Impact of digital marketing on apparel retail business: Changes in consumer behavior for online purchases

Broad technological developments are changing the traditional concept of marketing and developing digital capabilities that bring individual industries to consumers’ doorsteps with one click. The penetration of the internet into various faster digital channels, the development of new devices and their connectivity with apparel retailers are making consumers more informed and knowledgeable. The main objective of this study is to analyze and interpret the impact of digital marketing, manifested in: the changes occurring in the various types of e-commerce sales used by enterprises in the clothing retail business – websites, applications, marketplaces or electronic data exchange; the changes in consumer behavior when purchasing clothing online. The chosen methodological approach considers the correlation of online clothing purchases with the level of disposable income. The methodological framework for conducting the research includes the application of the IBM software product SPSS Statistics. The method of single linear regression and correlation is applied. The analysis of online clothing purchases is based on data released by the European Statistical Office – Eurostat. Respondents to the study are online clothing consumers from the 27-member states of the European Union. The time frame of the study is 2013-2023. The obtained research results evaluate more significant transformation processes of marketing in the conditions of the digital era. The possibilities of the retail business to offer a personalized experience to consumers in a digital environment, creating advantages over competitors, are interpreted. Such studies help to define the upcoming changes in the behavior of European consumers.