Word of mouth remains the biggest influence in people's apparel (33.6%) purchases, though advertising inserts, articles and in-store promotions also sway buying decisions, according to a Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA) survey conducted by BIGresearch.

"Hearing what other people have to say about a product gives shoppers the satisfaction of knowing what they purchased is peer-reviewed and worth their money," said Mike Gatti, RAMA executive director. "Whether it is based on a conversation with a friend or a customer review on a Web site, people put a lot of weight in other shoppers' opinions."

Regarding apparel purchases, shoppers say in-store promotions (31.8%) are nearly as important as word of mouth. Coupons (31.2%) also were ranked near the top of the list. Additionally, shoppers said that advertising inserts (28.0%), direct mail (24.2%) and e-mail advertising (22.4%) were more influential than TV ads (21.8%).

The survey found that people still prefer traditional media to get their daily dose of news and information. "Traditional media still plays a big role in consumers' everyday lives, but technology has paved the way for people to have instant access to sales events, promotions and even customer reviews," said Phil Rist, executive vice president, strategic initiatives, at BIGresearch.