Shopping goods may be sub-divided into two groups—(a) fashion goods and (b) service goods. A fashion is a style which happens to be popular at a given time. Fashion goods are those shopping goods which are purchased for their appearance, distinctiveness or style, size, colors. materials, designs and patterns pare important in fashion goods. Examples of fashion goods might include furniture, apparel and better grades of pictures, jewellery luggage and gifts.
Marketing Characteristics of Fashion Goods
Fashion goods are characterized by the prevalence of the the fashion cycle. A fashion cycle is commonly composed of three stages : (a) distinctive stage, (h) popular stage (c) waning or declining stage. The article at the “distinctive stage” is made of very expensive materials and workmanship. The price tends to be high and only fashion-wise purchasers with ample funds buy it. Some consumers in this stage are especially willing to pay the price to buy the products different from those possessed by the majority. Many of these consumers patronize manufacturers or distributors who make or handle goods in small quantities. As the style becomes more widely accepted it passes into the second stage, called “popular stage.” At this stage the articles are generally made of less expensive materials and workmanship, distributed through many retail stores and prices are lower than during the first stage.
Here we have a fashion—that is a currently popular style. During the third stage—”the waning stage—the style passes out of fashion when the manufacturers go into mass production (if the fashion gives assurance of’ obtaining popularity among the masses). the products usually becomes so cheap and so generally worn out that consumers tire of it and it finally disappears. In the third stage, the particular style of product certainly becomes less attractive to the original style leaders and they seek other styles and run through another cycle. It is thus obvious that at first gradually and then rapidly sales of the style begin to rise. But after a period of time, sales of this particular style begin to slow up and then decrease.
Difference Between Style, Fashion And Fad
Style, fashion and fad are three different but interrelated terms. Style is a characteristic or distinctive mode or method of expression, presentation or conception in the field of art. Fashion refers to the currently accepted or popular style. While a particular style is popular it is called fashion. While style does not change fashion does.If a particular fashion seems to be rather exaggerated or fashionable only to certain groups who are particularly enthusiastic, but so fickle that fashion does not last too tong—it is called fad.
