Technology, for example, Personalized Technology Services (PTS), has groomed consumers to expect an integrated and personalized shopping experience regardless of the channels, such as websites, mobile apps, physical stores, etc. PTS refers to technologies that offer personalization functions to meet customer needs at the time of their shopping for a seamless experience. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of retailer mobile apps’ PTS in consumers’ omnichannel shopping experiences by: (1) identifying PTS values specific to retail mobile apps for in-store shopping and (2) testing the PTS values – channel integration – consumer responses links based on Information Integration Theory (IIT). We first proposed that PTS via mobile apps holds various positive values. Second, we postulated four hypotheses: H1. PTS values enhance the integration of PTS values, H2. Integration of PTS values positively affects customer engagement, H3. Customer engagement positively affects customer satisfaction and H4. Customer engagement mediates the relationship between integration and customer satisfaction. Two web-based survey studies were employed with US consumers who had an experience with mobile app-mediated PTS offered by retailers. For study 1, a total of 239 US consumers participated in the survey. Study 1 identified five value dimensions of the app-mediated PTS: hedonic value, utilitarian value, self-efficacy, co-creation, and synchronicity. For study 2, a total of 373 US participants completed the survey. Study 2 confirmed the proposed structural model that PTS values positively affected channel integration which, in turn, positively influenced customer engagement and shopping satisfaction. Additionally, customer engagement partially mediated the effect of integration on shopping satisfaction. This study expanded the literature on omnichannel retailing by exploring consumer in-store shopping experience using retail mobile apps from PTS and channel integration perspectives. Practically, the study findings provided insights for marketers into how to design the retailers’ mobile apps to enhance the integrated shopping experience of consumers.

The purpose of this study was to explore how consumer traits(technology anxiety and need for interaction) explain attitude toward self-service technologies in fashion retail stores. We examined if technology anxiety influences perceived productivity and attitude toward self-service technologies, and if so, how the need for interaction with employees moderates the impact of technology anxiety on perceived productivity and attitude. For the purpose of the study, a web-based survey with Korean consumers was conducted. The final sample size was 214. Structural Equation Modeling Analysis and PROCESS in SPSS were employed to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings indicated that technology anxiety negatively affected perceived productivity and attitude toward self-service technologies in which perceived productivity affected attitude positively. Need for interaction with employees was found to moderate the relationship between technology anxiety and perceived productivity. It also moderated the relationship between technology anxiety and attitude. This study contributes to the self-service technology literature by identifying two antecedents of consumer attitude toward selfservice technologies: technology anxiety and the need for interaction. The findings further provide valuable insights to retailers and marketers as to how technology anxiety, perceived productivity, and the need for interaction work in enhancing consumer attitude toward self-service technologies in the context of fashion retail.

With the rapid growth of the Chinese cosmetics market and the continuous introduction of new products into the market, beauty videos generated by other consumers, that are by beauty vloggers, have become a major source of information for cosmetics consumers. With the popularity of beauty vlogs in China, beauty vloggers have become influencers who affect consumers’ information processing and attitude development regarding cosmetic products and beauty routines. The current study aims to explore the characteristics of beauty vloggers that affect consumers’ attitudes toward both the beauty vlogs and the products featured in those vlogs. Based on parasocial interaction theory, the study examines whether perceived characteristics of beauty vloggers influence consumers’ perceived parasocial interaction, which in turn influences their attitudes. The study employs an online survey, which was administered to female consumers in China. Data from a total of 372 responses was used for analysis. Findings show that the perceived similarities to and perceived trustworthiness of vloggers have a significant impact on parasocial interactions, which influences consumer attitudes toward both the vlogs and the products shown in them. Perceived reliability and perceived attractiveness are shown to have a positive impact on consumer attitudes toward vlogs. Perceived expertise, attractiveness, similarity, and trustworthiness have all been shown to affect product attitudes. These results show that while beauty vlogs have a significant impact on consumers’ decision-making processes, the perceived characteristics of beauty vloggers themselves are important to consumers in the development of their attitudes toward both vlogs and products.

The current study aimed to segment Mongolian female consumers based on luxury consumption values and to compare lifestyle, demographic characteristics, purchase behavior, and perceived brand personality among the segments. The survey was administered to consumers who had purchased luxury products in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. A total of 184 surveys were used for data analysis. Exploratory factor analysis revealed five luxury values: quality value, hedonic value, conspicuous value, social value, and unique value. Using the five luxury values, clustering analysis was conducted, showing that there were four distinct segments: passive shoppers, showoffs, rational value groups, and hedonists. ANOVAs and chi-square analyses revealed that these four segments differed in consumption values, demographic characteristics, lifestyle dimensions (including appearance consciousness, leisure orientation, life enjoyment, and achievement orientation), and purchase behavior (including purchase frequency, price of products purchased, and product selection criteria). Moreover, value segments showed differences in five dimensions of luxury brand personality: sincerity, professionalism/attractiveness, excitement, materialism, and sophistication. The results suggest that consumption values serve as a significant basis for segmentation. Furthermore, the current study indicates that value segments can be described as consumers’ perceived brand personality. The study concludes with a discussion of the results, theoretical and practical implications, and limitations.

The rapid growth in the popularity of social media sites has meant that social media has become an important communication channel for brands. Brands create brand pages on social media to cultivate positive and strong relationships with consumers. This study seeks to enhance our understanding of how fashion brand pages in social media foster consumer-brand relationships by exploring the factors that affect the development of consumer-brand relationships. Drawing on the parasocial interaction theory, this study proposes parasocial interaction as a key factor of this process. Specifically, this study proposes four antecedents (vividness, interactivity, social presence, and focused attention) of consumers’ parasocial interaction with brand pages, which further affects consumer responses in terms of affective engagement and brand loyalty. An online survey was administered with consumers who have followed and visited at least one fashion brand page via a social networking site (SNS). Structural equation modeling revealed that consumers’ perceptions of vividness, interactivity, social presence, and focused attention on a fashion brand page positively affected their feelings towards parasocial interaction with the brand page, which in turn led to their affective engagement with the brand page and consequent brand loyalty. These findings suggest that consumers build relationships of varying degrees with brand pages in a similar manner to that with people, which leads to their development of a positive relationship with the brand. This study concludes with discussions and practical implications.

As the popularity of Korean drama and celebrities in China, Korean fashion is becoming increasingly popular in the Chinese market. Although the effect of Korean drama on Chinse consumers’ attitudes toward Korean products are known, little research has been conducted to understand the mechanisms underlying the impact of Korean drama on the development of consumer attitudes. Thus, this study examines how Chinese consumers’ exposure to Korean dramas has influenced their attitudes towards Korean fashion products. Applying the similarity-attraction theory, the study explores the roles Chinese consumers’ perceived similarities in appearance and values with Korean characters in TV dramas plays in the process of attitude development. Data was collected via an online survey and the responses of 317 Chinese consumers in their twenties were used for data analysis. The results of structural equation modeling show that exposure to Korean dramas has a direct impact on Chinese consumers’ perceived appearance similarity, perceived value similarity, image of Korean people, and attitudes toward Korean fashion products—results that support the theory of mere exposure. In addition, the analysis demonstrates that perceived appearance similarity positively influences the image of Koreans among Chinese people, which, in turn, influences attitudes toward Korean fashion products, supporting the similarity-attraction theory. However, the effect of perceived value similarity on attitude toward Korean fashion products was not significant. The study concludes by describing its practical implications for the Korean fashion industry and presenting ideas for future research.

The current study aims to segment Chinese female consumers using their lifestyle dimensions in the cosmetics market, and analyze their cosmetics purchasing behavior based on that segmentation. Specifically, lifestyle groups were examined to see if there is any group difference(s) in consumer behavior for Korean cosmetics. Lifestyle groups were examined based on: consumers’ demographic characteristics, perceived brand attributes, loyalty toward Korean cosmetics, usage of Korean cosmetics products, preferred stores of shopping for Korean cosmetics, and use of information sources in purchase decisions. An online survey was administered to female consumers who live in Beijing and Shanghai. A total of 493 surveys were used for data analyses. The results of the study were as follows: First, factor analysis revealed 11 significant lifestyle dimensions. Second, using these 11 lifestyle dimensions, cluster analysis was conducted, which revealed four distinct groups of consumers: (1) “timid inactive group,” characterized by having low scores in most lifestyle dimensions; (2) “showcase goers,” who tend to be highly fashion/appearance-conscious and brand-oriented; (3) “practical buyers,” who tend to be price-conscious, sensitive and timid; and (4) “sensible buyers,” who enjoy finer meals and wellbeing lifestyles, as well as hardworking in everything and impulse-buy things. Third, consumer behavior of purchasing Korean cosmetics brands were examined; significant differences among the four lifestyle groups were found. The study concludes with a discussion of the results and practical implications.

In a world where opportunities and chances are common, the phenomenon referred to as “generation maybe” describes people in their 20s and early 30s who are usually being indecisive. With the increase in breadth of information and choices, the number of people who are hesitant in deciding whether to purchase increases at a fast pace, as does the number of products and services targeting this group. In order to enhance our understanding of the phenomenon of consumer hesitation, this study explores contextual factors and consumer characteristics that affect consumer hesitation in the purchase decision-making process. Specifically, this study examines whether seven contextual factors, self-determination tendencies, and five decision-making styles influence consumer hesitation in the product decision making process. An online survey was administered to test our research questions. A total of 309 Korean consumers (female= 48.9%) aged from 20 to 35 were surveyed. A regression analysis revealed that four contextual factors (product involvement, need for information on alternatives, relative price, and uncertain need), two sub-dimensions of self-determination (perceived competence and relatedness), and two decision-making styles (price seeking and advice seeking) have noticeable influences on consumer hesitation. We also found that the degree of consumer hesitation positively influences consumer post-purchase satisfaction. The study concludes with discussions and practical implications.