Online consumer reviews play an important role in influencing consumers' purchasing decisions by providing a wealth of information about products and services. Framed by…
Abstract
Purpose
Online consumer reviews play an important role in influencing consumers' purchasing decisions by providing a wealth of information about products and services. Framed by uncertainty reduction theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine consumer perceptions of online consumer reviews and effects on consumer attitudes and usage behaviors in relation to individual characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were randomly collected from 1,930 US online consumer review users using an online survey.
Findings
The researchers found that consumers perceived both benefits and costs from online consumer reviews and that both benefits and costs influenced consumer attitudes toward, and usage behaviors of, online consumer reviews. Individual characteristics – confidence in the information process and consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence – were shown to determine how online consumer reviews were perceived.
Originality/value
The results provide insight to retailers and marketers as to how they can use consumer reviews for their products or services to improve business performance.
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The purpose of this study is to investigate consumers’ intention to use mass customization by incorporating preference fit and their ability to express preferences into the theory…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate consumers’ intention to use mass customization by incorporating preference fit and their ability to express preferences into the theory of planned behaviour and to examine how consumers perceive behavioural control over the process of online mass customization (OMC). Preference fit, which refers to fit between consumer preference and product attributes, and ability to express preferences were integrated into theory of planned behaviour as two belief variables related to OMC.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 346 potential respondents were invited via e-mail to participate in the present study acquired from an independent marketing company. We conducted a self-administrated online survey using a video clip with voice instructions to demonstrate the OMC process as a stimulus.
Findings
The results suggest that consumers’ attitudes and perceived behavioural control predicted their OMC use intentions. Preference fit positively affected consumers’ attitudes towards OMC as a behavioural belief, and the ability to express preferences positively influenced preference fit but did not predict perceived behavioural control as a control belief. Clothing involvement was a positive predictor of preference fit and the ability to express preferences.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the OMC literature by suggesting a theoretical framework by extending the theory of planned behaviour and identifying consumers’ belief variables as antecedents of attitudes and perceived behavioural control in the OMC context. In addition, the study examines the role of clothing involvement in facilitating consumers’ OMC beliefs, suggesting the crucial role of clothing involvement as one of individual factors extending theory of planned behaviour framework, in the OMC process.
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This paper aims to explore the effect on consumer responses of firms’ manipulating online reviews based on review valence (positive vs negative) and the relationship between…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the effect on consumer responses of firms’ manipulating online reviews based on review valence (positive vs negative) and the relationship between consumer trust and purchase intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was designed as an experimental study using a scenario method, and data were randomly collected from 2,080 online shoppers in the USA.
Findings
Findings reveal that the unfair business practice of manipulating online postings considerably undermined consumer trust toward online reviews. Consumer trust in reviews thus seems to be a critical predictor of purchase intentions, which was strengthened even when respondents knew that online reviews were manipulated.
Practical implications
Companies may thus need to focus on maintaining transparency and truthfulness in online consumer reviews rather than artificially improving ratings scores or feedback levels.
Originality/value
This study was the first attempt to provide empirical supports that the level of consumer trust in online reviews significantly decreased after consumers were informed that the review content had been manipulated by a company in both the positive and negative conditions. These results also support previous research articulating the negativity effect.
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Conflicting marketing messages have caused consumers to misunderstand distinctions between sustainability and environmental concern, especially when considering the apparel…
Abstract
Purpose
Conflicting marketing messages have caused consumers to misunderstand distinctions between sustainability and environmental concern, especially when considering the apparel industry. This study seeks to explore consumers’ actual knowledge and sentiment towards sustainability and environmental issues, both in general and in the apparel industry.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through open‐ended survey questions collected from 80 young Generation Y college students, aged 18‐25.
Findings
Findings show a low level of knowledge of the holistic principle of sustainability and specific adverse effects of the apparel industry. Participants feel steps must be taken towards sustainability, and that every effort helps, despite some skepticism. Results confirm the need for more concise educational and marketing campaigns.
Originality/value
This study sought to provide a snapshot of current young consumers’ attitudes as a tool to encourage more specific and salient directions for future growth of the movement in consumers and companies, adding further insight to the literature on Generation Y as consumers and citizens.
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Hyun‐Hwa Lee and Seung‐Eun Lee
The purpose of this paper is to investigate US consumers' adoption of mobile services from the perspectives of channel extension (mobile vs internet) as well as with…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate US consumers' adoption of mobile services from the perspectives of channel extension (mobile vs internet) as well as with considerations of ethnic and gender difference. Specifically, this paper examines the effects of gender and ethnicity in consumers' current usages in different types of mobile services, the relationships between consumers' current internet and mobile service usages, and how current usages of internet and mobile services predict future intentions to use mobile services.
Design/methodology/approach
Online survey method was employed to collect the data. A total of 492 responses were obtained from current mobile users.
Findings
The mobile services most (e.g. sending and receiving text and picture messages, checking e‐mail) and least used (e.g. gambling, educational services) were similar between both male and female respondents, yet male respondents showed a higher use of mobile services. Among ethnic groups, African Americans were the most engaged users of all mobile services, and European Americans were the least engaged. In certain service categories (e.g. informational services related to business/finance), both gender and ethnicity were shown to have significant effects on consumers' current usages of both the internet and mobile services and intentions to use mobile services.
Practical implications
Gender‐ and ethnic‐specific marketing strategies should be based on the types of mobile services. Special attention should be paid to African Americans that have expressed great interests in using the services that are offered through mobile devices (e.g. informational services related to health and business/finance, payment/billing services, and purchasing products). Understanding current internet use of each mobile service is a key to the success of the potential use of mobile services.
Originality/value
There is a lack of previous research addressing consumer issues relevant to specific types of mobile services. This paper provides a meaningful insight into consumer adoption of various types of mobile services from the perspectives of channel extension (mobile vs internet) as well as ethnic and gender difference.
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To date, most research focused on understanding the meanings and mechanism of gift giving behavior and there is little literature on channel usage behavior for gift shopping. The…
Abstract
Purpose
To date, most research focused on understanding the meanings and mechanism of gift giving behavior and there is little literature on channel usage behavior for gift shopping. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between consumers' retail purchase experiences for their own use and their gift shopping for others in a multichannel retail context.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a self‐administered survey method, the paper obtained 171 usable responses from females in a large US Midwestern University. Data are analyzed employing descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling.
Findings
The findings of this paper showed that for all five retail channels (i.e. internet, mail‐order catalog, TV shopping, local stores, and non‐local stores), there are significant and positive relationships between consumers' product purchase experiences for their own use and their gift purchase experiences. Managerial and theoretical implications are provided.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations of the present study include sampling, which prevent the generalization of results to all gift shoppers, and gift product categories focus on in the present study.
Originality/value
As little is known about the consumer gift shopping behavior in a multichannel retail environment, the study provides valuable strategy for multichannel retailers.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine consumer perceptions of a potential sustainable line extension introduced by a specific fast-fashion retailer. Following brand-extension…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine consumer perceptions of a potential sustainable line extension introduced by a specific fast-fashion retailer. Following brand-extension theory, the study seeks to identify the influences of knowledge of and involvement with the cause of sustainability, as well as knowledge and affect toward brand, on the evaluation of a sustainable line extension.
Design/methodology/approach
Participation was limited to those with in-store browsing experience with either Zara or H&M in the past 12 months. A self-administered online survey was developed using the written scenario approach. After several screening processes, 598 completed surveys were deemed usable for statistical analysis.
Findings
Findings identified significant cause and brand effects on brand-cause fit and brand-extension fit. In turn, brand extension was significantly predicted by brand-cause fit and brand-extension fit. In addition, the results of the study indicated that consumers do view sustainable products as fitting with fast-fashion retailers, based on their previous knowledge and affect regarding the brand and the cause.
Originality/value
This study sought to identify consumers’ perceptions of sustainable brand extension introduced by a fast-fashion retailer. Implications for retailers included leveraging consumers’ past knowledge and affect regarding the brand through marketing of the sustainable product.
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The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of consumers' shopping orientation on their satisfaction level with the product search and purchase behavior using…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of consumers' shopping orientation on their satisfaction level with the product search and purchase behavior using multi‐channels.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 181 students in a large US mid‐western university provided usable responses to the survey. Exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression analyses were employed to examine the research questions.
Findings
The results showed that more than three quarters of the respondents shopped via the internet and catalogs, and about 95 percent shopped at non‐local retailers. About 60 percent reported that they never shopped from TV shopping channels. Confident/fashion‐conscious shopping orientation and catalog/internet shopping orientation were found to be key predictors of customer satisfaction level with information search via multi‐channels. Both confident/fashion‐conscious consumers and mall shopping‐oriented shoppers were more satisfied with store‐based retail channels for apparel purchases, whereas non‐local store‐oriented shoppers and catalog/internet‐oriented shoppers were more satisfied with non‐store‐based retail channels for their apparel purchases.
Research limitations/implications
The sample of this study was biased by gender and age. For the apparel retail industry, this paper offers practical knowledge about the relationships between shopping orientation and consumer search and purchase behavior in a multi‐channel retailing context.
Originality/value
No study has utilized the shopping orientation framework to explain consumer behavior in a multi‐channel environment. This study provides understanding of consumer product information search behavior on four dimensions (price, promotion, style/trends, and merchandise availability) via multi‐channels.
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Hyun‐Hwa Lee, Ann Marie Fiore and Jihyun Kim
The impact of web site interactivity on e‐commerce has been emphasized in industry and empirical literature. The purpose of this paper is to focus on image interactivity…
Abstract
Purpose
The impact of web site interactivity on e‐commerce has been emphasized in industry and empirical literature. The purpose of this paper is to focus on image interactivity technology (IIT) of a web site and apply the technology acceptance model (TAM) to examine factors influencing consumers' attitude toward an online retailer.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 206 respondents using a between‐subject experimental design and were analyzed using LISREL 8.54 to examine a proposed model.
Findings
Results of the present study support the positive effect of web site IIT on attitude and behavioral intention toward the online retailer and show TAM aspects help explain the effects of IIT on consumer responses. All three aspects of TAM, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and perceived enjoyment, significantly enhanced consumer attitude and behavioral intention towards an online retailer. Hedonic shopping orientation had a significant effect on one aspect of TAM (perceived enjoyment) and utilitarian shopping orientation had a significant effect on two TAM aspects (perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use).
Research limitations/implications
Limitations of the present study include sampling, which prevent the generalization of our results to all internet users.
Practical implications
IIT may be a valuable strategy for online retailers; however, these retailers need to develop useful, easy to use, and enjoyable IIT features that appeal to both hedonic and utilitarian shoppers.
Originality/value
The study was the first attempt to examine the role of TAM in explaining the relationship between IIT and resulting consumer responses.