Linking the lack of tactile sensory cues to consumers’ emotions in e-commerce clothing purchases: a cross-cultural study

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This paper explores consumers’ emotions related to a lack of tactile sensory experiences during e-commerce clothing purchases in a cross-cultural study between South Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Data was collected from a structured, self-administered electronic questionnaire. Respondents were provided with pictures of clothing garments from which their need for touch (NFT) and emotional responses were predominantly determined. The UAE respondents tend to display generally higher levels of NFT than South Africans, with higher levels of instrumental NFT found in UAE respondents. South Africans displayed a higher emotional response than UAE respondents. The international gap in existing research regarding a lack of tactile sensory cues in e-commerce clothing purchases is addressed in this study as it highlights the importance of NFT in e-commerce clothing purchases, and the effect thereof across cultural boundaries, providing insight into the effect of tactile sensory cues on consumers’ emotions, which directly affects their purchase intention.