Introduction
Customers constitute the foundation of any successful business venture. Satisfaction of customer demand is also central to the development of a business strategy (Bogati, 2017). This is because businesses are set up with the primary motive of making profits through the provision of goods and services that meet market demands. Business managers who take their time to understand the psychological construct of their potential market put themselves in an excellent position to develop products that address customer demand. The objective of this research is to assess the business mentioned above through the lens of Smart Clothes. Chen et al. (2016) posit that smart clothes entail a combination of textiles and technology with the aim of creating products with functional features to satisfy daily activities.
i. Need
Integration of sensors in the fabric of smart clothes gives garments the ability to read the functioning of a consumer’s body (Chen et al., 2016). Manufacturers ought to base the production of smart clothes on customer needs. In this regard, the final product should satisfy the needs of customers while improving their quality of life and as well solving their problem for which it was intended at the point of manufacture. Hwang, Chung, & Sanders (2016) assert that while putting on the cloth, the consumer should be able to experience strength, safety, and confidence. From a business perspective, companies involved in the production if smart clothes should be guided by the desire to supply to the market products that guarantee consumers effectiveness with how they address their core needs. Moreover, they should carry out extensive research to establish the primary needs of the consumers putting smart clothes.
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In the findings of Bogati (2017), companies cannot afford to underestimate the vitality of meeting consumer needs, particularly those serving in the apparels sector. Companies that track their customer satisfaction metrics eventually succeed in deepening the loyalty of customers to their brands. Loyal customers are business treasures that businesses ought to hold onto in the hope of increasing presence of their products in the market. Customer satisfaction serves as an adequate safeguard to a company against competition in the market. In the current business environment defined by intense competition, it is crucial for businesses to keep track of their core client bases and endeavor to give them the highest quality of services.
ii. Smartness
Smart clothes, according to Chen et al. (2016) come with sensors which can monitor human bodies. The sensors may either form part of the core fabric of the garment or applied externally to the cloth. The sensors are designed to come to make contact with the wearer’s skin thus increasing their ability to read body signals and monitor heart and breathing rates and temperature. On this basis, therefore, customers expect that the sensors contribute to the smartness of the clothes by being accurate and reproducible (Hwang, Chung, & Sanders, 2016). Additionally, manufacturers should insert specific and reliable sensors in the clothes. Smartness of the clothes will be further enhanced when the sensors are high signal effectiveness rather than noise. Moreover, consumers expect that sensors fitted in the clothes can store power for considerable periods and are easier to recharge.
Significantly, companies ought to assure consumers sensors in the clothes are capable of securing private personal information detected on the human bodies (Chen et al., 2016). In the same vein, data in the sensors should be able to read on various platforms. Companies should endeavor to ensure that consumers get the best services from the products they are offering to them. Abdelkader & Lakhdar (2015) insist that consumer perceptions on a given product determine the strength of the product in the marketplace. Importantly, smart cloth companies should work to produce apparels that meet the desires of the current consumer if they endeavor to keep a firm hold on the market. Stylish clothes, according to fashion experts, signify the future of clothing.
iii. Functionality
Functionality resides at the core of the production of smart clothes. From the consumers’ point of view, companies involved in the making of smart clothes should strengthen their functionality by making sure that the sensor interface is intuitive to operate. In this case, it should be able to produce intuitive and useful output that will help the customer to understand the functioning of their bodies. Hwang, Chung & Sanders (2016), stress that usability of the clothes, additionally, relies on the location of the sensors on the garments. Customers, according to studies conducted, prefer that the sensors inserted in a manner that makes them discrete. Smart clothes makers should set the prices that are affordable by the ordinary customer in a bid to expand their usability. The factors below are essential in guiding manufacturers in the determination of the costs of smart clothes while placing the customer in mind:
Customers
By carrying a market survey, a company will be able to understand customers’ expectations regarding smart clothes. Further, the survey will be instrumental in ascertaining the real factors that drive consumer behavior. A market survey is crucial in understanding what pricing and value of the product play in the consumer purchase decision-making process (Abdelkader & Lakhdar, 2015). In relation to smart clothes, the information gathered from the field is essential in making changes to their products with the purpose of releasing to the market goods that meet the requirements of consumers.
Market Positioning
Once Smart clothes companies survey to establish the exact demands of their potential consumers will embark on the process of identifying a suitable market position. It can help locate the right avenue through which they can enter the market. Knowledge acquired at this point plays an essential role in the determination of the right price to sell their smart clothes. Furthermore, according to Bogati (2017), proper market positioning will help the companies to fend off competition from potential rivals who may pose a threat to their market space. It is also important to realize that marketing position will render a particular smart clothes company as the leading player in a given market segment thus growing their profit margins.
iv. Usability
In the observation of Chen et al. (2016), consumers want smart clothes that fit their bodies comfortably, thus making them appear intelligent. Besides, the clothes should able to move in tandem with respective body motions like bending, stretching and compressing. Consumers expect companies to demonstrate value for their money by producing garments that satisfy are easy to wash, long-lasting and ideal weight to move around in. Studies support the understanding the clothes should be comfortable enough to allow wearers proper spacing.
Abdelkader & Lakhdar (2015) place usability of the final product at the center of customer satisfaction. It, additionally, helps to attract consumers to the products offered by a given company. In this regard, smart clothes manufacturers should endeavor to produce garments that can easily be worn by people of all ages, including those with disabilities. Importantly, the clothes should contribute significantly to making the wearer look smart. This step underscores the need for manufacturers to critically consider the needs of the customers mention earlier in the study.
Conclusion
Smart clothes – a product of the fusion of technology and textile – represent a significant transformation in the clothing industry. Findings of several studies support to strengthen the understanding the smart clothes carry the future of clothing. Companies making smart clothes continue to churn even smarter designs. Smart clothes do not only facilitate customers in the definition their personalities, but they also contribute significantly towards getting a more profound understanding of who they are. This implies that smart clothes have the potential to shape peoples’ relationship with their bodies while improving their health. From a business viewpoint, manufacturers ought to place the customer at the heart of the business process. It can play an essential role in developing products that serve the real demands of the market.
References
Abdelkader, M., & Lakhdar, Y. (2015). Service Personalization and Loyalty Case Study: Automobile Insurance Company in Sai da. Algeria. 1(1), 205-225.
Bogati, D. (2017). Determinants of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in net banking of Thailand's selected commercial banks in Bangkok's central business district.
Chen, M., Ma, Y., Song, J., Lai, C. F., & Hu, B. (2016). Smart clothing: Connecting human with clouds and big data for sustainable health monitoring. Mobile Networks and Applications, 21(5), 825-845.
Hwang, C., Chung, T. L., & Sanders, E. A. (2016). Attitudes and purchase intentions for smart clothing: Examining US consumers’ functional, expressive, and aesthetic needs for solar- powered clothing. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 34(3), 207-222.
