Impact of Rising Textile and Clothing Prices on Students' Purchasing Behaviour in Karachi

Abstract

This study examines how the continuing rise in textile and clothing prices in Pakistan has changed the purchasing behaviour of students in Karachi. A simple quantitative survey design was adopted, and a structured questionnaire, distributed through Google Forms, was completed by 300 students from public and private colleges and universities across the city. The results show that 94 percent of respondents had noticed higher clothing prices over the previous twelve months and that 57 percent now buy clothes less often than before. More than half of the students reported a shift from branded to local or unbranded clothing, and price has replaced brand and fashion as the main factor in their choices. Students cope by buying fewer items, waiting for sales, repairing old clothes and turning to local and secondhand markets. A chi square test showed a significant association between monthly allowance and change in purchase frequency. The study concludes that rising prices have made students more cautious, price sensitive and value seeking consumers, and it offers recommendations for retailers, policy makers and educational institutions.