Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-2002

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Textiles, Retail, and Consumer Sciences

Major Professor

Allison Young

Abstract

Customized apparel marketing is currently a new trend on the Internet. This study was to explore consumers' attitudes toward this emerging customized apparel marketing. By exploring consumer's attitude, this study attempted to contribute recognizing the effect of customized apparel marketing on the Internet on consumer's attitude. Several hypotheses were tested to explore the effect of customized interactive apparel marketing on the Internet on consumers' attitudes. The empirical findings indicated that: (1) Consumers' attitudes are different between customized apparel websites and non-customized apparel websites. Consumers react to purchasing more positively on customized apparel websites than non- customized apparel websites. (2) Consumers' favorable attitudes toward customized apparel websites affect consumer's intention to purchase from customized apparel website. (3) Consumers' attitudes toward customized apparel websites vary according to the level of consumer's risk perception about Internet apparel buying. These findings indicated that the functions of customized apparel website do not significantly affect consumer's risk perception from Internet apparel buying. ( 4) When consumers perceive the price benefits given by customized apparel marketing on the Internet, they are more willing to make their personal data available in the customized websites. Based on three theoretical models, Purchasing Decision Model, Theory of Reasoned Action, and Technology Acceptance Model, and findings of this study, this study proposed a model. This model (Consumers' attitudes toward the customized interactive apparel marketing) indicated that consumers' attitudes are affected by the functions of customized apparel marketing on the website. The findings indicated that the functions of customized apparel website affect consumers attitudes in terms of aiding a purchasing decision, enhancing effectiveness of consumers' search for alternatives, and improving perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. However, this study found that customized apparel website cannot significantly affect consumer's risk perception in purchasing apparel from the Internet.

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