey

Testimonials/statements No (%) Yes (%)

Recommendation to others 35.00 65.00
Right price in comparison to value 21.00 79.00
Satisfied with the footwear company 19.00 81.00
Purchase shoes according to height 53.00 47.00
Quality conscious 19.00 81.00
The environment of the store has an impact 29.00 71.00
The appearance of the sales person has an impact 37.00 63.00
The attitude of the sales person has an impact 19.00 81.00
Contact a service representative of footwear? 59.00 41.00
Prefer good after sale services? 40.00 60.00
Visit more shoe stores before buying? 24.00 76.00
Know how about latest trends 53.00 47.00
Follow the previous shoe trend in Pakistan? 62.00 38.00
Follow recent trends in the shoe industry? 30.00 70.00
Note: In case sum of Yes/No responses is less than 100 it means not all responded to this
question.
The environment of the store and its appearances as well as attitudes of sale persons had a
strong impact on consumers purchasing as their positive responses to these statements
was 71%, 63%, and 81% respectively. Lin and Ling (2011) concluded that the physical
environments play an important role in enhancing customer emotion and satisfaction.
Store atmosphere is created by the management and environment is significant in the
fashion sector of retail (Birtwistle and Shearer, 2001; Newman and Patel, 2004; Scarpi,
2006) and it could have either a positive or negative impact on customer satisfaction.
Retailers have required discrepancy advantages (price, promotion, location); store
environment has been mentioned as a competitive edge for market differentiation (Baker
et al., 1994). There are fashion merchants that have adopted a conceptual direction such
as a housing theme, a minimalistic concept, or a thematic approach (Diamond and
Diamond, 1996). A store can attain the double aims of consciousness and positioning by
creating suggestive and provoking displays, showing off the fashion collections in a way
that takes visitors by surprise, encouraging them to enjoy interacting with the brand,
browsing the location and finding out what is being offered (Kozinets et al., 2002).
Consumers prefer to purchase shoes from a good after sale services company as 60%
consumers said yes to this statement, but only 41% of consumers contact sale
representatives, showing the dissatisfaction level to after sale services given by stores.
Shoe companies promised to provide after sale services in case of any fault, to enhance
customer satisfaction regarding the product purchased. By offering after sale services,
companies minimise the risk of purchase.
It is a fact that shoppers visit the market before purchasing; 76% of shoppers said yes
to this statement. The level of awareness about the latest trends in shoes was low as 57%
said that they were not aware about latest trends; the reason behind this was a lack of
advertisement by footwear stores. According to the survey mentioned above, in previous
years only 38% of consumers followed the fashion of footwear. But now, 70% of
 Fashion effects on customer satisfaction 61

consumers have been following the fashion. This difference shows a changing level of
consciousness in footwear fashion in most recent years.
Table 2 Responses of interviewees to Section C of the survey (customer satisfaction
determining variables)

Options Variables of interest Response (%)

1 Quality 46
2 Comfort 56
3 Economical 23
4 Stylish 33
5 After sale services 22

Studies indicated that comfort is the key factor behind the purchase of shoes, as 56% of
responses were in the favour of comfort of shoes; the second important factor was quality
of footwear with 46%, after that shoe styling had an impact on purchase as 33%
responses indicated. Only a few people who were surveyed said that they visit footwear
stores in case of any defect for their after sale services, same was the case with economic
factors. These variables were studied because they play a major role in customer
satisfaction.

4.1.2 Fashion consciousness of respondents

Almost all respondents were conscious about their footwear, only 3% did not seem
conscious about their footwear and 22% said neither yes nor no. Seventy-two percent of
people were more conscious about footwear while going to their job or university, 4.00%
were not conscious while going out and the remainder were neutral. A person’s interest in
fashion and their appearance is related to fashion consciousness (Summers, 1970;
Jonathan and Mills, 1982). Fashion leaders are more conscious about their appearance.
They purchase an apparel product because of its symbolic value, such as fashionableness
or attractiveness, rather than for its functional values, such as durability, ease of care, or
comfort. “Fashion consciousness is of superior significance when examining the self
concept of fashion consumers” [Rathnayake, (2011), p.122].
Table 3 Response of interviewees to Section D of the survey (fashion consciousness in
percentage proportion)

Question St. agree Agree Neutral Disagree St. disagree

Conscious about footwear 35.00 40.00 22.00 3.00 0.00
Conscious only go to university/job 50.00 22.00 24.00 3.00 1.00
You prefer matching shoes 29.00 27.00 28.00 14.00 2.00
Prefer matching shoes while going out 20.00 27.00 39.00 12.00 2.00
Durability is a concern 46.00 26.00 13.00 14.00 1.00
Prefer comfortable shoes 49.00 32.00 14.00 4.00 1.00
Differentiate shoes from others 32.00 28.00 32.00 8.00 0.00
Prefer stylish shoes 29.00 25.00 33.00 12.00 1.00
Shoes enhance identity 25.00 38.00 29.00 7.00 1.00
Shoes are part of personality 45.00 38.00 12.00 4.00 1.00
62 M. Saeed and A.K. Baig

The basic concept behind self-consciousness theory is the extent to which one focuses on
the internal or external self. When self-awareness is directed inwards, people are likely to
have more self-awareness, being conscious of inner states such as feelings, moods and
beliefs; when self-awareness is directed outwards, people are likely to have a high level
of public self-consciousness. If a person has a high level of public consciousness, he or
she tends to focus on themselves as a social object (Buss, 1980). That is why people
usually change their shoes because they set their self up to be judged by others.
Fashion-conscious consumers are those who are interested in fashion and demonstrate
their interest by purchasing new products, and their reasons for shopping differ from
those who are not interested in fashion.
Respondents who prefer matching shoes were relatively more in percentage than
those who did not. Seventy-two percent of respondents considered durability while
purchasing, and 15% of respondents were not in favour that durability does matter while
purchasing footwear. Shoes should be durable, and can be used conveniently. Frequent
changes in fashion do not provide space for shoe manufacturing companies to maintain
quality and durability of footwear. New female shoe styles are with thin stripes, covered
stones and embroidery – all that demands time but due to such sensitive work the
durability of shoes is ignored by the manufacturers. Even their manufacturing cost is very
high but still customer satisfaction regarding durability is missing.
A big percentage of respondents prefer only comfortable shoes, as 81% agree to this
statement. In other words, shoes are related to comfort as only 5% of respondents
disagreed. Shoes should be of a better fit and comfortable together. A meaningful way to
evaluate footwear compatibility would be to determine the dimensional difference
between the foot and shoe. Footwear fit is one of the most significant aspects when
purchasing footwear (Cheskin, 1987). This has to be understood when manufacturing
footwear.
Sixty percent want to differentiate themselves from others, 8% of respondents did not
want to differentiate, and the remainder were neutral. Fashion-conscious consumers had
been highly engaged in fashion and focus just to differentiate themselves from other
people (Beaudoin et al., 2000). The rule to be in the market is to be different from your
competitor. Times have changed and people like innovative products. Consumer
satisfaction theories are truly based on examining differences between customer
expectations and the evaluation of those expectations about products and services that are
offered (Churchill and Suprenant, 1982). Marketers are promoting their products by
declaring them different from others, and by introducing different features, uses, outlook,
and colour to their products. In this way innovative products are being introduced and
customers get more pleasure in buying them, in spite of previous old fashioned
commodities because they want to differentiate themselves from others. Fifty-four
percent of respondents were in favour of getting more stylish shoes and only 13% did not
prefer stylish shoes, or might emphasise over other factors. Sixty-three percent of people
were of the opinion that footwear had been enhancing their identity, 8% disagreed and
the rest were neutral. Eighty-three percent of people thought that shoes are a substantial
part of their personality, 5% disagreed or took them as their need but not supportive in
personality grooming, and the remainder were neutral. There are different variables that
can be important for any customer to make a purchasing decision. Satisfaction can also
be estimated as a consumption experience that is after choice assessment analysis and is
 Fashion effects on customer satisfaction 63

the answer to evaluating supposed differences between the two stages of prior
expectations and actual performance of the purchased commodity. Or, it can be said that
the satisfaction of a consumer can be affected by pre-experience comparison standards
and disconfirmation. Researchers have concluded that there is a strong and healthy
relationship between customer satisfaction and repurchase intentions (Anderson and
Sullivan, 1993; Boulding et al., 1993; Mittal and Kamakura, 2001; Oliver, 1980;
Zeithaml et al., 1996).
Figure 5 shows the shoe store preferences. There are many other brands where people
had liked to go for purchasing, including Bata, Sevise, Hush cat, and many others. The
percentage of those shoppers was 48.00. The remainder liked to go to ECS Stylo Borjan
and Raja Rani. Twenty-four percent prefer ECS, with lowest preferences for Raja Rani
(4.00%).

Figure 5 Shoe stores preferences (%) (see online version for colours)

5 Conclusions and recommendations

5.1 Conclusions
Fashion consciousness is rapidly increasing in Pakistan. A key factor behind the
purchasing behaviour of people was that they were not compromising on the comfort of
shoes, but they want to differentiate themselves from others. More people’s opinions
were that shoes were a part of personality as apparels. Fashion in footwear was indeed a
modern trend, and adaptation to fashion shows a consumer’s commitment to modern
values such as freedom, uniqueness, and youth. However, fashion consumption in
developing countries has been deeply influenced by Western trends of fashion.
Accordingly, rather than being a free and unique person, the fashion consumer in
developing countries had primarily been a person who was sensitive to, aware of, and
conscious of upcoming trends in footwear. The research indicates that the fashion
consciousness of young consumers on the eastern side of Pakistan was mainly related to
their consciousness about uniqueness in shoe styling particularly on the part of college or
university students. These results reveal that customer satisfaction was dependent on
education, age, working status, marital status, and income. Therefore, fashion
consciousness was influenced by the external environment and the inquiry of fashion
consciousness in developing countries should be conveyed with a careful understanding
of the socioeconomic and cultural environments of consumers.
64 M. Saeed and A.K. Baig

5.2 Recommendations
• A thematic concept is still not introduced in the footwear industry, even in the West
it is already attracting customers for enhancing tendency to purchase. During our
survey almost 68.17% of people were of the opinion that they are influenced by the
environment of the store, so thematic concepts can be introduced to capture the
environment-conscious customers, and sale persons’ attitudes must be very
cooperative to make the deal final.
• Give training and development to employees and check out their appearance and
attitude.
• Give first priority to comfort when manufacturing shoes.
• Consumers do bother about after sale services. So to satisfy those consumers
companies have to give quality after sale services, as they have to make loyal
customers.
• Footwear stores have to make strong advertisements as the level of awareness about
latest trends was low.

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