Chunmin Lang

Sustainable Product Service Systems: The New Frontier in Apparel Retailing?

There is an inherent conflict of interest between the product developer and the need for improved environmental health, as material consumption in the apparel industry is synonymous with revenue. This paper aims to explore the potential of product service systems (PSS), an emerging business concept in the sustainable design milieu, as a conduit for dematerialization in the apparel industry. The potential to sell fewer material apparel products and more services designed to enhance or support those products is a viable alternative. The authors correlate design attributes that most often lead to the disposal of apparel with PSS concepts, which may dematerialize the supply chain while increasing consumer satisfaction. This discussion also has important implications for design education related to PSS. Thus, a conceptual model is presented to guide such. Apparel products remain important in todays consumer culture. However, PSS may offer a way to maintain this contribution without the harmful byproducts.

Towards Design Recipes to Curb the Clothing Carbohydrate Binge

Abstract The clothing industry is currently characterized by a fast metabolism, utilizing many resource inputs yet creating few productive environmental or social outputs. The concept of fashion is utilized by the clothing industry like an excess dose of carbohydrates, yielding a short-term high followed by an energy deficit that can only be satisfied by consuming again. The use of emotional attachment as design strategy may enhance the sustainable consumption of clothing, but contextual understanding is needed. This qualitative study explored the contextual nature of clothing attachment, specifically examining the potential of this strategy to meet sustainability aims. The researchers use this investigation to propose two sustainable design recipes: designing for continual engagement, and designing for end-of-life value.

Creativity and sustainable apparel retail models: does consumers’ tendency for creative choice counter-conformity matter in sustainability?

The purpose of this study is to identify the relationships between consumer’s tendency for creative choice counter-conformity (TCCC) with the acceptance of new sustainable apparel retail models, including sale of redesigned clothing, clothing repair/alteration, renting, swapping, and style consultancy services, in addition to determining the role of demographics in the relationships. Three major hypotheses were developed to address these relationships. An online survey was conducted with 431 females in the United States. A series of multiple regression analyses and multi-group Chi square difference tests were employed to test the proposed hypotheses. The results indicate TCCC has a positive influence on the intention to adopt all five of the sustainable retail models, and the demographics, including age, income and education significantly moderate the relationships between TCCC and the adoption of new sustainable retail models. The study emphasizes the role of creative expression in potential sustainable apparel purchasing behavior and provides strategies used to promote retailing models that are requisite to sustainability.

Perceived risks and enjoyment of access-based consumption: identifying barriers and motivations to fashion renting

Access-based consumption, a growing trend in today’s society, provides the consumer with an opportunity to have access to new and diverse products without the burden of ownership. As one form of access-based consumption in the fashion industry, fashion renting still lacks development and popularity. The purpose of this study is to identify how perceived risks and frugal shopping affect the attitudes, perceived enjoyment and further behavioral intention toward the adoption of fashion renting. An online survey was conducted with 452 participants in the United States. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the proposed hypotheses. The results confirmed the negative influences of three perceived risks (financial risk, performance risk, psychological risk) and the positive influences of frugal shopping on attitude toward and perceived enjoyment of fashion renting. Additionally, perceived enjoyment and attitudes were both found having positive influences on consumers’ intention toward fashion renting. This study contributes to existing literature by discovering the effects of perceived risks on attitude and perceived enjoyment of fashion renting and further fashion renting intentions. Managerial suggestions are also provided to promote fashion renting in the future.