A STUDY TO ANALYZE THE IMPACT OF CUSTOM MADE APPAREL ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Running head: CUSTOM MADE APPAREL AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
A STUDY TO ANALYZE THE IMPACT OF CUSTOM MADE APPAREL ON CUSTOMER
SATISFACTION
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1CUSTOM MADE APPAREL AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
ABSTRACT
This paper focuses on the process of customization which is presently being used within the
garments industry and also the manner in which it can be effectively used to earn the
satisfaction and thereby the loyalty of the customers. The researcher took the help of the
pragmatic research philosophy, deductive research approach, descriptive research design,
primary data collection process (survey was conducted with 84 customers, 5 customers were
interviewed and 3 industry professionals were also interviewed), quantitative and primary
qualitative data analysis method and others were used for the completion of this paper.
Furthermore, the paper undertakes an analysis of the reasons which had propelled the
customers to purchase the different custom made garments and finds that quality, easy
accessibility, body fit and others are some of the important factors which had greatly contributed
towards the same. However, the researcher also found that the customers are not happy with
the exorbitant prices which are being charged for the custom made garments, the lack of
integration of the recent fashion trends within the same and others. Thus, the garment brands
need to take the help of the cost leadership strategy, integrate the latest fashion trends and also
effectively develop the different physical stores or for that matter enhance the accessibility of the
custom made garments so as to earn the satisfaction or the loyalty of the customers.

2CUSTOM MADE APPAREL AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................4
1.1 Research Aim.....................................................................................................................4
1.2 Research Objectives..........................................................................................................4
1.3 Rationale of the Study........................................................................................................4
1.4 Main Stakeholders.............................................................................................................5
Chapter 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY..................................................................................6
2.1 Research Philosophy......................................................................................................... 6
2.2 Research Approach............................................................................................................6
2.3 Research Design................................................................................................................ 7
2.4 Data Collection Method......................................................................................................7
2.5 Data Analysis Method........................................................................................................8
2.6 Ethical Considerations........................................................................................................8
2.7 Limitations of the Study......................................................................................................8
Chapter 3: RESEARCH RESULTS............................................................................................10
3.1 Objective 1:...................................................................................................................... 10
3.1.1 Context...................................................................................................................... 10
3.1.2 Findings obtained from the Survey............................................................................10
3.1.3 Findings obtained from the Interviews.......................................................................14
3.1.4 Discussion of the Findings.........................................................................................17
3.2 Objective 2:...................................................................................................................... 19

3CUSTOM MADE APPAREL AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
3.2.1 Context...................................................................................................................... 19
3.2.2 Findings obtained from the Survey............................................................................19
3.2.3 Findings obtained from the Interviews.......................................................................22
3.2.4 Discussion of the Findings.........................................................................................25
3.3 Objective 3:...................................................................................................................... 27
3.3.1 Context...................................................................................................................... 27
3.3.2 Findings obtained from the Survey............................................................................27
3.3.3 Findings obtained from the Interviews.......................................................................29
3.3.4 Discussion of the Findings.........................................................................................30
Chapter 4: CONCLUSION........................................................................................................ 32
Chapter 5: RECOMMENDATIONS............................................................................................33
References................................................................................................................................ 34
Appendix 1: Survey Questionnaire.............................................................................................38
Appendix 2: Industry Expert Interview Questions.......................................................................39
Appendix 3: Focus Group Interview Questions..........................................................................40
Appendix 4: Reflection............................................................................................................... 41

4CUSTOM MADE APPAREL AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Research Aim
The aim of the research is to look into customization and the existing gap between the
traditional forms of clothing with that of the new forms of custom clothing.
1.2 Research Objectives
The research objectives on which this study would focus on are outlined below-
1. To identify the relevance of customization within the clothing sector and its relationship
with the notion of customer satisfaction
2. To analyze the importance and significance of customization of clothing and effective
means of drawing customers towards this new trend
3. To evaluate the ways in which customization can positively make an impact on elevating
customer satisfaction
1.3 Rationale of the Study
The issue that the researcher intends to analyze in this study is the increasing
propensity shown by the contemporary customers towards the purchase of the customized
apparels rather than the mass production apparels. Hong et al. (2018) are of the viewpoint that
this behavior displayed by the customers had necessitated a change within the garments
industry and thus it had been seen that the different garment manufacturing corporations are
integrating the recent fashion trends for the customization of the garments that they offer.
Adding to this, Kim et al. (2017) have noted that the lifestyle as well as preferences of the
modern customers had given to new customization trends which in turn had greatly facilitated
the sale of the customized garments in the present times rather than the mass-production
garments. However, as discussed by Seo and Lang (2019), the major problem arises because

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the majority of the garment manufacturing corporations are still using the concept of
personalization rather than customization for the production of garments which in turn had
reduced the customer satisfaction related to the garments offered by them. Thus, the garment
manufacturing corporations in order to enhance customer satisfaction and also to enhance their
sales volume and thereby profitability need to take into account the process of customization. It
is particularly on this concept that the research would focus upon and thereby elucidate the
issues associated with the process of customization that the garment manufacturing
corporations face.
1.4 Main Stakeholders
The main stakeholders on whom the research would focus upon are the garment
manufacturing corporations, the customers related to the same and others. These stakeholders
have been selected for the study since they are directly affected by the emerging trend of
customization which had become important from the perspective of the garment industry or the
clothing industry.

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Chapter 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
2.1 Research Philosophy
As stated by Kumar (2019), pragmatic, positivism and interpretivism research
philosophies are the three research philosophies which are generally being used by the
researchers. The researcher for the conduct of this study had opted for the usage of the
pragmatic research philosophy. Quinlan et al. (2019) are of the viewpoint that an important
precept of the pragmatic research philosophy is the fact that one perspective or viewpoint
cannot help the researcher to effectively address the research questions or the research
objectives that had been selected by them. Adding to this, Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault (2015)
have noted that the researcher taking the help of this particular research philosophy are
required to take the help of different perspectives or viewpoint for the analysis of the research
objectives that they have selected. Thus, the researcher had taken the help of this research
philosophy since it offered the opportunity to the researcher to undertake an analysis of the
research objectives from different viewpoints or perspectives.
2.2 Research Approach
According to Silverman (2016), deductive and inductive research approaches are the
two research approaches which are generally being used by the different researchers for the
adequate completion of their research works. The researcher had opted for the usage of the
deductive research approach for the completion of this study. As discussed by Flick (2015), the
deductive research approach is one wherein the researchers need to take the help of the
different opinions, theoretical concepts, observations and others so as to analyze the validity or
for that matter the reliability of the hypotheses and the research objectives that they have
formulated. Thus, the researcher in the particular context of this study had taken the help of the
deductive research approach since afforded the opportunity to the researcher to undertake an

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analysis of the validity of the research objectives which were formulated through the usage of
different opinions, theoretical concepts and others related to the topic.
2.3 Research Design
McCusker and Gunaydin (2015) are of the viewpoint that exploratory, descriptive and
explanatory research designs are the three research designs which are generally being used by
the different researchers. The researcher in the particular context of this research had taken the
help of the descriptive research design. As opined by Fletcher (2017), the descriptive research
design is the one wherein the researchers need to link or correlate the findings that they have
obtained from the analysis of the primary or the secondary data with the research objectives
formulated by them. Thus, the researcher took the help of this particular research design since it
offered the opportunity to the researcher to link the findings obtained from the mixed method
analysis with the research objectives formulated in “Chapter 1”. This in turn also helped the
researcher to attain the required coherence with the study and thereby enhance the quality of
the same.
2.4 Data Collection Method
According to Walliman (2017), primary and secondary collection methods are the two
data collection methods which are generally being used by the different researchers for the
collection of the required information or data needed for the completion of their study. The
researcher in the particular context of this study had taken the help of the primary data
collection method. This helped the researcher to collect firsthand or for that matter the required
primary data needed for the completion of the study. The researcher collected primary data
through the usage of the research strategies of both interview and survey. For instance, survey
was conducted with 84 customers who frequently purchased customized apparels and also
interviews were conducted with 5 customers who showed the same attributes along with three
industry professionals related to the garments industry.