Apparel acquisition via single vs. multiple channels: College students’ perspectives in the US and China

Abstract

Drawing on both the diffusion of innovation and market channel literature, this study compared college students from China and the US regarding predictors of channel choice. Moreover, the research identified barriers impeding use of non-store channels. Logistic regression analyses indicated that intention to use multiple channels is positively related to convenience orientation and Internet connectivity in the Chinese sample, and negatively related to age in the US sample. Content analysis revealed the primary barrier to catalog shopping was that respondents could not see how clothing looked in three dimensions; for Internet shopping, it was the difficulty in assessing clothing quality.