Luxury Apparel Research Articles

Understanding the Impact of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and Social Validation in Millennial Consumer Buying Behaviour for Luxury Apparel in Pune: An Self-Determination Theory (SDT) Approach

Generation Y and generation Z are the key players in the luxury apparel market, driven by their digital proficiency, quest for unique experiences and mindful consumption habits. This research examines consumer behaviour in the luxury apparel market, with a particular focus on individuals aged 21–30 in Pune, India. The study aims to discover the factors that influence their purchase decisions, with particular emphasis on fear of FOMO and social validation as key motivations. The research is guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which examines internal and external motivations that guide consumer choices. Primary data will be collected using qualitative techniques including interviews, focus groups and observations. The study aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice by providing practical insights for luxury brands based on marketing strategies, product development initiatives and brand positioning according to the preferences and values ​​of Generation Y and Generation Z consumers. Keywords: Consumer Behaviour, Luxury, Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), Social Validation.

The inequality of household carbon footprint in China: A city-level analysis

Climate change mitigation and carbon inequality reduction are of great significance to the sustainable development. Most of the existing studies on China's household carbon footprint inequality are at provincial level and lack in-depth analysis of cross-dimension of consumption categories. We calculated the carbon footprints in 309 city-level areas in China based on the multi-regional input-output table, and further explored the inequality of household carbon footprints from perspective of cross-dimension with Gini coefficient and Lorentz curve based on the China Family Panel Studies dataset. We found that although the carbon footprint inequality of different areas, income groups and family size were relatively high on the whole, the level of that in different consumption categories showed significant different characters. For instance, affluent demographics possess the requisite financial capacity to acquire luxury apparel, whereas economically disadvantaged cohorts predominantly procure garments at standard price points. This dynamic may engender heightened carbon disparity within the realm of clothing, with a proclivity for greater imbalances observed in high-income strata as opposed to their low-income counterparts. Specific measures for guiding residents to rationally consume luxury food and allocate educational resources, and advocate low-carbon travel to eliminate household carbon footprint inequality in China are proposed.

Female stereotypes and female empowerment in advertising: A systematic literature review and future research agenda

AbstractThis systematic literature review (SLR) seeks to foster the presence of feminism and women's diversity in advertising through a systematic, transparent, and rigorous framework‐based review and the 4Ws1H (What, Where, Why, and HoW) analysis. The study provides three main contributions. First, it offers an innovative conceptual framework for examining female stereotypes and female empowerment in advertising by categorizing the 21st‐century literature into the four evolutive eras of feminism: prefeminism, feminism, postfeminism, and the fourth wave of feminism. Second, this SLR reveals prevailing research trends, predominant research methodologies, frequently explored geographical regions, and industries of focus while providing a roadmap for future research endeavors. Finally, it acknowledges the lasting impact of femvertising as a response to consumer demands during the fourth wave of feminism and its role in promoting diversity and inclusion in advertising, encompassing disabilities, ethnicity, age, and gender identity. The main research trends uncovered in this study encompass the effects of female stereotypes, the sexualization of women in advertising, attitudes related to the brand, and the exploration of female empowerment. Qualitative methodologies emerged as the dominant approach in this research landscape, with a particular focus on countries boasting high gender equality. Furthermore, industries that predominantly target women in their advertising campaigns, such as fashion, luxury apparel, beauty, and personal care, occupy a central position in the existing body of literature. These findings encourage scholars to embark on future research aligned with the proposed research trends, particularly in regions characterized by lower gender equality and within gender‐neutral or male‐dominated industries.

A comparative study of consumer perceptions and purchase intentions of Sustainable and non-sustainable luxury apparel brands

A comparative study of consumer perceptions and purchase intentions of Sustainable and non-sustainable luxury apparel brands

Categorizing the Indian consumer according to their purchase intention towards affordable luxury apparel

Categorizing the Indian consumer according to their purchase intention towards affordable luxury apparel

A study of young women consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions towards luxury apparel & accessories in India

This research provides empirical support to the luxury value perception model (LVP) created by Wiedmann et al. (2009) influencing purchase intentions of luxury apparel and accessories of young generation Z women consumers, categorizing their value perceptions across functional, individual, and social dimensions. Data collected through a questionnaire across 209 generation Z women consumers of India and analyzed using structural equation modeling, depicts a positive relationship between Self-identity and Prestige in social networks with purchase intention of luxury fashion and accessory brands of young women consumers. Hence, the high involvement of consumers with luxury fashion brands directly influences their self-concept and low prestige in social networks inversely leads the consumers to make high-value luxury purchases. The findings of this research provide valuable insights to build business practices and strategies of luxury fashion and accessory brands trying to gain inroads in the Asian and most preferably Indian markets

How fashion cewebrity influences customer engagement behavior in emerging economy? Social network influence as moderator

Social media provides opportunities for individuals to become cewebrities by gaining fame via their presence on different platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. But, how cewebrities are engaging consumers is an under-developed research area that needs researchers' attention. Therefore, this research aims to determine the influence of fashion cewebrity on opinion leaders and customer engagement behaviors in the apparel fashion industry. Also, the moderating role of social networking influence in the relationship between opinion leadership and customer engagement is tested. The data was collected from 472 consumers following fashion cewebrities of five luxury apparel brands, and hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. The results confirmed the validity of the newly established scale of fashion cewebrity and endorsed the fashion cewebrity's impact on opinion leadership while opinion leadership mediates the fashion cewebrity – customer engagement behavior relationship. This study proposes that the managers should involve fashion cewebrities during all product development and promotion stages and establish collaboration to reap profit and create strong brand equity.

Environmentally Friendly Materialism: How It Is Generated and How Luxury Apparel Addresses Environmental Problems

The increasing number of consumers possessing a global mindset has led to the emergence of environmentally friendly materialist consumers who find pleasure in owning environmentally friendly brands and products. We examine why and how such consumers emerge by studying consumers of luxury apparel products, which actively promote environmentally conscious values on a global scale. Structural equation modeling and mediation analysis were conducted on consumers in China and Japan—two countries with high consumption of this product category and a contrasting awareness of environmental consciousness. Our findings revealed that the higher the global mindset of consumers, environmentally friendly materialism is enhanced by internal motives in countries with high environmental consciousness and by external motives in countries with low environmental consciousness. Our results have implications for mechanisms on how the conditions for the emergence of environmentally friendly materialism differ from country to country and marketing measures that respond to these differences.

Understanding Digital Marketing Strategies: Analyzing Its Impact on Building Brand to Luxury Apparel

Understanding Digital Marketing Strategies: Analyzing Its Impact on Building Brand to Luxury Apparel

Consumer segmentation of the affordable luxury apparel market in India

Affordable luxury is developing at a rapid pace in a developing country like India. Growing number of HNIs and urban middle-class, which has a penchant for luxury brands, are some of the reasons for the growth of affordable luxury brands. Different consumers purchase these brands to satisfy different needs. Some do it for self-actualisation, some purchase luxury brands for their hedonic value and some for their conspicuous value. This paper discusses how the Indian consumer can be segmented into different groups according to some defining parameters. 300 respondents were interviewed across the Indian cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Kolkata. Cluster analysis was done to segment the consumer groups and define them further.

Futurizing luxury: an activity-centric model of phygital luxury experiences

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine how phygital luxury experiences can be generated from mobile-mediated service activities while enabling luxury apparel shoppers to attain status goals and hedonic goals. Phygital luxury experiences are defined in this context as shopping experiences that blend the participative and immersive components of mobile and ubiquitous media with physical luxury servicescapes.Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual research draws on activity theory from the field of human-computer interaction to produce an activity-centric model of phygital luxury experiences. By drawing on activity theory, the authors develop research propositions and build a conceptual model. The conceptual model probes how phygital luxury experiences can be generated from mobile-mediated service activities that enable luxury apparel shoppers to attain status goals and hedonic goals. In turn, service activities are proposed to meld with luxury shopping goals when mobile devices allow luxury apparel shoppers to participate in community-, rules-, and labor-based service activities.FindingsFirst, the conceptual model demonstrates that social validation and personalization are status and hedonic drivers for community-based service activities (e.g. content-sharing and multiplatform storytelling). Second, special privileges and new comforts are status and hedonic drivers for rules-based service activities (e.g. engaging in pseudo-webrooming, pseudo-showrooming, and seamless and on-demand resources). Third, know-how and domination are status and hedonic drivers for labor-based service activities (e.g. adopting self-service technologies and smart or intelligent displays).Originality/valueThis conceptual model contributes to the well-documented need for research on interactive luxury strategies and luxury retail innovation. Overall, these service activities provide luxury brands and shoppers new opportunities for building elite communities, bending store rules, and altering the division of labor within physical stores. At the same time, this model shows that exclusivity and allure of luxury consumption can be reproduced through luxury apparel shoppers' embodied interactions with salespeople and relevant audiences in connected store environments.

Impact Of Brand Image On Customer Loyalty Towards Luxury Apparel

The research aims in comprehending the perceived quality, which is one of the significant components linked with the brand image in relation to customer loyalty towards luxury apparel. The research aims in studying the relationship between brand image and customer attitude related to luxury apparel. The study was conducted in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Primary research methodology has been used to collect first-hand information through questionnaire distribution. A secondary research technique has been implemented to attain reliable, viable, and authentic research topic-related information, which has been highlighted descriptively in the literature review section. Based on the data collected, the researcher conducted the evaluation/analysis. The researcher has presented the data evaluation through the validity and reliability test. From the research findings and solution, it could be viably put forward that customer satisfaction plays a very important role in increasing the loyalty of customers toward the brand image of luxury apparel.

Examining the luxury apparel behavioural intentions of middle‐class consumers: The case of the South African market

AbstractThe study aims to offer an understanding of luxury apparel behavioural intention amongst middle‐class consumers in emerging markets. There is a lack of understanding of luxury apparel behavioural intention amongst the middle class in emerging markets, leading to luxury apparel marketers developing irrelevant marketing strategies. Consequently, this study uses the theory of planned behaviour by incorporating additional luxury‐context antecedents and including collectivistic constructs and income levels as moderators to understand luxury apparel behavioural intention amongst the middle class in South Africa. As South Africa is the preferred market for luxury apparel retailers when targeting Africa, the South African middle class was deemed an important group to understand. Through the online questionnaire, 629 responses were obtained. Covariance‐based structural equation modelling and moderation analysis were used to assess the proposed relationships. The results show that the impact of luxury‐context antecedents ‐ fashion involvement, materialism‐success, brand consciousness, status consumption ‐ provide a deeper understanding to how consumers in emerging markets differ in their consumption of luxury apparel. The moderating role of collectivism reveals that middle‐class consumers in emerging markets are concerned with conforming and face‐saving when purchasing luxury apparel. In addition, the moderating role of income levels reveals that middle‐class consumers with lower income are more influenced by their social groups compared to those with higher income, which suggests that lower‐income groups are more aspirational and seek acceptance. Further insights are provided regarding the moderating role of collectivism and income levels on behavioural intention.

Hedonic shopping experience, subjective well-being and brand luxury: a comparative discussion of physical stores and e-retailers

PurposeThe study explores the influence of shopping channels on the hedonic shopping experience, contributing to subjective well-being (SWB) based on the purchased branded product. It also assesses the variations in these effects according to brand luxury. The purpose of the paper is to provide strategic suggestions for building luxury apparel distribution tactics that balance maintaining brand luxury with business growth through both physical stores and digital stores (e-retail).Design/methodology/approachBased on 418 samples collected in Japan, consumers' perceptions of hedonic shopping value and SWB are examined according to two channel factors, such as physical retail vs e-retail and mono-brand stores vs multi-brand stores. Additionally, the moderation effects of brand luxury are discussed.FindingsMulti-group path analyses reveal that physical mono-brand stores contribute to hedonic shopping value. In addition, this experiential value is found to increase SWB, especially when the brand luxury level is high.Practical implicationsThese findings suggest that managers should place a high level of importance on consumers' shopping experiences via physical direct retail especially in the case of a higher luxury level, even in today's highly developed digital environment.Originality/valueThe current study uniquely discusses the effects of shopping channels and experiences on SWB based on an acquired branded product, i.e., an evaluation of the outcome of shopping behavior and product acquisition. The study also reinforces the importance of physical stores suggested in previous luxury research.

Qualitative Analysis of Sustainability and Innovation Within the Luxury Business Sector

There is a constant discussion in the modern society regarding innovation. Everybody talks about the word, the concept, and the strategy behind it. Nonetheless, not too many companies and industries of the economy can proudly mention their use of innovation at operational level. The usage of the innovation concept is mostly linked to the idea of product improvements for commerciality and immediate returns. At the same time, sustainability occupies the second pole position behind innovation as a concept easily identifiable in numerous marketing campaigns, mostly for the beautification of phrases, rather than for business-related purposes. The question that stems here is related to our history as an innovative and sustainable civilization (to some extent), and from the difficulty of finding examples of both concepts in real-world business sectors. The present paper aims at constructing a systematic review of the previous research regarding the concepts of innovation and sustainability from a product management perspective, followed by an application to the case of the luxury apparel sector of the economy. The research could be continued through the usage of primary data, by extending the paper with state-of-the-art luxury business examples.

Investigating the impacts of personality traits on collaborative consumption intention of luxury fashion products among middle-aged women

Collaborative consumption (CC) refers to the shared use of products or services in order to save costs and redistribute resources in a more sustainable way among the different agents participating in sharing economies. With the rapid popularity of CC in recent years, more and more academic research has been carried out on CC, but research exploring the impact of personality traits on consumer behavior is largely limited. To our best knowledge, existing research fails to explore CC applied to the luxury apparel context. Consequently, this study aims to investigate the impact of consumer personality traits on their attitudes and intention toward CC of luxury fashion products. This study draws a framework based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) model introducing key personality traits, particularly, materialism, fashion leadership, and need for uniqueness as CC attitude and CC intention predictors. This research uses PLS-SEM technique to analyze the data collected through a questionnaire administered to middle-aged Spanish women. The results indicate that fashion leadership had a positive influence on attitude toward CC and CC intention. Secondly, we found that consumer need for uniqueness significantly influenced attitude but had no significant impact on intention. Materialism on the other hand did not display a significant relationship with either CC attitude or intention. By contrast, attitude towards CC was determined to have a strong positive influence on CC intention. We believe that the findings as well as the proposed research model can be helpful to managers when developing CC based business models and valuable to academics in developing related theories.

A Study of Branding Strategy Influencing Brand Equity for Youth in the Pakistan’s Domestic New Luxury Apparel Industry

A Study of Branding Strategy Influencing Brand Equity for Youth in the Pakistan’s Domestic New Luxury Apparel Industry

Influence of values, brand consciousness and behavioral intentions in predicting luxury fashion consumption

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the relationships among two distinct yet interconnected forms of value orientations, namely, terminal and instrumental values, brand consciousness and behavioral intentions. This study validated the conceptual model for branded fashion apparel consumption in an emerging market, e.g. India.Design/methodology/approachThe research design followed a two-step approach to test the measurement and structural models for partial least squares structural equation modeling with SmartPLS (v.3.0) as recommended by Anderson and Gerbing (1988).FindingsThe results illustrated that both the instrumental and terminal values influence brand consciousness and, consequently, brand consciousness had an impact on behavioral intentions for fashion apparel consumption. Instrumental values had a greater influence on brand consciousness and behavioral intentions than terminal values. Brand consciousness mediated the relationship between instrumental/terminal values and behavioral intentions.Research limitations/implicationsThis study defined two value orientations (i.e. instrumental versus terminal) using cross-sectional data from an emerging market. Future studies may examine the research findings’ generalizability using diverse data sets (longitudinal and cross-sectional) and evaluate the value orientation and customers’ favorable behavioral intentions for luxury fashion consumption.Practical implicationsThis study provides insights into luxury marketers and practitioners to understand the contribution of instrumental and terminal values on brand consciousness and behavioral intentions for luxury fashion apparel. The findings would assist in developing marketing strategies for an emerging market, i.e. India.Social implicationsWith the rapid proliferation of materialism, the Indian market has witnessed the dawn of a new era of luxury fashion acceptance. The research offers evidence that in emerging markets such as India, consumers exhibit value orientation toward luxury brands while holding a sense of fashion involvement in their consumption behavior.Originality/valueThis study is a pioneering attempt to understand the relationships between the value orientation, namely, instrumental and terminal values and their underlying influence on brand consciousness and behavioral intentions toward fashion apparel. Rokeach’s (1973) two-dimensional value dichotomy was adapted to understand luxury apparel consumption in an emerging market context, specifically India.

A Discussion of a Luxury Apparel Brand Strategy in an Emerging Market: Conceptual Model with Network Perspectives

This study explores the Burberry apparel brand’s position and its strategic behaviour seeking new customers in the new market. This exploratory research pays particular attention to business potential and opportunities in an emerging market, Vietnam. To evaluate Burberry’s strategies and the potential, the collaborative network relationships are discussed in details, that is followed by the discussion of the key themes for Burberry to consider in the Vietnamese market, where Burberry has recently begun expanding its businesses. The outcome of the study suggests that the Western luxury brand apparel needs to understand the targeted markets’ systems and consumer behaviour, from there it is inevitable to design strategic plan how to engage the stakeholders in the ubiquitous supply chain relationships. In the end, a conceptual model with network perspectives is proposed: The model will be an analytical framework with key agenda items for the luxury brand which aims to enter the new market, and also the research limitations and further research opportunities are discussed.

A Discussion of a Luxury Apparel Brand Strategy in an Emerging Market: Conceptual Model with Network Perspectives

This study explores the Burberry apparel brand’s position and its strategic behaviour seeking new customers in the new market. This exploratory research pays particular attention to business potential and opportunities in an emerging market, Vietnam. To evaluate Burberry’s strategies and the potential, the collaborative network relationships are discussed in details, that is followed by the discussion of the key themes for Burberry to consider in the Vietnamese market, where Burberry has recently begun expanding its businesses. The outcome of the study suggests that the Western luxury brand apparel needs to understand the targeted markets’ systems and consumer behaviour, from there it is inevitable to design strategic plan how to engage the stakeholders in the ubiquitous supply chain relationships. In the end, a conceptual model with network perspectives is proposed: The model will be an analytical framework with key agenda items for the luxury brand which aims to enter the new market, and also the research limitations and further research opportunities are discussed.