Background
In major cities across the world, Topman is unreservedly known as the retailer of choice when it comes to fashion-forward menswear brands. Topman is part of the Arcadia Group and has over 175 attractive stores worldwide that stock a whole assortment of products for men, ranging from clothing to shoes and accessories.
Founded in London in 1970 and owned by Sir Philip Green and Family, Topman often corroborates with young designers such as Kim Jones and Peter Jensen to provide designs and labels that are intended to offer a new approach to menswear retailing (Balmond 4).
Although the company boasts of state-of-the-art flagship stores, particularly in the United Kingdom, it recently diversified into online stores and has invested heavily to sustain its online presence. Topman’s main competitors for the heavily segregated market include River Island, H&M, and Primark.
Market Segment/Bases
Geographic
- Store Location: The Grove, Los Angeles, CA (United States; Zipcode 90036)
- Region: West Coast, California, Los Angeles
- Population Density: Urban, 3,850,000+
- Climate: the Mediterranean, benchmarked by cool, rainy winters interspersed with dry summers.
Demographic
- Age: Topman targets young fashion-conscious customers within the age group of 18-35 years (“Arcadia Responsibility Report” 6)
- Gender: Topman exclusively serves male clientele
- Household Size: Owing to the relatively young age of Topman’s customers, the household size is pegged at 2+ as most male customers are either engaged or beginning to set up a family.
- Income: The clothing brand mostly serves high-street youthful clientele with average income levels of $50,000+
- Occupation: Most customers are either from rich family backgrounds or employed in white-collar occupations.
- Education: Most customers have acquired a college education.
Sociocultural
- Culture: Although most of the store’s customers are American, the management has taken the initiative to serve customers from diverse cultures depending on the capacity of the store to satisfy the needs and expectations of these diverse customers (Gilligan & Wilson 343). More importantly, the area can be referred to as a metropolitan of different cultural groups because it is home to Whites, Asians, Hispanics, Native Americans, as well as African Americans. Most high-end, fashion-conscious customers from these racial orientations shop at Topman, and the management has taken the initiative to fulfill the needs of distinct cultural groups.
- Subculture
- Religion: There is a multiplicity of religious outfits in the Zip Code 90036 as more than half of the people consider themselves religious, implying that they affiliate with a religion. However, most people residing in the Zip Code identify with Christianity, Jewish religious tradition, and Islam.
- National Origin: Most customers who shop at the Topman store situated at the Grove, Los Angeles, are American. However, other customers with varying nationalities (e.g., European, Asian, Hispanic, Japanese, and African Americans) also frequent the place due to its appealing physical appearance as well as convenience.
- Race: All major racial groupings residing in the area shop at Topman. These include White, Hispanic, African American, and Asian
- Social Class: Topman targets high-street, fashion-conscious males, mostly from the high-end socioeconomic class. These shoppers are either children of prosperous families residing within the area or are employed in stable, successful careers. For those who are employed, most like to live life on the edge, are technology-savvy, and like to drive sleek, high-end cars. They also like to be accompanied by their girlfriends on various shopping expeditions, not mentioning that they like to spend big on products and brands that make them “feel good.”
- Marital Status: The majority of the customers who shop at Topman are either engaged or in their first ten years of marriage.
- Psychographics: Topman’s target market is comprised of high-end customers who like to read reputable newspapers and glossy fashion magazines to keep abreast of the latest news and fashion trends. They are technology-savvy and take pride in being spotted with the latest laptops, iPhones, Smartphones, and other sleek devices. They demonstrate a compulsive personality, though their lifestyle reveals that they are achievers in life. Most like to host parties on weekends or to visit high-end entertainment joints for refreshments. As already mentioned, this clientele likes to drive high-end sporty cars and takes pleasure in being accompanied by their girlfriends on shopping sprees (Harding 20). They spot diverse image appeal, though they are all influenced by trending fashion brands. All are addicted to various social media platforms (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, and Whatsup), meaning that Topman can employ viral marketing to reach its customer base (Hinz et al. 55). The target group is moneyed, going by the fact that customers who are in permanent relationships have already started buying their own homes. They take pride in watching sports on the big screen and meeting over the weekends to compare notes in fashion, sports, business deals, and work. As already mentioned, most of these customers are in the life stages of Single Entities, Engaged, Newly Wedded, and New Families, with comprehensive analysis demonstrating that their compulsivity in spending is dependent on the roles and responsibilities that characterize these life stages (Baker et al. 264-265).
Affective and Cognitive
- Degree of Knowledge: The target group can be described as an expert due to the fact that most customers are college graduates who have demonstrated a high level of achievement in their professions and social experiences.
- Benefits Sought: Customers enjoy shopping at an appealing and physically attractive store with soft background music. They also liked to be exposed to high-end designer products used by celebrities such as Eminem and 50 cents. Those who like to shop online enjoy the convenience of the interactive website. The prestige and reputation sought are provided through the mere realization that Topman deals with high-end, high-quality brands.
- Attitude: Customers like to live life on the edge and to take chances.
Behavioral
- Brand Loyalty: Most customers are loyal to the brand owing to its association with high-end, high-quality menswear; however, stiff competition is predominant.
- Store Loyalty: The architectural design of The Grove, along with its many appealing features, ensures a steady customer flow to Topman store
- Usage Rate: Even though more customer flow is noticed on weekends and holidays. The peak usage rate is in the festive month of December.
- User Status: More repeat customers have been noticed due to excellent customer service attributes.
- Payment Method: Customers mostly use cash, credit cards, or debit cards to pay for purchases.
- Media Usage: Most customers are technology-savvy and like to read reputable newspapers and glossy fashion magazines. They are perennially hooked to various social networking platforms and own the latest communication gadgets, not mentioning that most have formed online communities.
Usage Situation: Most customers of Topman like to visit the store with their girlfriends, implying that the feminine factor could be used in future marketing initiatives. They come from rich family backgrounds, and some have already found employment in blue-chip companies, implying that they have high spending power. They also like to buy gifts for their friends and family members.
Works Cited
Arcadia Responsibility Report: Fashioning a Brighter Future 2008. Web.
Baker, Andrew, Anil Mathur, Chong Kwai Fatt, George P. Moschis and Edward E. Rigdon. “Using the Life Course Paradigm to Explain Mechanisms that Link Family Disruptions to Compulsive Buying Behavior.” Journal of Consumer Affairs. 47.2 (2013): 263-288. Academic Search Premier. Web.
Balmond, Sarah. “Topman Plans a Range of Specialist Clothing Stores.” Design Week. 20.31 (2005): 4-5. Business Source Premier. Web.
Gilligan, Colin and Richard M.S. Wilson. Strategic Marketing Planning. 2nd ed. 2007. London: Routledge. Print.
Harding, Courtney. “Top of the Shops.” Billboard. 121.5 (2009): 20-21. Academic Search Premier. Web.
Hinz, Oliver, Bernd Skiera, Christian Barrot and Jan V. Becker. “Seeding Strategies for Oral Marketing: An Empirical Comparison.” Journal of Marketing. 75.6 (2011): 55-71. Business Source Premier. Web.