The modern shopping centres are picking up as the preferred shopping destination of Indian women. Around 33 per cent of total women buyers favor modern shopping centres than other popular market places, says India Apparel Report by Images F&R Research, published in Images Yearbook 2008.
However, popular market places still remain the overwhelming choice when it comes to shopping for womenswear, as around 47 per cent women still go there, adds report
The research further predicts that the highest segment (37 per cent) who prefer shopping at malls belong to the 18-25 age group; but interestingly 42 per cent of the same age bracket prefer regular market places to malls. While businesswomen (58 per cent), students and housewives (49 per cent) prefer to shop from traditional market places, it is the professionals (44 per cent) and wage-earners (38 per cent) who like to shop at malls.
Just about 16 per cent of Indian women have indicated fashion/high streets as their preferred shopping destination for apparel, with 18 per cent of young women in the 18-25 age group showing a preference for this destination type — indicating the potential for developing trendy fashion streets in the country.
As far as buying apparel goes, women show an enormous preference (54 per cent) for counters managed by women, indicating the potential of hiring competent sales women for womenswear retailers.