How does Instagram influence the consumer buying behaviour of women aged 18 to 24 within the fashion industry?

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction 4

1.1 Background 4

1.2 Research Problem 5

1.3 Aims and Objectives 5

1.4 Research Structure 6

Chapter 2: Literature Review 7

2.1 Introduction 7

2.2 The Evolution of Social Networks as Marketing Tools 7

2.3 Consumer Behaviour in the Digital Age and Social Networks 8

2.4 Impact of Social Media on Consumer Behaviour 10

2.5 Impact of Instagram on Consumer Behaviour 11

2.6 Empirical Review 13

2.7 Theoretical Framework 14

2.8 Conceptual Framework 15

Chapter 3: Methodology 16

3.1 Introduction 16

3.2 Research Framework 16

3.3 Research Philosophy – Epistemological Position 16

3.4 Research Approach 17

3.5 Research Methods 18

3.6 Research Strategy 19

3.6.1 Sampling 19

3.6.2 Data Collection Instrument 20

3.6.3 Data analysis Techniques 20

3.7 Ethical Considerations 21

3.8 Reliability Analysis 21

3.9 Chapter Summary 21

References 22

Appendix A: Questionnaire 29

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 Background

Social media has revolutionized online advertising, providing new opportunities for both businesses and users. Millennials, as digital natives, are a generation active on social media and less influenced by traditional media (Jegham and Bouzaabia, 2022). Their peers and influential personalities influence their purchasing decisions, and they tend to be consumerist due to their context of economic prosperity (Kim, Leung, and McKneely, 2023). Therefore, social media platforms have become important marketing media for businesses focused on millennials as their primary consumer segments.

Young Millennials, especially women aged 16-34, are highly engaged in using social media for information, entertainment, and shopping, among other uses. According to a report by Mintel, clear themes demonstrate how this age group is actively engaged with technology as a part of their daily lives. Furthermore, the interaction of this age group with technology is making a mark on the fashion industry. Social media is a source of information for this age group regarding fashion trends and buying behaviour, which is influenced by a combination of peers. 52% of young people have purchased fashion items directly using social media in the last 12 months (Ceron, 2024).

On the other hand, in the case of Instagram, as of January 2024, young people aged 18-24 make up the largest share of Instagram users. Overall, 16.5% of the users on Instagram are in this age group. In the context of females only, the proportion of the age group 18-24 is 15.2% of all women. Similar trends are observed in the UK, where people aged 25-34 comprise 29.9% of Instagram’s users. The trends also indicate that 58% of Instagram users became more interested in a brand or product after seeing its stories on Instagram. 50% of the people visit the website to make purchases based on stories, and 4 million businesses use stories as marketing and advertising strategies (socialshephered.com 2024). These statistics indicate that Instagram has become an important marketing tool that affects the consumer behaviour of young people. Therefore, this study focuses on analyzing the influence of Instagram on the consumer behaviour of women aged 18-24.

On the other hand, research shows that businesses use various strategies to reach this age group, such as influencer endorsements, as indicated by Sokolova and Kefi (2020). Other studies focus on analyzing the impact of social media and Instagram by investigating the personal characteristics of influencers on purchase intention and confirm that models such as the source credibility model can be used to explain the influence in terms of characteristics of influencers such as expertise, trustworthiness, similarity, and familiarity (Reinikainen et al., 2020). Instagram is the preferred network for influencers, with 77% choosing it to work with brands (Belanche et al., 2021). This has increased the number of influencers on the platform (Reinikainen et al., 2020). As a result, 90% of marketers use influencers in their advertising campaigns (Belanche et al., 2021). Instagram’s success lies in its visual approach, allowing the creation of engaging content through photos and videos and updates that improve the user experience (Belanche et al., 2021).

1.2 Research Problem

As mentioned earlier, there is clear research and statistical evidence that Instagram and other social media platforms have emerged as a tool for marketing and advertising for fashion businesses. With young women as the most significant proportion of Instagram users, fashion businesses actively seek ways to engage young women and increase their client base. However, there is limited research evidence exploring the ways Instagram affects the consumer behaviour of young women, and there is even limited literature analysing the influence of Instagram on fashion clothing. Therefore, the central research gap in this study is to focus on women aged 18-24 years and understand how Instagram affects their consumer behaviour. An important unique point in this study compared to similar studies is the application of Appropriation Theory to explore the relationship between Instagram marketing and consumer behaviour of young women in the UK, focusing on fashion clothing.

1.3 Aims and Objectives

The aim of this study is to investigate Instagram’s impact on the fashion buying behaviour of women aged 18 to 24, with a clear focus on Instagram advertisements and Influencers. Following objectives are determined to fulfil aim above:

• To explore the extent to which Instagram advertisements influence the purchasing decisions of women aged 18 to 24 in fashion.

• To assess the impact of Instagram influencers on the purchasing decisions of women aged 18 to 24 within the fashion sector.

• To highlight how fashion brands can use Instagram as a marketing platform to promote their products and increase sales if their target market is women aged 18 to 24.

1.4 Research Structure

This study has been organised into five main sections. The first chapter introduces the central research phenomenon and establishes the research problem and relevant aims and objectives. In the second chapter, this study presents a comprehensive review of the literature to explain the main variables and develop a theoretical and conceptual framework for the study. The third chapter provides details of the methodological design of this study. In the fourth chapter, the primary empirical evidence and results are presented. These results confirm the impact of Instagram on women’s purchasing behaviour and present an answer to the main research question. The last chapter of the study concludes the entire investigation and makes recommendations while also identifying limitations in the study.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

2.1 Introduction

This chapter presents a literature review on the main research topic and relevant variables. It aims to provide a critical analysis of the main research phenomenon and help the reader understand the main research variables. Furthermore, the chapter also presents a theoretical and conceptual framework that is the base of the primary quantitative part of the study and serves as a fundamental basis for the development of the questionnaire in this study.

2.2 The Evolution of Social Networks as Marketing Tools

A social network is similar to a social structure of people connected by a network of relationships. Kotler (2016, p. 14) pointed out that social networks eliminate geographic and demographic barriers, allowing people to connect and communicate and companies to innovate through collaboration. However, others, such as Varghese and Agrawal (2021), posit that marketers have created products and services that can satisfy the demand for social interaction in replacement of interpersonal interaction that has been lost with the evolution of society.

Likewise, social networks offer a channel of interaction between current or potential customers and companies, as observed by Riaz et al. (2021) in their research, in which they conclude that social networks are tools that can be used to increase innovation for companies. Among the services offered by social networks is the exchange of information provided and consumed by members who interact on the social network and the opportunity to build and explore a relationship with one or more brands.

Other studies indicate that social networks have become the most popular leisure activity in recent years, and they report high levels of addiction in young people compared to the use given them by adults (Kushwaha, 2021). This also indicates the growing importance of being present on these online platforms in the business world. Because of that, it is essential to understand what types of interactions on networks offer better results (Iriani et al., 2021).

Chauhan et al. (2021), based on their study and given the previous implications, stated that in the future, investment in the use of digital media will increase. According to Song et al. (2021), a website comprises characteristics such as (interactivity, platform quality and knowledge exchange) that must be classified as a social network. Likewise, he analyses that social networks have various typologies that make them unique in their segment. This is reaffirmed by An (2022) in their research, where they indicate that the characteristics that make up the social network Twitter are immediacy and privacy, defining that each social network comprises unique characteristics that delimit the public to which it is directed.

2.3 Consumer Behaviour in the Digital Age and Social Networks

Babin and Harris (2023) describe consumer behaviour as the activities carried out to satisfy the needs of society. The author defines purchasing behaviour, related to consumer behaviour, as a decision-making process in which one or more options are identified, evaluated and selected from the existing offer in the market in order to satisfy an existing need. However, in a highly technological world, consumer decision-making is continuous and interactive (Zhang et al., 2021). In addition, additional references show that online product searches by today’s consumers to purchase goods or services are increasingly common (Palalic et al., 2021). This was also confirmed recently by Guoqiang and Bhaumik (2024), who indicated that social networks have become preferable for collecting and organizing information before purchasing a product.

Boulet, Hoek, and Raven (2021) describe interactivity as a process encompassing everything from online communication to multimedia language through network users. We live in a time of constant interest in digital activity, so activities on social networks become influencers through which users obtain simultaneous information from different Internet users (comments, reactions, images, among others), receiving constant and updated information. According to She et al. (2021), recognizing a need, collecting information and evaluating options are actions that are part of the first stage of the decision-making process. Additionally, within the psychological concepts that highly influence this first stage of the decision-making process, there are other determining factors, such as motivation and perception. On this subject, Francis and Sarangi (2022) state that perception is the mental image formed by the experience and the result of the process of selection, interpretation and correction of sensations, also called needs.

Tanrikulu (2021) noted that research has shown that men exhibit different consumer decision-making styles, display various purchase motivations, and employ various persuasion management strategies in some cases. Therefore, men are also likely to have different motivations for seeking information and engaging in online purchasing.

Similarly, motivation can be extrinsic and intrinsic. It is extrinsic when the individual expects to receive an external reward, and it is intrinsic when this motivation is driven by an internal desire for self-satisfaction (Dutta and Singh, 2025). After evaluating the external information that the individual receives, the purchase intention is presented, which is the probability that an individual has of acquiring a good or service (Abrar, Mian, and Zaman, 2022).

Consequently, the current consumer is a more informed and participative person who searches and compares information about the product or service found on the Internet (Tanrikulu, 2021). With this prior knowledge, some companies prepare their online campaigns since when online advertisements are attractive to the user; they are more likely to inadvertently influence the receiver’s purchasing behaviour (Bashar et al., 2024).

Today’s consumer is characterized by searching for products that satisfy their needs and researching various online channels. These channels help collect information individually, offering greater confidence and security in the product and influencing the purchasing decision process (Secinaro et al., 2022). Leong et al. (2024) agree and state that consumers increasingly use large social media networks to obtain information about products.

Electronic word-of-mouth marketing (eWOM) involves reviewing online product information such as comments, ratings, and recommendations (Alsharif et al., 2022). Reviewing the information shared through eWOM is considered a reliable source and has a higher degree of persuasion towards the potential customer than the information published by the seller. This is because it is information provided by people who have previously used the product or service being searched for (Sun et al., 2022). Leong et al. (2024) in their research claim that when consumers interact more with a company, this helps improve their perception of it and influence their purchasing decisions.

As Alhalalmeh et al. (2022) mentioned in their research, a website is made up of characteristics and typologies that are necessary to classify it as a social network, so the site must contain user profiles, content, a method that allows users to connect, post comments on each other’s pages, create and join virtual groups based on common interests. Common characteristics in social networks allow the development of interactivity, quality, and knowledge exchange. Likewise, it classifies social networks into two main groups: Online Insiders and Social Clickers. Where the former are very influential Internet users, online buyers who use electronic media to buy and sell, while the latter are people who are active daily and use social networks for various purposes such as receiving news, doing research, sharing information and communicating between users or communities (Riegner, 2007).

2.4 Impact of Social Media on Consumer Behaviour

Over time, social media has gained ground in companies’ marketing plans to advertise their products. Several relevant aspects of social media use focus on attracting new customers, knowledge of current customers, personalized user attention, feedback on new products, etc. In this regard, companies still use traditional media to generate expectations and sell their products. However, they are no longer the main source of information for consumers (Kanaveedu and Kalapurackal, 2024).

Social media has become the preferred method for finding information, whether news, entertainment, products, etc. With the arrival of smartphones, this information is always with people, and the originality of a post on social media can impact consumer perception (Lim et al., 2023).

In recent years, social media has emerged to bridge this gap between businesses and customers, becoming the subject of research by important theorists and researchers. From these perspectives, one of the problems that companies face is that they still fail to understand the true potential of social media. In this regard, Sundararaj and Rejeesh (2021) argued that with the availability of smart devices and affordable data plans, social media platforms have become the primary source of information dissemination through users. Companies generate communities of followers to attract these users. A company’s virtual community is a group of people who generate relationships between admirers of the products or services the brand offers (Varghese and Agrawal, 2021).

Kotler, Kartajaya, and Satiawan (2010) highlight that the research carried out by Trendstream/Lightspeed Research shows that Internet users trust strangers on social networks more than companies since these often make exaggerated claims about the benefits of products. Previous research in various industries shows that most customers have greater confidence in the F Factor (friends, digital social networks, etc.) than in advertising or expert opinions (Kotler, Kartajaya, and Satiawan, 2016). According to the study by Smakotina and Melnikova (2018), the consumer behaviour of young adults aged 18-28 is the desire to acquire social status through establishing social ties on social networks.

2.5 Impact of Instagram on Consumer Behaviour

With the Internet’s arrival, user-generated content (UGC) became popular, i.e., content created by those who use the network. The model went from vertical to horizontal, where people can decide what to see and which communities to belong to. As a result, platforms like Instagram function as a niche for companies, as they allow them to identify the interests of their audiences and the uses they give to the social network (Clarke, Tzavara, and Misopoulos, 2019). Going deeper into the above, a study carried out by Lee et al. (2015) showed that the reasons for using Instagram can be divided into five main reasons:

• To interact with people, maintain a good relationship with others, create networks, and find out what is happening around me. Connect and meet with people who share similar interests, and stay informed about what friends and family are doing in order to maintain communication with them.

• To save daily events through photos, create a personal space;

• To update content, to be noticed by others, to express who you are, and to share personal information with others.

• To escape from reality, to forget about problems, to avoid loneliness, to get what they want without much effort, and to relax.

• To browse photos related to my interests, to see the life of celebrities, to see a variety of interesting photos.

Some studies have shown that the popularity of Instagram may have surpassed that of Facebook, especially among college students (Jegham and Bouzaabia, 2022). The student population prefers to follow brands on social networks in order to see the content posted by companies. A study showed that 48.8% of commercial brands used this social network and that this percentage was expected to increase to 70.7%. This shows that brands manage to reach users through this platform who are willing to interact with them (Harun and Tajudeen, 2021). Along with the above, the three main reasons why the majority of the user population follows a brand on Instagram are the following: 62% admit to doing so simply because they love the brand, 54% say they follow brands to find out about the latest products they offer, and 48% follow brand profiles because they find their posts interesting or funny (Herzallah, Muñoz-Leiva, and Liébana-Cabanillas, 2022).

Also, in the study by Carah and Shaul, (2016) the activities, specifically of the global brand Smirnoff Vodka and the fashion brand General Pants, on Instagram are analyzed. The analysis examines 100 images from each brand, with the hashtags, in the case of General Pants, #generalpants and #gpwetdream; in the case of Smirnoff, #doubleblackhouse and #vipublic. In this study, the images were coded to determine who created them (brand, consumer, or cultural intermediary), the gender of any bodies present in the images, and engagement with the images, as measured by likes and comments. They found that Instagram illustrates how discursive-symbolic and data-driven work is correlated.

Technical aspects such as algorithms are also considered when creating content, which can bring more attention to brand communication on Instagram. The previous analysis about the use of hashtags revealed how gender rules are replicated in posts, and this leads the Instagram algorithm to do the same by understanding what type of content generates more attention from users naturally and emulating these behaviours in deciding what content is shown more frequently to users (Cahyono, 2023).

Another element that generates attention, according to Salleh, Hashima, and Murphy (2015), is the identified role of Instagram, which allows peers to talk and share information, a term known as Word of Mouth. This allows users to experience an unbiased conversation about brands through brand loyalty, generating two results: on the one hand, Word of Mouth exposes the user population or authentically creates brand awareness. On the other hand, those who interact with brand loyalties tend to feel obliged to be loyal to the brand because they want to belong to a specific group.

According to Agam (2017), on Instagram, the word-of-mouth factor is accompanied by a language selected for a specific online community. That is, the characteristics of how a person selling a certain product looks are constructed. It is due to this personification and the feeling of human interaction that people have difficulty identifying Instagram posts from another user as advertising.

2.6 Empirical Review

Mangoma et al. (2022) investigated the impact of influencers’ accounts on the consumer behaviour of their followers within the context that Instagram is used as a marketing tool with youth as target consumers. As per the study results, Instagram is decisive in emerging marketing strategies for luxury items. The study concluded that young consumers were attracted to social media, particularly Instagram, for various purposes, such as entertainment and interaction. Yaqub et al. (2023) also investigated similar contexts. The study examined the relationship between Instagram marketing and consumer behavioural response and the role of brand equity based on customer perception in the clothing industry. The authors focused on social media users and online shoppers in Pakistan and concluded that there was a positive connection between marketing activities on Instagram and responses from customers. The study also found that this relationship was strengthened if brand equity was based on positive consumer perception because it had a mediating effect.

Similarly, Alamsyah (2023) also analysed the impact of Instagram but with the perspective that this platform as a social media tool has significant strength as an advertising tool and has a significant impact on purchase decisions for consumers of fashion products. The study’s findings indicated that price and product photography are the most influential factors that affect fashion consumers’ purchase decisions. Therefore, there is clear evidence that Instagram, as a social media marketing tool, has a significant effect on the buying behaviour of its users, particularly in the case of fashion products.

Tang and Raheem (2023) investigated and analysed the effect of Instagram marketing on the sales of the fashion business industry. The study collected sales data from fashion retailers in Malaysia. The methodological design of the study was exploratory analysis, and based on empirical evidence, it was concluded that all individuals exhibit different tendencies to explore Instagram and react to advertisements; the users showed positive responses to content on the web pages and Posts as well as Stories on Instagram. Satybaldiyeva et al. (2023) also explored if there was an increasing role and significant impact of Instagram on the impulsive buyers of fashion products and items and focused on Generation Z. The authors concluded that the daily routines of the users of Instagram were affected by the degree of use among Centennials. The study also concluded that Instagram triggers users’ positive emotions and contributes to impulsive fashion purchases.

2.7 Theoretical Framework

Numerous fields, including sociology, psychology, and social psychology, have used the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to understand better the notoriously complex and puzzling nature of human behaviour (Emekci, 2019). Researchers explained Environmental consumer behaviour with the TPB (Tiwari et al., 2021). The theory of reasoned action (TRA) is extended by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Perceived behavioural control is the variable that distinguishes the TRA from the TPB; people’s attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions are positively affected and are considered to be the best predictors of behaviour according to the classic TRA model.

The first element in this theory is a favourable attitude. One definition of brand position is the positive or horrible evaluation of a brand or item in the search. Marketing and advertising industries rely heavily on studies of customer attitudes to make educated predictions about their future purchases (Copeland and Zhao, 2020). Green attitudes consistently predict purchasing behaviour due to their high explanatory power. There is a dearth of literature on how people’s perspectives affect their propensity to purchase clothing (Tiwari et al., 2024).

The following important element is social influences. The definition of social influence is the process by which individuals modify their attitudes and behaviours to conform to those of a dominant social group or those of a politically or economically oppressed subset of that group; according to several studies, the opinion of friends and family is an important factor that influences consumers’ purchasing decision. Consumer purchasing behaviour is greatly affected by the peer group in collectivistic cultures (Dewanto and Belgiawan, 2020). Consumers are prone to social influence through their friends and peers towards clothing brands and purchasing choices due to their socialization process, so marketers use social media influencers to impact consumers.

Perceived consumer efficacy is another important relationship between social media, such as Instagram, and consumer behaviour. A domain-specific concept of how a person’s efforts to solve a problem can make a difference is what is meant by the phrase perceived consumer efficacy (González et al., 2015). Individuals with higher consumer efficacy towards environmental protection showed higher ecological concern than those with lower efficacy. It has been found that PCE affects buyer behaviour towards all socially more manageable purchase designs. Moreover, perceived consumer efficacy represents one of the key measures of environmentally conscious consumer behaviour (de Melo, 2019).

Finally, the credibility of the influencers on Instagram is an important factor relevant to the research question. Credibility can be defined by the preceptor’s assessment of the communicator’s credibility. Influencers’ credibility significantly affects customers’ attitudes and purchase decisions (Kim, Leung, and McKneely, 2023). According to Lee and Kim (2020), credibility includes expertise, trustworthiness, and attractiveness. Outlined that influencers with high credibility positively impact consumer attitudes towards advertising and electronic Word of Mouth compared to celebrity endorsers. Therefore, consumers’ purchase intention highly depends on the influencer’s credibility.

2.8 Conceptual Framework

Chapter 3: Methodology

3.1 Introduction

This chapter offers a detailed insight into the methodological design of this study. The chapter presents various choices available to the researcher and justifications for each choice made. The chapter briefly introduces the research onion as the primary research framework. Then, it discusses each layer in the research onion, detailing each choice with relevant justification. The chapter discusses the research philosophy followed by the research approach and then continues to the research method.

Furthermore, a detailed discussion of the research strategy is presented, and each element of the strategy is discussed, including sampling, data collection instruments, and data analysis techniques. Furthermore, reliability analysis and ethical considerations are also presented along with a summary of the entire methodological design is presented at the end of the chapter.

3.2 Research Framework

Research methodology is considered as the roadmap of the researcher while conducting the research process. A reliable and valid research framework is essential for a successful research design. This study adopted research Onion as a methodological framework to understand and explore the impact of Instagram on consumer behaviour of fashion products of women aged 18-24 in the UK. Research onion is a commonly used research framework composed of several layers. Each layer presents researchers with a distinct methodological choice, requiring researchers to identify alternatives and make methodological choices with justifications (Sharma, 2020). The details of alternatives in each layer and relevant choices with justification are presented in the following sections.

3.3 Research Philosophy – Epistemological Position

In research epistemology, the researcher has to identify his philosophical position on acceptable knowledge. There are two basic alternatives available. The first is the positivist epistemological position. Positivism epistemology aligns with researchers who believe that acceptable knowledge about social phenomena can only be gained by applying methods and ethos of natural sciences in social research. With this philosophy, the researchers develop objective research designs and ensure that their investigation methods and tools are free of bias.

On the other hand, interpretivism epistemology rejects positivism and argues that the subject matter of social phenomena is different from its counterpart in natural phenomena. Hence, to accept knowledge, social researchers must not apply the methods and ethos of natural sciences. Instead, there should be a separate research strategy. Researchers posit that interpretivism epistemology does not conduct an objective investigation. Instead, it conducts a subjective investigation (Ghanad, 2023).

This study posits positivism epistemology to explore the impact of Instagram on consumer behaviour of fashion products of women aged 18-24 in the UK. This position has been taken because the study aims to assess the impact of Instagram on consumer behaviour. In order to assess the impact, the study naturally requires the application of methods and ethos of natural sciences, such as statistical analysis. Furthermore, positivism epistemology is chosen because it facilitates assessing the impact of one variable on another while minimising personal bias. Based on this choice, the study used a deductive approach, and quantitative methods were presented in the following sections.

3.4 Research Approach

Researchers must choose a research approach in the second layer of research onion. A research approach is how researchers present their arguments and investigation and is categorised as a) deductive and b) inductive. The deductive approach begins with identifying existing theories and developing tentative hypotheses to test the theory in a specific context. On the other hand, the inductive approach begins with identifying observations and information from a general context, and then gradually, the researcher identifies commonalities and patterns in the data to reach a generic theory that can be applied in a generic context (Dunn, 2021).

In order to explore the impact of Instagram on consumer behaviour of fashion products of women aged 18-24 in the UK, this study has adopted a deductive approach. The reason for choosing the deductive approach is that extensive theoretical research related to the use of social media as a marketing tool and its impact on consumer behaviour is already available. However, the theory chosen in this study is applied in very few studies. Furthermore, the deductive approach is also chosen because it is typically paired with positivist philosophy. After all, the deductive approach facilitates objective inquiry using quantitative methods, which are free of bias.

3.5 Research Methods

Research methods are defined as the choice of nature of data and evidence collected and analysed in the investigation process. Three essential and distinct methods exist: a) quantitative, b) qualitative, and c) mixed method. The quantitative method is the one in which only quantitative evidence and data are used in the research process. Quantitative data typically exists in numbers, ratings, and other numerical forms. The quantitative offers higher reliability and validity because it minimises personal bias from data sources; however, the limitation of the quantitative method is that it fails to provide detailed and deep insights into people’s experiences, behaviour and attitudes.

On the other hand, the qualitative method is the one in which only qualitative evidence and data are used in the research process. Qualitative data typically exists in texts, speeches, and even pictures. The qualitative method offers detailed and deep insights into people’s experiences, behaviour and attitudes; however, a qualitative method is often critiqued for its vulnerability to personal bias and thus compromises reliability and validity. The mixed method is a hybrid of both qualitative and quantitative methods. The mixed method overcomes weaknesses and limitations in both designs while providing benefits of both methods. However, the mixed method involves multiple data collection processes, increasing the resources and time required to complete the research process (Hulme, 2022).

This study has chosen to conduct a quantitative method. The reason for choosing the quantitative method is primarily due to the nature of the aim of this study. The quantitative method facilitates the application of theories in specific contexts, testing hypotheses, and applying statistical analyses. Furthermore, the quantitative method also integrates better with positivist philosophy because it applies methods and ethos of natural sciences. Similarly, the quantitative method is the coherent choice for the deductive approach because it helps to test hypotheses. However, the inherent limitation in applying the quantitative method is the lack of detailed and in-depth insights into the primary research phenomenon, i.e. consumer behaviour of women aged 18-24. In order to overcome this limitation, this study has conducted a large-scale qualitative literature review. The literature review findings have been compared and contrasted with quantitative findings in this study to overcome limitations.

3.6 Research Strategy

Most commonly, strategy refers to the action plan that requires research to make choices about data collection, sampling, and analysis processes. There are various research strategies, but the most commonly applied are surveys, action research, experiments, etc. Each of these strategies has its own benefits and limitations. For example, surveys are conducted using a sample of the target population in general settings, while experiments are conducted in controlled environments (Walliman, 2021).

This study chose to conduct a survey strategy. A survey strategy requires the researcher to develop a data collection instrument distributed among the target population or a sample of the target population. Based on collected data, the survey strategy allows the researcher to generalise findings on the general population. This study chose the survey strategy because the target population, i.e. women aged 18-24 years, is enormous, and the survey strategy will allow the recruitment of a sample and the completion of the research process. The main elements of survey strategy are sampling, data collection and data analysis. Each of these is discussed in the following sections.

3.6.1 Sampling

Sampling refers to techniques that enable the researcher to identify a sample of the target population which serves as a representative of the target population. The research process is completed using data from the sample members, and the results are generalised to the entire population. Various sampling strategies are categorised as probability and non-probability sampling techniques. In probability sampling techniques such as random sampling, the researcher must ensure that all members of the target population are invited to the research process and have equal chances to participate in the study. However, there is no such requirement in non-probability sampling techniques, and the researcher can recruit participants without inviting all members of the target population. Since the target population is vast and the researcher cannot access the entire population, a non-probability sampling technique was adopted (Coe et al., 2021).

This study chose the snowball sampling technique to recruit participants. The sampling process started with identifying seed members (Coe et al., 2021). The researcher contacted women in the selected age group through personal contacts and social networks. Initially, 8 participants were recruited for the study. The data collection instrument (questionnaire) was distributed among these members. The questionnaire asked women to provide data and make referrals to other potential members for the research process (Coe et al., 2021). The cycle was repeated similarly to achieve a sample of 100 participants in the study.

3.6.2 Data Collection Instrument

The data collection instrument is a tool through which the researcher collects evidence from recruited participants in the study. The data collection instrument is based on the research method choice because quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments differ. Since this study is based on a quantitative design, a questionnaire was chosen as the data collection instrument. The choice of questionnaire was based on the rationale that questionnaire offers a high level of time and cost efficiency compared to other data collection instruments such as experiments. A questionnaire offers time efficiency because it is a set of multiple-choice questions which can be efficiently designed and adapted to research questions and objectives. The participants are required to choose single/multiple answers to the given questions. Participants’ answers are then converted into ratings or other forms of numerical data (Williams et al., 2022).

In this study, the questionnaire was designed with three main sections. In the first section, the researcher asked participants to provide behavioural information such as use of Instagram, frequency of use, frequency of purchases, and other related information. In the second section, the research included closed-ended statements relevant to the primary independent variable, i.e. Instagram. A Likert five-point scale was used to operationalize the statements. In the third section, items focused on collecting information about consumer behaviour. The items in the third section were also closed-ended statements structured with a Likert five-point scale.

3.6.3 Data analysis Techniques

Data analysis techniques are tools that convert raw data into meaningful information. The choice of data analysis technique is based on the choice of data collection instrument because there are different techniques for qualitative and quantitative data (Williams et al., 2022). Since this study is based on quantitative data, statistical techniques were used for data analysis. The research applied descriptive statistics to understand participants’ consumption trends and behaviour. Frequency analysis was used to explore the trends in participants’ responses to questionnaire items. In addition, correlation was applied to explore the change in consumer behaviour concerning change in Instagram usage. Finally, a regression model was developed to assess the impact of Instagram on the consumer behaviour of women aged 18-24 in the context of fashion products. All of the results are presented in the following chapter.

3.7 Ethical Considerations

Ethical considerations are values, principles, and practices that researchers must use to maintain academic integrity. This study’s primary ethical concern was preventing plagiarism, which is a serious academic issue and results in strict penalties (Pajo, 2022). The study used the Harvard referencing convention to provide credits to all the authors whose works have been used during this investigation. In-text citations and a list of complete references of all authors are provided throughout the study. Furthermore, since this study involved human participants, the author obtained ethical approval from the university’s ethics committee. The main ethical principles observed were the protection of participants from harm, the confidentiality of participants, and the anonymity of all participants (Pajo, 2022).

3.8 Reliability Analysis

This study applied Cronbach’s alpha to establish the questionnaire’s reliability as a data collection instrument and assure the reliability of the results. It measures the internal consistency of the data collection instrument and reflects the degree of reliability in the questionnaire and the results thus obtained (Williams et al., 2022).

3.9 Chapter Summary

To assess Instagram’s impact on consumer behaviour of fashion products among women aged 18-24 in the UK, this study used the research onion framework and posited with positivism philosophy. This study applied appropriation theory as a central theoretical framework using a deductive approach and quantitative method. A survey was conducted among 100 women aged 18-24 using a questionnaire as a data collection instrument. Statistical techniques were used to analyse data and test relationships between Instagram and consumer behaviour.

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Appendix A: Questionnaire

Demographic Characteristics

1. Gender

• Female

• If you are male, you are not eligible to participate in study.

2. Age

• 18 to 24

• If you are over 24 year’s age, you are not eligible to participate in study.

3. Education

• Secondary

• Diploma

• Undergraduate

• Graduate

• PhD

4. How often do you use Instagram?

• Daily

• Weekly

• Monthly

• Less frequent

5. How much time do you spend per session on Instagram?

• 15 to 30 minutes

• 30 minutes to 1 hour

• 1 hour to 2 hours

• More than 2 hours

6. What do you search on Instagram for fashion clothing?

• Latest products

• Prices

• Latest brand stories

• News and updates

7. What is your favourite content on Instagram?

• Photos

• Stories

• Prices comparison

• Ads

• Streaming

Please select your desired response Completely disagree

Partially Disagree

Neutral

Partially Agree

Completely Agree

1.Favourable Attitude

1. I understand that the content and information on Instagram about fashion products is positive 1            2           3            4          5

2. I enjoy browsing photos and reading stories on Instagram pages 1            2           3            4        5

3. I am habitual of using Instagram to search for information on products and brands 1            2           3            4        5

Social Influences

1. I often discuss Instagram posts and stories with friends and family 1            2           3            4        5

2. I care about how my friends see the content I share on Instagram and whom do I follow 1            2           3            4        5

3. I appreciate the opinions and responses of people on my Instagram content  1            2           3            4        5

Perceived Consumer Efficacy

1. I think experts on Instagram provide valuable information about fashion clothing 1            2           3            4        5

2. I often share my purchases and buying on my Instagram posts 1            2           3            4        5

3. I think it is very feasible for me to check Instagram pages to find a product as compared to going to store 1            2           3            4        5

Credibility of the influencers

1. I believe that people and experts I follow have good skills in analysing fashion products and brands 1            2           3            4        5

2. I believe that Instagram is a platform to show my lifestyle and explore lifestyle of others 1            2           3            4        5

3. I trust the opinions, judgements, and recommendations of fashion experts on Instagram 1            2           3            4        5

Consumer Buying Behaviour

1. I feel very comfortable in buying clothing products presented on Instagram 1            2           3            4        5

2. I recommend Instagram to people in my network for fashion purchases 1            2           3            4        5

3. I follow my favourite brands and influencers on Instagram 1            2           3            4        5