Camera observations of customer behaviour in fashion retailing: methodological propositions

Attempts to construct consumer typologies are an enduring feature of retailing research and frequently centre on economic and demographic characteristics. Such research highlights the relatively poor understanding of real‐life consumer behaviour and, in particular, the need to develop more appropriate methods of examining the behaviour of consumers within real‐life retail settings. As a first step in a study designed to assess the role of group identity in fashion clothing purchasing, this paper outlines an innovative methodological approach. Based on the experience of a project examining customer behaviour in a major menswear fashion retailer in the UK, the paper outlines a technique involving video observation, coupled with individual in‐depth interviews, as an effective means of generating valid referential accounts of in‐store customer behaviour. The paper considers the ethical and practical problems associated with utilising such a methodology, and points out the managerial and marketing implications of the approach.