Sound decisions: The consumer decision journey when deciding what to wear

People buy new items of clothing and accessories for very personal reasons. Maybe someone is looking to make a statement about who they are. Perhaps they want to dazzle prospective employers in a job interview. Or, maybe they stumble upon some discounted lux loungewear and just can't resist.

Whatever the motivation, fashion purchases are anything but a simple fit. It takes a lot of careful consideration to hit that "buy" button on a brand-new fashion find—and the journey to that moment is by no means a straightforward one.

The Consumer Decision Journey report, new research from Spotify Advertising and market research firm Tapestry, aims to unpack how people shop at all stages of the path to purchase, across five key verticals including fashion. The report features survey data from nearly 20,000 audio listeners, with participants ranging in age from 18 to 65 across countries and buying categories.

Interestingly, out of all five verticals, fashion buyers appear to have the least confidence early on in the purchasing process—as well as when it comes time to finally choose a product. In other words, there's ample opportunity for brands to tailor their messaging to give buyers a much-needed confidence boost.

"In a crowded consumer marketplace, retailers are challenged with delivering a delicate choreography of relevant and impactful messages that will aid in their mission to win over the hearts and heads of shoppers," says John Gregory, Global Category Development Officer of Retail at Spotify. "Catching attention in the earliest stages of product consideration is key to final sales conversion."

The path to a fashion purchase

In the Consumer Decision Journey report, we looked at five key stages of the buying journey:

1. The BE stage, when people are going about their everyday lives, before the trigger for a purchase.
   

2. The DREAM stage, when people are exploring and gathering information about the different options out there.
   

3. The CHOOSE stage, when customers are actually making a choice about a brand, product, or service.
   

4. The BUY stage, when consumers are focused on making the purchase.
   

5. The USE stage, after the purchase of a product or service, when customers are evaluating their decisions.

In general, 71% of listeners surveyed found that Spotify helped their purchasing journey.¹ Across all categories—beauty, personal care and wellness, fashion, food and drink, tech, and auto—the "Be" phase is when 39% of respondents first consider a brand.² However, only 36% of fashion buyers feel confident in their purchase during this phase—a lower percentage than any other category.³

Fashion buyers also displayed the least confidence of all categories during the "Choose" stage—just 38% were "very certain" of the product they wanted to purchase by this stage. In fact, only 22% of fashion consumers first consider the brand they ultimately buy during this time.³

In short: When looking for fashion finds, shoppers are considering many options all the way down to the wire.

"It's incredibly important for retail fashion brands to have a sustained presence in the media channels where their target audience spends quality time consuming their favorite content," explains Gregory. "Spotify Advertising can amplify share of brand voice, regardless of where the shopper might stand in their final path to purchase."

Key takeaways for fashion brands

To break past the barrier of fraught fashion decision-making, advertising has to inspire and connect with people on a personal level in their everyday lives. Fashion brands should take measures to make an impression—particularly since only 8% of buyers ultimately plump for a new brand they've never tried before.⁴ Meanwhile, 46% opt for a purchase because it's by a brand they regularly buy from.⁵

In addition, the study found that fashion consumers express three explicit reasons for making a purchase:

1. Value (50%)
2. Making a purchase viewed as fashionable (36% vs. 18% average across vertical categories)
3. Buying a versatile product (22% vs. 18% average across vertical categories)⁶

Amplifying these elements in an advertisement can boost listener confidence in a fashion brand during a time when they need it the most—for example, touting a promotion or offer in a campaign featured on a pop culture podcast about budgeting may speak to the "value" component of a purchase.

How Spotify can help

To target listeners in the "Be" stage of the purchase journey, advertisers might consider airing campaigns during social and active events—like shopping trips, parties, or while listeners are playing games. It's all about meeting people where they are. In fact, 61% of respondents in the fashion category said that Spotify meets their key needs during the "Be" stage, when they're looking to feel inspired.⁷

To get attention during the critical "Choose" stage, fashion brands can home in on optimal activity times—like when a listener is eating, traveling, or getting ready (and more likely to be thinking about what to wear).

Even at the "Buy" stage of the path to a fashion purchase, 69% of listeners are still considering multiple brands.⁸ But Spotify can help them get to the finish line. Sixty-three percent of respondents said that Spotify satisfied their needs this late in the journey.⁹

"Without question, Spotify has built a trusted and valued relationship with its listening audience," says Gregory. "The halo effect projected upon relevant brand messaging can make all the difference in maintaining a fashion brand's value, and enticing the trial of new products."

Whatever stage a person is in on their fashion purchase journey, Spotify can boost their confidence all the way to the shopping cart and beyond. Learn more about the fashion-focused findings of the Consumer Decision Journey report by downloading the Fashion-specific infographic below.