Trust is an individual’s belief that an exchange will happen in a manner consistent with one’s confident expectations. In social networking sites (SNS), uncertainty is usually higher due to the high level of user-generated contents and the lack of face-to-face interactions. Despite this, the enhancement of experience with exchange parties could reduce the uncertainty and the increase tendencies for social commerce adoption through the increase in trust. Information seeking on SNS enhances the users’ knowledge about a product through access to the pool of information. Familiarity with SNS enhances users understanding of the shopping process and reduces the intricacy of the decisions. This study investigates the relationship between trust in SNS and purchase intentions. We propose a model including trust, information seeking, familiarity with SNS, and purchase intentions of fashion products on SNS. Data were obtained from 206 respondents who had experienced the purchase of fashion products on SNS. Mean age of the respondents was 22.1 years old and nearly 69.4 percent of the subjects were women. Approximately 84.0 percent reported a monthly income/allowance of less than US$400 and the majority (57.9 %) spent less than US$100 per six months on fashion products (e.g., apparel, shoes, etc.) purchases on the SNS. The structure equation model analysis was conducted by AMOS 23.0 using a correlation matrix with maximum likelihood approach. The structural equation model was relatively acceptable (chi-square value = 88.02, df = 57, p = .005; GFI = .94, AGFI = .90, RMR = .04). Cronbach's alphas were ranged between .80 and .88. We used Facebook as the best known SNS to empirically test our model. Results from a survey of Facebook users showed that trust in SNS increases information seeking which in turn increases the familiarity with SNS. In addition, trust and familiarity with SNS increase the intention to purchase fashion products on SNS. Findings indicate that trust in SNS was found to be a key predictor of intention to purchase fashion products from SNS directly and indirectly. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

Social networking sites (SNS) are defined as web-based services that enable consumers to create a public profile and a list of contacts with whom they share a social network (Kang et al., 2014). On SNS sites, consumers can find the right product, obtain advice from people, make purchases, post product recommendations, reviews and photos, and create SNS communities (Shen, 2008). The shopping motive acts as an important trigger to browse for products on social media websites. Product browsing over social media sites could influence the intention of future purchase and sharing information of product and brand with friend and acquaintances. For companies related to social media business, both intention to purchase and information sharing are crucial elements. However, few efforts have been made to identify the factors driving consumer intentions to purchase and word-of-mouth of fashion products on social media sites. The objectives of this study were to determine the factor to facilitate product browsing and to find out the causative relationship among influential factors and consumer intentions to purchase and word-of-mouth of fashion products on social media sites. The instrument was developed based on the previous literatures (Brien, 2010; Park, et al., 2012; To, 2007; Woo & Hwang, 2013) and each item was measured by five-point Liker type scales. A total of 269 data were collected during a regularly scheduled class in universities, who have experienced to purchase fashion products or make a product review on social media sites. Mean age of the respondents was 22.3 years old. Nearly 75.3 percent of the subjects were women, and more than half of the respondents (61.6%) have purchased the products (e.g., apparel, shoes, etc.) on social commerce sites over three years. The structure equation model analysis was conducted by AMOS 23.0 using a correlation matrix with maximum likelihood approach. The structural equation model was relatively acceptable (chi-square value = 136.30, df = 66, p = .000; GFI = .94, AGFI = .91, RMR = .05). Cronbach's alphas were ranged between .83 and .87. This result suggests that utilitarian shopping motives have influenced directly product browsing, purchase intention, and word-of-mouth intentions of fashion products on social media sites. The more product browsing on social media sites, the more intended to purchase and word-of-mouth of fashion products with friend and acquaintances. It implies that consumer with utilitarian shopping motives are likely to more browse, and then to more purchase and write the review of fashion products on social media sites. However, consumers with hedonic shopping motives are prone to more write the review of fashion products to their friends and acquaintances without product browsing or purchase intention on social media sites.

With advances in digital technology, retailers are utilizing digital signage which would be a visual factor of atmospherics in a retail environment. Based on stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model, this study was to examine a moderating effect of digital signage in relationship between atmospherics and store patronage. To collect data, a self-administered questionnaire was developed based on literatures, and mainly contained usage experience of digital signage, atmospherics (20 items), and store patronage (6 items). All items were measured on 7 point rating scale. Two sampling frames for this study were involved: experienced sample from retail stores with digital signage vs. unexperienced sample from retail stores without digital signage. Each sample was separately asked to complete the same questions regarding experience with digital signage, store atmospherics and store patronage. A total 497 usable responses (n=278 for experienced digital signage; n=219 for unexperienced digital signage) were obtained from consumers who were aged from 20 to 49 years old. For experienced sample, digital signage has been used various types: for example, location-based digital screen for store and shopping information (52.5%) was the most experienced, and followed by LED screen (28.8%) and others (e.g., Digital Look-Book, Virtual-Try-on, Interactive Screen, and Self-checking kiosk) in the fashion retail environments. Of total respondents, females (50.7%) were slightly more than were males (49.3%). For data analysis, descriptive statistics, factor analysis, t-test, hierarchy regression analysis were used by using PASW18. Preliminarily, factor analysis revealed that atmospherics consisted of three elements, such as store layout, visual aesthetics and interior display. The factor loadings were ranged from .60 to .80 and three factors were accounted for 70.42% of total variance. Compared with store without digital signage, the mean score of atmospherics (e.g., store layout, visual aesthetics, and interior display) was more highly rated in the retail stores with digital signage. In a hierarchical multiple regression model, two factors of store layout and interior display had a significant effect on store patronage in the first step (F=69.23, p<.001, Adjusted R2=.29). The store layout (β=.33, p<.001) and interior display (β=.17, p<.01) were likely to increase consumers’ store patronage. Also, interaction effect of digital signage and atmospherics was significant in the second step (R2 Change=.014, F Change=3.386, df1=3, df2=487, p<.05). Digital signage had moderating effect only in the relationship between interior display and store patronage (β=.65, p<.05). The findings suggest that digital signage plays an important role as a stimulus in improving atmospherics at the retail environments. Particularly, the digital signage would be effective in a good interior display including POP signs, product display, racks and cases, furniture, which can lead to store patronage. This study provides a managerial implication into retailers for improving atmospherics by utilizing retail technology inside a store. Especially for fashion retailers, it is required to combine digital technology service with in-store visual merchandising for a retail environment.

소비자들은 구두를 단순히 발을 보호하고 편안하게 해주는 역할 뿐만 아니라 장식과 자아 이미지를 표현해주는 패션제품으로써 인지하는 경향이 있다. 온라인 시장 분석에서 구두가 소비자들의 일상생활에서 중요한 제품이라고는 하였지만 인터넷 구두 시장을 조사한 연구는 드물다. 본 연구는 인터넷 구두시장에서 구두 e-충동구매과정에 대한 쇼핑성향, 마케팅 자극, 소비자들이 인지하는 위험지각의 영향에 초점을 맞추어 조사하였다. 최근 6개월 동안 구두 e-충동구매를 경험한 적이 있는 대학생들 총 408명을 대상으로 자기기술형식의 자료를 수집하였다. 결과에 의하면, 쾌락적 쇼핑성향이나 브랜드 쇼핑성향이 높은 소비자들은 인터넷에서 제공하는 마케팅 자극(판매촉진 자극이나 제품자 극)을 더 많이 인지하였고, 반면 경제적 쇼핑성향의 소비자들은 마케팅 자극을 더 낮게 인지하였으나 기능적인 위험은 더 높게 지각하는 것으로 나타났다. 구두의 경우, 마케팅 자극이 강할수록 e-충동구매는 증가하였으나 소비자들이 지각하는 위험은 e-충동구매에 아무런 영향을 미치지 않았다. 이러한 연구결과는 소비자의 쇼핑성향에 영향을 받는 마케팅 자극이 구두 e-충동구매를 유발하는데 중요한 요인임을 제안한다.

The more the marketplace become competitive, the more clear and distinct market segments the marketers need to identify. A minority of consumers takes important roles in the marketplace as market influencers or diffusers of information to others, for instance, market maven or opinion leaders. Market mavens tend to have overall market-related knowledge, while opinion leader and fashion leader possess product class-specific information. Fashion leaders are more likely to adopt a product at the early stage, but opinion leaders or market mavens are not necessary. Despite significant roles as reference groups, limited research has examined the differences in the essential traits of three influential groups. The purpose of this research is to examine and compare the differences of psychological attributes in market maven, opinion leaders, and fashion leaders with respect to consumer self-confidence, clothing involvement(INV), status consumption(STATUS), and price consciousness(PRICE). The instrument was modified based on the previous studies(Bearden, et al., 2001; Clark & Goldsmith, 2005; Feick& Price, 1987;Goldsmith, et al., 1991) and each item was measured by seven-point Liker type scales. A total of 857 data were collected through the internet survey method. About 50.3% of respondents were female, 39.2% were single, and age ranged from 20 to 59 years old. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed the differences of the measurement in three influential groups, explaining 70.76% of variances. Consumer self-confidence was generated into five factors, information acquisition & consideration-set formation (IA&CF), personal outcomes(PO), social outcomes (SO), persuasion knowledge(PKN), and marketplace interfaces(MI). Cronbach's alpha was ranged between .78 and .93. In order to investigate the effects of psychological attributes on three influential groups, five factors of self-confidence (IA&CF, PO, SO, PKN, and MI), INV, STATUS, and PRICE were entered as the independent variables in the regression model respectively. In explaining market maven, IA&CF(β=.37) and SO(β=.35) showed the strong positive effects, and STATUS, PKN(-), MI(-), and PRICE were also significant in order (F=107, adj. R2=.498). Opinion leaders were significantly related with SO(β=.84), and PO, INV, and PRICE presented the minor effects(F=496.2, adj. R2=.822). SO(β=.38), STATUS(β=.37), INV(β=.34), and PKN were significant predictors for fashion leaders (F=289.3, adj. R2=.729). When analyzing the influence of market maven, opinion leader, and fashion leader on buying behaviors, market maven and fashion leaders were significantly, positively related with impulse buying behavior (F=69.28, adj. R2=.193), and overall satisfaction(F=38.21, adj. R2=.115). The implications were discussed.

The online store attributes acts as an important trigger for e-impulse buying. Purchasing apparel products are often affected by irrational and emotional attraction making them one of the most frequent impulsively purchased items online. Triggered by ease access to products, easy purchasing, lack of social pressures and absence of delivery efforts, impulse buying occurs in approximately forty percent of all online expenditures. Impulse buying occurs when consumers experience an urge to buy a product, without thoughtful consideration why and for what reason one needs the product. However, few efforts have been made to identify the relationship among-store services attributes, emotions, browsing, urges to buy, and e-impulse buying of apparel products. The objectives of this study was to estimate a path model analysis for causative relationship among e-store service attributes, emotions, browsing, urges to buy, and e-impulse of apparel products. The instrument was developed based on the previous literatures (Park, et al., 2012; Verhagen & Dolen, 2011; Yang & Peterson, 2004)and each item was measured by five-point Liker type scales. A total of 250 data were collected during a regularly scheduled class in universities. More than half of the respondents (65.5%) were 18 to 21 years old. Nearly 65.5 percent of the subjects were women, and more than half of the respondents (63.8%) were below the sophomore. The path model analysis was conducted by AMOS 18.0 using a correlation matrix with maximum likelihood approach. An exploratory factor analysis revealed three types of e-store service attributes: Accuracy, Reliability, and Ease of use. The path model, which was estimated to examine causal relationships among variables (i.e. three types of e-store service attributes, emotions, browsing, urges to buy, and e-impulse buying), was relatively acceptable (chi-square value = 34.40, df = 13, p = .001; GFI = .98, AGFI = .93, RMR = .03). Cronbach's alphas were ranged between .83 and .87. This result suggests that emotions (e.g., positive and negative), browsing and urges to buy perceived by shoppers play important roles as mediators of the e-impulse buying of apparel products. Especially, the urge to buy apparel products was the most important mediator to trigger e-impulse buying. The consumers perceived the accuracy and reliability of e-store attributes were the more perceiving the urges to buy apparel products through the more positive emotions and then the more browsing at e-store. Also, the more ease to use of e-store perceived the more urges to buy apparel products. The more perceiving urges to buy at e-store were the more e-impulse buying of apparel products. This study provides retail managerial implications for stimulating e-shoppers' impulse buying of apparel products.

Introduction E-retailers take advantage of apparel products which are viewed as a constantly changing experiential product rich that lead to various kinds of hedonic consumption, like impulse buying (Park and Kim, 2008). Apparel purchases are often affected by irrational and emotional attraction making them one of the most frequent impulsively purchased items online (Rhee, 2007). The e-shoppers are more spontaneous due to marketing stimuli which makes it easier to purchase impulsively and reduces risk aversion (Madhavaram and Laverie, 2004). In fact, shoppers are more likely to overspend when e-shopping because it does not feel like spending money (Dittmar, Long, and Meek, 2004). Apparel retailers need to pay special attention to converting web browsers to impulse purchasers—a capability that plays an important role in the growth of e-business. Despite the vast amount of data available online, few efforts have been made to identify the relationship among services attributes, browsing, urges to buy, and e-impulse buying of apparel products. This study explores a model of e-impulse buying for strategic e-business management in apparel products by understanding critical factors of e-store service attributes over the shopping websites and its impact on browsing and urges to buy for apparel in Korea. Specifically, the objectives of this study were to (a) identify underlying factors of online service attributes related to apparel products; (b) estimate structural equation model for causative relationship among service attributes, browsing, urges to buy, and e-impulse buying; and (c) examine mediating effect of browsing and urges to buy on e-impulse buying for apparel. By focusing on apparel products, this study will shed light on complex issues surrounding online service and provide opportunities for strategic development and promotion in fashion merchandising online. Also, this study could help mangers to identify successful global applications of e-marketing for apparel products. Methods A self-administered questionnaire was developed based on previous literatures. The instrument consisted of the main variables; e-service attributes of apparel stores, browsing, urge to buy, and e-impulse buying of apparel products. Participants responded to questions on a 5-point rating scale (1=very unlikely to 5=very likely). The questionnaire was administered during a regularly scheduled class in universities. Usable data were obtained from 319 students aged between 18 and 25 residing at the metropolitan areas in Korea. More than half of the respondents (65.5%) were 18 to 21 years old. Nearly 65.5 percent of the subjects were women, and more than half of the respondents (63.8%) were below the sophomore. For data analysis, exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation was conducted to determine dimensions of perceived service attributes of the apparel online store. Cronbach's alpha established inter-item reliability between items. The structural equation model analysis was conducted by AMOS 18.0 using a correlation matrix with maximum likelihood approach. The overall fit of the model was assessed by various statistic indexes: chi-square (χ2), goodness of fit index (GFI), adjusted goodness of fit index (AGFI), and root mean squared residual (RMR). Results An exploratory factor analysis revealed three types of e-store service attributes: Ease of Use, Accuracy, and Reliability. The structural equation model, which was estimated to examine causal relationships among variables (i.e. three types of service attributes, browsing, urges to buy, and e-impulse buying), was relatively acceptable (chi-square value = 168.23, df = 157, p = .026; GFI = .95, AGFI = .93, RMR = .05). The model demonstrated that the two factors of service attributes (i.e. ease of use, accuracy of service) were significant variables to influence the browsing, which influence the urges to buy and e-impulse buying for apparel stores. E-impulse buying of apparel products was influenced by browsing and urges to buy. In addition, the urges to buy and browsing mediated the casual relationship between service attributes and e-impulse buying for apparel products. This result suggests that browsing and urges to buy perceived by shoppers were important predicting e-impulse buying of apparel products. Especially, urges to buy apparel products was the most important mediator to trigger e-impulse buying of apparels. Conclusions & Implication This study explores a structural equation model for understanding e-impulse buying in conjunction with browsing, urges to buy and service attributes of apparel store perceived by shoppers in Korea. The findings suggest that the browsing and urges to buy perceived by shoppers play important roles as mediators of the e-impulse buying for apparel stores. Especially, service attributes of apparel e-store perceived by shoppers had indirect effects on e-impulse buying through the browsing and urges to buy, implying that the consumers perceived the ease to use of e-store was the more browsing at e-store and then the more perceiving the urges to buy apparel products. However, the more browsing at apparel e-store was the less the e-impulse buying of apparel products and the more perceiving urges to buy at e-store is the more e-impulse buying of apparel products. This study provides retail managerial implications for stimulating e-shoppers' impulse buying of apparel products. They could increase shoppers' unplanned purchases by developing the service program for convenience (e.g. easy to use the structure of contents, wide ranges of products/service packages, various menu options of website) to stimulate the browsing at e-store.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of consumption value, service quality, and customer satisfaction on store loyalty of beauty consumers. Using a questionnaire developed from previous studies, data were collected from 319 females at beauty stores located in Busan. They were analyzed by factor analysis, cluster analysis, ANOVA, and path analysis using SPSS 14.0 Program. Results showed that beauty consumers were classified into three groups by their consumption values; Subjective group, Practical group, and Epistemic group. There were a little differences among three consumer groups in the influence of perceived service qualities on consumer satisfaction. They suggest that the more satisfied with store services, consumers were the greater loyalty of beauty stores. Additionally, satisfaction of beauty consumers was a very important variable to develop the store loyalty. These findings would provide retailers and marketers related to beauty stores the informations encouraging consumer satisfactions and developing strategies of beauty stores.

We investigated mating conditions about care temperature of queen before mating, mating period, and number of queen per mating cage to improve mating rate of Bombus terrestris. Among 19℃, 22℃ and 25℃, care temperatures of queen before mating, queen cared at 19℃ was more effective than those at 22℃ and 25℃ in death rate during care and mating periods, and colony development. In case of mating period, oviposition rate and preoviposition periods at queen mated during 3 days were 89.3% and 11.4 days, respectively, which was higher and earlier than those of queen mated during 5 days and 7 days. The rate of worker emergence, colony foundation and progeny-queen production at 3 daysmated queen were also 2.0-11.6% higher than those at queen mated during 5 days and 7 days. In number of queen per mating cage, the rate of worker emergence, colony foundation and progeny-queen production queen mated at mating cage with 10 queens and 30 males were 41.5%, 25.9% and 23.2%, respectively. These values correspond to 1.5-6.8 folds those queen mated at cage with 20 queens and 30 queens. Therefore, we supposed that care temperature favorable for B. terrestris queen was 19℃ and the period need to mating was 3 days, and the number of queen per mating cage (55× 45× 65㎝) was 10.