Youth from Ahmedabad ranked fourth in a recent nationwide study done by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) that revealed that nearly 35 per cent of youth in urban centers of India spend Rs 5,000 per month on clothing alone. 40 per cent of youngsters who took part in the study from Ahmedabad said that their monthly budget for shopping exceeded Rs 5,000.
ASSOCHAM interacted with 2,000 youngsters in the age group of 13-21 years to evaluate their apparel purchasing tendencies in 10 cities (200 respondents in each city) of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Chandigarh. The survey was carried out during March-June and the sample included an equal number of male and female respondents.
Almost 60 per cent of all the respondents said they have cluttered closets full of clothes that they seldom or never wear which makes getting dressed up stressful and time consuming. “Today teens exhibit a strong desire for individuality in their self-expression and end up spending a major chunk of their allowance on clothes,” said Bhagyesh Soneji, chairperson ASSOCHAM Gujarat Council.
Half of the total sample included youngsters whose both parents were employed and the other half whose single parent was working. About 30 per cent said they splurge between Rs 3,500 to Rs 4,000 on clothes every month and about 25 per cent said they spend between Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 on apparels per month and 5 per cent said they buy clothes worth Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 per month to stay ahead in their peer group.
An interesting aspect that emerged out of the survey was that while most of the school going youngsters said they swear by branded stuff only, a majority of the respondents aged 18 and above said they buy whatever fits their budget and are not really that brand conscious and prefer shopping mostly at traditional markets.
Nike is the most sought after sportswear brand among the youth as 25 per cent of all the respondents approved of the brand reasoning its quality control.
Adidas (20 per cent) ranked second in the sportswear brand category. Rest of the respondents said they prefer Reebok, Puma, Woodland and Fila. Among the casual wear Levi’s was the most preferred brand followed by Lee, Wrangler and Flying Machine.