The purpose of this study is to understand the influences on Thai tweenage girls' thoughts about buying behavior in fashion clothes, and what factors lead them to buy the fashion clothes. The conceptual framework was used to explore the relationship between the tween girls' buying behavior and reference group; namely parents, friends and media. For further study, it is advisable to conduct a specific research on a specific brand to gain insights on driven mechanism on need recognition towards Thai tweenage girls' buying behavior.
LITERATURE REVIEW
A reference group consists of people who share common beliefs and values and subsequently influence the attitudes and behavior of others. Reference group Consists of people who share common beliefs and values and subsequently influence the attitudes and behavior of others. Influence of Parents Parents have a great influence on their children as they raise and mold them from birth, which influences the way the teenager thinks and acts.
This conceptual framework, shown in Figure 1, was developed in accordance with the literature review in the previous section to investigate the factors influencing fashion apparel purchasing behavior among Thai adolescent girls. It illustrates the relationships between parents, friends, and the media on the shopping behavior of Thai teenage girls to determine whether each or a combination of them can motivate or influence the identification of Thai teenage girls' needs, which is the first and most important step. of the purchasing behavior process. This step is crucial for clarifying the point of view of consumer behavior as it leads to an understanding of Thai adolescent girls.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Because there are many more co-ed schools than girls' schools; 22 girls' schools in Bangkok, and 170 co-educational secondary schools under the supervision of the Ministry of Education (List of Schools in Bangkok, 2014). We allocated one-third of the sample to the subjects of girls' schools. Five of them study at girls' schools and another ten come from mixed schools. The data obtained from respondents from all-girls and co-educational schools were then reviewed to see whether or not they were aligned.
DATA ANALYSIS
Based on the interview, the majority of the respondents reported that they like to visit stores and look around first, until they see the most attractive items, then they will buy them. The following cites the impulsive buying behavior of the majority group of respondents. The respondents also advised that they prefer to shop with their mothers because mothers will pay for it.
Most of the respondents stated that they spent the money on meals and snacks in schools and tutors, as well as on transportation. Summarizing the patterns of shopping behavior of the respondents, we can summarize that fashion is one of the interests of the respondents, but not in the first place. In this 'buy and exchange' principle, almost all the girls advised that they would wear a dress.
In summary, a majority of respondents said that parents could not influence the way they dress, regardless of the suggestions, either negative or positive, that parents give. Many samples have a few chances to shop with their friends, but with parents most of the time. When asked for the tests about the inspired figures from the media, a majority of the respondents answered that they did not have any specific people who are the inspiration for their dressing style.
We found a lot of similarity in the answers of the respondents from girls' schools and co-educational schools, especially the patterns of buying behavior and the influence of parents.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
The tweenage girls always go shopping with someone, mostly with their parents, especially their mothers, but sometimes also with a group of friends. The mothers also bought clothes for the girls from the markets or shops near their office. The girls will wear those clothes (bought by the mothers) if they think the dress suits them - makes them look good and confident.
When reviewing the answers, the author notices two main thoughts that girls carry when buying new clothes: firstly, they 'buy for satisfaction' or 'hedonic needs', they buy if they feel something is missing and they want to enjoy themselves. alone after shopping; second, "buy as needed" or "utilitarian needs", they have to buy because they don't have. In the end, the author concluded that self-motivated needs, the media and parents are the main influences on Thai adolescent girls' thinking about shopping behavior. In gathering information, the media has played an important role in directly and indirectly influencing the clothing consumption of Thai adolescent girls, as girls prefer to look, search, ask and try to get enough information on their own to make decisions that suit them best. .
The author found that many teenage girls' fashion clothing consumption is based on hedonistic needs. The hedonic buying seems to be true for both mothers (buying for their children) and the girls themselves. From the above conceptual framework, we propose that media and parents are direct external factors that influence young girls' need for recognition, while friends will indirectly act as a communication medium in discussing and exchanging fashion information among their peers.
The three external factors shape and determine the reference perception and belief, experience, motivation and attitude of the tweenage girls' needs towards the fashion clothes.
External Factors
Hedonistic buying is often not based on a real need for new clothes, but for this study more on emotion and the desire to look good and feel good. Based on the findings, we would like to propose conceptual frameworks for further studies as shown in the figure below.
Internal Factor
There are two recommendations derived from this study: recommendation for fashion suppliers and recommendation for further study. Based on the above information, it is coherent with the global trend that there is an opportunity for tweenage fashion clothing in Thailand. In order to attract the attention of little girls, it is advisable for the fashion supplier to develop their 4Ps marketing mix based on the mentioned factors.
It would also be beneficial to also create a campaign that would also attract parents, as parents are the most important financial support for their children. Other "Mother-and-Girl" sales promotions should also be explored to get the best out of both parents and their middle-aged daughters. Finally, regarding Price, the girls' perception of price is questionable since they don't have to pay for their own clothes.
As this study only aims to explore the factor influencing Thai girls' thoughts on fashion clothes, for those who want to expand the study on senior fashion clothes, it is recommended to conduct a specific study on a specific brand to gain insight into the driving mechanism behind the recognition. needs of adolescent girls. Because teenagers have limited exposure to the world and are largely unaware of their true feelings and thoughts, it is important to note that researchers need to develop observational and probing skills when gathering information, especially from an in-depth interview. In this study, the author sometimes had to change the approach to the question to reach the respondents.
It is also very important to ensure that respondents feel comfortable and at ease before starting the interview.
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Consumer behavior of teenagers with reference to fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) in Mumbai region.
APPENDICES
Appendix A: Guideline for interview questions
Is it something you are interested in and very involved in, something you are happy to dedicate your time to. How do you say your friends have any influence on you when you buy clothes.
Appendix B: Transcribed data
Yes, first I browse the racks or see what's on them, then I compare them and buy what I like. I don't have much in the way of clothes, I usually save money to buy toys because I want to buy them myself. How do you say your friends influence you when you buy clothes? with an intense and high-pitched voice).
QF3: Do you ever see something in a magazine or on a blog, a celebrity or a friend, and then see it in the store and think “that's what I want too”. If so, what will you do next? AF3: Well, but if I like it, that's good enough (it doesn't have to be what the celebrity is wearing). AM2: I first have to see if (the dress from the fashion blogs) fits me and if I will wear it with confidence.
Name: Pinn
If she couldn't agree with her mom), I let mom win (if she wants to buy me the clothes), but I don't want to wear them. QF2: How would you say your friends have any influence on you when buying clothes. She seems reluctant to explain why she likes to wear a long shirt that covers the lower part of her body like her sister does.
She seems to be shy about her physical appearance as she has a slightly protruding waist). AM3: Not really the magazine, I prefer leaflets as they have many pictures, less text.
Name: Pretty
A5: I don't really follow fashion trends, but I care about what makes me look good and feel confident. was called 'self-centered' in fashion). I've never gone shopping alone or with friends (she can't tell the difference in feeling, as she only shops with her mother). Is it something that you are interested in and that you are very involved in, that you are happy to devote your time to. she tried to think more, but no further comments).
AM2: Yes, especially blogs about Korean singers and stars (still has a big smile on his face).
