A Study on Custom Made Apparel and Customer Satisfaction

This research report delves into the impact of custom-made apparel on customer satisfaction within the garment industry. The study employs a pragmatic research philosophy, a deductive approach, and a descriptive design, utilizing primary data collected through surveys (84 customers), interviews (5 customers and 3 industry professionals), and both quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The research identifies quality, accessibility, and fit as key drivers for customer purchases of custom apparel. However, it also highlights customer dissatisfaction with high prices and a lack of integration of current fashion trends. The report recommends that garment brands adopt cost leadership strategies, incorporate the latest trends, and improve the accessibility of custom apparel to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. The report includes a detailed methodology section, research results organized by objectives, and concludes with actionable recommendations for industry stakeholders. The findings are supported by survey data, interview transcripts, and a reflection appendix.

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:

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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2.5 Data Analysis Method
Hair Jr. et al. (2015) are of the viewpoint that qualitative, quantitative and mixed data
analysis methods are the three data analysis methods which are generally being used by the
different researchers. The researcher opted for the usage of the mixed data analysis method,
that is, both qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods because of the data collected
method which was used for the collection of the required data or information. Thus, the
quantitative data analysis method was used for the analysis of the information collected through
the usage of the research strategy of survey. On the other hand, the primary qualitative data
analysis method was used for the analysis of the information which was collected through the
usage of the research strategy of interview.
2.6 Ethical Considerations
The researcher ensured the fact that no personal or confidential information was being
asked from the customers who participated in the survey and the interviews. Furthermore, the
information collected from the customers had been protected as per the Data Protection Act and
thereby used only for the completion of this study. More importantly, the researcher had given
the required credit to the scholars whose works were used for the completion of this study
through the usage of in-text citations and reference list so as to avoid plagiarism.
2.7 Limitations of the Study
The most important limitation of this study can be attributed to the narrow sample size
from which the information needed for the completion of this study was collected which in turn
had substantially narrowed down the scope of the concerned study. More importantly, another
important limitation of this study can be attributed to the fact that the study focuses only on the
aspect of customer satisfaction and completely ignores other important entities like customer
loyalty, profitability, customer retention, customer attraction and others which are related to the
topic that have been selected for analysis in the study. Thus, it can be said that had the

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researcher taken into account these aspects the quality of the research or the study would have
been much better.

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Chapter 3: RESEARCH RESULTS
3.1 Objective 1: To identify the relevance of customization within the clothing sector and
its relationship with the notion of customer satisfaction
3.1.1 Context
This research objective had been formulated by the researcher since it will enable the
researcher to understand the importance of the process of customization which had emerged as
an important trend within the garments industry. More importantly, the research objective will
enable the researcher to understand the manner in which the process of customization is being
used by the different garment brands to earn the satisfaction of the customers and thereby their
loyalty not only towards the brands but also towards the garments or for that matter the clothes
that are being offered by the same. Furthermore, it had been seen that the construct of
customization had become an important tool which is being used by the different garment
manufacturing brands for the purpose of effectively influencing the customer buying behavior
and thereby to enhance their sales volume and also profitability. Thus, it is likely that the usage
of this research objective will afford the opportunity to the researcher to understand the role
which the process of customization is presently playing within the spectrum of the garments or
the clothing industry.
3.1.2 Findings obtained from the Survey
The researcher in order to collect the required primary data for addressing this particular
research objective asked four questions through the usage of the tool of surveys from the
participants in the same. The first question which was asked by the researcher to collect the
required information or data for address the research objective under discussion here is related
to the amount of money or capital that the individuals who participated in the survey spend on a

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monthly basis for clothes or garments. The results obtained from the participants in the survey is
being outlined by the below given figure-
Figure 1: Monthly spending on apparels
Figure 1 clearly indicates the fact that the majority (36.9%) of the individuals who
participated in the survey spend roughly around $50 to $100 for the purchase of the different
apparels or garments. Furthermore, it is seen that around 28.5% spend on an average around
$100 to $250 for the purchase of different garments or clothes. This is an indicative of the fact
that the average customers do not like to spend exorbitant sum of capital or for that matter
money for the purchase of garments. Thus, it can be said that price is an important factor which
greatly influences the purchase decision of the customers and thereby it becomes important for
the different garment manufacturing organization to take into particular aspect into consideration
for the designing and also the sale of the garments or the clothes that they offer to the
customers.
The next question which was asked by the researcher for gathering the required
information or data for the purpose of addressing the research objective under discussion here
was related to the attributes that affected their decision to purchase a particular garment or