VF study: Jeans survey finds common thread

Discount Store News, Dec 8, 1997

The majority of people who wear jeans consider the venerable denim products to be part of their own personal uniform, according to a recent survey conducted for VF Corp. that analyzes consumers' attitudes towards jeans.

Respondents in the study - conducted by the Cambridge Group and Roper Research - fell into four groups:

Function Focused (31 percent) - These people appreciate the attributes of jeans, as in durability and long life.

Not Jeans Focused (29 percent) - Consumers who seem to have shifted their preferences away from the jeans category.

Externally Focused (26 percent) Image-conscious people who wear jeans because of how they look in them.

Internally Focused (14 percent) - Comfort comes first for these people, and they are less concerned with what others think about how they look.

'People have intensely personal attitudes towards jeans,' says Kathy Collins, the Lee Co. director of consumer needs, who supervised the study. 'It's the part of their wardrobes they love to talk about. Our survey participants opened their closets, showed us the jeans they own and discussed in detail what and why they buy. Jeans are a reflection of people's personalities.'

The study notes that within each major group, there are distinct segments of consumers with very different motivations.

Of the 2,200 males and females ages 14 through 60 who were surveyed, 31 percent fell into the Function Focused group. Of that group, 14 percent say that they wear jeans because jeans are versatile. More specifically, they have a lot of occasions to wear them, including work.

Ten percent of those in the Function Focused group say they are basic jeans buyers. They are not particular about the brands they wear, and they do not see any reason to pay more money to get more than the basic category benefits. This means that this group is not going to run out and spend $120 on a pair of Guess jeans when they can buy a pair of Wranglers for $20.

Seven percent say they buy jeans because they fit their lifestyle. That is, jeans are not only appropriate for everything that they do, they also have an easy time finding jeans that fit, and they think that some brands are better than others.

Of the 29 percent of those in the Not Jeans Focused group, 11 percent say they are cowboy admirers. Nine percent say they are reluctant status seekers, or more specifically they have fewer needs for jeans and usually look for brands that are acceptable, respectable and on sale. Another 9 percent say jeans are not for them. They do not have as many opportunities to wear jeans, or they are too fashionable to wear them.

Of the 26 percent in the Externally Focused group, 10 percent say they are slaves to fashion. These people want to make a statement with what they wear, and they seek whatever brand is 'cool.' They will also pay more for fashionable brands and want to be known as trendsetters.

Six percent of the Externally Focused group are fit and aspire to fashion. They usually buy brands that they can't afford, or they want to dress fashionably but think that their figure limits them. They also have difficulty finding jeans that fit since many need to hide flaws in their figures. Ten percent of this group note that they put fit first. They look for jeans that make them look thinner and will shop for hours to get the perfect pair of jeans. Many of these consumers shop at the mass level, and to them fit is more important than brand name.

The remaining 14 percent of those surveyed fall under the Internally Focused heading. Of that group, 8 percent say they are discriminating brand loyalists in that they have a favorite brand they strongly prefer. They like classic styles rather than the latest fashion, and while comfort and fit are important, they are somewhat averse to shopping at the mass level. They are also comfortable with themselves and their style. The final 6 percent call themselves independent spirits. They have a strong sense of their own style and are unconcerned about what others think of them; they don't worry about their appearance and will pay more for a brand they like, providing it fits their style.