How Society Influences Young Consumers’ Perceptions Of Fur And Leather Goods

Why young consumers make decisions to buy fur and leather goods and how the culture of society influences these purchases are important for retailers to understand the role society plays in setting standards or product acceptance for these items. Survey results show that young consumers have positive attitudes towards both leather and fur. However, when society’s influence is considered, there is a difference between young consumers who are more influenced by society and less influenced by society and their attitudes towards fur.

Teenagers spend an estimated $120 billion on consumer goods every year, including a substantial amount on clothing. Teens are generally concerned with clothing and other appearance matters, reflecting the emphasis that society places on appearance. They are less concerned with animal rights issues, so when purchasing clothes, teens tend to consider leather and fur.

This study finds that young consumers have positive attitudes towards fur and leather clothing, but the social implications associated with such goods do impact young consumers’ attitudes toward these materials.

Specific Study Hypotheses and Findings

1. Consumers who are more influenced by society will be less likely to wear fur. The results found that there is a significant difference between consumers who are more influenced by society and less influenced by society and their attitudes toward fur.
2. Consumers who were less influenced by society expressed more of a positive attitude towards fur.
3. Consumers who would wear leather would also be likely to wear fur. A correlation between consumers’ attitudes towards leather and fur revealed that the two variables were highly correlated.
4. The level of importance that consumers placed on clothing did not impact their attitude toward leather and fur, so consumers who place more emphasis on the importance of clothing would not be more likely to wear leather and fur.