Uniqueness-Seeking Behaviour and Innovativeness of Young Consumers: Perspectives on South African Fashion Designer Labels

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish the underlying dimensions for students’ need for uniqueness and further validate the relationship with fashion innovativeness with regard to South African based designer labels. A survey was conducted by use of a self-administered questionnaire on a random sample of 203 university students in a university situated in Southern Gauteng, South Africa. High cronbach alpha values (? <0.70) for all the sub-scales corroborated the internal consistency of the scale that was used in the current study. In addition, moderate to strong correlation coefficients were established between creative choice (p<0.01), unpopular choice (p<0.05) and similarity avoidance (p<0.05) with fashion innovativeness. In addition, statistically significant results were obtained on the linear regression procedure between the creative choice counter-conformity dimension (p<0.01) as well as the similarity avoidance dimension (p<0.05) with fashion innovativeness. However, no predictive validity was established along the unpopular choice dimension (p>0.05). The results of the study provide a signal to managers in the fashion industry that greater focus should be placed upon designing unique designer offerings in order to satiate the propensities of innovative consumers. Such consumers express clear needs that are different from those of the masses and it is thus the task of the manager to respond dynamically to such fashion expectations. The study is significant in that it adds to the knowledge base regarding recent growth of new clothing designer labels which have been established by South African entrepreneurs as the hallmark of a Pan-African fashion style.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n15p191