Segmentation of market for mountaineering jackets of high-performance fabrics

Abstract

Individuals attach great importance to different attributes for mountaineering jackets, and the relative importance of high-performance fabric differs according to individuals. Needs-based segmentation attempts to understand these differences by grouping together people who assign a similar level of importance to the same attributes. We focused on identifying market segments for high performance mountaineering jackets, comparing with the relative attribute preference for mountaineering jackets of high-performance fabrics according to segmented clusters, and testing to establish if there were significant differences between clusters. Conjoint analysis was conducted by sampling 120 mountaineering club members, who ranked preferences for a hypothetical mountaineering jacket with high-performance fabrics based on profiles derived from an orthogonal array. Five attributes were used in the conjoint analysis: weight, durability, breathability, water/windproof, and price. Two consumer segments emerged, and there were two clusters with different ideal jacket profiles: a price sensitive group and a functional property-seeking group. The price sensitive group ranked the price of jacket attribute as the main factor determining their preference, followed by water/windproof, breathability, durability, and weight. The functional propertyseeking group considered breathability as the most important attribute, followed by water/windproof, durability, price, and weight. Differences in the preferences for the price and breathability attributes were the highest between both clusters. The results from this research provided insight into strategies that may be used successfully by developers of fabrics for mountaineering jackets.