Industry facts and figures

How & where do teens shop - part 2
The language groups

South Africa is such a fascinating country because the population is so diverse. We speak eleven languages. We live in metropoles and remote tribal villages. Some of us own mansions, others corrugated iron shacks. Some of us wear Gucci and Armani, others can not afford shoes for school.

It stands to reason that we will not all think alike, have the same shopping habits, nor like the same brands.

But, it is no easy task to group all these diversities together to form demographic sample groups for a survey. When we asked Grade 10 learners (15-17 year olds) about their shopping habits and brand preferences, we decided to use three demographic indicators:

» Home language (as indicated by respondents)
» Profile of schools as described on their websites
» Area where school is situated: province, rural or urban

In the previous issue (Sports Trader February 2005) we gave a brief summary of the feedback we received from all respondents. In this issue we break their responses down according to home language, and in the next issue (August) we will look at the differences between the different areas where the schools are situated.

Indigenous language speakers

Unfortunately, only 18% of our sample group speak an indigenous African language at home — while census statistics (Census in Brief. Third Edition, July 1999. Published by Statistics SA) show that 76.5% of the population speak indigenous languages. The views of this group should therefore carry more weight than the other two language groups, because they are by far in the majority in the general population.

According to the census statistics 98.7% of the indigenous language speakers are African/black.

In our sample, the schools attended by indigenous language speakers can be profiled as follows:

» 44% attend township schools situated in communities with predominantly poor households
» 44% attend English-medium government schools in inland urban areas;
» 8% attend exclusive, upmarket private English schools
» 4% attend urban Afrikaans medium government schools

This language group, on average, own the least number of clothing and shoe brands, namely eight.

Afrikaans language group

Afrikaans is the language used by most (65%) of the respondents in our survey, although census statistics show that Afrikaans is the home language of only 14.4% of the population.

According to the census, 82% of the Coloured race group speak Afrikaans at home and 58.5% of whites.

In our sample the following schools are attended by Afrikaans speakers:

» 42% attend Afrikaans medium government schools in rural areas
» 40% attend Afrikaans medium government schools in urban areas
» 16% attend a double-medium school in a West Rand mining town
» Less than 1% attend exclusive, upmarket private English schools

Afrikaans speaking respondents on average own thirteen different clothing or shoe brands each.

English language group

In our survey, 16% of the respondents say their home language is English. The last census statistics show that 8.6% of the population speak English as home language – 94.4% of the Indian/Asian race group, 39% whites and 16.4% coloureds are English.

In our sample the English speakers attend the following schools:

» 65% attend exclusive, upmarket private English schools
» 22% attend English-medium government schools in inland urban areas
» 7% attend Afrikaans medium government school stressing the importance of a Christian-National education in urban areas
» 6% attend a double-medium school in a West Rand mining town

This language group own the most shoe and clothing brands, namely an average of 16 each.

Brands awareness

» adidas most recognised
» Afrikaans groups most aware of surf brands, least aware of fashion brands
» Indigenous language group least aware of surf brands, most aware of fashion and sport brands
» Top brands recognised by English and Afrikaans groups similar

Not surprisingly, high-profile brands adidas, Nike, Puma, Reebok, Diesel, Levi and Billabong are amongst the twenty most recognised by all language groups.

It is interesting that all language groups indicate a high level of awareness of brands like BadBoy/Girl and Hang Ten – but that well-known surf brands like Quiksilver, Lizzard, Island Style, Instinct and Roxy are not amongst the twenty brands most recognised by the indigenous language group. Especially since Quiksilver has very high recognition amongst English and Afrikaans speakers (95% and 96%).

adidas is the brand most recognised by all the language groups, followed by Billabong, Quiksilver and Nike in the English and Afrikaans speaking groups and Nike, Puma and Soviet in the indigenous language group. It is interesting that the English and Afrikaans groups are equally aware of the first four most recognized brands – while the top four brands recognised by the indigenous language group is significantly different.

The Mr Price brand Red has a fairly high recognition level amongst the Afrikaans and indigenous language groups, but not amongst English speakers.

The Afrikaans speaking group is very much aware of surfing and skating brands, with eleven surf and skate brands amongst the twenty that they recognise most. Five sports brands (adidas, Nike, Reebok, Puma and Hi-Tec) and only three fashion brands (Diesel, Levi and Jeep) are amongst the twenty brands most recognised by the Afrikaans speakers.

The indigenous language group is just about a mirror image of the Afrikaans speakers: ten fashion brands score high on awareness, but only three surf/skate brands (Billabong, Hang Ten and BadBoy/Girl) and six sport brands (adidas, Nike, Puma, Reebok, Hi-Tec and Fila) feature under the twenty brands most recognised by this group. Brands like Fila, Dickies, Converse, Jockey, Lee and Sissy Boy enjoy higher recognition amongst respondents from this group than the English or Afrikaans speakers.

The English speakers are just about equally aware of skate/surf and fashion brands.

Brands they own

» Indigenous language speakers own most fashion and "store-specific brands
» Afrikaans speakers own more surf brands
» Afrikaans and English speakers own most of the twenty brands most recognized by them
» Mr Price brand Red is one of brands most owned by all language groups

The following are amongst the twenty brands most owned by all three language groups: adidas, Nike and Reebok (sport), Billabong, Hang Ten and BadBoy/Girl (surf) and Diesel and Levi (fashion).

With two exceptions each, the brands most recognised by the English and Afrikaans speaking groups are also the twenty top brands owned by these language groups. More Afrikaans respondents recognise Puma and Jeep than own the brand, whereas more English speakers recognise Lacoste and O’Neill than actually own the brand. There are, however, notable differences between the brands recognised and owned by the indigenous language group. The following "store" brands are amongst the top twenty brands owned by the indigenous language group that do not feature under the top twenty brands they recognise: River Trader (Mr Price), Inwear (Truworths) and Kelso and Free2BU (Edgars).

Upmarket fashion brand Calvin Klein is also amongst the top twenty brands owned by this language group, but does not feature under the top twenty recognized.

The indigenous language group count the highest number of fashion brands under the twenty brands most owned by them (Jockey, Levi, Diesel, Soviet, Dickies, Guess, Calvin Klein and Converse). They also have the least surf brands in the top twenty owned (Hang Ten, Billabong and BadBoy/Girl, in that order).

The brand most owned by the indigenous language group is the Mr Price brand Red – which is the fourth most commonly owned by the Afrikaans group. Red is also amongst the twenty brands most owned by the English speakers.

Billabong is the brand owned by most English and Afrikaans speakers, followed by adidas and Nike, in both language groups.

The top twenty list of brands owned by Afrikaans speakers is dominated by eleven surf/skate brands (Billabong at #1, followed by Hang Ten, Quiksilver, Island Style, BadBoy/Girl, Lizzard, Instinct, Roxy, Volcom, Lost and O’Neill) with only four sport (adidas, Nike, Reebok and Hi-Tec) and fashion brands (Diesel, Levi, Jockey and Sissy Boy).

English speakers also own a lot of surf brands (Billabong at #1, Quiksilver #4, Island Style, Lizzard, BadBoy/Girl, Hang Ten, Lost, Instinct and Volcom under the top twenty) but show more of a preference for fashion brands (Diesel, Levi, Calvin Klein, Soviet, Guess, Oakley) than the Afrikaans speakers. The top twenty sport brands owned by the English speakers are similar to the Afrikaans speakers, with the exception of Puma (owned by 46% English speakers) and Hi-Tec (owned by 24% Afrikaans speakers).

Favourite brands

» Indigenous language group prefers sport brands with lifestyle ranges
» Afrikaans group favour surfing brands
» English group favour upmarket fashion brands

When asked which six brands are their favourites, respondents in all the language groups voted the following brands into the top 20 positions, albeit with different levels of enthusiasm: Billabong, adidas, Puma, Nike, Diesel, Levi, Quiksilver, Roxy, BadBoy/Girl, Guess and Soviet.

The indigenous language group shows a clear-cut preference for sports brands that have a strong fashion/lifestyle influence – namely Puma, adidas and Nike. This group also counts Reebok among their top ten favourite brands and is the only language group to have in-house brands like Red and River Trader amongst their top twenty favourites.

The favourite brand of the Afrikaans language group is Billabong, followed by adidas and Nike … with surf brands like Quiksilver, Volcom, Roxy, Lizzard, Island Style, BadBoy/Girl and Lost featuring strongly amongst the top twenty brands nominated. A lifestyle/sports brand like Puma and fashion brands - with the exception of Diesel and Levi - feature much lower on their list of top brands.

The English speaking group has a more eclectic taste: fashion brand Diesel is their favourite, followed by sports brands Nike and Puma and then surfing brand Billabong. Upmarket fashion brands like Lacoste, Levi, Soviet, Guess, Oakley, Polo, Calvin Klein and Gucci feature high on the wish list of this group.

#1 Favourite brand

» Adidas top favourite or runner up
» Lacoste favourite of English
» Dolce & Gabana, Gucci and Sissy Boy have a loyal following

It is interesting to note the changes when only the brand they ranked #1 is taken into account – which indicates that these brands have a very dedicated group of followers, while other respondents are not as keen on them.

Lacoste, for instance, is the brand that most English speaking respondents placed first, and it is also amongst the top twenty brands that the Afrikaans and indigenous language groups ranked as their absolute favourite. But, when all six favourite brands are ranked, Lacoste moves down to the 6th position in the English group and disappears from the top twenty favourites of the Afrikaans group.

Dolce & Gabana, Gucci and Sissy Boy were also ranked as the top favourite by discerning respondents in all language groups, but when the respondents name their six favourite brands, other brands are more popular than they are.

The Afrikaans language group is consistent in the top two brands they ranked as #1 and nominated as one of their top six favourites (Billabong and adidas), but Nike slips from #3 position as one of the six favourites, to #8 as a top favourite.

Puma, adidas and Nike are clearly the favourite brands of the indigenous language group.

Why they like & buy brands

» Indigenous language trust brand name and want to feel cool, look good
» Afrikaans and English like the cut, colour, style and comfort of a specific item
» Pop, movie and sport stars have very little influence on brand choices
» Opinion of friends and Made in South Africa play a minor role

Interesting differences emerge when the respondents are classified according to their home languages.

For instance, most speakers of indigenous languages (40%) say they predominantly buy shoes or clothes because they trust the brand name, rather than because they see something they like while browsing (27%). On the other hand, more than half the English and Afrikaans speaking respondents decide to buy something they see while browsing, but only 39% English speakers and 40% Afrikaans speaking respondents buy an item because they trust the brand name.

These differences are also evident in their responses to what they like about their favourite brand: most respondents (36%) in the Indigenous language group say that wearing the brand "makes them feel good/look cool" – in other words they trust the specific brand name. A third of this group prefer a brand because they like the style/cut or colour of shoes or clothing and only a quarter because the brand is comfortable to wear.

The reasons given by the Afrikaans and English speaking groups for preferring a brand is more in line with typical "browsing" behaviour: being attracted by the style, cut or colour of an item in a store (73% English and 57% Afrikaans) and then trying it on and finding it comfortable.

The fact that a brand might make them feel good or look cool plays a significantly smaller role for the English and Afrikaans language groups than the indigenous language group.

"Seeing it in an advert" is the third most significant factor that determines if all three groups will buy shoes or clothes, but less than a fifth of all three language groups say they will go and buy an item because they saw it in an advert.

A singer, movie star or sport stars wearing a clothing or shoe brand will not really influence the respondents to buy it, although the indigenous language group (15%) is slightly more likely to buy shoes or clothing worn by stars than the 2% English or 6% Afrikaans speaking respondents. Nor do they favour a brand just because a favourite singer, movie star or sport star wears it – only 7% of the indigenous language and 4% English and Afrikaans speaking respondents choose a brand as their favourite because it is worn by their favourite stars.

The influence of friends also do not play a major role in convincing the respondents to buy – nor the fact that a garment or shoe is Made in South Africa. Only 9% indigenous, 5% English and 2% Afrikaans speakers will buy a product because it was manufactured locally.

Afrikaans respondents (20%) take into higher regard whether the brand is good value for money than the English (12%) or indigenous language group (11%).

Parents are the primary buyers of clothes and shoes in all three language groups, but in the indigenous language group aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters are secondary contributors (15%), while 40% of the English and 29% of the Afrikaans speaking respondents spend their pocket money on clothes and shoes.

Where they shop

» Afrikaans and English speakers predominantly shop at mall stores
» Indigenous language speakers shop at sport, department & mall stores
» Hardly any group admits to shopping at flea markets

There is a significant difference in the shopping habits of the English and Afrikaans groups on the one hand who show a significant preference for buying their clothes and shoes at any mall store (again, browsing behaviour!), and the indigenous language group who show about equal preference for shopping at sport, department and any mall stores.

The indigenous language and Afrikaans groups are more likely to shop at discount chains than the English speakers. But it is interesting to note that while only 15% of the indigenous language speakers say they shop at discount chains, 48% of them own the brand Red, only available from Mr Price stores, which we listed as an example of a discount chain.

Retailers will be happy to learn that hardly anybody in any of the language groups admit to shopping at flea markets.