• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.849-860
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• 2011

This study explores a structural model to examine the relationship between web browsing motivation, retail strategy and purchase conversion for apparel on shopping websites. A self-administered questionnaire based on existing scales includes web browsing motivation, retail strategy, and purchase conversion intention of apparel on the shopping websites. A total of 499 usable questionnaires were obtained from consumers aging 20 to 49 who reside in metropolitan cities in Korea. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation models were used via SPSS 12.0 and LISREL 8.8. Findings concluded that web browsing motivations consisted of three factors: hedonic, informational, and recreational browsing for apparel. Hedonic browsing had a negative effect on purchase conversion intention, whereas informational browsing had a positive effect on the purchase conversion intention for apparel on shopping sites. Retail strategies on the website were classified into service, merchandise assortment, and price & promotion; the three elements of retail strategies mediated the relationship between web browsing motivations and purchase conversion intention for apparel. Specially, merchandise assortment had significantly direct effect on the purchase conversion intention of apparel on shopping websites. Managerial implications were discussed for fashion marketers to develop retail strategies and web content in order to convert web browsers or visitors into purchasers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.30 no.11 s.158
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• pp.1495-1506
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• 2006

The purposes of this study are to investigate the formation and the change of apparel retail structure historically with the viewpoint that the retail structure is affected by the process of economic development. This study was done by literature research method and the result of this study is the following. The tailor and seamstress shops, the first clothing shops in Korea, were replaced by ready-made shops, because mass production system which had developed with the industrialization of Korea increased the advantage of economy of scale compared to handicrafts individual one. After that, the production system of apparel industry had been efficient continuously, while retail system had not. The retailing of famous brand apparel conducted by exclusive franchise store caused supplier oriented markets where the opinion and the desire of consumers were not reflected. While the retailing of the unknown brand apparel handled by small retail stores were inefficient. As the apparel industry matured in 1990s, various types of new stores appeared such as specialty stores, discount stores, TV home shopping, internet shopping, outlet malls, and big fashion stores in Dongdeamoon. These new stores have features of seeking profits in mass merchandising. As these large retail stores grow, the apparel retail structure of Korea is changing from a fragmented market to a vertically integrated one. This change is shown by the decrease of stores per inhabitants. With the change of environment, the apparel retail system which has lagged behind comparatively is expected to develop into more efficient system based on the large capital investment which raise the advantage of economy of scale.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.62-76
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to identify apparel consumers' immoral shopping behaviors from apparel retail sales associates' perspectives. As a first step to understand immoral consumer behaviors in apparel retail setting, the study took an exploratory approach using five focus-group interviews with 35 apparel salespeople. The immoral behavior of fashion (product) consumers was divided into two categories: one was the immoral behavior associated with the product, and the other was the immoral behavior relative to the consumer. The immoral behavior associated with the product was classified into three types: shoplifting, inappropriate returns, and damaging to merchandise. Immoral behavior relative to the consumer was classified into two types: abusive behavior by a consumer toward sales associates and excessive demand. Although, shoplifting was the primary immoral behavior mentioned by all interview participants, most sales associates failed to recognize shoplifting as a serious criminal behavior. Another commonly mentioned immoral consumer behaviors was retail borrowing, which may pose serious problems to the fashion industry. The findings of this study will provide a basis for approaches that may help decrease immoral consumer behavior at fashion retail stores and provide a basis for developing materials for consumer education over the long term.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.1087-1099
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• 2010

This study explores the retail environment factors of the changes mentioned in the "Factors and Directions of the Change of the Apparel Retail Structure in Korea" (Part I) to understand the changes in apparel retail institutions. This study was done through a literature research method and the results are as follows. First, changing consumer needs and trends require extensive new products, a method to manufacture diverse products according to the market demand, and the necessity to manufacture based on trends in demand. This limits the role of mass production, which brought about more flexible manufacturing modes, scaled down manufacturing factories, promoted more cooperative subcontract relationships, and increased global sourcing which uses other companies at the most appropriate global venue. How to organize and use cooperative networks that benefit companies is the key to global competitiveness in the new era and the information technology developed around retail shops plays a key role. Consequently, the management of consumers and their information becomes critical and retail distribution functions become a key corporate function. In addition, it is difficult for small shops to introduce effective new technologies that encourage the growth of large companies. Second, apparel companies that use to benefit from scale merits based on the previous mass production system are now becoming effective by using economies of scale through mass retailing while shops are enlarging their sizes as a way to survive. On the other hand, inexpensive clothes become even more inexpensive while expensive ones become even more expensive, promoting polarization and diverse price ranges that widen consumer options.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.70-79
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• 2010

There has been some research conducted that addressed immoral consumer behaviors in Korea; however, most of this research focused on purchasing counterfeits or shoplifting. High return rates of apparel and used apparel returns have been acknowledged as problem areas within the fashion industry. However, very few researchers have addressed this issue. Therefore, the goal of this research was to explore consumer's retail borrowing experience using a mixed methods approach. In study 1 Korean consumer's retail borrowing experiences was explored through focus group interviews. Findings informed study 2 an examination of apparel consumers' attitudes toward retail borrowing behavior via an online survey. Findings assist both researchers' and practitioners' understanding of retail borrowing behaviors and provide insight into retail borrowing issues in the apparel retail industry. For study 1, five focus-group interviews were conducted with seven panels of individuals that had retail borrowing experience within the past year. Thirty-five Korean consumers who lived in a metropolitan area participated in the focus group interviews. Most of consumers were in their 20's (n=21) and were women (n=24). Most participants purchased apparel items from a retail store and returned the worn items for either a full refund or exchanged the worn item for another item. Motives underlying retail borrowing behavior included social needs, job-related needs, fashion needs, and "smart shopping." Similar to existing research findings from other countries, social needs were the most frequently mentioned cause of retail borrowing in fashion stores. Consumers' moral values, attitude toward large corporations, and prior retail borrowing experience were mentioned as possible factors affecting consumers' retail borrowing behavior. For study 2, the questionnaire used to gather the data was developed based on the findings of part I and existing research. Questions concerning consumers' moral beliefs, sensation seeking tendencies, self-worth, past retail job experience, retail borrowing experience, and some demographic characteristics were included in the questionnaire. The data were collected via an online survey using an online panel provided by a commercial online research company located in Seoul, Korea. In order to obtain various consumers, a quota sample was (male: female=1:1, 20's:30's:40's=1:1:1, retail experience: no retail experience=1:3) obtained from the company. A total of 401 consumers who had shopped for apparel items during the prior 6 months participated in the online survey. The results indicated that 19.7% of the respondents reported they had experience borrowing fashion merchandise. Among these individuals, male borrowers (57%) outnumbered female borrowers. In terms of age distribution, x2 revealed that there was a statistical difference between respondents with and without retail borrowing experiences: 41.8% of the respondents with retail borrowing experience were in their 40's, while respondents without retail borrowing experience were evenly distributed between their 20's to 40's. There was also a significant difference between respondents with and without retail borrowing experience in terms of income: respondents with retail borrowing experience tended to have higher incomes than those without retail borrowing experience. T-tests were performed to compare respondents' fashion shopping behavior, moral beliefs, sensation-seeking tendencies, and attitudes toward retail borrowing behavior between participants with and without retail borrowing experience. As compared to those with no borrowing experience, respondents with experience tended to shop for fashion items more frequently and spent more on shopping for fashion items. Consumers with experience borrowing tended to have higher sensation-seeking tendencies than consumers without retail borrowing experience. A regression analysis revealed that attitudes toward fashion retail borrowing were negatively related to consumers' moral beliefs, but positively related to monthly fashion shopping frequency, sensation-seeking tendencies, and past fashion retail borrowing experience. Among these variables, past retail borrowing experience was the most significant predictor, followed by moral beliefs. This research serves as an initial attempt to address the motives that underlie retail borrowing behaviors and the factors affecting those behaviors. The findings of this study may facilitate an understanding of the consumer's retail borrowing, which will provide a basis for approaches that may help decrease retail borrowing and inappropriate returns at fashion retail stores. The findings may also provide materials for consumer education over the long term. In order to better understand fashion retail borrowing behavior, more research is needed in the future.

• Fashion Information and Technology
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• v.2
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• pp.48-58
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• 2005

Purchase decision behavior for and satisfaction with apparel among retail buyers and consumers were compared. Kunz's behavioral theory of the apparel fm was the conceptual framework; Oliver's disconfirmation model guided measurement of satisfaction. Buyers and consumers indicated their perceptions about shopping orientations, variables that influenced apparel purchasing decisions, the importance of aspects of customer service and attributes that they expected to find and found when shopping. Surveys were mailed to retailers and consumers identified by random sampling of company lists. Respondents were 66 buyers and 344 consumers. MANOVA revealed differences in retailers 'and consumers' shopping orientations, the influence of variables on purchase decisions, and perceptions of the importance of customer service. Paired sample t tests indicated dissatisfaction for buyers on 10 apparel/shopping attributes and consumers on nine items. Results support the need for vertically integrated manufacturers to redesign strategies that are more appealing to both retail buyers and consumers.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.15 no.1 s.66
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• pp.1-12
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to identify the SPA(Specialty store retailer of Private label Apparel) characteristics and product supply process of Korean casual apparel brands. The research was conducted by questionnaire surveys to 63 casual apparel brands. SPA characteristics of each brand were measured with four SPA characteristic indices: short product supply cycle, spacious retail floor, single brand retail store, and low product price compared to the quality of the product. The 63 apparel brands were grouped by SPA index score. The brands belonged to group H had high index score and brands in group L had low index score. The results of this study showed that the most of the casual apparel brands' products were sold at department stores, especially the brands belonged to group L greatly depended on department stores. Few apparel brands have spacious retail floor. The retail product price of the brands belonged to group H was low price while the product price of the brands belonged to group L was in the medium-high price. The supply time of the new products was short in general. The most brands supplied new styles to the retail floor within 1 to 3 weeks. The information technology was heavily used. The brands belonged to group H highly used information technology including bar codes system, pas data analysis, and inventory control system. The current style trends were analyzed with street fashion and feedback from the shop managers.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Costume Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.94-94
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• 2001

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.961-966
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• 2013

Being one of the most important textile and apparel producers for years, Turkey began to become active in terms of retailing. Although retailing industry is in its growing phase, the social and economic influences caused the customers' tastes and demands to be more distinctive and segmented in parallel with the advancement of the retail industry. Therefore, the retail industry began to develop in more fragmented way where clear boundaries between different types of retailers were established. In this study, the apparel retail market is overviewed and analyzed within the context for determination of the current situation and future prospective. To this aim, the textile and apparel companies that are active in Turkey were classified into groups based on the type of distribution channels they used. Then, the performances of the groups were established using the secondary type of resources. Finally, the findings were summarized, by showing the similarities and differences between different channels.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.30
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• pp.41-58
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• 1996

To purpose of this study is to understand the present situation of the present situation of the fashion careers in apparel industry and to present a activation information for development of a specialty de-partment. This study has been proceeded with the library survey method, and 20 apparel enterprises have been researched with the questionaire and inter-view method. These were large and medium sized enterprises. The results were as follows: 1. Subdivision of fashion careers have been found insufficient on apparel enterprises in Korea. 2. Textile specialists have been needed on apparel enterprises in Korea. 3. Domestic enterprises have dropt out man-agement 4. These enterprises are negative for the consumer research and fashion information col-lection. 5. Fashion sepecialists have been found insuf-ficient on retail division, The propositions for activation of fashion careers are as follows: 1. Fashion careers should subdivide and specialize. 2. The apparel enterprises should employ textile designer. 3. The apparel enterprises should activate practical department. 4. The apparel enterprises should research consumer and collect fashion information. 5. The apparel enterprises should develop fashion specialists on retail division.