Clothing Buying Motives and Store Selection Criteria – the Case of Croatian Adolescents

Th e aim of this paper is to analyse Croatian adolescents’ clothing buying motives and their retail store selection criteria. Th e paper examined their preferences, attitudes and behaviours when buying clothes whether adolescents with diff erent primary clothing motives would have similar or diff erent store selection criteria. Also, the paper determined how today’s adolescents spend money on clothes and whether they are more inclined to purchase branded clothes or not. Finally, the paper explained whether Croatian adolescents prefer purchasing in small or large specialized apparel stores, or whether they are more prone to online purchasing or even buying clothes in second-hand shops. Also, the society infl uences in forming adolescents’ attitudes and decisions towards store selection and purchasing preferences of clothes were examined. Th e research fi ndings showed that shopping centres are the preferred retail format. In addition, adolescents do not have a fully developed attitude on fashion and clothing. Th erefore, they strongly refer to opinions of family and friends when choosing clothes. Moreover, the Internet and TV are evaluated as infl uential channels of consumer communication within this particular group of consumers. Based on the fi ndings, suggestions for service management and marketing strategies are provided for apparel retail companies that target adolescents.