Sustainable clothing: perspectives from US and Chinese young Millennials

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand US and Chinese young Millennials’ perceptions of and consumption behaviour towards sustainable apparel products. Design/methodology/approach: Quantitative research was conducted, and empirical data were collected from 590 US college students and 379 Chinese college students. Findings: For both US and Chinese young Millennials, this study provides consistent empirical results of the positive and significant effects of young Millennials’ apparel sustainability knowledge and personal values on consumer attitude towards sustainable clothing, which in turn positively and strongly impacts purchase intention. In addition, a cross-cultural comparative analysis reveals similarities and differences regarding apparel sustainability knowledge and values between young Millennial consumers in the US and China. Originality/value: The scale of environmental and social impacts from global apparel production and consumption makes sustainability increasingly important in the contemporary business environment. Young Millennials in the US and China represent large and influential consumer segments for sustainable consumption. This study contributes to the literature by surveying young Millennials in the US (developed market) and China (emerging market) in a cross-cultural context. The study offers insights into the global apparel industry in developing strategies for expanding sustainable apparel markets in the US and China

Investigating Expectancy Values in Online Apparel Rental during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: Moderating Effects of Fashion Leadership

Online apparel renting has become a popular type of consumption. However, the COVID-19pandemic has disrupted the sharing economy, including online renting. This cross-sectional studyexamined the effects of expectancy values on intention towards online apparel rental during andafter the COVID-19 pandemic and investigated the moderating role of personal traits of fashionleadership. A total of 431 valid samples from college students in the US were collected. Structuralequation modeling (SEM) was conducted to test the hypothesized relationships, and moderationanalysis was performed to test the moderating effects of fashion leadership. The results indicatedthat expectancy values affecting consumer intention toward online apparel renting varied duringand post-pandemic. The results also indicated that fashion leadership moderated the links betweenrelative advantage and intention to rent apparel online during the pandemic, while it moderated therelationships between compatibility and psychological ownership and intention toward onlineapparel rental after the pandemic. This study sheds light on the expectancy values that shapeconsumers’ intentions to rent apparel online, considering moderating effects of fashion leadershipfrom which strategic marketing and communication plans could be developed to enhanceconsumer experience and engagement and expand the online apparel rental market

Who are sustainably minded apparel shoppers? An investigation to the influencing factors of sustainable apparel consumption

Purpose Consumers’ environmental behaviours are not only the result of their positive attitudes towards environments, but also different reasons and motivations exist. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to find out important factors affecting sustainable apparel buying behaviour. Applying the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), this study further examines how knowledge about sustainable apparel, perceived money availability, and perceived accessibility to the store influence sustainable apparel consumption.Design/methodology/approach Using a purposive college student sample, 235 usable responses were collected to answer the questions. An exploratory factor analysis with principal component analysis was first performed followed by confirmatory factor analysis, and a structural equation modelling analysis.Findings Results revealed that the TPB was successfully applied in the context of sustainable apparel buying behaviour. Furthermore, it was found that consumers’ perceived money availability and perceived store accessibility are important factors that affect control beliefs and sustainable consumption.Research limitations/implications This study found the needs of educating college students for contexts of environmental apparel and textiles issues.Originality/value Even though previous literature often found the gap between the behavioural intentions and the actual behaviour, this study found the respondents of this study walk their talk. This study successfully applied the TPB to explain consumers’ sustainable apparel buying behaviour

A structural analysis of value orientations, price perceptions, and ongoing search behavior: A cross-cultural study of American and Korean consumers

The direct impact of value orientations on price perceptions has not received extensive investigation in previous research. We examined the impact of materialism, individualism and collectivism on American and Korean consumers’ perceptions of the positive and negative roles of price. We also examined the influence of price perceptions on consumers’ ongoing search behaviour. Using a structural equation modelling technique, results indicated that these value orientations positively and negatively influenced perceptions of the positive and negative roles of price, which in turn influenced ongoing search behaviour. Implications and future research directions are delineated

Effects of store attributes on retail patronage behaviors: Evidence from activewear specialty stores

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify selected store attributes of activewear specialty retailers that impact consumers’ satisfaction, which in turn influence word-of-mouth (WOM) and retail patronage behavior.Design/methodology/approach Using an on-site store intercept, 150 responses were collected to answer hypothesized relationships. An exploratory factor analysis was first performed followed by a confirmatory factor analysis and a structural equation analysis.Findings Results revealed that sales employees and store atmosphere attributes of activewear specialty stores had a positive influence on consumer satisfaction, which in turn had a direct impact on WOM and repatronage intentions for activewear specialty stores. Therefore, in order to satisfy consumers, activewear specialty retailers need to ensure that they provide an attractive and pleasant shopping atmosphere. Furthermore, satisfied consumers are likely to spread positive WOM about the retailer and display their intention to revisit the store in the future. The authors conclude by discussing the results and suggest implications and future research directions.Originality/value The findings of this research shed light on the managerial implications for activewear specialty retailers with regards to marketing strategies and consumers’ attitudes

A Cross-cultural Comparison of Materialism in Emerging and Newly Developed Asian Markets

Considering the needs of refined branding strategies and economic disparity within the Asianmarket, an importance of comparing the materialism level across Asian countries has risen.Therefore, the overall materialism with its three dimensions by country and by demographicinformation are explored. Data were collected from the three Asian countries representing twoemerging markets (China and India) and one newly developed country (Korea). The results showedthat Korean consumers were the most materialistic of the three groups, followed by Chinese andIndians, whose overall materialism levels were not significantly different. A significant effectbetween China and India was found on success and centrality. Gender effect was only found onthe centrality dimension among the Korean sample. This paper provides a new perspective instating that a country’s materialism level reflects a consumer’s changing values as a consequenceof economic development through time. Also, a new attempt to examine the effect of economicdevelopment and gender on the three materialism dimensions among Asian countries contributesto establishing better branding strategies for global marketers

Does formality matter? Effects of employee clothing formality on consumers' service quality expectations and store image perceptions

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, this study aims to understand whether and how sales employee clothing style would influence consumers' perceptions of store image through their expectations of service quality. Second, this study hopes to uncover how fashion orientation would influence the aforementioned relationship.Design/methodology/approach A 3 (formality of employee clothing: formal vs moderate vs casual) × 2 (level of fashion orientation: low vs high) between-subject experiment design was conducted. Data were collected from 105 university students in a laboratory setting.Findings Results indicated that formality of employee clothing (i.e. formal business, moderate, or casual attire) served as a cue in the retail environment for consumers to make inferences about the service quality expected to be provided by the sales employee. Furthermore, formality of employee clothing both directly and indirectly influenced consumers' perceptions of store image.Research limitations/implications This study adds to existing literature by uncovering the moderating role of fashion orientation in consumers' service quality expectations and confirms the function of service quality as an antecedent to store image.Practical implications Retailers should pay attention to the design of their salespeople's clothing because different clothing styles draw forth different evaluations from customers about the service quality provided in retail stores.Originality/value This study investigates the role of clothing formality in influencing consumers' service quality expectations

Exploring antecedents and consequences of young consumers' perceived global brand equity

Purpose With the expansion of globalization, the increased competitive environment has led to the diffusion of brands across borders and cultures. Furthermore, young consumers represent an optimal segment for the proliferation of global consumer culture (GCC). This paper aims to examine the relationship between acculturation to global consumer culture (AGCC), perceived brand equity, attitudes toward the brand and brand resonance in the global sportswear brands context among young consumers in the USA.Design/methodology/approach A total of 394 undergraduate student participants ranging in age from 18 years to 24 years completed a multisectional structured survey. Model construct validity was tested using a confirmatory factor analysis. A structure equation model was used to test hypotheses and relationships.Findings Results showed that while cosmopolitan and self-identification with GCC dimensions of ACGG had a positive association with perceived brand equity, exposure to marketing activities of MNCs and global mass media exposure dimensions of AGCC had a negative association with perceived brand equity. Perceived brand equity also revealed a positive association with attitudes toward the brand, which in turn, affected brand resonance.Research limitations/implications The research used a sample of 18-24-year-old youth consumers. Future research could be extended to include younger (15-17-year old) sample to provide a broader sample of the youth market. In addition, future replication of findings should seek through cross-cultural investigation of multiple youth segments.Practical implications Findings suggest support multiple dimensions of the AGCC scale as holding significant influence on young consumers' brand equity consisting of brand image and brand awareness. Managerially, the findings provide support on the youth consumer's affinity toward self-identification with a GCC and cosmopolitan openness to foreign cultures as being positively related to the adoptions and retention of apparel brands.Social implications Theoretically, the results provide empirical evidence for the debate on the interrelationship between brand equity and attitudes toward brands. The theoretical model guidingthe current study reflects the notion of an emerging acculturation process among a segment of the world's population to a set of global consumer preferences and ideals that are increasingly being embodied in global brands.Originality/value This is among one of the first studies attempting to explore the applicability of Cleveland and Laroche's (2007) AGCC concepts in predicting young consumers' attitudes and behavioral responses toward global brands

Investigating Consumers’ Apparel Retail Format Choice: The Roles of Decision-making Styles and Retail Attributes

With the increase in competitive markets and the evolution of new channels (e.g., internet, mobile), the ability to identify, and understand consumers’ preferences may very well define retail success. The current study explores how consumers’ decision-making styles influence their evaluation of retail attributes, which in turn, affect their retail format choices (i.e., upscale department stores vs. off-price retailers) in the apparel shopping context. A convenience sample of 344 undergraduate students were collected and tested using a structural equation analysis. Results revealed that perfectionist dimension of consumers’ decision-making styles positively influenced the evaluation of service-related retail attributes, which positively influenced their selection of upscale department stores. Furthermore, fashion consciousness, perfectionist, and brand loyalty dimensions of consumers’ decision-making styles positively influenced their evaluation of shopping incentive-related retail attributes, which positively influenced their choice to patronize off-price retailers and negatively influenced their choice of upscale retailers. Implications and future research directions are suggeste

Cross-cultural invariance of consumers' price perception measures: Eastern Asian perspective

In response to the impact of market globalization and concerns over the universality of marketing measures, this study seeks to examine the measurement invariance of consumers' price perception scales cross-culturally with samples drawn from four Eastern Asian countries, i.e. China, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA). In addition, this study further examines the differences and similarities in the mean levels of consumers' price perceptions across the four samples. A convenience sample of undergraduate college students was employed. A total of 958 students with business-related majors completed a questionnaire in Beijing, China; Seoul, South Korea; Taiwan, Taiwan; and Chonburi, Thailand. Having established psychometric properties and demonstrated the partial scalar invariance of measurements and structural parameters, the results indicated that the consumers' price perception scale containing five dimensions (i.e. price-quality schema, prestige sensitivity, value consciousness, sale proneness, and price mavenism) appears to be useful in Eastern Asian cultures. In addition, results of latent mean comparison revealed not only some similarities but also differences related to the five dimensions of price across the four Eastern Asian samples. The main limitation is the issue of generalizability of the findings because of the use of student samples. This study is among the first to examine cross-cultural invariance of consumers' price perception within Eastern Asian countries using MGCFA