The objectives of this study are to develop an understanding of the quality related issues and gaps relevant to apparel merchandising within the South African context, with a specific focus on Fabric Objective Measurement, a relatively new technology and one which could fruitfully be applied in South Africa, but which appears to have been largely neglected to date. Fabric Objective Measurement (FOM) represents a new generation of instrumentally measured parameters which provide a more complete picture of fabric quality, tailorability and clothing performance. The two main FOM systems, FAST and Kawabata, are discussed under FOM in terms of their applications, control charts and their worldwide utilisation. A literature review has been done on the global clothing sector as well as South African clothing industry. The research involved a questionnaire survey of, and interviews with major clothing and retail companies in South Africa with a specific focus on the gap in the South African clothing industry in terms of FOM and other quality related issues. The data and information so captured are presented graphically, statistically analyzed and interpreted, to arrive at the main conclusions and recommendations. Trubok, Newcastle, the only company in South Africa utilizing FOM, was visited in order to obtain hands on experience with the FAST system as operated in a mill. Two different fabrics were tested and the control charts obtained were interpreted. According to the analysis of the questionnaires and interviews, various conclusions could be drawn. When benchmarking a product, quality emerged as the first criterion, 100 percent retailers and manufacturers agreed to this. Most respondents stated that their fabric and garment testing is mostly done in-house while other respondents stated that their fabric and garment testing is mostly done by their respective suppliers. The most commonly used outside laboratories are SGS and ITS. Merchandising and quality complement each other and with proper quality assessment the merchandising workflow becomes smooth, easy and timely delivery of products. All of the respondents (100 percent) supported this fact. Retailers and manufacturers agreed that quality and merchandising are related to each other and hence helping those in achieving product benchmarking (statistically significant at 95 percent confidence level). Retailers and manufacturers conduct fabric and garment tests on a regular/routine basis and mostly use knitted and woven fabrics in garment making. In addition to the above, the worldwide manufacturers and suppliers of the FAST and Kawabata systems were approached to obtain data and information about the number of such systems sold worldwide and their fields of application. This information was considered important in promoting FOM in South Africa. Only one manufacturer is presently using FAST for quality control purposes. Of the manufacturers and retailers covered, most of them were either unfamiliar or totally unaware of FOM and its application. This indicates that there is considerable scope for introducing this highly advanced technology into the textile and clothing manufacturing and retail pipeline in South Africa. Most of the manufacturers and retailers (50 percent) intend to introduce certain new tests in future. The tests that they are planning to introduce in future may include FAST, which is fairly simple, reliable and productive, as well as enhancing the quality of the garment. If used, FOM can improve the quality and competitiveness on the international level which is currently lacking in the South African clothing sector.

Introduction: Entrepreneurial fashion businesses are very important due to the employment, income, products and services they provide. The South African government has identified small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) to address the economic challenges in this country. Entrepreneurship development is a means to economic development, which implies developing an entrepreneurial population. Aim: To acquire an integrated perspective on fashion entrepreneurs, their businesses and the technological environment in which they function, in order to understand the maintaining of a successful fashion business and to offer recommendations for the training and development of potential and existing fashion entrepreneurs. Method: A convenience sample of 100 fashion entrepreneurs in the Vaal Region was selected. A self-administered, structured questionnaire was compiled and used to gather the information. Section A focused on demographic background information, section B investigated entrepreneurial attributes, section C investigated the start-up and functioning of the business and section D concentrated on the technological environment. The instrument was tested for validity and reliability. Results: There were more female than male respondents, which corresponds with recent global statistics. The age distribution of these fashion entrepreneurs was quite balanced between younger, middle and older groups. Nearly three-quarters of the respondents were married, mostly with children aged older than 19 years. The majority of these fashion entrepreneurs had a tertiary qualification, but only a fifth had formal business training while negligibly few had formal training in business management or other business training. Six desirable entrepreneurial attributes were investigated and ranked in the following order: Leadership; Commitment and determination; Motivation to excel; Creativity, self-reliance and ability to adapt; Customer service; Tolerance of risk, ambiguity and uncertainty. All the attributes except the last one were scored quite high. They possessed most required entrepreneurial skills and knowledge, but lacked training in specific areas. Most ran their businesses as a sole career, employing one to four people and relied on the word-of-mouth advertising method. They used computers and information technology to a moderate extent and industrial equipment to a low extent.

M. Tech. (Fashion, Department of Arts and Design, Faculty of Human Sciences): Vaal University of Technology / Criteria used by fashion consumers to assess the quality of apparel products during the decision-making process are a good indication of what considerations to keep in mind for customer satisfaction. Evaluative criteria of concern to apparel customers are intrinsic attributes, involving physical features such as design/style, materials and construction and performance features such as aesthetic and functional aspects and extrinsic attributes such as price, brand, store image, label, country of origin and appropriateness for the occasion, in this case casual day wear. The broad research aim of this exploratory study was to determine which evaluative criteria were used by female fashion consumers in the Vaal Region to determine apparel quality when purchasing casual daywear, and to what extent the various criteria were applied. A self-administered, structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Sections 1 and 2 measured the importance of intrinsic and extrinsic clothing evaluative criteria. Section 3 investigated the frequency with which the respondents bought casual daywear at various store types, namely specialty, department and discount stores, while section 4 gathered the demographic information of the respondents. A representative sample was chosen from the academic personnel of all seven tertiary institutions in the Vaal Region. The majority of the lecturers (38.00 percent) were between the ages of 31 and 40, which can be described as relatively young, constituting a group sometimes referred to as baby busters or Generation X. Although the predominant population group was white (65.71 percent), a quarter of the respondents were black. They all had a tertiary qualification, indicating a relatively high educational level, and an average income. These espondents were predominantly married, either by orthodox or customary marriage. Regarding the application of evaluative criteria for quality assessment, these respondents used intrinsic apparel attributes to a greater extent than extrinsic attributes. Three functional performance aspects namely durability, comfort and fit were rated equal and most important for judging quality, followed closely by an extrinsic attribute namely appropriateness for casual daywear. Three clusters of respondents could be distinguished, each with a specific disposition towards the evaluative criteria. The most popular store type for clothing was Department stores, followed by Discount and Specialty stores.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Science, School of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Global Change Studies. Johannesburg, 2016 / This study examined the retail clothing industry of South Africa and the associated sustainability practices, with particular focus on supply chain management. This study was conducted in order to test the relationship between sustainable supply chains and profitability in the hope that it might provide incentives for managers to adopt sustainability into their supply chain operations. The study made use of a case study analysis through a collection of quantitative and qualitative data of the sample organisations’ integrated reports and financial results to determine if there was a correlation between sustainable business practices and long-term economic profitability. Interviews were also conducted with industry participants in order to gain further insight. The study found that organisations that showed the highest investment along all three pillars of sustainability also experienced the largest and most stable economic growth within the sample. Although this could not be validated due to the limited sample size, the results did infer a positive association between sustainable supply chain management and economic success. It was also found that investing into the social capital of an organisation did have the potential to improve the economic success of an organisation within the retail clothing industry of South Africa. This study identified sustainable supply chain management frameworks that could benefit organisations within this industry financially. Further research is required into this field but it can be inferred that the incorporation of sustainable supply chain management can lend itself towards economic success within the retail clothing industry of South Africa. / LG2017

Submitted in Partial Compliance with the Requirements for the Masters of Technology: Fashion at the Durban University of Technology, 2006. / The purpose of this study was to investigate the eveningwear preferences of single women (unmarried, divorced, widowed), between the ages of 25 and 40, who live/work in the Durban Metropolitan area. This study aimed to uncover the factors that influence the eveningwear purchase decisions of single women in the hope of proposing practical changes in retail eveningwear design. These influences were investigated in the light of social-psychological factors and centred on the concept of dress as a phenomenon of visual communication. / M

Thesis (M. Tech. (Fashion, Dept. of Visual Arts and Design)--Vaal University of Technology. / Fashion information is sought during the fashion decision-making process and can be obtained from various sources such as magazines, fashion consultants, websites, store displays as well as personal communication. Various levels, methods such as internal and external search and types of information at the point of purchase, for example garment characteristics, price, brand, labels, social evaluation, impersonal communication with sales persons and perceived risks are used to assist the consumer in making informed fashion decisions. The broad research aim of this study was to determine which methods, sources and economics of fashion information are used and which types of fashion information at the point of purchase are sought by female educators in Vanderbijlpark during the fashion decision-making process, and to whlch extent, as well as to determine the frequency of use of various types of stores for fashion purchases. A self-administered, structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Section A measured methods of information seeking, section B determined the economics of information search, section C investigated sources of fashion information and section D determined types of information sought at the point of purchase. Demographic information and the frequency with which clothing was bought at various store types were investigated in Section E. A random sample was chosen from the female educating staff of the 22 schools in Vanderbijlpark. The majority of the educators (40.18 percent) were between the ages of 41 and 50, representing baby boomers. Almost all (95.5 percent) had a tertiary qualification and most were married. Regarding the methods of information seeking, the respondents depended on internal information seeking more than on external methods and were moderately involved in the process. Shopping in stores was regarded the most important source of fashion information. Garment characteristics, namely fit and comfort, were regarded as the most important types of information at the point of purchase, while the most popular type of store was department stores, followed by specialty and discount stores. Four clusters of respondents could be distinguished, each with a specific disposition towards the methods and economics of search, sources used and types of information sought at the point of purchase during the fashion decision-making process.

This study proposes a loyalty segmentation model for the South African men's retail credit fashion industry. Retailers operate in a highly competitive market where competitors strive for share-of-wallet of the same customer. The likely victor in this battle is the retailer who best understands customer needs, purchase behaviour and utilises this information to influence customer's spending patterns. The research method comprised a postal survey to randomly selected customers. The process included the construct of the loyalty model which comprised four input models, namely the Competitiveness, Brand experience, Referral and Credit appeal models as well as a number of customer demographics. The Desert scenario, where extreme conditions exist, is used as the analogy for the Segmentation model, with four macro segments (Desert, Oasis, Sand Storm, Rain clouds) being used to categorise respondents along two criteria, namely that of value and relative risk. Segment characteristics are used to segment the retailer's database. / Business Management / MCom (Business Management)

M. Tech. (Marketing, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology / One important motivating force that influences a wide range of consumer behaviour is the desire to gain status or social prestige from the acquisition and consumption of goods. More often than not, individuals purchase expensive and luxury goods to display their social standing. In addition, individuals purchase status products to fulfil their material desires and reinforce their group identity. This is often a case with regards to youth consumers who often purchase expensive, luxury fashionable clothing brands to portray status and impress their peers. This behaviour seems to be trending among township consumers. The township market is a major contributor to the South African economy with an annual spending power of approximately R307-R308 billion. This study sought to investigate the influence of fashion clothing involvement, materialism and group identity on fashion brand status consumption amongst the youth. The research concentrates specifically on township youth consumers aged between 18 to 24 years, located in the Sedibeng district. This study made use of a non-probability convenience sample. A self-administered questionnaire was designed based on the scales used in previous studies. Five fieldworkers were selected and received training from the researcher on the purpose of the research as well as the critical elements of fieldwork. Once the training was completed, the questionnaires were distributed by fieldworkers. The questionnaire requested respondents to indicate on a five-point Likert scale the extent of their agreement or disagreement with items designed to measure their status consumption, fashion clothing involvement, materialism and group identity. In addition, the participants were requested to provide certain demographic data. For this study, a sample of 400 township youth individuals, residing within the Sedibeng district, was drawn. From this sample, only 345 questionnaires were usable leading to a response rate of 83 percent. The captured data were analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics comprising of correlation and regression analysis. The findings indicate that fashion clothing involvement significantly and positively predicted status consumption of township youth consumers. Therefore, the results show that fashion-involved consumers are more likely to engage in status consumption. There was a direct relationship between materialism and status consumption. Group identity had a significant positive influence on status consumption. Owing to the high demand for status brands or products by township youth consumers, it is recommended that marketers should tap the market potential of this consumer segment while considering the influence of their reference groups. In addition, their advertisements should emphasise the brand or product’s ability to indicate status. Furthermore, marketers should make use of social media to effectively reach youth consumers. Insights gained from this study will help marketers to better understand township youth consumers, their engagement in status consumption, and their involvement in fashion clothing, which, in turn, should help them tailor their marketing efforts in such a way as to appeal to this segment in an appropriate manner.

This study proposes a loyalty segmentation model for the South African men's retail credit fashion industry. Retailers operate in a highly competitive market where competitors strive for share-of-wallet of the same customer. The likely victor in this battle is the retailer who best understands customer needs, purchase behaviour and utilises this information to influence customer's spending patterns. The research method comprised a postal survey to randomly selected customers. The process included the construct of the loyalty model which comprised four input models, namely the Competitiveness, Brand experience, Referral and Credit appeal models as well as a number of customer demographics. The Desert scenario, where extreme conditions exist, is used as the analogy for the Segmentation model, with four macro segments (Desert, Oasis, Sand Storm, Rain clouds) being used to categorise respondents along two criteria, namely that of value and relative risk. Segment characteristics are used to segment the retailer's database. / Business Management / MCom (Business Management)

M. Tech. (Department of Visual Arts and Design: Fashion, Faculty of Human Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The fashion trade is a global industry (Amankhwah, Badoe & Chichi 2014:144) that plays a major role in the socio-economic development of many countries (Sarpong, Howard & Osei-Ntiri 2011:98). A number of Asian countries, for example, have been known to thrive in the international textile and fashion trade, owing to their successful training programs in fashion and apparel design (Maiyo, Abong’o & Tuigon’g 2014:63). In South Africa (SA) fashion is also seen as an important industry, as it forms part of economic development programs (Dlodlo 2014:191) and aids in income generation for individuals, not only in major cities, but also in smaller towns and peri-urban areas. Thus, the statement can be made that the successful training of individuals through training programs (with regard to fashion-related skills) has a direct link to a thriving fashion industry and a direct impact on individuals, group and community income generation. Nonetheless, not all individuals within the fashion industry have acquired formal fashion training. Some may have obtained fashion-related skills (such as sewing, pattern making and fashion drawing) through family members, short courses, school or in-service work experience elsewhere. These skills, particularly fashion drawing and illustration (hereafter referred to as fashion drawing), are necessary visual communication tools with which the designer relays their ideas and designs to the client. Visual communication is a pictorial form of communication where visual symbols are incorporated in order to convey information (Liu 2015:41) and this process of visual communication enables both parties to be equally clear about the proposed design (Tatham & Seaman 2004:114; Calderin 2013:148). Thus, specifically in relation to the field of fashion, visual communication is used to communicate designs or ideas to individuals in a visual manner by making use of sketches, photographs, drawings, etc. However, in a previous study conducted in the Sedibeng District Municipality (SDM) (Van Wyk 2007:78), it was found that the most prominent skill that fashion entrepreneurs felt they needed, but lacked, is that of fashion drawing. Of the total sample population, 19% indicated that they do not possess fashion drawing skills. Although this is not a significantly high number, it is important to note that 66% of the mentioned study’s respondents had obtained qualifications from tertiary institutions (Van Wyk 2007:77), which would in all probability have included a fashion drawing curriculum. The lack of drawing skills could be problematic, as this lack relates to client satisfaction which, in turn, promotes the success of entrepreneurial endeavours (Burns & Bryant 2002:42). To address this, the current study was aimed at determining the level, nature and type of fashion drawing applied by fashion entrepreneurs with no formal fashion-related training (FEWNFFRT)1 within the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM). This ascertainment was completed in terms, specifically, of the following: the use of fashion sketches to visually communicate the design of the garment to the client; the challenges experienced by the fashion entrepreneurs when communicating an idea or design to a client; and the need for training in fashion drawing as a means of visual communication. A quantitative, non-experimental needs assessment was conducted among a group of FEWNFFRT within the ELM. It is important for the reader to note that this specific research study formed part of a larger study, in which the data was gathered in a joint manner with another researcher (whose study focussed on the business skills training needs for FEWNFFRT in the ELM). To clarify, data was collected and analysed together, but the interpretation and application of the data differed due to different research questions, focus and context. Therefore, while the same data was gathered and used in conjunction with another researcher, it should be noted that this study followed a unique angle. The reason for the joint data collection was dictated by the specific constraint of the study in terms of the specific inclusion criteria to which the sample population had to adhere. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were employed in order to gather data from respondents. This type of data collection tool was seen as the most appropriate for the collection of data for this study, as it was conducted in a verbal manner and allowed the interviewer to explain questions and instruction to the respondents in cases where questions were in any way unclear or the respondents were uncertain. This in turn ensured a higher response rate and enhanced the quality of the data gathered. Insight gained from this study aided in generating a new understanding of the fashion drawing skills training needs of fashion entrepreneurs in the ELM region, which may guide future research aimed at developing training programs, materials and interventions with regard to fashion drawing skills.