The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview about the Dutch fashion retailers' use of internet sites and the Dutch consumers' appreciation of apparel e‐tailing.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview about the Dutch fashion retailers' use of internet sites and the Dutch consumers' appreciation of apparel e‐tailing.
Design/methodology/approach
A selection of apparel chain stores was made with the criterion of having more than ten shops to investigate fashion retailers' sites. The sites were rated by the results of Google's search engines on name. Six categories about the content of the site were taken to measure completeness and the developmental stage of these web sites.
Findings
Retailer internet developments appear to be mainly complementary to their brick‐and‐mortar shop retail channel strategy. Of the interviewed consumers in The Netherlands 15 per cent had bought garments on the internet. Age and gender effects were not found. Inhibiting factors were security worries about payment, privacy and delivery, but the expected reasons such as fun, product information and fit, feel and look were less important.
Research limitations/implications
Since factors that inhibit buying on the internet are mainly connected to internet technology and insecurity, the prediction of 25 per cent of the consumers buying garments on the internet is only justified if internet use and buying becomes more generally accepted by larger consumer groups.
Practical implications
Apparel internet sales by retailers is a significantly growing retail channel. To be successful, retailers should take five recommendations seriously.
Originality/value
This paper offers an overview of current apparel retail internet strategies and an analysis of consumer data about apparel buying. Results are interpreted to offer recommendations to apparel retailers in general.