Review Components Valued by Apparel Shoppers
A given review includes many components – including star rating and written commentary. There’s also review quantity and recency to consider.
Which of these factors are valued most by apparel shoppers?
This year, nearly three-quarters (73%) consider the reviewer’s opinion on specific extra details relevant to the product – including sizing and quality. 71% consider the average star rating.
Review volume and recency are also important to a large portion of apparel shoppers – 66% and 54%, respectively. Elsewhere in this report, we explore the importance of recency for those shopping for clothing and footwear.
The Value of Reviewer Sizing Information for Apparel Shoppers
Nearly all (92%) of consumers pay attention to sizing and fit information when shopping for clothing. 89% do so when shopping for footwear.
Many clothing and footwear brands and retailers provide tools on their PDPs to help shoppers identify the right size. However, user-generated content can also help shoppers determine the right size to order. This is especially true when the piece of content includes measurement information (like height and weight) of the person who submitted it.
In fact, the vast majority (94%) of consumers find it helpful to see measurement information for the individual who submitted a review, photo or video of a clothing item. This information makes it easier for shoppers to find content submitted by those with similar body types – and find how a specific item fits them.
The Value of Ownership Duration Intel for Accessing Product Quality and Durability
Quality and durability are two factors considered by clothing and footwear shoppers alike.
When shopping for clothing, 78% of consumers consider the overall quality of the product while 58% consider durability. When it comes to footwear, three-quarters (75%) of shoppers consider the overall quality, and 67% consider durability.
Clearly, consumers want to be confident that they’re spending their money on good quality items that will stand the test of time.
Ratings and reviews provide those shoppers with unique, authentic insight into the durability and quality of a given product. This is especially true if the review provides information on how long the reviewer has owned the product in question.
Star Ratings Only Tell Part of the Story
Average star ratings give shoppers a great snapshot of customer sentiment for a given apparel product; 71% of shoppers consider this information when shopping for apparel online.
But for many shoppers, star ratings alone aren’t enough. Nearly three-quarters (73%) consider the insights a reviewer provides about details relevant to the product – for example, size and quality.
What’s more, 66% pay attention to review volume and 54% consider review recency.
Today, some brands and retailers allow customers to submit star ratings without written commentary. However, a better approach is to collect a steady stream of ratings accompanied by reviews. That way, apparel shoppers will always find a high volume of fresh, insightful content about any product they’re considering.
Reviewer Measurements are Key to Gauging Size and Fit
Clothing and footwear products fit differently on each person. Yet, it can be hard to determine the correct size while shopping online.
It’s important to provide online shoppers with tools to help them assess size and fit. In addition, consider displaying a reviewer’s measurements (height, weight, etc.) alongside their review. Nearly all (94%) of shoppers find this information helpful.
That way, future shoppers can narrow in on content written by those with similar body types – and learn how a given product did (or didn’t) work for them.
Ownership Length Information Helps Future Shoppers Assess Quality and Durability
Quality and durability are top considerations for both clothing and shoe shoppers. However, it can be difficult to assess these factors when shopping online.
User-generated content can bridge the gap.
Consider displaying information detailing how long a reviewer has owned a product as part of reviews. 88% of shoppers say this can help them better assess product quality and duration.
Check out the survey hub for further insights.