Fashion Goods Research Articles

Personal value vs. luxury value: What are Chinese luxury consumers shopping for when buying luxury fashion goods?

This research studies Chinese luxury consumers based on their personal value and explores what dimensions of luxury value Chinese luxury consumers are shopping for when purchasing luxury fashion goods. Three personal value variables (face consciousness, pragmatism, and materialism) and three dimensions of luxury value (symbolic value, experiential value, and functional value) were examined through cluster analysis, ANOVA, and regression analysis based on a random sample of 308 Chinese luxury consumers. The findings suggest that all three dimensions of luxury value have significant impacts on Chinese luxury consumers’ purchase intentions, but different groups of Chinese luxury consumers shop for different dimensions of luxury value.

Dynamic Pricing and Markdown Timing Policies for Fashion Goods with Strategic Behaviour of Consumers

In this article, we discuss the optimal pricing strategy and best markdown timing in two sale periods for a monopoly seller, when faced with strategic consumers. Based on the Stackelberg game theory, a mathematical model is constructed to maximize the seller’s revenue when the markdown timing is certain or uncertain. Consumers are heterogeneous with different valuations for the same product. Moreover, after retailer decision-making, consumers would determine their purchase policies about the time and price, by comparing the prices and individual valuations in the two sale periods. Finally, a numerical example is considered to illustrate the optimal pricing strategy and best purchase policy.

The impact of attitudes towards influencers amongst millennial fashion buyers

The aim of this paper is to identify influencers and the way they affect the behavior of millennial buyers in the process of consuming fashion goods. The paper examines the literature on opinion leaders, ranging from the origins of the concept to its developments within the context of the Internet. The shift from influential to influencer and the different types of influencer are examined and certain hypotheses regarding the role of influencers (including all the influential players) regarding fashion-buying millennials are presented. The paper presents the results of qualitative and quantitative empirical research based on focus groups and in-depth interviews with 22 university students. Findings from this research and their implications regarding the different stages of the millennial buying process are discussed.

Research of Ukrainian Fashion Industry Goods Consumers

To analyze the classifications of modern fashion consumers in accordance with current realities of the fashion industry market for clothing design. The systematic approach to the chosen object of research has been used; the analytical-typological and comparative methods have been applied. The research contains a critical analysis of publications on selected topics and is based on a sociological survey and statistical processing of data. An overview of modern studies has allowed to characterize the behavior of fashion industry consumers and to classify them according to different criteria. The factors influencing the decision of consumers about fashion goods purchasing, the classification of clothing consumers have been analyzed and the purchasing behavior of Ukrainian women as consumers of fashion goods has been investigated. A survey has been conducted in order to study the typology of Ukrainian consumers of fashion industry products. As a result of the survey, it has been found that Ukrainian women buy fashion goods mainly for aesthetic reasons, firstly considering the products design; clothing is a tool for them to look stylish, express themselves and stand out among others. Most women buy clothes in multi-branded shopping malls, and online shopping for fashion goods over the Internet is not popular among Ukrainian women. Ukrainians prefer fashion clothes of foreign manufacturers, only occasionally buying home-made products. The motives and behavioral patterns of fashion industry consumers have been investigated, the factors influencing the purchase decision have been determined, the main characteristics of Ukrainian fashion industry consumers for clothes design have been determined. Modern consumers of fashion industry market have been characterized, the attitude of Ukrainian clothing consumers to shopping and fashion has been determined. The research results can be used to teach subjects related to the theory of fashion and fashion industry.

Renting fashion with strategic customers in the sharing economy

A growing number of customers who purchased fashion products, but now start to rent them. Fashion rental business is competing with fashion retailers, but also reduces fashion retailers’ product returns -fashion goods are “illegally” rented by customers, which was one of the most headache issues for the retailer. In this paper, we investigate the illegal renting behavior. We not only examine the impacts of consumer behavior on fashion retailing, but also the tradeoffs between product rental and purchase in the presence of rental services. We find that when the customer valuation is sufficiently low, customers would not purchase anything; when the customer valuation is increasing, customers will change the behavior from renting the product to illegally rent; when the customer valuation is sufficiently large, customers would purchase the product. Moreover, our analytical results show that customers are not willing to return the products if the cost of product returns is sufficiently high, and also are not willing to rent if the rental fee is too expensive. To decrease the illegal renting behavior, the firm can increase the cost of product returns. Last but not least, we identify that the retailer, the renter and the entire retail system could perform better when the renter and retailer are integrated into one group. This result provides important managerial insights on the giant luxury fashion groups such as PPR and LVMH who should merge the rental firms such as fashion renter (e.g. Rent the Runway) or the fashion retailer Ann Taylor releases a new channel to offer rental service, so that improve the entire fashion retail ecosystem.

전통 빗장과 자물쇠를 활용한 스카프 디자인 개발

The purpose of this study is to spread information and knowledge regarding the traditional Korean culture, and foster the cultural fashion product with a perception of high added consumer value, by developing a scarf design with the ability to showcase and highlight a conventional lock and latch motif. Methodology for the study was employed with a comprehensive literature review on the characteristics of native designs featuring locks and latches, a preference survey regarding the basic motif designs, and an empirical study for the design. Chiefly, Adobe Illustrator CS 6 was adopted as a tool for use with the design development. The following information are the results of the study. Five types of applications were applied for the basic motif design based on outcome from a preference survey: simply modelled latch in turtle shape, turtle-shaped latch in realistic mode, ㄷ-shaped lock, fish-like lock, and combined mode with hambak lock and swallow latch designs. These images were designed in order that the themes of tradition and modernity could be harmonized into the designs. As to the utilization of color and tone, such were used as an achromatic color theme with a highest preference level, tranquil greyish tone, and a bright vivid tone in the red and blue series. For the scarf pattern design, a total of 30 pattern designs was developed through various constructions such as utilizing the themes of repeat, rotation and reflection with a basic motif. These designs were proposed to the application to a twilly, long scarf and used on a square scarf. This examination found that traditional latch and lock are recognized as part of the cultural heritage, as a theme reflecting the conventional life craft product native to Korea. These themes were recognized as a reflection of goodness in the Korean culture, and the acceptance of the themes shows that there is an unlimited possibility for the developed and continued use of these specific themes as represented in cultural fashion goods, which can also be seen to have a place in Korean culture to show a modern sense of purpose and style for the enjoyment of the Korean people.

The effects of information on young consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions of fashion products made of fur, leather, and wool

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to examine how sidedness of information affects consumer attitudes, subjective norms, and purchase intentions of fashion goods made of fur, leather, and wool. An experimental study using a randomized multi-group design with four levels of treatment was conducted. Participants (N = 1,533) were assigned to read one of four product information texts before completing an online survey. Participants’ attitude and subjective norms toward purchasing fashion products made of fur, leather, and wool were significantly different depending on whether they were exposed to: (1) one-sided information against using animal-based materials, (2) one-sided information promoting use of animal-based materials, (3) two-sided information presenting both sides; or (4) information not related to fashion products made of animal-based materials (control group). The findings are useful for marketing professionals, consumers who want to make informed and unbiased purchase decisions, and fashion educators for developing curriculum to prepare ethical and responsible future industry professionals and implementing effective teaching strategies.

소비자들의 사장 패션제품 보유 특성에 따른 버리기 어려움 행동 연구

Recently fast fashion has become a key component of the fashion market, which has led to an increase in overconsumption, or the consumption of clothes that are discarded after only a single season. This has resulted in consumers possessing fashion goods that they do not use often or cannot discard. This study looks at consumer hoarding behavior, and the relationship between hoarding behavior and difficulty discarding fashion goods for consumers. This study surveyed male and female consumers in their 20s～50s for empirical analysis in July 2018. The survey study surveyed 366 male and female consumers aged 20s～50s, who were selected through online convenience sampling for empirical analysis in July 2018. Data were analyzed using SPSS for Windows 19.0 and descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, factor analysis, cluster analysis, ANOVA analysis, and the Scheffe test, χ²-test, and t-test. The results were as follows. First, the greatest proportion of unused fashion goods possessed by the consumer were clothes, as compared to shoes or bags. Clothes and bags were possessed for a longer number of years, as compared to shoes. A significant difference was found in the proportion of unused fashion goods, and the number of years possessed, according to demographic characteristics. For clothes, sex, marital status, age, number of family members living together, and income of the consumer were relevant, whereas for shoes, sex, marital status, age, and monthly amount spent on fashion goods were relevant. For bags, age and income of the consumer were relevant. Second, a significant difference was found in difficulty discarding unused fashion goods, according to the proportion of unused goods and the number of years possessed. The higher the proportion of unused goods, and the longer the number of years possessed, the greater the difficulty of discarding. A difference was found in the amount of influence the proportion of goods and the longest number of years possessed had, depending on the goods category. Third, a significant difference in intention to discard was found according to the proportion of unused goods and the longest number of years possessed. For clothes, the higher the proportion and the longer the number of years possessed, the greater the intention to discard. This study will help consumers who make purchases in the fashion market organize goods rationally and make a habit of engaging in desirable consumer behaviors.

Jean Dubuffet’s Alchemy: High Pastes for High Tastes

Jean Dubuffet made his name and fortune in 1946 with Mirobolus, Macadam et Cie.: Hautes pâtes, a series of thick, high-relief paintings made of tar, asphalt, plaster and white lead, embellished with sand, pebbles, glass and straw. A succès de scandal, the hautes pâtes turned Dubuffet into what one critic called the “à la mode” painter, but they also demonstrated his passion for high fashion and luxury goods. The literature has focused on Dubuffet’s use of crude “brut” materials, but largely overlooked the fact that he depicted the members of his “Cie.” (company) accessorized with luxury goods (fur stoles, handbags and high heeled shoes) and adorned with jewelry (earrings, rings, pocket watches and medallions). This article revisits Dubuffet’s breakthrough exhibition and argues that the subtext of the series was a polemic on luxury. Emerging at the cusp of the postwar economic boom, Dubuffet’s high pastes speak to his public’s high taste, underlining the commerce between materiality and materialism.

The Application of Traditional Chinese Elements in Luxury Fashion Goods

The Application of Traditional Chinese Elements in Luxury Fashion Goods

The Full Story: Mining Rich Authoethnographic Data for Insight into the International Consumer’s Behaviour with Luxury Fashion Goods

The Full Story: Mining Rich Authoethnographic Data for Insight into the International Consumer’s Behaviour with Luxury Fashion Goods

CHALLENGES FACING THE MARKETING OF FASHION PRODUCTS IN GHANA: CASE STUDY OF FASHION BUSINESSES IN HO MUNICIPALITY

The study assessed challenges facing the marketing of fashion products in the Ho Municipality of Ghana. A total sample size of two hundred (200) respondents was used in the conduct of this study. Quota sampling technique was adopted in the selection of staff and management of the selected fashion businesses. A total of 215 questionnaires were administered to respondents and 200 were received from them. The results indicated that there are several challenges facing the marketing of fashion products in Ho. These are lack of capital and credit facilities, high income tax, high utility bills and rent, lack of market, low and irregular income, competition of cheap imported clothes, lack of knowledge and skills in the use of clothing production techniques. It was found that challenges hindering the marketing of fashion products could be addressed through financial support, formal training, the ban of importation of fashion goods into the country and the regular conduct of fashion trade fairs. The study recommended that fashion enterprises should be supported by government and financial institutions in the prestart-up phase, the start-up phase and the growing phase in order to reduce the burden on them. Fashion firms should also be creative and innovative to survive the challenges facing the industry, particularly in terms of marketing, textile designs and fashion product designing. Fashion businesses should also embrace social media opportunities to promote their products. There is also the need for infrastructural developments that will help reduce production cost but improve quality. Article visualizations:

EXPLORING POTENTIAL FACTORS THAT REDUCE CONSUMERS’ PURCHASE INTENTION TOWARDS FAST FASHION PRODUCTS

Fast fashion brands gain their competitive advantages through launching new products to the market quickly in order to adapt to consumer’s rapidly changing preferences. Despite of these advantages, the fast fashion business model, in which accelerated process of product design, production, and launch is implemented, inevitably generates ethically controversial issues in fashion industry, such as intensifying environmental pollution during the production process, exploiting designers and workers, or excessively wasting resources. One possible solution to these problems might lie in reducing demand towards fast fashion products. Thus, this present study intends to explore potential means to reduce demand. It will begin with a review of literature regarding ethical concerns raised by fast fashion business model, consumers’ views towards buying fast fashion products and these concerns, and existing methods employed to reduce harm derived from fast fashion brands. Content analysis of articles and online posts addressing fashion and ethics related topics will also be conducted to collect first-hand information regarding these aspects. As a result, potential strategies or practices aiming at solving problems generated by unethical fast fashion business practices could be discovered and derived. Findings of this study are expected to provide more organized thoughts regarding ethical issues associated with fast fashion business model and how these issues concern the industry and consumers. Specifically, results of the preliminary examination will help us understand how general public and consumers perceive fast fashion business models and brands, their business practices, ethical concerns associated with these practices, and their proposed solutions. It is expected that consumers might be more willing to reduce unnecessary purchases of fashion goods if they are more aware of unethical business practices generated by practicing fast fashion business model. These results are expected to offer insights into potential strategies that (1) can be employed by policy makers to reduce waste and promote green consumption, (2) help raise consumers’ awareness regarding the negative impact of fast fashion business model, and (3) assist to return to a healthier fashion industry.

Emotional experiences behind the pursuit of inconspicuous luxury

Today we are witnessing a trend towards subtler hints of luxury, reflecting the rise of inconspicuousness. We seek to address the contradictions of paying a premium for luxury with subtle logos that provide less effective brand signaling to others by exploring two research questions: What emotions do consumers experience in relation to their inconspicuous luxury consumption? How do emotions associated with symbolic meanings of inconspicuous luxury consumption play a role in self-identity communication? Using the luxury fashion goods context, in-depth interviews and naturalistic observational data of 10 luxury consumers with inconspicuous preferences in Dubai reveal three main themes contributing to inconspicuousness: emotional self-defense, self-enhancement, and social-defense. Inconspicuousness symbolizes self-protection and association with tasteful luxury and dissociation from luxury faux pas.

COLOUR IN FASHION: EFFECTS ON PERSONALITY

Colours have much impact on users – either positively or negatively – when they are used for fashion objects. This paper is purposed to identify major ways in which fashion designers in tertiary institutions within Kumasi metropolis use colours for their fashion objects and the effects of the colours on their clients. Qualitative research approach was employed for this research. Specifically, the descriptive research method was adopted for the study. One hundred and fifty (150) respondents with fashion design and textiles background from three public tertiary institutions offering fashion design and textiles as programme of study in the Kumasi metropolis of Ashanti region, were purposively sampled for the study. Identification, beautification and communication, constituting 92.0%, 84.7% and 84.7% respectively of the 150 respondents, ranked as the top three purposes for which people use colours in fashion goods. Interior decoration, communication, designing textiles and enhancement of the aesthetic appeal of clothes, representing 100%, 92.7%, 92.7% and 92.7% respectively were found to be the highest positive impact of colour in fashion. In the study, 85.3% of the respondents stated that some colours cause people to have low self-esteem while 62.0% of them said some colours cause people to feel lazy. It is recommended that people should select colours wisely to enhance their images. Article visualizations:

Research and Analysis on the Influencing Factors of the Purchase Decision of the Consumers of Fast Fashion Goods in Kazakhstan

In the consumer purchase decisions as the starting point, as China and Kazakhstan reached agreement on the implementation of the "Belt and Road" strategy, a large number of fashionable consumer goods in China entered Kazakhstan and enriched the consumer market in Kazakhstan, also changed people's consumption concept in Kazakhstan. In order to obtain a comprehensive and effective research results, the data obtained through the market research were analyzed by using the software of SPSS 20.0 to evaluate the reliability and validity of the data and the fitting degree of the model. Through the confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis of the model, the relationship between the latent variables in the model is obtained, And the results of the investigation and the theoretical analysis are analyzed and studied in detail so as to put forward a positive research proposal to better promote the long-term prosperity of the consumer market of fashion goods in Kazakhstan under the new situation.

UK Clothing Inflation 1997-2016

As in other countries, constructing accurate clothing price indices in the UK has been particularly difficult. Prior to 2010 the standard “matched model” sampling methodology was employed for clothing. This led to an implausibly large decline in the RPI clothing price index and an even steeper decline in the CPI clothing price index. In 2010, with the aim of correcting this underestimation, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) considerably loosened the sampling criteria for clothing. This had the unintended consequence of doubling the formula effect difference between the RPI and CPI clothing indices, calling into question whether the basic requirement of grouping together similar products at the first stage of aggregation was being met. Since the 2010 sampling changes, the RPI clothing index has had an implausibly large increase relative to the All Items RPI, while the CPI clothing index has declined modestly relative to the All Items CPI index. The question arises whether the experience with clothing has any implications regarding the general accuracy of the RPI measure (and the Carli formula which it uses for first-stage aggregation) relative to the CPI measure (and the Jevons formula which it employs for first-stage aggregation). In particular, can one generalise from the relatively better performance of the RPI clothing measure prior to 2010 or the relatively better performance of the CPI clothing measure since 2010? This note investigates this question, drawing on the results of the clothing-price pilot research carried out by the ONS in 2011-12, and using statistics on the relative expenditure on clothing to investigate the implications for clothing volumes of the observed clothing price indices. The conclusion is that the observed clothing price indices can be fully explained by the sampling methods used and the known mathematical properties of the elementary aggregation indices. The peculiar results from clothing cannot be interpreted as providing evidence for the performance of the aggregation indices outside the clothing (or, more widely, the “fashion goods”) sector. Given the continuing unsatisfactory state of the clothing indices, the ONS should give a high priority to building on the results of the 2011-12 clothing price pilot to amend the methodology introduced in 2010, so as to reduce the formula effect difference between the RPI and CPI measures and improve the accuracy of both indices.

Can irrelevant benchmark information help when making business decisions under uncertainty? An empirical investigation of the newsvendor game

Firms often compensate employees based on their relative performance in the most recent business period. These firms need to consider what type of performance information to share with their employees in order to obtain better outcomes in the long run, without diminishing staff motivation. In this paper, we empirically investigate the impact of sharing irrelevant benchmark “information” (e.g., information about the interim winner's performance) when individuals are making repeated decisions under uncertainty. The decision-making context used is the newsvendor problem, which is a canonical framework for operations management decision making. The newsvendor problem occurs in many business contexts, such as buying fashion goods for retail, setting safety stock levels, setting target inventory levels for perishable goods, selecting the right capacity for a service facility, and overbooking customers. Theoretically, information about the interim winner's performance has no value for making improved decisions in future rounds, and it might even be misleading. Surprisingly, we find that displaying such irrelevant benchmark information results in significantly improved decisions overall, as compared to a control group; this additional display may motivate participants to perform better. We also identify two personality traits related to impulsivity which moderate this positive information display effect.

Eating tradition: Typical products, distinction and the myth of memory

Abstract Typical food products today are much more than goods purchased just for taste; often they are bought to indulge symbolic or social behaviours. The concept of 'typicality' appeared well before designations of origin, in pre-industrial times, and was embodied in the goods that had a reputation in the European markets. Over time, these products have come to define deep-rooted relationships with the terroir in which they are made, becoming in this way an important part of the cultural heritage. This paper uses the concept of 'typical' in a general sense to define a wide range of products that, in other scientific approaches as well as in the lexicon of other European experiences, are sometimes classified as heritage or traditional products. As foodstuffs, they can be described in various ways: local, regional, place-based, GI, authentic and farm products. In this article the concept of 'typical' is used as shorthand for a category that has been widely studied in the past. Like many other fashion goods, the purchase is often the result of decision making by consumers that reflects symbolic ideas rather than rational processes. These choices are numerous and varied, but given the irrational nature of consumer behaviour, they tend to be largely based on symbolic and abstract factors. With Avatar products - which copy in some ways the 'original' ones - rather than the reality of a typical product, the consumer is offered an illusion in terms of communication and symbol. Such products are often reinvented and, at the same time, they can take on the signs and symbolic values of a so-called authentic typical product. This article presents theoretical reflections and empirical case studies showing that consuming typical products is often an expression of cultural consumption, rooted in a 'myth of memory'.

The impact of pricing, lead time and capacity policies in a two-echelon supply chain

Lead-time, price and capacity are common strategies used in supply chains facing uncertain or variable demand. Each provides a mechanism to absorb the uncertainty. In some supply chains, products must be produced before demand is realised. This typically is caused in situations where production takes a long time and the selling period is short, fashion goods for instance. In this paper we assume a two-echelon supply chain consisting of a supplier and a retailer facing price and lead time sensitive demand. The decision process is modelled by Nash equilibrium and Stackelberg game. The equilibrium strategy of these two players is obtained by investigating the impact of variable decisions on the players' profit then compares the performance of the corresponding chain and capacity decision according to historical data as a benchmark. The results illustrated that the profit of supplier and retailer is more Nash equilibrium compared with Stackelberg game.