A study run by Duke’s Fuqa School of Business found that superior product quality has jumped up as a priority, moving from 22.7% to 33.1% during the period of August 2013 to February 2014. In addition, the study found that consumers' search for lowest price fell from second to fourth place during this time period.
"Shoppers Look for Quality - Not Deals", www.emarketer.com (March 4, 2014)
This data is further supported in a consumer review by Cotton Incorporated, who found that the second largest concern of apparel shoppers was clothing quality, which was cited by 82% of respondents. Quality was only surpassed by return policies, cited by 83% of respondents.
Source: "Shoppers Look for Quality - Not Deals", www.emarketer.com (March 4, 2014)