Researching Attitude of Younger Generation to Home and Overseas Brands of Clothes

Lately import-substitution has become an important element of economic strategy of Russia. Clothes market is a key sphere of country economy, where this process is developing very fast. The article studies the mass-market segment that takes about 70% of the total market turnover. The authors analyzed preferences of younger customers at the age of 16–25, as this segment will make up the principle effective demand in the near future. During the last two years the mass-market niche of clothes brands that became less busy after withdrawal of overseas participants is being filled up with home and new foreign representatives of fashion industry. Among local brands that started working on Russian market in this period 57.5% makes up newcomers or brands, which earlier functioned on-line; 25% – new brands launched by companies already present on market and 17.5% – brands restarted by stores of foreign retailers that left market. The research goal is to study younger generation perception of home and overseas brands in massmarket segment and identify marketing aspects of their development on Russian market. As a research method survey was chosen that was conducted distantly by using on-line questionnaires. Respondents living and studying in the Republic of Tatarstan (303 people) took part in the survey. Research findings showed that the key customers’ requirements in choosing clothes are quality, affordability, comfort of the purchase and product-line compliance with modern trends and private style. It was found that for the segment being investigated the country of brand origin is not so important, while 5–7 years ago the image of Russian clothes brands were considered to be much lower than overseas ones. Developing Russian brands of clothes focusing on individuality and identification of customer personality can act as a principle for attracting attention of younger segment. An obvious advantage of work with this audience is the decision of Russian manufacturers not to struggle with the stereotype ‘foreign brands are always better’, as zummers’ attitude to Russian and foreign clothes brands is the same, which was proved by the research findings.

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