Target Market Young Women

Target Market Research

In terms of demographics, the target market consists of females, aged 18-25. These females typically live in urban areas, or aspire to do so in the future. They are middle class, able to afford clothing upwards of $150 per item. Some of the lower-end accessories that go for $15-20 will skew slightly lower on the income scale. This is deliberate -- the lower end items are aspirational in nature, as they bring consumers to the brand. This is an important element of marketing to this age bracket, because income levels typically increase among this age group as they transition out of high school and into the working world. By hooking the target market with lower priced items at the younger ages, they can then grow with the brand through their mid-20s and into the beginning of their professional careers.

The target market will typically have a high school education. They may or may not be pursuing a college degree, however. SUKI-YO wishes to appeal to artistic individuals who value self-expression, and such individuals frequently follow unique life paths that may or may not include formal education. Those not in college, however, are likely to be artists of some type, or otherwise pursuing passions for which formal education is not a prerequisite. For the most part, we expect that our consumers might start to grow out of the brand as they move into their mid-20s, start building careers and make the transition into a more settled adulthood.

Geographically, the brand appeals to the urban marketplace. Most target customers will be in urban areas. The suburbs are a secondary target market, because many women in this market may still live at home, but their heart are in the city, even if their beds are not. Many will be attending college campuses, but the emphasis will be on urban campuses. The brand has a distinct West Coast focus, and that will be the initial target market for the company. Essentially, the I-5 corridor from San Diego to Seattle will be at the heart of our target market. According to census data, there are approximately 15 million such young women nationwide, which extrapolates to around 8-9 million in major West Coast cities, depending on how strictly one defines "urban." Given the expected spillover into surrounding areas, 8-10 million is a reasonable estimate of the market size of this gender, age and geographic region. Our subset is harder to pin down, but might be 5-10% of the total population, which would be between 400,000 and 1 million for the total target market size. This is a niche product, but the niche is large enough for our expected production capacity.

The target market has a high level of interest in fashion, art, pop art, streetwear, music and the cultivation of a unique style. These are style leaders, who are typically willing to make sacrifices to create a unique look for themselves. Some will be willing to alter their clothes to achieve uniqueness, and will have the fashion skill to do this, while others will have their artistic passions elsewhere. In either case, the target market sees fashion as a critical means of expression. They are modern, generally unaccepting of conventional gender or societal roles. The target market is highly independent in spirit and nature. Our consumer is sexy in her personality and carries a strength and confidence that belies her age. These psychographic traits will be reflected in the designs, and the marketing personality of the brand.

The target market shops in urban, independent stores, and online. This market does not shop in malls or department stores. They tend to seek out fashions that will be unique, which draws them to boutiques that specialize in urban wear. They will often shop by feel, responding emotionally to clothing that reflects their perceptions of self back at them. In that, they may be slightly less price sensitive than their peers, and more influenced by the originality of a piece. They do not want to see multiple of the same item on a rack, as this would be a signal that these clothes are not unique enough for them.