An Exploratory Investigation into the Consumer Use of WeChat to Engage with Luxury Fashion Brands

Abstract

This chapter explores the behaviours and impact of consumer engagement with luxury clothing brands on the WeChat social media platform. It presents an investigation into how young Chinese fashion consumers use WeChat to understand and engage with luxury fashion brands and how they engage with other consumers and interested stakeholders during their shopping experience. Our results suggest that consumers do use WeChat extensively to engage with luxury clothing brands, but in doing so currently place the greatest trust for their fashion and product knowledge in the opinions of those in their WeChat friendship groups and WeChat fashion bloggers rather than directly with the brands themselves.