1-4. External Influences In Girdle Selection
Women are apparently susceptible to a wide variety of external influences when they are planning the purchase of a new girdle. Although it is difficult to precisely measure the relative importance of the role played by each of these influences, it can be said that the factors which are most likely to influence the decision to purchase a specific girdle are salesladies, advice from friends and relatives, and to some extent, advertising.
Salesladies apparently play a major role in determining the brand, and sometimes the type of girdle the consumer will ultimately purchase. Many women cited the advice of these salesladies as influencing them in choosing between alternate girdles.
Interestingly, salespeople apparently exert their influence at two distinct levels. Initially, they influence girdle selection by carefully selecting, and thus limiting, the girdles to be shown to the customer. Secondly, the customer has usually narrowed down the choice to two or three girdles. At this time, the saleslady may be asked for her opinion about which girdle fits best, looks best, the "best buy," etc.
Some examples of the ways in which sales personnel can influence girdle selection:
- "I never go for style. I've been going to the same salesgirl for years and she knows what I want."
- "The salesgirl advised me to buy it. It was stitched in a floral pattern."
- "I remember when I weighed 172 lbs. I had to get a girdle because of a bad back. I had to go and ask the saleslady to find me a girdle that would do such-and-such, and she would suggest a girdle and fit it for me."
Friends and relatives also play a role in influencing the girdle purchase decision. Many women actively seek the advice of, or discuss problems they are having with their present girdles, with friends and relatives before going to purchase a girdle.
Mothers of teenage girls, for instance. seem very influential in their daughters' first girdle purchase. In some cases, the mother brought home her own brand for the daughter to try. Interestingly, mothers choosing for teenagers tend to be somewhat more flamboyant than when choosing girdles for themselves. Many bring home patterned and colored girdles. Perhaps these women are expressing their desire to own such girdles but do not have the nerve to purchase then for themselves:
- "First I bought the white and then I bought the fuchsia and white which she loved . . . she didn't know they made them in colors. I thought it would be pretty for a young girl. I would wear them but I usually buy the white."
In general, both salesladies and friends and relatives exert their greatest influence in the first girdle purchase. After girdles have been purchased a few times, women begin to develop their own buying habits. Among the repeat purchasers, one-third were currently satisfied with a particular brand or type and indicated that they would request it when shopping. Another one-third seemed to be aware of a particular brand or brands but indicate a willingness to switch to a different brand (usually on the advice of another woman or a saleslady). The remaining third appear to be much more casual and unconcerned about girdle brands. These women usually describe their particular girdle requirements to the saleswomen and then rely on their recommendations.
As might be expected, girdle purchasers, like other groups of consumers, tend to minimize the role of advertising in effecting their purchase decisions. Only a small minority of women recalled specific girdle advertisements and an even smaller proportion indicated they were actually swayed by any ads they may have seen. This feeling, however, was not universally held and some women did credit advertising:
- "I buy the (brand name) because they have such marvelous advertising -there isn't even a girdle in the picture."
Additionally, some women respond to point-of-purchase displays and sample girdles which have been left lying on the display counter.
In a following issue, subsequent facets of the report will be analyzed. These are the facts of girdle ownership, problems with presently owned girdles attitudes toward girdles, social implications of girdle usage, etc.
Continue to The Facts of Girdle Ownership
Return to "What and Why of the Girdle Buy" Index
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Originally Posted April 20, 1997