Asian-American Consumers in Hawai’i: The Effects of Ethnic Identification On Attitudes Toward and Ownership of Ethnic Apparel, Importance of Product and Store-Display Attributes, and Purchase Intention

Abstract

This research investigates how strength of ethnic identification influences attitudes toward and ownership of ethnic apparel, importance of product and store-display attributes, and purchase intention among Asian American consumers in Hawai’i. The sample included 167 Asian Americans who visited apparel stores in Honolulu that had Asian-inspired clothing predominantly displayed. The study results showed that those participants who identified themselves strongly with their ethnic group put more emphasis on ethnic features of clothing and window displays than those with a weak ethnic identification. Overall, attitudinal measure of ethnic identification appeared to be a more important variable than the use of ethnic language in understanding importance of product and store-display attributes.