Jessie Chen-Yu

Discount Store Patronage: A Comparison between South Korea and the United States

The purpose of this study was to examine the similarities and differences between customers in South Korea (SK) and in the United States (US) with respect to their characteristics and behaviors related to discount store patronage (i.e., shopping orientation, importance of store attributes, store evaluation, store satisfaction, store patronage intention). A total of 234 discount store customers participated in the study, 117 from SK and 117 from the US. Significant differences were found in importance of store attributes, store evaluation, and store satisfaction, but no significant differences were found in shopping orientation and store patronage intention.

Brand perception and brand repurchase intent in online apparel shopping: An examination of brand experience, image congruence, brand affect, and brand trust

Abstract With continuous growth in online apparel shopping, many consumers have experience not only in purchasing brand products online, but also in making repeat purchases. Although repeat purchases are critical to the success of branded companies, especially in online apparel shopping, limited academic research is found examining factors that influence online shoppers’ intent to repurchase apparel of a particular brand. This research investigated the effects of four types of brand perception (i.e. brand experience, brand image-congruence, brand affect, brand trust) on brand repurchase intent in online apparel shopping. An online survey was conducted with a US national sample of 217 online apparel shoppers who had purchased and worn products from a particular apparel brand. Bootstrapping Structural Equation Modeling was used to test the proposed model and research hypotheses. The findings showed that brand experience and brand image-congruence were antecedents of brand affect. Brand image-congruence and brand affect significantly influenced brand trust. Brand image-congruence and brand trust also had direct effects on brand repurchase intent in online apparel shopping.

Types of Apparel Mass Customization and Levels of Modularity and Variety Application of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving

Mass-customization (MC) is a hybrid of mass production and customization, and it offers potential solutions for problems in the apparel industry. This theoretical study contemplates on the contradicting concepts that are combined in the configuration of apparel MC. The study uses the segmentation principle of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving for an analysis framework. Terms for apparel MC including the levels of modularity and variety and the attributes of design and fit are clarified. This study provides a theoretically grounded explanation of how an effective implementation of apparel MC can solve existing problems in the ready-to-wear industry. To offer a managerial tool to identify an efficient scope of apparel MC, this study proposed structured categories of apparel MC in a matrix based on modularity and variety levels for the attributes of design and fit. Examples of the implementation of MC using the proposed matrix were also provided.

Effects of Household Fabric Softeners on Thermal Comfort of Cotton and Polyester Fabrics After Repeated Launderings

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of household fabric softeners on the thermal comfort of fabrics after repeated laundering cycles. Several textile properties can influence thermal comfort of a garment. This study focuses on two of these properties, air permeability and water vapor transmission. A 3 × 2 × 3 experimental design was developed with three fabric softener treatments (i.e., rinse-cycle softener, dryer-sheet softener, and no softener), two fabric types (i.e., 100% cotton and 100% polyester), and three laundering cycles (i.e., 1, 5, and 25). Results showed that both rinse-cycle softener and dryer-sheet softener did not have a significant influence on the air permeability and water vapor transmission of polyester specimens. Significantly different results, however, were found in cotton specimens. The rinse-cycle softener significantly decreased the air permeability of cotton specimens, but the dryer-sheet softener did not. Repeated launderings had a greater effect on the reduction of air permeability of cotton specimens treated with the rinse-cycle softener than the dryer-sheet softener. For the water vapor transmission, both rinse-cycle softener and dryer-sheet softener treatments significantly decreased the water vapor transmission of cotton specimens. The influence of softener treatment started right after the first laundering cycle. Repeated launderings did not cause significant differences in the effect of fabric softener treatments on water vapor transmission.

Effects of Repeated Treatments of Perspiration, Weathering, and Laundering on the Ultraviolet Protection of a Naturally Colored Lightweight Cotton Fabric

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of repeated treatments of perspiration, weathering, and laundering as well as their interactions on the ultraviolet radiation (UVR) protection of a naturally colored cotton lightweight fabric suitable for summer clothing. The research design was a 2 (perspiration) × 3 (weathering) repeated measures (measured before and after each laundering cycle, up to 15 cycles) experimental design. Complicated interactions were found among these three treatment factors. Laundering alone (without weathering) increased the UVR protection, whereas weathering significantly reduced the protection. The conditions in a hot and humid climate facilitated the decline of protection, but perspiration played a role in slowing down the reduction.

Comparisons of fabric care performances between conventional and high-efficiency washers and dryers

High-efficiency (HE) washers use 35–50% less water and about 50% less energy per load than conventional washers. However, there has been a consistent debate as to whether HE washers perform better or worse in garment care than conventional washers. Consumers need research-based information that would help them make informed decisions concerning the purchase of a clothes washer. The purpose of this study was to compare fabric hand, appearance retention (strain removal, color change, and fabric smoothness), and dimension stability (dimensional change and skewness change) after the specimens were repeatedly washed and dried for up to 20 cycles in three combinations of washer and dryer used: (a) conventional washer and dryer, (b) HE washer and conventional dryer, and (c) HE washer and dryer. The results showed that the specimens washed in the HE washer had better fabric hand and were smoother (fewer wrinkles) than those washed in the conventional washer. Conventional and HE washers performed similarly in color change, dimensional change, and skewness change. In regard to dryer, all results except those for stain removal showed no significant differences between the specimens dried in the conventional dryer and those dried in the HE dryer. In stain removal, when a softener was not used, the conventional dryer removed more stains from the specimens than the HE dryer. However, when a softener was used, the stains on the specimens dried in the conventional dryer were more difficult to remove than those on the specimens dried in the HE dryer.

Effects of price discount on consumers’ perceptions of savings, quality, and value for apparel products: mediating effect of price discount affect

Extending the price–quality–value model (Monroe and Krishnan in The perception of merchandise and store quality 209–232, 1985) and means-end model (Zeithaml in J Mark 52:2–22, 1988), we developed a conceptual model to investigate the mediating role of price discount affect (feeling aroused by price discounts) in the relationship between price discounts and consumers’ perceptions (perceived savings, quality, and value) and in the relationship between perceived value and purchase intentions in the context of online apparel products. A between-subject experimental design with four levels of price discounts (10, 30, 50, and 70%) was used. Jeans were selected as the product stimulus. Web pages were developed to create a fictional online store and to collect data. A total of 209 usable responses were collected by a research firm in the United States, and structural equation modeling was performed to analyze the data. The results showed that price discount affect played an important mediating role in the relationship between price discounts and consumers’ perceptions. When the direct effect of price discounts on perceived quality was examined, consumers perceived the apparel product with higher discounts as lower quality (i.e., a negative direct relationship). However, when price discount affect served as a mediator, the feelings created by a price discount led to a positive perception of product quality (i.e., a positive indirect relationship). By considering the influence of price discount affect, our model provides a better understanding of the effect of price discounts on consumers’ perceptions of apparel products.

Antecedents of product satisfaction and brand satisfaction at product receipt in an online apparel shopping context

Abstract This study investigates the antecedents of satisfaction with the product and satisfaction with the brand of consumers when they have received a garment ordered online and tried it on for the first time. We propose four antecedents of product satisfaction and brand satisfaction: (a) brand-based product expectation at purchase, (b) perceived product performance at product receipt, (c) website-visible-attribute expectancy disconfirmation (discrepancy between product expectation and perceived performance of the product attributes that are visible on the website, such as style and color), and (d) website-invisible-attribute expectancy disconfirmation (discrepancy between product expectation and perceived performance of the product attributes that may not be distinguishable on the website, such as fabric, fit, and workmanship). The research design was a 2 (levels of brand-based product expectation) x 2 (levels of perceived product performance) factorial experimental design. We developed two mock-up apparel retailer web pages for the data collection, and 120 participants provided usable responses. The findings revealed that brand-based product expectation and product performance did not influence product or brand satisfaction. Both types of expectancy disconfirmation were determinants of product satisfaction; however, only website-visible-attribute expectancy disconfirmation was the antecedent of brand satisfaction. Based on the findings, theoretical and pragmatic implications are presented.