There are some people who just love to go clothes shopping. Then there are others who only do so when the clothes they currently own are literally wearing out and need to be replaced. Depending on where in the world one lives, there is a penchant for loving or hating shopping for clothes. In the U.S., there is a clear divide as 39% say they like shopping for clothes, and three in ten each say they neither like nor dislike it (30%) and dislike it (30%).

In other countries it is more clear and mostly in favor of shopping. Over nine in ten in India (92%) say they like shopping for clothes with over half (58%) saying they love it. Majorities in China (79%), Singapore (69%), Spain (60%), Italy (60%) and Great Britain (53%) all like clothes shopping as do just under half of Germans (47%). French adults are like Americans and a little divided on the issue with 38% liking it, 32% neither liking nor disliking clothes shopping and 30% disliking it.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll conducted online by Harris Interactive among 9,222 adults in Singapore, Hong Kong, China and India (June 1 and 10, 2011), the U.S. (May 24 and 26, 2011) and Great Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Italy (May 25 and June 1, 2011).

Brand name importance in clothes purchases

In China and India, brand names are more important than in the rest of the countries surveyed. Almost three-quarters of adults in both India (74%) and China (72%) say brand names are important to them when purchasing clothes and fashion accessories. Around three-quarters of adults in Germany (78%), Great Britain (76%), France (75%), the U.S. (74%), Spain (72%), and Italy (72%) as well as two-thirds of adults in Singapore (64%) say brand names are not important to them when purchasing clothes or fashion accessories.

In China and India part of the importance of brand names may be because of perception of quality. Over nine in ten Chinese adults (92%) and 89% of Indian adults agree that good brand names provide better value due to quality. Although adults in other countries may place less importance on labels when shopping, they do agree that brand names provide better value due to quality—majorities of adults in Singapore (75%), the U.S. (65%), Italy (63%), and France (53%) as well as just under half of Britons (48%) and Germans (47%) say so.

Last purchases

When it comes to making clothing purchases two in five adults in India (44%) and China (42%) made a purchase in the last week, while one-third of those in Great Britain (33%) and Singapore (32%) and three in ten in Germany (31%), Italy (29%) and Spain (28%) as well as one-quarter of Americans (26%) made their last purchase more than a week ago but in the past month. Three in ten French adults (29%) made their last clothing purchase more than a month ago, but less than three months ago.

Looking at why the last clothing purchases were made, reasons vary. Half of Italians (49%) and Spaniards (49%), two in five Germans (43%) and French (41%) and just over one-third of Americans (36%) and Britons (34%) say their most recent acquisition was a necessary purchase. Two in five adults in Singapore (41%) and China (40%) made their last purchase because they were just browsing and the item caught their eye while one-quarter of Indians (25%) say they made their recent purchase for a specific occasion.

So What?

In some countries, like China and India, when marketing clothes it is important to highlight the brand names but in other countries, that does not seem to be as important to purchasing decisions. What is important in 8 of the 9 countries surveyed is an emphasis on classics rather than trendy. In every country but Spain, majorities agree with the statement "I tend to purchase classics versus trends." As these countries are still coming out of the economic downturn, each at their own pace, clothing manufacturers should keep this in mind as they roll out new lines.