Purchase of clothing and its linkage to family communication and lifestyles among young adults

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how family communication patterns and lifestyles are linked to purchases of sports shoes and casual clothing for young adults. Design/methodology/approach The survey was conducted in 2005, and total valid samples were 576. Differences in purchasing decisions among various segments of young adults are analysed for two product categories: sports shoes and casual clothing. Findings This study segments the respondents into two clusters, pragmatic and fashion‐cognisant. The family communication patterns for respondents in the pragmatic cluster are more likely to be low concept‐oriented, Protective and Laissez‐faire . The respondents in the pragmatic cluster purchase sports shoes and casual clothing less frequently, and pay less attention to marketing‐related information. The fashion‐cognisant respondents pay special attention to the marketing‐related information and brands can be influential in decisions. These fashion‐cognisant young adults are considered to be opinion leaders, and purchase sports shoes and casual clothing more frequently with higher budgets. The family communication patterns of respondents in this cluster are high concept‐oriented: Pluralistic and Consensual. Practical implications Strategic marketing designed to attract pragmatic young adults can follow two directions: atmosphere in stores and discounts. For young adults who are fashion‐cognisant, directions of strategic marketing are to strengthen the brand image and utilise advertising to disseminate information. Originality/value This study provides new insights into the area that has not been studied exclusively, the linkages of family communication patterns and lifestyles to purchases of sports shoes and casual clothing.