• Journal of Fashion Business
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.15-26
• /
• 1999

The purpose of the study was to investigate brand images and fashion leaderships of women's wear manufacturers targeting middle-aged women or older women. Thus, this study was to be an exploratory study to investigate clothing behavior of elderly female consumers and search apprel niche-market for them. The questionnaire consists of questions on brand images, fashion leadership, and merchandise assortment. The subjects were to evaluate their brand images and rated on 5 point Likert-type scales of 29 adjectives. The fashion leadership of these brands was evaluated by the degree of fashion trends adopted on 7 aspects including fashion images, silhouettes, fabrics, colors, design details, accessories, and item-coordinations. For the survey, both interview and the subjects were 66 manufacturers which have national brands or designer brands. Among 44 respondents, 30 respondents were designers and the rest of them were merchandiser or shop managers. The SPSS PC+ package was used to calculate frequency, T-test, and cluster analysis. The results from survey of manufacturers targeting middle-aged women or older women are as follow: 1) The brand imges which they pursue are prestigious, practical, and elegance. 2) There were significant differences in brand images, and national brand manufacturers pursue stronger images in prestigious, chic, intelligent, competency, than designer brand manufacturers. 3) 40 brands were divided into two clusters. 36 brands were included in one cluster, and only 4 brand were belong to the other cluster. In this market, the image of feminity was grouped with the image of prestigious, chic, intelligent, competency. 4) In product planning, the adption level of fashion trends in 7 aspects was generally at medium level, but fashion trends were more adopted in fabric, color, and item-coordination.

• The International Journal of Costume Culture
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.31-42
• /
• 1999

The category killer that has been rapidly growing mainly in advanced countries since early 1990's, is a mew distribution model which aims for obtaining market controlling power by surpassing competing businesses in a specific area of products. The domestic situation of category killers is very different from that of advanced ones abroad since it has just been introduced into the Korean market. At the moment, there are only 10 or so companies operating in the market : Geopyung's , Taeheng's , Midopa's , of Sinsegye Department store, adn of Yerim International. The purpose of this study is to examine problems of domestic companies in the present market by analysing the operation status of category killers in domestic markets as well as foreign ones, and to suggest a counter-strategy of category killers for the distribution environment of the 21st century to improve the competitiveness of Korean distribution industry. The competitiveness of category killers lies above all in products lines. Category killers are equipped with the greatest number of products lines among those of competing businesses due to maximized product selections in an limited range. Another source of competitiveness may be found in balanced strategy positioning. That is to say, category killers are in a position where they can adjust policies towards any of the three purposes while aiming at them altogether : prices of discount stores, products range of specialty stores, and customer service level of department stores. It is also necessary for efficient store operation to use information technology such as electronic data interchange (EDI), electronic pose system(EPOS) and electronic funds transfer (EFTPOS). As for the cost structure, category killers can gain an advantage over other business since operating cost of various sections can be saved. There are, however, certain risks that category killers with strong competitiveness may influence on other businesses a great deal and even facilitate their decline. Yet it seems that the growth of category killers will be more viciously restrained by continuous challenges from other businesses. The distribution industry is supposed to develop through such competition and restraint.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.317-325
• /
• 2006

The purposes of this study are to examine clothing businesses which are using dress forms and grasp the problems in apparel manufacturing process, to verify the size and shape of the dress forms for uniformity, to ascertain the uniformity between the dress forms being sold today and the somatotype of the target consumers. The following results were obtained. First, most of the clothing businesses used the existing dress forms in the company. The dress forms didn't reflect the somatotype of the current consumers. And the users satisfaction was below the average. Second, the size and shape of the dress forms being sold today had lack of uniformity between themselves. Third, the dress forms didn't reflect the shape characteristics as well as the size of the target consumers. Consequently, The dress forms need to have the following. First, It is necessary that the dress forms have various functions in a dress form in the future. Second, to get high satisfaction of clothing fit, we need to build up the data base of the consumers somatotype. The data base have to consist of not only circumference but also width, thickness, angle of the current consumers. Last, the further studies of the dress forms need to meet the clothing businesses demand.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.398-413
• /
• 2019

This study empirically analyzed the influence of fashion brands' marketing issues on actual sales and consumer preference-focusing on evaluation trends of brands over time by using the theoretical background and big data provided through literature. This study examined the influence of three fashion brands (Balenciaga, Vetements, and Off-White) that have recently seen a drastic increase in the number of searched volumes through social networks. To identify the consumer-brand evaluations and trends and the marketing issues, the time period was divided into Groups A and B, which are from 2014 to 2015 and from 2016 to 2017, respectively. This study analyzed the frequency of overlapping keywords by using the R program to graphically visualize the changes over the timeline. Specifically, this analysis extracted data mainly related to bags, wallets and accessories for 2014-2015, but in 2016-2017, all four brands saw a vast increase in the frequency of searching product keywords related to clothing and footwear, and newly extracted ones were the top keywords. When analyzing the big data with these keywords as indicators, I confirmed that the products related to bags, wallets, and accessories were shifted to those related to apparel and footwear. Consumers previously recognized luxury brands such as Balenciaga as accessories-oriented brands that were focused on handbags and sunglasses, but now they are gaining popularity and recognition among consumers as a fashion brand.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.679-693
• /
• 2021

The aim of this study was first to expand participation types in the field of beauty design by examining activities in the field, and second, to seek practical methods for addressing the important issue of social responsibility amid the current pandemic situation. Accordingly, social responsibility in design was examined through a review of previous studies. The features of practice domains and design performance fields were examined comparatively. As a result, it was found that social practices take place in various sectors, with sensibility toward the environment being escalated to a new level in the cosmetics industry. In terms of cosmetics enterprise practices, collecting, recycling, manufacturing, and retail networking has been established to reuse up to 95% of waste resources. Furthermore, ethical responsibility and participation concerning product and service waste resources are recommended, resulting in the supply of eco-friendly products in a virtuous cycle. In terms of systematic policy, even component transformation (such as organic certification and excluding toxic substances) is being carried out. However, it was difficult to identify such responsible activities in Korea; thus, systematic practice is needed. Designers take part in talent donation activities, and it was the sector they prefer the most. However, it is necessary to conduct studies on limitations such as venues equipped with cosmetics procedure equipment and public cosmetics sanitation and make systematic improvement, such that activities can be led with initiative from passive participation.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
• /
• v.7
• /
• pp.283-302
• /
• 2001

The purpose of this study was to examine the current situation about the internet usage and advertisement attitude, to investigate the relationship between consumer characteristics and internet advertising effect, and to identify the moderating effect of consumer characteristics on the relationship between advertising types and advertising effects. For the study, a sample of 152 apparel consumers participated in this survey research. The survey of design with a questionnaire was employed. Questionnaire was developed with the html language and data collection was done at Korea though the internet on October 2000. For data analysis, descriptive statistics (i.e., frequency, percent), ANOVA with duncan tests were used. First, the major place of using internet was found as home, company, school, PC room in order and the average time of using internet was found as three times weekly. The major purpose of using internet were information search, e-mail, PC communication and program-download. The experience of internet fashion advertising was high. Second, consumer characteristics(age, job) had significant effects on attitude to the product. 20 years-old age group and specialist group were found to influence on the higher attitude toward product. Third, main effects of consumer characteristics(age, job) were found to be significant. The correlation and interaction effects of consumer characteristics and internet advertisement types were not significant.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.13 no.7
• /
• pp.85-90
• /
• 2015

Purpose - Global trends play a part to change the structure of the fashion industry. In particular, companies attempting to conduct innovative marketing centering on such products as SPA brands are growing into global companies. SPA stands for "Specialty Store Retailer of Private Label Apparel", meaning its activities are fully integrated from manufacturing through sales, including material procurement design, product, distribution, inventory management, and final sales. For this reason, more understanding of individual corporate profitability is very sensitive to consumer's attitudinal changes. The effects that corporate marketing activities on customer lifetime value through brand attitude were analyzed based on a structural equation model. Rust suggested value equity, brand equity, and relationship equity as customer equity driver. The study examines Chinese consumer because China is the fastest growing fashion market in the world. Research design, data, and methodology - The survey targeted Chinese college student age 20s. Only respondents who had purchased SPA brands in the past year were included for this research. A total of 303, except for 47 missing data of 350 distributed questionnaires were included in this research. The questionnaire is consists of six part to measure value, brand, relationship equity, attitude toward brand, purchase intention and demographic characteristics. This research conducted exploratory factor analysis and reliability test. To verify research hypotheses, structural equation model test was conducted. As for customer equity, diversified models in consideration of the scope of acquisition data, a method of collection of data, influencing factor, and predictability were suggested based on a net present value model. However, the history of customer equity study is relatively short, and sufficient empirical analyses have not been conducted, so more integrated analysis is required. In this study, the concept of driver suggested by Rust was applied to figure out the effects that consumer's attitude has on customer equity. The customer equity driver suggested by them consists of brand equity, value equity, and relationship equity. Results - This study reveals that value equity and brand equity have a positive influence on relationship equity. And, relationship equity has a positive influence on purchase intention through brand attitude. However, value equity and brand equity do not influence on brand attitude. Conclusion - The results of this research generated following implications. First, SPA brands need to take advantage of their value equity such as perceived low price and up-to-date fashion style to attract Chinese young consumer. Second, strong brand equity promises dominants position in the competitive market. As Chinese fashion market grows rapidly, SPA brands can consider branding strategy such as flagship store and celebrity marketing enhancing brand image. Third, the core concept of customer equity strategy is to maintain a relationship with their expecting and existing customers. The relationship equity is built by brand equity and value equity. When SPA brands serves product and service meet with individual customers, customers have intimacy to the brands.

• Journal of Communication Design
• /
• v.64
• /
• pp.64-75
• /
• 2018

Luxury fashion brands, which have dominated the market of high-priced apparel, bags and shoes, are recently showing changes of stepping into the cosmetics market. The purpose of this study is to examine how luxury fashion brand identity is transferred to cosmetic brand while expanding into luxury cosmetic brand, and to analyze the plastic signs of cosmetic package design and to analyze visual identity through a semi-symbolic system. Therefore, in this study, we tried to analyze the visual semiotic analysis of the package design such as the cushion compact, the lip tint and the brand logo which appeared in the popular product line of the fashion luxury brand such as Yves Saint Laurent and Armani. As a result of the analysis, this study has identified the semantic qualities expressed by each plastic element through the visual semiotic analysis process of the cosmetic package of Yves Saint Laurent and Giorgio Armani. These traits were found to be used as visual signs to reveal the 'Classicism' identity pursued by Yves Saint Laurent and the 'Baroque' identity pursued by Armani. Based on the results of this study, this study finds that the brand identity as a fashion brand is not transferring to the visual identity of cosmetic brands in the case of Yves Saint Laurent. On the other hand, this study found that Armani uses visual communication strategies to effectively transfer the brand identity as a fashion brand to the visual identity of cosmetic brands. On these two different results, it is necessary to examine whether luxury fashion brands and also Korean fashion brands are expanding into the cosmetics market and how they can better grasp the existing brand identity and apply it to the communication strategies of cosmetics brands.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.91-106
• /
• 2022

This study targets four Soho fashion shopping malls that are operating successfully in the online fashion market. This study analyzed the entrepreneurship process by dividing it into three stages. The results of the case study are as follows. In the case of Company S, the founder, who had little work experience, started an e-commerce business with a sense of fashion and entrepreneurship. It is a contemporary, casual brand with competitive prices, design power, and diverse product assortment, and the business performance was achieved through data management and analysis and the diversification of distribution channels. In the case of Company B, the founder, who had little work experience, started a manufacturing and e-commerce business by leveraging their SNS network capabilities and entrepreneurial spirit. It is a contemporary fashion brand with product competitiveness of specific items and start-up characteristics, and performance was achieved through the establishment of brand identity and market expansion. Third, Company M and Company C are examples of Soho fashion shopping malls where the founders with more extensive work experience at the time of founding their respective start-ups focused on brand recognition as their core competitiveness. In the case of Company M, the apparel brand was launched with a wealth of experience and design spirit. It is a fashion designer brand that stands out for its sensibility, and the owner has achieved performance through various entrepreneurial activities that broaden the corporate horizon. Company C is a manufacturing and e-commerce brand that was started with design capabilities and an entrepreneurial spirit. It is a luxury fashion brand that focuses on emotional expression, and the outcomes, such as brand recognition and sales, were achieved through active customer management. The results of this study can be used as basic data in education for and research of Soho shopping malls and the prospective founders.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.15-26
• /
• 2010

Due to the globalization across various industries and cultural trade among many countries, oriental concepts have been attracting world’s attentions. In fashion industry, one's traditional culture is often developed as fashion theme for designers' creation and became strong strategies to stand out among competitors. Because of the increase of preferences for oriental images, opportunities abound to introduce traditional fashion goods and expand culture based business to global fashion markets. However, global fashion brands that include Korean traditional culture are yet to be developed. In order to develop a global fashion brand with Korean taste, it is very important for native citizen to accept their own culture in domestic apparel market prior to expansion into foreign market. Loungewear is evaluated to be appropriate for adopting Korean traditional details into clothing since this wardrobe category embraces various purposes which will easily lead to natural adaptation and wide spread use. Also, this market is seeing an increased demand for multipurpose wardrobes and fashionable underwear (Park et al. 2009). Despite rapid growth in the loungewear market, specific studies of loungewear is rare; and among research on developing modernized-traditional clothing, fashion items and brands do not always include the loungewear category. Therefore, this study investigated the Korean loungewear market and studied consumer evaluation toward loungewear with Korean traditional fashion design elements. Relationship among antecedents of purchase intention for Korean traditional fashion design elements were analyzed and compared between lifestyle groups for consumer targeting purposes. Product quality, retail service quality, perceived value, and preference on loungewear with Korean traditional design elements were chosen as antecedents of purchase intention and a structural equation model was designed to examine their relationship as well as their influence on purchase intention. Product quality and retail service quality among marketing mixes were employed as factors affecting preference and perceived value of loungewear with Korean traditional fashion design elements. Also effects of preference and perceived value on purchase intention were examined through the same model. A total of 357 self-administered questionnaires were completed by female consumers via web survey system. A questionnaire was developed to measure samples' lifestyle, product and retail service quality as purchasing criteria, perceived value, preference and purchase intention of loungewear with Korean traditional fashion design elements. Also, loungewear purchasing and usage behavior were asked as well in order to examine Korean loungewear market status. Data was analyzed through descriptive analysis, factor analysis, cluster analysis, ANOVA and structural equation model was tested via AMOS 7.0. As for the result of Korean loungewear market status investigation, loungewear was purchased by most of the consumers in our sample. Loungewear is currently recognized as clothes that are worn at home and consumers are showing comparably low involvement toward loungewear. Most of consumers in this study purchase loungewear only two to three times a year and they spend less than US$10. A total of 12 items and four factors of loungewear consumer lifestyle were found: traditional value oriented lifestyle, brand-affected lifestyle, pursuit of leisure lifestyle, and health oriented lifestyle. Drawing on lifestyle factors, loungewear consumers were classified into two groups; Well-being and Conservative. Relationships among constructs of purchasing behavior related to loungewear with Korean traditional fashion design elements were estimated. Preference and perceived value of loungewear were affected by both product quality and retail service quality. This study proved that high qualities in product and retail service develop positive preference toward loungewear. Perceived value and preference of loungewear positively influenced purchase intention. The results indicated that high preference and perceived value of loungewear with Korean traditional fashion design elements strengthen purchase intention and proved importance of developing preference and elevate perceived value in order to make sales. In a model comparison between two lifestyle groups: Well-being and Conservative lifestyle groups, results showed that product quality and retail service quality had positive influences on both preference and perceived value in case of Well-being group. However, for Conservative group, only retail service quality had a positive effect on preference and its influence to purchase intention. Since Well-being group showed more significant influence on purchase intention, loungewear brands with Korean traditional fashion design elements may want to focus on characteristics of Well-being group. However, Conservative group's relationship between preference and purchase intention of loungewear with Korean traditional fashion design elements was stronger, so that loungewear brands with Korean traditional fashion design elements should focus on creating conservative consumers' positive preference toward loungewear. The results offered information on Korean loungewear consumers' lifestyle and provided useful information for fashion brands that are planning to enter Korean loungewear market, particularly targeting female consumers similar to the sample of the present study. This study offers strategic and marketing insight for loungewear brands and also for fashion brands that are planning to create highly value-added fashion brands with Korean traditional fashion design elements. Considering different types of lifestyle groups that are associated with loungewear or traditional fashion goods, brand managers and marketers can use the results of this paper as a reference to positioning, targeting and marketing strategy buildings.