Determinants of Consumer’s Willingness to Purchase Gray-Market Smartphones

The study analyzes the influential factors of consumers’ willingness to purchase gray-market smartphones by considering the model of novelty seeking, status consumption, integrity, and perceived risk. Attitude toward counterfeit is used as mediation in the model. The causalities in the model of problematic willingness of consumer to purchase gray-market smartphones are hypothesized. A total sample of 350 respondents with 238 effective samples is collected by interviewing with questionnaires at the service counters of telecommunications operators. Structure equation modeling (SEM) is adopted in the analysis. Consumers’ attitude toward counterfeit goods is found to be positively related to the willingness of consumers to purchase gray-market smartphones, but perceived risk is negatively related to consumers’ willingness to purchase. As for personality constructs, integrity and status consumption are found to be negatively related to consumers’ attitude toward counterfeit goods, but novelty seeking is positively related to the attitude. Further, managerial implications for branded smartphone manufacturers and telecommunications regulators are provided by the research.     

仿冒品重复消费的动力机制

仿冒品现象已成为商业社会中备受关注的问题,而消费者的重复消费是它盛行的重要形态之一。本文建立消费者的仿冒品满意度整合模型,来明确仿冒品被重复消费的缘由与机制。通过调查和分析得到了以下主要结论:第一,消费者的产品涉入度、奢侈品消费动机、品牌消费认同和诚信意识对于仿冒品的绩效期望和绩效感知分别有较为显著的影响;第二,仿冒品的绩效期望和绩效感知分别对于它的满意度和重复消费有较为显著的正向影响。这些表明,仿冒品的重复性消费以消费者的专业性和诚实性为基础,并受到较高的消费预期和真实的用后感驱动。这些都为知名品牌战略制衡仿冒品提出了严峻挑战。     

Purchasing environmentally sustainable apparel: The attitudes and intentions of female Kuwaiti consumers

The purpose of this study is to examine relationships among knowledge, environmental concern, attitudes about environmentally sustainable apparel (ESA) and ESA purchasing behaviours of Kuwaiti women. This was accomplished by surveying 236 participants using four preexisting scales, measuring knowledge about the impact of manufacturing apparel and textile products on the environment, levels of concern about environmental degradation, feelings about clothing that is environmentally sustainable and ESA purchase intentions. Data analysis determined several findings. First, female Kuwaiti nationals showed a low level of knowledge about the environmental impacts of the apparel and textile industry. The participants also held neutral attitudes of environmental concern and neutral attitudes towards ESA. Finally, despite their knowledge and attitudes, the participants did have positive intentions to purchase ESA in the future. To produce, market and sell ESA effectively in Kuwait, the conclusions from this study are important for manufacturers and retailers of ESA products. Kuwait provides a large market for apparel goods and this study is a contribution to a better understanding of consumers and ESA in that market.     

Consumer attitude toward US versus domestic apparel in Taiwan

This study investigates whether or not consumer attitudes toward domestic‐ vs. US‐made apparel differ among consumers in Taiwan. Variables to be examined include (1) apparel attributes; (2) self‐concept; and (3) demographics. The Fishbein attitude model was used to measure consumer attitudes. The mall‐intercept method was used to collect most data in four major cities of Taiwan. A total of 485 Taiwanese consumers completed and returned useable questionnaires. Results indicated that consumer attitudes toward Taiwan vs. US‐made apparel differed significantly among consumers in Taiwan. Consumers had an overall more positive attitude towards US‐made apparel compared with Taiwan‐made apparel with regards to care instruction label, colour, quality, apparel fibre content, fashionableness, attractiveness, brand name, and comfort apparel attributes. For self‐concept variables only modest/vain and thrifty/indulgent had a significant difference between consumers who preferred US‐ over Taiwan‐made apparel. Demographic factors of age, gender, education, residence area, travelled abroad and country‐of‐origin preference had a significant relationship with consumer attitudes toward apparel. This study is aimed at understanding Taiwanese consumers’ attitudes toward foreign‐made apparel. Overall, Taiwanese consumers preferred US‐made apparel; however, the apparel attribute of size range needed improvement to increase customers’ satisfaction.     

消费者购买仿冒品行为的理论探析

知名品牌的仿冒和非法贸易问题一直困扰着各国政府和相关企业,反仿冒也陷入了一场无休止的战争。传统的反仿冒策略大多针对仿冒品的供给方,而没有关注仿冒品的需求方,缺乏对消费者购买仿冒品行为的理解,也缺乏相应地有效抑制需求的政策措施。本文在整理和分析现有文献的基础上,借助行为科学的相关理论,从消费者购买仿冒品的动机、行为意向、购买决策、认知失调处理等方面对消费者购买仿冒品的行为进行了理论分析,以期深刻理解仿冒品购买行为的内在机制,为企业制定反仿冒策略提供理论依据和新的思路。     

The Devil might wear Prada,but Narcissus wears counterfeit Gucci! How social adjustive functions influence counterfeit luxury purchases

People buy counterfeit luxury goods for a range of reasons, including status and belonging. Previous research has shown these stem from an individual's value-expressive or social-adjustive attitudes. However, there appears to be limited research identifying a clear causal relationship between these and intention to purchase counterfeit goods, or how these attitude functions might be used to inhibit purchase of counterfeit luxury products. Using a mixed (survey/experiment) design, in two studies this research demonstrates an individual's social adjustive function has a positive influence on purchase intent for counterfeit luxury goods. However, the use of value expressive ad appeals can limit this effect on consumer decision making. The findings also demonstrate the existence of contingent effects across different levels of product involvement and product knowledge. The contingent effects help better understand the inconsistent findings in the literature regarding the influence of value-expressive and social-adjustive functions on counterfeit purchase intention, and shed light on the interplay among these variables.     

Ethical consumer behaviour in Germany: The attitude‐behaviour gap in the green apparel industry

In today's society, the trend of ethical consumerism is undeniable. Yet, even though consumers are ethically concerned, they rarely transform their intentions into a green purchasing behaviour—and this phenomenon is also evident in the sustainable fashion industry. This study aims to understand the prevailing attitude‐behaviour gap and explores the barriers that constrain consumers in purchasing green apparel. A total of 13 in‐depth interviews were conducted and analysed to the principles of grounded theory. The analysis reveals that the following barriers impede consumption of sustainable fashion: price, availability, knowledge, transparency, image, inertia and consumption habits. The impact of each dimension on consumers' purchase decisions might be of interest to apparel manufacturers and retailers who should implement strategies to encourage eco‐conscious apparel acquisition and focus on diminishing these barriers. Accordingly, three major recommendations are made: (a) to concentrate on specific product attributes; (b) to adopt an efficient digital communication strategy; and (c) to make a greater effort on making green apparel attainable. This study contributes to the overall understanding of consumer behaviour in the ethical fashion industry and examines in‐depth the purchasing criteria for sustainable fashion for consumers.     

Labelling wool products for animal welfare and environmental impact

The notable growth of the market in recent years indicates apparel consumers' interest in organic fibre products. Yet less is understood about how apparel consumers would respond to labelling for other credence attributes associated with animal‐fibre products, such as animal welfare or eco‐friendliness. An online survey of 507 US consumers was used to compare consumers' reactions with a variety of labelling schemes for wool product attributes, including animal‐friendly, organic and environmentally friendly production. Consumer segments were created based on frequency of label choice, and analysis of variance and multinomial logit regression were used to identify and characterize the demographics and psychographics of the consumer segments that found labelling for animal welfare or environmental concerns appealing. The study identified a segment of consumers (19% of the sample) who were motivated to purchase apparel products labelled for animal welfare. These animal‐focused consumers could be identified with relatively high accuracy from the demographic and psychographic variables in the model. The model variables, which included familiarity with organic products and self‐perceived knowledge about environmental damage related to apparel production, were not effective in identifying the environment‐focused apparel consumers. The results also demonstrated the ability of a general belief in animal rights to motivate the apparel consumers in the sample, suggesting that acting on a concern for animals could be a more powerful motivation for consumer behaviour than acting on a concern for the environment.     

Does attitude predict purchase behaviour of apparel products?

During the 1980s the world market in textile and apparel products has become increasingly internationalized. Retailers in Western Europe and North America import goods from around the world, often at the expense of domestic manufacturers. In an effort to encourage consumers to buy locally manufactured products, associations in several countries have tried to change consumer attitudes toward domestically produced textiles and apparel. The goal of this study was to assess the relationship between consumer attitude and consumer behaviour in an apparel purchase. Intercept surveys were conducted with 3,766 consumers in nine locations in the eastern U.S.A. Consumers were questioned about their attitudes toward domestic versus imported clothing and their awareness of the country of origin of their purchase. Reasons for purchase and demographic information were also collected. Some differences between variables were found related to sex, age and geographic location. While it was evident that a large proportion of the consumers sampled said they cared whether the clothing they purchased was domestically produced or imported, a far smaller proportion was aware of the country of origin of the garment just purchased. Therefore, a consistent link between consumers' professed attitudes and their buying behaviour could not be established. Summary and conclusions The consistency of consumer attitudes with consumer behaviour was assessed for a sample of U.S.A. apparel purchasers. Respondents in the eastern U.S.A. were asked about their awareness of and concern with their garment's place of production. Although some differences were found related to sex, age and geographic location, the lack of consistency between attitudes and behaviour was a common phenomenon. Of the total sample, only 20% professed both concern and awareness of their garment's country of origin. In contrast, 60% knew of the ‘Crafted with Pride’ campaign, 44% expressed concern for place of production, and 28% said they knew where the garment just acquired had been manufactured. These relatively low percentages may be due in part to the demographics of the consumers surveyed. This study included a high proportion of females, young and middle-age shoppers. This sample composition is consistent with other research citing these groups as the most frequent apparel purchasers. The results of this study indicate that the oldest age groups and male shoppers are most likely to be aware and concerned. This suggests that those wanting to change attitudes and/or behaviour need to target the groups most likely to be spending on apparel, females, young and middle-age groups. These consumers appear to be the least motivated by patriotic appeals or to base purchase decisions on cues such as country of origin. People from the south, who were more likely to be directly affected by the textile industry, generally were more aware, expressed a higher level of concern, and were more likely to know of the ‘Crafted with Pride’ campaign. Since the south has not been selectively targeted by the ‘Crafted with Pride’ Council, it is very possible that the demographics and personal link of southerners to the apparel and textile industries may be more influential than the Council's media campaign. While it is true that concern, awareness, and knowledge of the campaign are highly correlated, what has not been determined is the causal relationship between these three variables. Does knowledge of the campaign cause one to care more and therefore be more likely to be aware? Or does caring make consumers more susceptible to patriotic appeals and more likely to say they are aware when they really may not be? It has been determined that people who are aware are more likely to care and know of the campaign; it has not been determined that people with knowledge of the campaign will be more aware and therefore guided in their purchase decisions. The intense media campaign by the ‘Crafted with Pride’ Council suggests that the level of concern for domestic clothing production may be influenced by the level of marketing effort. However, the Council's expected behavioural effect of raising the number of potential clothing buyers who actively seek out and purchase American-made apparel was not displayed by respondents in this study. Since it is consumers who ultimately make the final purchase decision, industry representatives and legislators should examine more closely the link between attitudes and action before making production and public policy decisions that will have significant economic effects on all parties concerned.     

Effect of knowledge on decision making in the context of organic cotton clothing

This research was designed to study whether consumer knowledge on organic cotton and relevant issues influences attitude toward and price acceptance of organic cotton clothing. The effect of consumer knowledge was also studied on the way consumers use product label information in purchasing organic cotton clothing. An online survey was developed to measure the variables including experimental choice‐based conjoint models for mandatory and auxiliary label specifications. Four hundred ninety‐eight people completed the survey. The results indicated that moderately and highly knowledgeable participants were more willing to buy organic cotton clothing at higher price points and they had more positive attitudes toward organic cotton clothing than low knowledgeable participants. The results suggest that differentially knowledgeable consumers may attend to different types of information provided on product labels to evaluate organic cotton apparel products. Providing product‐related information on product labels is essential; however, providing additional information on the benefits of using organic cotton and socially responsible business practices may improve consumers’ knowledge and acceptability of organic cotton apparel products.     

Consumer willingness to pay for sustainable apparel: the influence of labelling for fibre origin and production methods

This study of value‐based labelling for apparel products examined consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for three credence attributes of fibre: origin, type and production method. Experimental auctions were conducted with student subjects in Texas and used socks made from cotton and polylactic acid (PLA), a fibre manufactured from corn. The bid results of two rounds were compared. The first round was conducted without information about the credence attributes of the socks. The second round included varying levels of three types of attributes: fibre origin (imported, US and Texas), fibre type (cotton and corn) and production method [conventional, organic and non‐genetically modified (GM)]. Tobit regression analysis was performed using the attributes and subject demographics to determine consumer WTP for the various attribute levels and to profile consumers with interest in the attributes. In terms of origin, results show that participants were willing to pay a premium for socks with fibres produced in Texas, but not for those produced in the US. Fibre type mattered, with participants requiring a discount once they learned that socks were made with PLA fibre. The greatest premium ($1.86) was placed on socks labelled as organic, slightly more than the premium for socks labelled as non‐GM. The results also indicate that women were less willing to pay for US fibres than men, and Hispanics were less willing to pay for organic or non‐GM fibre production. A key finding of this study is that consumers value information about the local origin of fibres. The premium for organic fibres is not unexpected, given the success of the organic apparel market, but the premium on non‐GM fibres suggests that sustainable production systems that are not organic may be successful if they emphasize other attributes such as local or non‐GM.     

To tell or not to tell? The roles of perceived norms and self‐consciousness in understanding consumers' willingness to recommend online secondhand apparel shopping

Secondhand apparel shopping resides in a domain characterized by used goods traditionally associated with financially marginalized consumers. Acknowledging the elusive psychological barriers associated with preowned apparel, this study explores mechanisms that facilitate consumers' willingness to recommend online secondhand apparel shopping. Results from three experimental studies and a cross‐sectional survey of online secondhand shoppers in the United States reveal that hedonic and ethical benefits influence recommendation behavior via perceived norms, whereas economic benefit directly influences consumers' willingness to recommend. Moderated mediation analyses further demonstrate that self‐consciousness alters the strength of the indirect effects, such that consumers with lower self‐consciousness displayed greater willingness to recommend compared to highly self‐conscious consumers. Findings contribute to a greater theoretical understanding of the roles perceived norms and self‐consciousness play in facilitating or inhibiting recommendation behavior in a context that implicitly involves self‐disclosure of one's secondhand purchase behavior. Managerial implications offer insights on salient benefits that can be leveraged to influence word‐of‐mouth recommendation.     

Why do retail consumers buy green apparel? A knowledge-attitude-behaviour-context perspective

Consumers' increased knowledge and awareness of environmental issues have not translated into a pervasive rise in purchasing green apparel, resulting in a phenomenon known as the ‘attitude-behaviour gap’. The current study seeks to explicate this gap by examining the drivers of green apparel buying behaviour. Towards this end, the study examines the association of environmental knowledge, green trust, and environmental concern with environmental attitude and green apparel buying behaviour. It further investigates the association of labelling desire and labelling satisfaction with this type of buying behaviour as well. In addition, the study uses the theoretical lens of the knowledge-attitude-behaviour model and attitude-behaviour-context theory to anchor its hypotheses. Cross-sectional data from 387 Japanese consumers analysed to test the conceptual model revealed that green trust, environmental attitude, and labelling satisfaction are positively associated with green apparel buying behaviour. Furthermore, green trust, environmental concern, and environmental attitude partially mediate the proposed associations, while age and gender moderate the association between environmental knowledge and environmental concern. The study's empirical insights thus lay the foundation for future research in this area and provide strategically relevant inferences for green apparel marketers and retailers.     

Does environmentally responsible purchase intention matter for consumers? A predictive sustainable model developed through an empirical study

Rapidly increasing demand for eco-friendly products is an example of responsible purchasing intention of customers. That responsible behaviour forces businesses not only to understand their responsible purchase intention, but also helps them to sustainability in the market for the long term. In this regard, very little discussion is available in current literature, especially in the context of apparel product consumption. Therefore, to contribute to literature in this field, this work aims to build a predictive sustainable model through an empirical study to examine the relationships among different factors such as attitude, social norms, perceived behaviour control, environmental consciousness, willingness to pay (WTP) premium and consumer purchase intention for environmentally friendly apparels. The data of two hundred and thirty-two respondents were analysed by structural equation modelling (SEM). With the help of the findings, it can be concluded that Indian consumers are aware of green apparels, have a positive attitude to them and show a responsible purchase intention to protect the environment. This is in contrast to the old saying that Indians are price sensitive given the emergence of higher WTP premiums for green apparel products. Other factors such as subjective norms, perceived behaviour control and environmental consciousness are also positively affecting consumer purchase intention. From the study findings, retail managers can benefit through more focused strategies for environmental protection to make a reduction in apparel material while educating their consumers about green apparel.     

Identifying the critical factors of customer behavior: An integration perspective of marketing strategy and components of attitudes

The purpose of this empirical study is to operationalize the relationship of green marketing's influence on consumer attitudes via the mediating role of marketing mix towards green products to validate the proposed research model in the Taiwanese context of explaining consumers' willingness to be environmentally friendly. The model is based on structural equation modeling (SEM) from data collected from 977 online consumers. The findings revealed that green consumption intention was significantly and indirectly driven by attitude to green products. Additionally, the effect of perceived quality on marketing mix and consumer willingness in environmental concern is both significant and positive. However, when a restaurant has high consumer social responsibility (CnSR) for marketing mix, the consumer attitudes of cognitive, affective, and behavioral model (C-A-B model) is less effective. These findings have contributed to the revival of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and offer a comprehensive understanding of consumer attitude, consumer social responsibility, marketing mix and perceived quality impact that a restaurant has on the ability to raise consumer willingness to purchase green products or food. We provides valuable suggestions to marketers to design from the perspective of green marketing policies and strategies in order to accommodate Taiwan's indigenous green restaurants.     

Attitudes of Louisiana apparel manufacturers towards computer technology

Current literature has suggested that there is a reluctance on the part of the domestic apparel industry to adopt advanced computer technology. This study was designed to investigate the attitudes of Louisiana apparel manufacturers towards computer technology. An attitude questionnaire was mailed to all identified apparel manufacturers in the state. The results indicated that the apparel industry in the state of Louisiana is comprised of many small, privately owned companies. A large array of products in a variety of size ranges is produced in the state. Statistical analyses indicated that there were some differences between attitudes of apparel manufacturers and contractors. In general, contractors were not as aware of the availability and transferability of advanced technology for the apparel industry as manufacturers. Manufacturers and contractors who had some formal training with CAD/CAM systems had more positive attitudes toward the competitiveness of the industry with imported products. It is recommended that the apparel industry in the state explore the technological options available to modernize for a more competitive future.     

Consumer demand for counterfeit goods

Research on counterfeiting has focused on the supply side, with scant attention to consumer demand for counterfeit goods. Anticounterfeiting efforts would benefit from the identification of the segment(s) of consumer counterfeiting accomplices, consumers who knowingly purchase counterfeit products. This article reports on three studies, conducted at flea markets and malls, that attempted to identify consumer accomplices. Study 1 investigated prepurchase factors, Study 2 focused on factors active during purchasing, and Study 3 concentrated on postpurchase factors. The results suggest the existence of a typology of consumer accomplices, sly shoppers who purposely purchase counterfeit goods to demonstrate their consumer shrewdness and economically concerned shoppers whose intentional purchase of fake goods is driven by economic concerns. Implications for marketing practitioners are discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

From quantity to quality: understanding slow fashion consumers for sustainability and consumer education

There is a growing interest in slow fashion, a production method which emphasizes quality as a way of achieving sustainability in the fashion industry. In order to develop a sophisticated and targeted marketing strategy, this study aimed to identify potential slow fashion consumer segments and understand their characteristics. The final 221 completed responses from a sample of nationwide U.S. consumers were analyzed by cluster analysis. Based on consumer orientation to slow fashion, four consumer groups were identified: Highly‐involved in slow fashion group, Conventional group, Exclusivity oriented group and Low‐involved in slow fashion group. The characteristics of each group were profiled according to personal values, apparel consumption behaviours and demographics. With distinctive profiles of each group, different marketing strategies were suggested to address the needs of each group effectively. This study extends academic understanding of slow fashion in consumer perspectives, and provides important perspectives for consumer education on apparel consumption.     

The role of brand utilities: application to buying intention of fair trade products

The authors focus on the ethical consumption and propose a model of buying intention of fair trade products, including the utilities of the fair trade generic brand as direct determinants. The authors measure the functional and symbolic utilities provided by this brand, together with the attitude towards the commercialising organisations, consumer concern and perceived knowledge about fair trade issues. The model is tested through a structural equation model on a sample of members (students, lecturers and staff) of a ‘Fair trade University’. The results confirm that perceived functional utility is the most important antecedent of the buying intention, while the symbolic dimension has a significant but weaker explanatory power. Conversely, the consumer attitude towards the organisation has no influence. The authors also highlight the importance of communication and concern to stimulate consumer behaviour.