• Human Ecology Research
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.599-610
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• 2016

The purposes of this study are to identify the characteristics of limited edition fashion consumers, to analyze their purchase decision-making processes, and to examine negative factors of consumers' recognition toward limited edition fashion products. A qualitative investigation was conducted by doing in-depth interviews with 11 selected consumers in their twenties and thirties who have actively purchased and consumed limited edition fashion products. The results of this study can be summarized as follows. First, there are four sub-categories of appearance management activity, acceptance of fashion trend, information-seeking behavior, and hedonic shopping orientation for the limited edition fashion consumers' characteristics. Second, the purchase decision-making process of limited edition fashion consumers are identified as seven steps: need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, planning and courtship, purchase, post-purchase evaluation, and post-purchase behavior. Courtship/attachment formation and post-purchase behavior are unique steps when compared to general purchase decision-making process. Third, this study identified negative factors of consumers' recognition toward limited edition this study in order to suggest several improvement plans for enterprises using limited marketing. Four sub-categories are examined: outrageous price, tricks of company, fatigue due to purchasing competition, and re-sellers. In conclusion, this study indicates that the purchase decision-making process of limited edition consumers, which involves two distinctive steps including courtship/attachment formation and post-purchase behavior, can be differentiated from general consumers. The results of this study provides preliminary data for further research for in-depth analysis of limited edition consumers.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.323-334
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• 2020

This study analyzed the effects of consumers' characteristic variables on information search and purchase decisions in a decision-making process that validated the path model in purchasing apparel products. In constructing a structural equation model using AMOS 19.0., the variables including enjoyment pursuit, price pursuit, product involvement and product risk were selected as consumers' characteristic variables affecting the stage of information search. A questionnaire was distributed to consumers over 20 years old who purchased apparel products using offline and online channels within one year; consequently, we were able to analyze 468 effective data. The results were as follows. First, the path model of this research proved to be the appropriate model explaining the effects of consumers' characteristic variables on the stage of purchase decision-making. Second, enjoyment pursuit had a significant positive influence on offline information search; in addition, price pursuit and product risk affected the online information search significantly. Product involvement affected online information search as well as offline information search. Third, the offline information search affected offline purchase and online information search affected online purchase. However, consumer's channel switching behavior between the stage of information search and the stage of purchase decision was not proven. The findings suggest that companies need to develop distribution strategies according to consumers' characteristic factors that effect consumer's purchase decision-making.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.69-77
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• 2003

The goal of this study was to examine which factors influence consumers' demands to reveal the identity of GMO(Genetically Modified Organism) food, risk perception, and decision-making to purchase it. Consumers perceived its risk, and demanded labeling to identify it. Not many consumers wanted to buy GMO food. The results also revealed as follows. First, the level of demand to label for identifying GMO food were high among female consumers, consumers with negative attitude, and consumers severly perceived its risk. The level of perceived risk was high among consumers who were old and had high income, exercised their own healthy programs, showed negative attitude toward GMO food, and demanded strongly for labelling. Second, old consumers, consumers with high income, consumers concerning more about health, consumers with negative attitude and strong demand to label for identifying GMO food were more likely to perceive risk highly for GMO food. Third, consumers' attitudes and the level of perceived risks for GMO food significantly influenced the decision-making to purchase GMO food. However, other variables turned out not to affect consumers' decision-making to purchase it.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.207-225
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• 2016

This study investigated a conceptual framework of fashion consumers' purchase decision-making styles related to behavioral typology of personality. In response to critiques on fragmented and varied use of personality measurements, this study selectively tested and verified an alternative typological model of Enneagram value systems and self-construal levels that could explain the fashion consumers' typological propensities in purchase decision-making. One hundred-item measurement scale for the fashion consumers' purchase decision-making styles was developed based on the extensive literature. Three groups of fashion major students, a total of 107 participants, who respectively participated in 2-hour-long Enneagrams seminars from spring 2013 to fall 2014, were asked to re-sentence the question items to clearly reflect their Enneagram personality to make purchase decisions. Participants described their propensities in their own words about the most comfortable state during the 5-step processes of the purchase decision making process. The revised scale was distributed to 423 participants in January 2016, and the results verified the group differences in various styles in the process of purchase decision-making corresponding to the typological variables discussed in Enneagram. The correlation between Enneagram core values embodied by fashion consumers during the stages of purchase decision-making in extensive levels of self-construal were verified in the context of their fashion decision making. This study found the possibility of the typological approach toward Enneagram types of personality to be applicable to explain and predict peculiar facets of fashion consumers' purchase decision-making styles.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.67-93
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• 2006

Some consumers prefer online and others prefer offline. What makes them prefer online or offline? There has been a lack of theoretical development to adequately explain consumers' channel switching behavior between traditional physical stores and new virtual stores. Through consumers' purchase decision processes, this study examined the reasons why consumers changed channels depending on purchase process stages. Consumer's purchase decision process could be divided into three stages: pre-purchase stage, purchase stage, and post-purchase stage. We used the intention of channel selection as a surrogate dependent variable of channel selection. And some constructs, that is, channel function, channel benefits, customer relationship benefits, and perceived behavioral control, were selected as independent variables. In buying look-and-feel products, it was identified that consumers preferred virtual stores to physical stores at pre-purchase stage. To put it concretely, all constructs except channel benefits were more influenced to consumers at virtual stores. This result implied that information searching function, which is a main function at pre-purchase stage, was better supported by virtual stores than physical stores. In purchase stage, consumers preferred physical stores to virtual stores. Specially, all constructs influenced much more to consumers at physical stores. This result implied that although escrow service and trusted third parties were introduced, consumers felt that financial risk, performance risk, social risk, etc. still remained highly online. Finally, consumers did not prefer any channel at post-purchase stage. But three independent variables, i.e. channel function, channel benefits, and customer relationship benefits, were significantly preferred at physical stores rather than virtual stores at post-purchase stage. So we concluded that physical stores were a little more preferred to virtual stores at post-purchase stage. Through this study, it was identified that most consumers might switch channels according to purchase process stages. So, first of all, sales representatives should decide that what benefits should be given them through virtual stores at the pre-purchase stage and through physical stores at the purchase and post-purchase stages, and then devise collaborative channel strategies.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.418-430
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• 2022

This study aims to analyze consumers' purchase decision-making process of buying avatar fashion items on the Metaverse platform. Drawing on the connection between the self-expression tendency of the MZ generation and that of avatars in the Metaverse, this study uses a qualitative research method to analyze how consumers express their self-image through the appearance of their avatars. Unlike previous studies on the clothing purchase decision-making process, this study shows that purchasing and consumption behavior involve the following six stages: recognizing desire, collecting information, evaluating alternatives, making purchases, evaluating the consumption, and post-purchase action-taking. In the first stage of the purchase decision-making process, consumers' desire arises with self-image expression and confirmation. In the second stage, consumers have a high tendency to shop in the best item category. In the alternative evaluation stage, consumers tend to seek items that match their highest standard while considering their personal preferences. In the fourth stage, when making actual purchases, unplanned purchase behavior often occurs along with an active practice of alternative evaluation. In the fifth stage, the evaluation of the consumption shows that consumers achieve satisfaction by applying a style to their avatars that they are unable to try in the real world. In the last stage, consumers often use their purchases to communicate their various styles with other online consumers. Therefore, we conclude that the online purchase decision-making process differs from the offline process as it is divided into six stages.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.351-362
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• 2003

The goal of this study was to examine the effects of perceived risks toward GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) food on the decision-making to purchase it and demands to reveal its Identity. The major results were as follows. First, consumers strongly perceived the risk toward GMO food, and demanded labeling to identify it. But, many consumers had indecisive in the purchase of GMO food. Second, consumers with high level of perceived risks toward GMO food were more likely not to buy GMO food. In addition, the level of perceived risk was high among consumers who had many children. Finally, consumers with high level of perceived risks toward GMO food were more likely to demand the labelling for identifying GMO food. Consumers who had many children and high level of reliability for labelling food safety strongly demanded to label for revealing GMO food.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.17-33
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• 2009

The emergence of the Internet shopping agent enabled consumers to enjoy Internet shopping more easily and quickly. Especially, the role of Internet shopping agent is becoming more important following the information overload trend on the Internet in that the consumers can promptly obtain information about a certain product and its price among countless items on the Internet. As a result, consumers can now enjoy shopping more easily, compared to the offline shopping which requires a lot of efforts in comparing the products and purchasing them. Since the Internet shopping agents collect extensive information about the products' price, delivery period, detailed characteristics, etc., and present a comparison table containing the information to the consumers, the consumers can shop more quickly at lower price using such shopping agents. However, it has not been sufficiently studied about how the various functions of shopping agents actually support consumers' purchase decision making procedure in everyday life, and if they do, in which stages they play a supporting role in consumers' purchase decision making system. Therefore, this study conducts an empirical analysis on the role of the Internet shopping agents in the purchase decision making process of the consumers, considering the Internet shopping agent as a decision making supporting system. Moreover, it analyzes how the effects of the Internet shopping agent differs according to the consumers' knowledge level about the products.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.19-29
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• 2017

This study identified the purchase decision-making process of outdoor wear consumers and examined the hypothesis that consumer satisfaction mediates the relationship between purchase decision-making process and repurchase intention. Data were acquired from a survey and analyzed with descriptive, factor analysis, reliability analysis and multiple regression analysis. Respondents were 454 adults who have purchased outdoor wear. The results are as follows. First, the purchase decision-making processes of outdoor wear consumers consisted of a series of steps: need recognition & passive information search, active information search, evaluation of alternatives with practical attributes, evaluation of alternatives with unpractical attributes, purchase decision, and post-purchase evaluation. Second, four purchase decision-making processes (except for need recognition & passive information search and active information search) had significantly positive effects on consumer satisfaction. Third, the need recognition & passive information search, the evaluation of alternatives with unpractical attributes and post-purchase evaluation had significantly positive effects on repurchase intention. Lastly, the partial mediation of consumer satisfaction in the relationship between two purchase decision-making processes (evaluation of alternatives with unpractical attributes and post-purchase evaluation) and repurchase intention were indicated. This academic study will help to understand the purchase decision-making processes of outdoor wear and allow companies to obtain information (from the industrial aspect) about which process to invest in and how to manage the process.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.257-268
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to conduct factor analysis on Foodservice consumers' lifestyle patterns in dietary life, classify lifestyle patterns, and identify how lifestyle patterns influence the 5 stages of decision making process for purchase. Among 300 copies of the distributed questionnaire, 259 copies were collected for this study. It used a total of 283 copies as the effective samples for empirical analysis except 12 copies with false entries among them. For data analysis, it conducted frequency analysis, validity and reliability analysis, factor analysis, and multiple regression analysis using SPSS 12.0. As a result, Hypothesis 1 was significant while Hypothesis 2, 3, and 5 were partially significant. On the contrary, Hypothesis 4 was not significant. Therefore, lifestyle patterns had partially significant effects on decision making process for dining-out purchase. This study subdivided dining-out consumers' lifestyles which were limited to dietary life, and also subdivided decision making process for dining-out consumers' dining-out purchase into five stages. It is significant and very suggestive that this study identified what lifestyle patterns concretely had significant effects on the specific decision making stage. In the future, the researches on adolescent class and silver class should be executed continuously.