What drives Chinese Generation Z’s purchase intentions for new Chinese style apparel? A study from a stimulus-organism-response perspective

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to understand how product attributes (object stimuli), social influences (social-psychological stimuli) and internal factors (internal stimuli) contribute to Chinese Generation Z’s purchase intentions (responses) for new Chinese style apparel (NCSA) through NCSA attitudes (cognitive state) and cultural pride (affective state) based on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 989 respondents aged between 18 and 29 years through self-administrated questionnaires via a professional survey panel, Credamo, in China. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

Results showed that among the seven stimuli, NCSA’s design, online social networking communities, cultural identity and personal norms significantly influenced Generation Z’s purchase intentions through both NCSA attitudes and cultural pride. Further, NCSA’s cultural connotations and celebrity influences elicited purchase intentions merely through the affective state – cultural pride. In contrast, NCSA’s functionality did not have a significant influence on NCSA attitudes and adversely affected cultural pride.

Originality/value

This study fills the research gap and extends the application of the S-O-R model within the NCSA context. The findings of this study shed light on the practical implications for marketers, brands and policymakers with regard to a better understanding of Chinese Generation Z’s NCSA consumption.

Citation

Huang, X. and Wu, F. (2024), "What drives Chinese Generation Z’s purchase intentions for new Chinese style apparel? A study from a stimulus-organism-response perspective", Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-03-2024-0111