Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Meat processing industries in South Africa are faced with the challenge to produce a variety of white meats. This is due to the fact that consumers tend to consume less red meat and more chicken and pork that are perceived to be healthier due to the negative publicity surrounding red meat and health. The nutritional emphasis is on leaner carcasses and an increase in the consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids while reducing the ratio of n-6:n-3 polyunsaturated fats in the diet. Another way in which this can be achieved is through introducing rabbit meat which has low fat, low cholesterol content and high protein content, while displaying a positive fatty acid profile. Carcass quality and meat quality in rabbits may to a large extent be affected by age of slaughter and type of breed. This study had a dual purpose. Firstly it aimed at quantifying the effects of breed and age on parameters pertaining to carcass quality and meat quality of commercial rabbits, namely California breed and hybrid (California x Dutch red). Secondly, to determine the differences between ethnic groups on their perceptions towards rabbit meat, thereby providing information on its marketing potential. To accomplish the first objective 50 rabbits from the two breeds were housed in individual cages, weighed on weekly basis and fed ad libitum. The rabbits were slaughtered at 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17 weeks of age (n=5 from each breed). For the second objective the perceptions of three ethnic groups on factors affecting consumers' choice of rabbit meat were determined through a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was tested for validity beforehand. There was no significant difference between the two breeds regarding body weight, feed intake, carcass weight and drip loss. The California breed had a higher dressing percentage (53.7%) and meat yield (29.2%) compared to the hybrid (52.5% and 27.5% respectively). Age treatments showed a highly significant difference on all parameters investigated. Increasing the age proportionately increased the amount of fat, while the moisture content decreased. The California breed exhibited higher percentages of fat compared to the hybrid at all ages of treatment. California breed contained more phosphorus, magnesium and zinc as opposed to the hybrid, the only exception being copper, where the hybrid had higher concentrations. The total fatty acid (169.2 mg/100 g) of the California breed was higher than that of the hybrid (133.5 mg/100 g). As a result there were more saturated fatty acids (55.4 mg/100 g) and monounsaturated fatty acids (62.3 mg/100 g) in the California breed than in the hybrid (44.2 and 45.6 mg/100 g respectively). Both breeds had 67% unsaturated fatty acids. Although there was no significant difference between the P:S ratio of the two rabbit breeds, the values obtained were higher (+0.9) than the value of 0.7. This is an indication that the rabbit meat contains a P:S ratio that could be considered very desirable. The n-6:n-3 ratio for both breeds were high (11.6 for California and 12.7 for hybrid). The cholesterol and amino acid profile of the two breeds were not affected by the type of breed. The consumer survey indicated that 52% (n=158) of respondents had never eaten rabbit meat before due to reasons such as scarcity, lack of knowledge about the meat, associating rabbits with pets and cultural constraints. Nevertheless, 57% of these people were optimistic about eating rabbit meat. In addition, having eaten rabbit meat before seemed to contribute positively towards acceptance of rabbit meat. Generally, respondents preferred purchasing rabbit meat in portions as opposed to live or whole carcasses. Their decision to purchase rabbit meat was firstly driven by price, thereafter freshness, leanness and tenderness of meat. The respondents expect to buy rabbit meat at a price lower than that of chicken. Rabbit meat contained low sodium and high proportion polyunsaturated fatty acids-some of the most important food attributes required to maintain and improve health. However, most of the respondents in this study were not familiar with the positive attributes of rabbit meat and need to be taught the benefits of this product. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In Suid Afrika is daar 'n uitdaging vir die vleisproduserende voedselindustrieë om 'n verskeidenheid witvleis te bemark. Dit word toegeskryf aan die feit dat verbruikers minder rooi vleis as hoender en vark eet wat as meer gesond beskou word weens die negatiewe publisiteit wat geassosieer word met rooivleis en gesondheid. Die voedingsfokus is op maerder karkasse, groter inname van polionversadigde vetsure, en 'n vermindering in die verhouding n-6:n-3 poli-onversadigde vetsure in die dieet. Een van die maniere waarop dit gedoen kan word, is die bekendstelling van konynvleis wat gekenmerk word deur lae vetinhoud, lae cholesterolinhoud en 'n hoë proteïninhoud, en 'n positiewe vetsuurprofiel. Karkas- en vleiskwaliteit van konyne word tot 'n groot mate geaffekteer deur ouderdom van slagting en die ras. Hierdie studie het 'n tweeledige doel. Eerstens mik dit na die kwantifisering van die effek van ras en ouderdom op die parameters wat met karkas- en vleiskwaliteit van die Kaliforniese ras en die kruisgeteëlde ras (Kaliforniese X Hollandse rooi) verband hou. Tweedens, om die verskille in etniese groepe vas te stel met betrekking tot hulle persepsies van die faktore wat hulle keuse van konynvleis beïnvloed, en op dié wyse inligting te verkry t.o.v die bemarkingspotensiaal daarvan. Om in die eerste doelwit te slaag is 50 konyne van die twee rasse in individuele hokke gehuisves, op 'n weeklikse basis geweeg en ad libitum gevoer. Die konyne was geslag op 9, 11, 13, 15 en 17 weke (n=5 vir elke ras). Vir die tweede doelwit, is die persepsies van drie etniese groepe oor die faktore wat die verbruikerskeuse van konynvleis kan bepaal, m.b.v. 'n gestruktureerde vraelys bepaal. Die vraelys is vooraf vir geldigheid evalueer. Daar was geen beduidende verskil tussen die twee rasse wat betref liggaamsmassa, voedselinname, karkasgewig en dripverlies nie. Die Kaliforniese ras het 'n hoër uitslag-persentasie (53.7%) en vleisopbrengs (29,2%) in vergelyking met die kruisgeteëlde ras (52.5% en 27.5% respektiewelik) gehad. Ouderdom het hoogsbeduidende verskille op al die parameters wat ondersoek was, getoon. Die toename in ouderdom was gepaardgaande met proporsionele toename in karkasvet en afname in vog. Die Kaliforniese ras het, by alle ouderdomsbehandelings, in vergelyking met die kruisgeteëlde ras, 'n hoër persentasie vet opgelewer. Die Kaliforniese ras het teenoor die kruisgeteëlde ras hoër fosfor, magnesium en sink bevat. Die uitsondering was koper waar die kruisgeteëlde ras 'n hoër waarde gehad het. Die totale vetsure vir die Kaliforniese ras (169.2 mg/100 g) was hoër as vir die kruisgeteëlde ras (133.5 mg/100 g). Om dié rede was daar in die Kaliforniese ras meer versadigde vetsure (55.4 mg/100 g) en monoonversadigde vetsure (62.3 mg/100 g) as vir die kruisgeteëlde ras (44.2 mg/100 g en 45.6 mg/100g onderskeidelik). Beide rasse het 67% onversadigde vetsure gehad. Hoewel daar geen beduidende verskille was in die polionversadigde:versadigde (P:V) verhouding nie, was die waardes hoër (+0.9) as die 0.7 wat aanbeveel word. Die n-6:n-3 verhouding vir beide rasse was hoog (11.6 vir die Kaliforniese ras en 12.7 vir die kruisgeteëlde ras). Die cholesterol- en die aminosuurprofiel was nie deur die ras beïnvloed nie. Die verbruikersnavorsing het getoon dat 52% (n=158) van die respondente om verskeie redes nog nie konynvleis geëet het nie, weens redes soos onverkrygbaarheid, gebrekkige kennis van die vleis, die assosiasie van konyne met troeteldiere en kulturele beperkinge. Desnieteenstaande is daar 57% van die respondente wat optimisties is oor die eet van konynvleis. Die eet van konynvleis by vorige geleenthede het bygedra tot die positiewe aanvaarding van konynvleis. Oor die algemeen het die respondente verkies om konynvleis in porsies te koop, in plaas van lewendig of heel karkasse. Die besluit om konynvleis te koop, is hoofsaaklik gedryf deur prys, daarna deur varsheid, maerheid en sagtheid van die vleis. Die respondente verwag dat die prys vir konynvleis laer sal wees as vir hoender. Konynvleis bevat lae natrium en 'n hoë verhouding poli-onversadigde vetsure - van die mees belangrike voedingeienskappe om gesondheid te handhaaf en te verbeter. Ongelukkig was meeste van die respondente in hierdie studie nie vertroud met die positiewe eienskappe van konynvleis nie, en moet hulle geleer word deur middel van omvattende bemarkingsaksies van die voordele van hierdie produk.

The food industry's focus has shifted to growth, profits and efficiency through new production processes. In response, people feel they have lost control over the food they eat. Media has a direct impact on consumer perceptions. Chicken has received extremely negative publicity compelling consumers to question the safety of chicken as a protein source. The aim of the study is to determine the different perceptions that exist in the mind of consumers regarding chicken as a generic food brand and to assess the role of communication in a consumer-brand relationship. Q methodology is the research methodology chosen as it is able to communicate an individual's subjectivity. The researcher considered factor loadings of 0.37 and more as significant. The varimax rotation produced four dominant factors. The variance in the correlation matrix was calculated at 70 percent. The factor scores were determined once the total number of factors with pure loadings had been identified. / Communication Science / M.A. (Communication)

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Technology: Marketing, Durban University of Technology, 2014. / The establishment of choice set from which consumers identify their preferred product and/brand choices arouses some interest among researchers, specifically within the context of international marketing. This curiosity about the influence of a product’s place of origin (country-of-origin: COO) on the establishment of consumer choice sets chiefly emanates from the growth of international trade and globalisation. The gap within the knowledge base surrounding consumer behaviour with respect to the purchase of foreign and domestic brands, specifically within Africa created the potential for research. As part of the evolution of COO research, this study looks into the construct of consumer ethnocentrism (CE) and its relationship with product selection and consideration. The aim behind the study can be summed up in the following objectives: firstly, to identify the moderating effects of consumer demographic variables on ethnocentric tendencies; secondly, to determine consumer attitudes towards foreign convenience goods; and, thirdly to establish the association between consumer ethnocentrism (CE) and brand selection for a consideration set. A structural model was developed illustrating the relationships (assumed) between consideration and CE. This resulted in the developed of five hypotheses. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted within Durban. A research instrument was developed combining ethnocentrism research and the concept of consideration. Within the study, an explanation of the research methodology utilised was provided. 500 questionnaires were distributed in order to obtain primary data for the purpose of the study. A presentation of the results obtained was provided. An analysis of the collected data was also provided using SPSS 21.0 with the aid of graphs and the appropriate inferential statistics. The research hypotheses were tested using an independent sample Kruskal-Wallis test and a Mann-Whitney U-test. A Spearman’s correlation test was used to test the relationship between consumer ethnocentrism and brand consideration. The chi-square test was used to test for the existence of variances within the responses provided by the respondents. The study revealed that only race had a significant relationship with consumer ethnocentrism while other demographic characteristics did not. Ethnocentric tendencies were strongest among Black South Africans. An association was also discovered between consumer ethnocentrism and the consideration of convenience products. The study, therefore, provides a better understanding into South African consumers’ selection of convenience products as influenced by consumer ethnocentrism. The theoretical and practical implications from the research findings have also been discussed within the report with the provision of suggestions regarding future research.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In an ever-increasing wme market in which the decision to purchase becomes increasingly complicated for the consumer of wine because of the greater variety of wines that are available on the shelves of wine shops, wine producers and marketers are compelled to differentiate their product from the rest of the products. This can be done by finding more and better ways of providing the consumer with correct information to support the decision to purchase. Such information should support the consumer in the place where the decision to purchase must be made, namely at the shop shelf. This is where the packaging, which includes the label, is the main source of information. Correct information is a relative concept and the aim of this study was to determine what the consumer regarded as the most important information on the back label of a bottle of wine. A questionnaire was compiled to collect such information and was distributed in the Boland region. Wine consumers who also are buyers of wine were asked to complete the questionnaires. The results of the study indicated that, although twenty options with regard to information, which were presented in the questionnaires, were all regarded as important, eight of these options were clearly given a greater degree of preference. The challenge presented to the winemaker and marketer is to exercise a selective choice with regard to the information to be accommodated in the limited area of the back label on a wine bottle to thereby adequately meet the consumer's need for information relevant to the particular wine / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In 'n steeds groeiende wynmark waar die koopbesluit vir die wynverbruiker steeds meer ingewikkeld raak as gevolg van die groter verskeidenheid wyne beskikbaar op die winkelrak, is die wynprodusent en -bemarker geforseer om sy produk van die res te differensieer. Dit kan gedoen word deur meer en beter metodes te vind om die verbruiker te voorsien van korrekte inligting om sodoende sy koopbesluit te ondersteun. Hierdie inligting moet die koper ondersteun waar hy die koopbesluit neem, naamlik by die winkelrak, dit is wanneer hy daar is dat die verpakking, wat die etiket insluit, die hoof inligtingsbron is. Korrekte inligting is 'n relatiewe begrip en die doel van hierdie studie was om te bepaal wat die verbruiker as die belangrikste inligting op 'n wyn rugetiket beskou. 'n Vraelys is opgestel om sodanige inligting te versamel en is in die Boland area versprei. Wynverbruikers wat ook self wyn aankoop, is versoek om die vraelyste te voltooi. Die resultate van die studie het daarop gedui dat, alhoewel al twintig inligtingsopsies in die vraelys as belangrik beskou was, daar duidelik agt opsies was wat voorkeur geniet het. Die uitdaging aan die wynmaker en -bemarker is om die selektiewe keuse te maak ten opsigte van watter van hierdie informasie hul op die beperkte ruimte van 'n wyn rugetiket sal kan akkomodeer om sodoende ook aan die verbruiker se inligitingsbehoeftes te voorsien, met inagname van beskikbare inligting rakende die betrokke wyn.

The food industry's focus has shifted to growth, profits and efficiency through new production processes. In response, people feel they have lost control over the food they eat. Media has a direct impact on consumer perceptions. Chicken has received extremely negative publicity compelling consumers to question the safety of chicken as a protein source. The aim of the study is to determine the different perceptions that exist in the mind of consumers regarding chicken as a generic food brand and to assess the role of communication in a consumer-brand relationship. Q methodology is the research methodology chosen as it is able to communicate an individual's subjectivity. The researcher considered factor loadings of 0.37 and more as significant. The varimax rotation produced four dominant factors. The variance in the correlation matrix was calculated at 70 percent. The factor scores were determined once the total number of factors with pure loadings had been identified. / Communication Science / M.A. (Communication)

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Masters in Management Sciences: Marketing, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. . / The increasing interest in people’s wellbeing has seen the growth of health and fitness centres (HFC) all across South Africa. It has been a decade since Virgin Active and Planet Fitness expanded their business into townships, with this endeavour resulting in the opening of HFC in Khayelitsha and Soweto. The motivation behind this study is therefore to examine the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction in the HFC industry in Ntuzuma, Umlazi, Kwa-Mashu, Clermont, and Phoenix, all townships in the greater Durban Area. Thus, the main purpose of this research is to ascertain service quality at selected HFC in townships within the greater Durban area. Interest in service quality has grown over the last decade due to increasing competition, which has led managers to finding ways of improving profitability. One area of interest is service quality and how it affects customer satisfaction and its impact on the bottom line, which is why ascertaining service quality at selected HFC in the greater Durban area’s townships is significant. The study was descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional in nature, probing the effect of service quality on clients’ customer satisfaction. From these findings the Health and Fitness Centres can identify more specifically the failures in its service quality and seek to improve upon them. Service quality dimensions that are deemed to be good predictors of service quality for members of the HFCs offering have been related to factors such as the “Tangibility”, Reliability”, “Responsiveness”, “Assurance” and “Empathy. It is hoped that the results obtained will aid to support these centres in adopting practical customer service quality measures that will assist them to succeed in the highly competitive health and fitness industry. / M

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Master’s Degree in Marketing, Durban University of Technology, 2017. / As a result of weaker bargaining power, consumers are often exploited or treated unfairly in the business arena. Whilst consumer abuse is a global problem, South African consumers are more vulnerable due to various socio-economic conditions that affect their ability to negotiate equally in the marketplace. Factors such as poverty and illiteracy contribute to consumer abuse and is perpetuated by the discrimination which was inherent in the apartheid era. Accordingly, the Consumer Protection Act, 2008 (CPA) was promulgated to promote the respect for consumer rights, create awareness, enhance consumer protection and eliminate unfair and dishonest business practices which were prevalent at the time. This study aims to investigate the implications of consumer rights for service delivery within the retail sector. The main objective of this research was to explore the levels of awareness of consumer rights and to identify consumers’ expectations and perceptions of service delivery in relation to the CPA. The research design was quantitative in nature. A questionnaire was designed to assess the levels of awareness of rights and consumers’ expectations and perceptions of the service delivered by retailers, in relation to the service quality dimensions. Using convenience sampling, data was obtained from 337 respondents in the greater Durban area. Data was analysed using SPSS version 24.0 and interpreted using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the gap analysis revealed that the respondents’ perceptions of service quality was consistently lower than their expectations, in respect of several dimensions of service quality. These negative gaps indicate that the level of the delivered service had fallen below the respondents’ expectations of service quality amongst retailers. This implies that respondents’ were dissatisfied with business compliance with provisions of the CPA. Businesses are hence encouraged to take steps to ensure legal compliance, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction and attaining higher levels of service excellence. / M

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master in Technology: Marketing, Durban University of Technology, 2011. / Satisfying consumers’ needs and wants has always been a primary goal of marketing. These are fulfilled when consumers make the right choices of products to purchase. The driving force behind such purchasing decisions is generally regarded as motivation and this varies between consumers, with each one having their own reasons for their respective choices. For the convenience of consumers, women’s clothing is displayed in stores according to the body sizes of the garments, as reflected on each of their labels. However, this practice can be confusing to consumers because manufacturers use differing sizing systems. The resultant sizing and fit problems in women’s clothing have been documented in many studies around the world. The aim of this study is to explore the emotional effects of sizing and fit on purchasing behaviour in women’s clothing. It looks at current literature regarding emotions in purchasing, consumer decision making and sizing and fit and focuses on sizing and fit problems encountered when women try on clothing in a store. Their emotions whilst going through this process are identified and the subsequent effects of these emotions on their purchasing behaviour are examined. The study firstly reveals that emotions are felt, in varying degrees, by women consumers arising from sizing and fit problems when trying on clothing in stores. The results show that positive emotions are not felt strongly. Secondly, the study identifies the influences which emotions have on purchasing behaviour. The results indicate that positive emotions have a significant influence on purchasing, whilst negative emotions have a lesser effect. Thirdly, the study reveals that in the relationship between satisfaction and the demographic profile, age played a significant role in the scoring of positive emotions when respondents experience inconsistency of sizes between stores.

Retailers are turning to loyalty marketing to attempt to sustain profitability by encouraging consumer loyalty. This study aimed to explore the factors that influence consumer loyalty towards Edgars, the largest clothing retailer in South Africa. The study found that the strongest influence of consumer loyalty towards Edgars was price, followed by service and then merchandise selection. The effect of method of payment on loyalty was also measured and it was concluded that the more closely consumers are contractually tied to a retailer, the less of an influence price has on their loyalty towards the retailer. The results can guide retail organisations in determining the focus areas of their marketing efforts for consumers that favour different payment methods. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

One of the greatest challenges facing the clothing industry worldwide, including South Africa is to provide well fitting garments to a broadly defined target population (Ashdown, Loker & Rucker 2007:1; Schofield, Ashdown, Hethorn, LaBat & Salusso 2006:147). Yu (2004:32) further states that from the consumers’ perspective, physical and psychological comfort as well as appearance play an important role in determining a well fitting garment and these are most likely to be shaped by the individual’s personal values. According to Kaiser (1998:290), personal values refer to standards or principles that guide an individual’s actions and thoughts that help to define what is important by guiding one’s choices or preferences of how the garment should fit. Hence garment fit and the subsequent appearance serves as a personal expression, communicating some personal values to others (Kaiser 1998:290) that can be achieved through the fitting of the garment. When female consumers encounter garment fit problems either through body shapes, garment sizing or garment size label communication, an emotional experience may result due to the failure to attain the personal values they are aiming to uphold or achieve. Cognitive appraisal theory of emotions is one of the theories among others that attempts to understand why people experience emotions. Lazarus (2001:55) defines cognitive appraisal theory of emotions as a quick evaluation of a situation with respect to one’s wellbeing. The answers to these evaluations directly cause the emotions experienced by a person. Since clothing can be used to express personal values to others (Kaiser 1998:146), the social standards appraisal dimension which can be one of the evaluative questions in the theory of cognitive appraisal concerning a situation, was the relevant evaluative component which this study focused on. This appraisal dimension evaluates whether the situation, in this case the negative experience of an ill-fitting garment affects what the consumer aspires to achieve socially through garment fit. Numerous studies such as Horwaton and Lee (2010); Pisut and Connell (2007) and Alexander, Connell & Presley (2005) on the garment fit problems from a consumer’s perspective have mostly been conducted in developed countries with limited research focusing on the consumers and their emotional experiences with garment fit. Understanding the factors that contribution to the garment fit problem currently being faced by female consumers in South Africa is an essential step in creating awareness of how this problem affects female consumers emotionally and the influence it has on their purchasing decisions. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to determine the female consumers’ personal values attributed to garment fit and to identify the emotions resulting from the perceptions of garment fit. This study predominantly employed an exploratory qualitative research approach. Data were collected from a purposive and convenient sample of 62 females from the UNISA – Florida Campus and King David High School in Victory Park in Johannesburg, South Africa through a self-administered questionnaire. Data on the demographic profile that included the ethnicity and age of the participants as well as data on the psychographic profile of the participants concerning frequently patronized clothing retailers, garment fit preferences and self-reported body shapes were collected through closed-ended questions. These data were analysed using the quantitative method of descriptive analysis. In addition to the psychographic profile of the most frequently patronized clothing retailer and garment fit preferences, participants were further requested to provide reasons as to why they mostly patronized the clothing retailer they ranked number 1, and to provide a reason for their preferred garment fit option. Content analysis, a qualitative method, was used to analyse the reasons provided by the participants for both these questions. Content analysis was also performed on additional information on body shape and garment sizing as well as data on garment size label communication. Furthermore, the means-end chain approach through the hard laddering exercises was used to explore and determine the female consumers’ personal values and emotions depicted through the perceptions of garment fit. Data from the hard laddering interviews on body shapes and garment sizing were carefully coded and categorized into attributes, consequences and personal values. Data were presented through the hierarchical value maps (HVMs) which were constructed through the software program Mecanalyst V 9.1. The analysis established that attributes such as quality of garments, various garment styles, availability of sizes, and fashionable styles directed female consumers’ most frequented clothing retailers. These attributes seemed to be aligned with their personal values they seek when shopping for garments. The findings also showed that most female consumers in this study preferred semi-fitting pants, a blouse and garments in general, a reasonable number of the participants preferred tight-fitting pants (31%), and some participants preferred loose-fitting pants, a blouse and garments in general. The specific personal values such as the comfortability of the garment, modesty, cover-up perceived body shape “flaws” and slimming effect which female consumers in this study desire to achieved through clothing also influenced their garment fit preference. With regard to the perceived self-reported body shapes of the participants, the study reflected that the majority of the participants were triangular body shaped. The study further found that female consumers in this study have expectations of how a garment ought to fit their body. Their expectations seem to be shaped by certain personal values such as “confidence”, “freedom” or “look good” which they aspire to achieve through clothing and garment fit. However, due to variations in body shapes, problems of garment sizing they encounter when purchasing ready-to wear garments and the incorrect information communicated on the size labels or the lack thereof, the majority of the female consumers failed to achieve their personal values. As a result mainly negative emotions such as “frustrated”, “sad”, “confused” and “depressed” were expressed by the participants. With regards to the effect of the perceived garment fit on the purchasing decision, the study found that fit of the garment is an important determinant of making a purchase. However, where female consumers in this study showed an interest of purchasing, while aware of some fit problems, the study found that exceptional conditions such as the possibility of altering the garments and design features such as colours that would conceal their perceived “figure flaws, made it easier for them to decide to purchase. The study further highlighted that some participants only purchased their ready-to-wear garment at certain shops where their needs were catered for and only when they had enough time to try-on the garment they intend to purchase instead of relying on the garment sizing and garment size label communication. Where participants indicated they would not purchase a garment with fitting problems, the study found that some female consumers in this study copied the designs of the garments in the clothing retailers and had someone reproduce it for them, whilst a few female consumers refused to purchase a garment whose size label was incorrectly communicated. Lastly the study also revealed that most female consumers thought that body shape, garment sizing and garment size label communication contribute to garment fit problems female consumers are currently facing in South Africa. It is, therefore, recommended that clothing manufacturers consider the various body shapes in their garment charts, know the needs of their target market and also use uniform sizing and size labelling systems that are easily understood by consumers that purchase ready-to-wear garments from retailers in South Africa. / Life & Consumer Sciences / M. Sc. (Consumer Science)