To identify the antecedents of repurchasing intention toward fast fashion brands, this study was conducted to examine brand authenticity and brand identification as both direct and indirect antecedents of repurchasing intention through fast fashion brand love. Through convenience sampling, 266 university students in Seoul metropolitan area completed a questionnaire survey. Data were analyzed using SPSS for exploratory factor analysis, and AMOS was used for confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis. Factor analysis revealed the following: for brand authenticity, four dimensions(‘originality,’ ‘reliability,’ ‘continuity,’ and ‘naturalness’) were revealed; for both consumer brand identification and repurchase intention one dimension was revealed; and for brand love two dimensions were revealed(‘passion’ and ‘affection’). Path analysis confirmed that ‘reliability’ and ‘naturalness’in relation to brand authenticity indirectly influenced repurchase intention through ‘passion’(as a factor of brand love) and directly influenced repurchase intention. Further, ‘continuity’ in relation to brand authenticity indirectly influenced repurchase intention through ‘affection’(as a factor of brand love) and directly influenced repurchase intention. Consumer brand identification influenced repurchase intention indirectly through two factors of brand love. These results suggest that fast fashion brand marketers should implement effective strategies that consider consumers’perceptions of brand authenticity, consumer brand identification, and brand love.

This study identified types of online retail internationalization in the fast-fashion context and proposed driving factors of retailers’ choices in online-based market entry following the logic of the Uppsala model and the eclectic theory. In particular, this study proposes three types of online-based internationalization: 1) entering a host market with a physical store first, and then expanding with an online store, 2) entering a foreign market with an online store, then expanding to physical stores, and 3) entering only with an online business. In addition, this study investigated the causal factors, ownership-specific and location advantages, that influence the choice of the type of developmental process of online-based internationalization. To develop theoretical and managerial insights into the issue researched, this study employed a qualitative research design involving case studies of three European fast-fashion retailers, H&M, TOPSHOP, and ASOS. This study suggested that fast-fashion retailers that enter a host market with high ownership-specific advantages are likely to choose to enter the market with physical stores and then expand with online stores. On the other hand, when faced with uncertainties attributable to low ownershipspecific or location advantages, fast-fashion retailers are likely to choose to enter with an online store first and then expand with physical stores as conditions change. Consequently, this study provides a better understanding for fast-fashion retailers who are willing to expand their businesses to foreign markets via online stores.

This paper investigates the adaptation of suppliers’ business models to the changing customers relationships, with a focus on the fashion industry. The analysis of business models represents an understudied topic in business to business marketing research (Ehret, Kashyap and Wirtz, 2013; La Rocca and Snehota, 2017). In this regard, the paper tries to propose an original contribution by addressing the issue of how suppliers adapt their business models to cope with the needs of their fast fashion customers. It is well known that the fast fashion formula has represented an innovative business model which has generated huge changes within the fashion industry (Barnes and Lea-Greenwood, 2006). While, the business models of global brands, such as those of Zara or H&M, have been deeply studied, minor attention has been given to the business models of the suppliers that interact with this kind of players. Consequently, the paper addresses a research gap that regards the suppliers' business model changes due to the interaction with fast fashion clients. The paper has an exploratory nature. Methodologically, it proposes two qualitative case studies of suppliers in interaction with fast fashion suppliers, pointing out the main features of the adaptation of their business models in the relationship with these clients. The paper contributes to theory and managerial practice pointing out some drivers of change for suppliers with respect to the most evident characteristics of the business model of the buyers. It describes these drivers and proposes some relevant evidences to support the study of business models in business markets.

Fast fashion brands gain their competitive advantages through launching new products to the market quickly in order to adapt to consumer’s rapidly changing preferences. Despite of these advantages, the fast fashion business model, in which accelerated process of product design, production, and launch is implemented, inevitably generates ethically controversial issues in fashion industry, such as intensifying environmental pollution during the production process, exploiting designers and workers, or excessively wasting resources. One possible solution to these problems might lie in reducing demand towards fast fashion products. Thus, this present study intends to explore potential means to reduce demand. It will begin with a review of literature regarding ethical concerns raised by fast fashion business model, consumers’ views towards buying fast fashion products and these concerns, and existing methods employed to reduce harm derived from fast fashion brands. Content analysis of articles and online posts addressing fashion and ethics related topics will also be conducted to collect first-hand information regarding these aspects. As a result, potential strategies or practices aiming at solving problems generated by unethical fast fashion business practices could be discovered and derived. Findings of this study are expected to provide more organized thoughts regarding ethical issues associated with fast fashion business model and how these issues concern the industry and consumers. Specifically, results of the preliminary examination will help us understand how general public and consumers perceive fast fashion business models and brands, their business practices, ethical concerns associated with these practices, and their proposed solutions. It is expected that consumers might be more willing to reduce unnecessary purchases of fashion goods if they are more aware of unethical business practices generated by practicing fast fashion business model. These results are expected to offer insights into potential strategies that (1) can be employed by policy makers to reduce waste and promote green consumption, (2) help raise consumers’ awareness regarding the negative impact of fast fashion business model, and (3) assist to return to a healthier fashion industry.

Introduction The current fashion industry has been overrun with fast fashion products in the last couple of decades. Consequently, it has become one of the most environmentally degrading industries worldwide, and is plagued by social and economic inequalities (Fletcher, 2013). The fast fashion apparel industry produces pollution and waste; and wearers are exposed to hazardous materials. The fast pace of the fashion industry has also led to unsafe working conditions that can result in detrimental influence on workers as in the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Furthermore, the individuals responsible for making the fast fashion products often live in underdeveloped countries and are paid below national minimum wage (Niinimaki, 2013). In contrast, the sustainable fashion industry aims to produce safer, cleaner, and more impactful apparel. A part of the growing sustainable apparel industry is slow fashion, which emphasizes creating fashion products at a less-intensive pace with environmentally-minded techniques. Slow fashion movement is an emerging trend within the fashion industry that counteracts the harms of fast fashion. The term „slow fashion‟ was first used by Kate Fletcher and shares several characteristics with slow food, from which the slow fashion movement got much of its inspiration (Cataldi, Dickson, & Grover, 2010). Slow fashion is thought to represent a blatant discontinuity such as a break from the values and goals of fast (growth-based) fashion (Fletcher, 2013). Slow fashion attempts to remedy the various negative economic, social, and environmental global impacts of the current fast fashion system. The purpose of this study was to analyze the material-oriented trends of representative fast fashion and slow fashion brands toward the development of sustainable fashion. This study aimed to answer the following questions: 1) By what efforts in terms of material usage do the fast and slow fashion brands promote sustainable fashion? and 2) How do these efforts influence apparel manufacturing as sustainability practices and consumers‟ purchase intentions? Backgrounds Moore and Fernie (Moore & Fernie, 2004, p. 31) defined fast fashion as “various strategies to respond commercially to the latest fashion trends”. Fast fashion brands, such as H&M, Forever 21, and Zara, use a combination of quick response and enhanced design techniques to quickly design, manufacture, and stock trendy apparel and accessories that consumers can purchase at an affordable price (Cortez et al., 2014). The manufacturers of fast fashion brands struggle to provide innovative merchandise in their preferred production timetable (Cortez et al., 2014). In such an overloaded manufacturing process, the apparel industry has experienced increased pollution and hazardous work environments. Slow fashion is defined as “a philosophy of attention that is sensitive to environmental and societal needs and to the impact production and distribution have on society and the environment” (Karaosman, Brun, & Morales-Alonso, 2016). Antanaviciute and Dobilaite (2015) report that the slow fashion industry is sustainable and seeks a greater purpose than making profit, and is thus characterized with promoting fair economic, environmental, and social systems within the fashion cycle. In the slow fashion movement, the materials used to produce garments are environmentally friendly. Sustainable fashion is achieved when available materials are used to their ultimate potential; waste materials are utilized; the products are recycled; and a second life for the fashion products is planned (Sharda & Mohan Kumar, 2012). In addition, sustainable fashion uses biodegradable materials such as organic cotton, polylactic acid, and other biopolymers etc. (Fletcher, 2013). In the production phase, garments workers who produce sustainable fashion products are paid a living wage, unlike their counterparts who work for less than a dollar a day in the fast fashion industry. Throughout the slow fashion supply chain, reducing the speed at which the products are produced and consumed is emphasized. Slowing down the production phase results in end products of better materials, with more material-construction input-time, and longer-lasting overall final product, as compared to typical fast fashion items. Case study This study was conducted based on a case study. We analyzed the sustainability practices in aspect of fiber materials of two representative brands: a fast fashion, Zara and a slow fashion, People Tree. Several resources were used to collect the information necessary for the case study. The primary resources were academic articles, reports, and brochures from companies‟ websites. The information on both companies was very useful to understand their products and sustainability practices as a fast fashion and a slow fashion brand. Zara is a ready-to-wear fast fashion retailer based in Spain, which was created by Rosalia Mera and Óscar Pérez Marcote in 1974. Since its creation, the fast fashion retailer has built a reputation for manufacturing and stocking on-trend clothing at the customer‟s demand. The company sends small shipments year-round to stores and subsequently monitors the customers‟ reactions by adjusting the store inventory. The retail giant has employed over 10,000 employees and is a private company that, according to the Business of Fashion, was worth $16.7 billion in 2013 (Hansen, 2012). Zara is known as affordable luxury (Gamboa & Goncalves, 2014) for its on-trend imitations of high-end clothing pieces that are inexpensive. The average Zara consumer is young with an age range of 18 to 24 years and female (Gamboa & Goncalves, 2014). Zara was chosen for this case study based on its unique and successful fast fashion business model. Zara has been criticized for numerous violations in manufacturing practice, including a lack of hygiene and safety in its Argentinian factories. The workers‟ rights NGO La Alameda, alleged that the working conditions consisted of no breaks and poorly lit and unventilated conditions (Crotty, 2013). The company compensated the workers and was forced to pay $530,000. People Tree is considered as a pioneer in the slow fashion movement and sustainable fashion. The company has implemented many measures to increase its economic, social, and environmental sustainability. People Tree was the first fashion brand to develop an integrated supply chain for organic cotton from the farm to the final product. Furthermore, they were the first organization to achieve a Global Organic Textile Standard certification. They source their yarns, fabrics, and accessories locally, as well as choose natural and recycled products over the toxic, synthetic, and non-biodegradable materials typically found in fast fashion products. The People Tree producer group is comprised of over 4,560 artisan producers, which includes hand weavers, hand knitters, embroiderers, tailors, and group leaders. They allow local individuals to produce and create incredibly unique products, thus generating livelihoods and incomes for these individuals who typically reside in very rural areas. Zara uses a variety of synthetic and organic fibers and textiles in its clothing. Zara partners with a company called Lenzing to source recycled polyester, cotton, and wool when available, and then donates any extra textiles not used in manufacturing products. Zara prioritizes using organic cotton and recycled materials. Organic cotton is grown and manufactured without harmful pesticides. Zara has become one of the biggest users of organic cotton, which is a part of their Join Life campaign and in collaboration with the Better Cotton Initiative (Inditex Annual Report, 2016). Zara also uses three types of rayon in its products: Modal, Viscose, and Lyocell. These materials are made from cellulose fibers, which take longer to harvest and manufacture than cotton. People Tree does not use polyester in its products, and most of its clothing is made from organic cotton and wool. It uses 100% fair-trade certified organic cotton that is certified by Soil Association (People Tree Seventh Biennial Social Review, 2011-2012). In addition to cotton and wool, it uses a fiber called “Tencel,” which is made from wood pulp. Tencel is a Lyocell product, also made from cellulose fiber, which is stretch-resistant and highly versatile. Zara uses both synthetic and organic fibers; whereas, People Tree uses organic fibers in the manufacturing of products. Lyocell is one of the most revered sustainable fibers currently on the market. Lyocell is a cellulosic fiber, specifically derived from wood pulp, normally eucalyptus (Fletcher, 2013), beech, and pine (Gordon & Hill, 2015). In a typical process, the wood pulp is dissolved in a solution of amine oxide, a solvent, which is then spun into fibers; subsequently, the solvent is removed from the fibers through a washing process (Fletcher, 2013). The manufacturing process recovers 99.5% of the solvent and the solvent is recycled back into the process (Fletcher, 2013). The solvent is non-toxic, non-corrosive, and all effluent is non-hazardous (Fletcher, 2013). Lyocell has many other environmental benefits such as complete biodegradability (six weeks in an aerated compost heap), and of renewable raw material (eucalyptus has a fast-growing cycle and reaches full maturity in seven years). No bleaching is used prior to processing the fiber, thus reducing chemical, water, and energy consumption in the dyeing process; hence, Lyocell is considered as a “very clean” fiber (Fletcher, 2013). While Lyocell is considered a very sustainable product, its production is energy intensive. However, due to recent research, the amount of energy used to make Lyocell has begun to decrease (Fletcher, 2013). Lyocell is also known by its brand name, Tencel (Gordon & Hill, 2015). Companies such as People Tree have begun to use products like Tencel in their everyday-clothing production. People Tree‟s “Our Tencel” collection is produced by Creative Handicrafts, a social enterprise working to actively empower disadvantaged women of the slum communities of Mumbai through economic independence. Like every producer of People Tree‟s clothing or Tencel products, Creative Handicrafts works to provide fair pay and safe treatment for all their workers. They also work to improve the lives of those employed by Creative Handicrafts. People Tree is currently using their “Our Tencel” collection to upskill the workers, making them qualified for higher paying and more difficult jobs should they choose to leave Creative Handicrafts. They aim to provide workers with a greater range of fabrics that they can work with for future client‟s needs. This provides the workers with greater business opportunities. The slow fashion brand‟s attributes attract ethical consumers. The ethical consumer considers the impact of consumption in terms of environmental and social responsibilities (Barnett et al., 2005). The likeliness of ethical consumer‟s purchasing or willing to purchase a slow fashion product depends on the customer‟s level of involvement. A consumer with high involvement who is willing to purchase the product at a higher price, is not attracted to mass fashion trends, and shows intent to purchase an apparel product for environmental reasons (Jung & Jin, 2016). McNeil and Moore (McNeil & Moore, 2015) found correlations between concern levels for both environmental and social wellbeing and consumer‟s intentions towards sustainable apparel. Similarly, it is possible to predict the preference of ethical consumers to purchase a fast fashion product if made of sustainable fiber materials. Conclusions We analyzed the material-oriented trends of representative fast fashion brand, Zara, and slow fashion brand, People Tree, toward development of sustainable fashion. The kinds of materials used by each brand in manufacturing fashion products, and recent efforts in sustainable practices of both fashion brands were analyzed. The results indicated that the fast fashion brand, Zara has begun to incorporate sustainable fibers such as organic cotton into their products, and the slow fashion brand, People Tree uses more sustainable fibers such as Tencel and organic cotton for its garments and other products. The efforts involved in the trends of fast and slow fashion brands toward sustainable fashion were anticipated to attract ethical consumers‟ purchase intentions. The current findings suggested that new technology offers innovative manufacturing processes producing more eco-friendly products, less waste, and less pollution, which begins to mitigate the negative environmental effects of the traditional fast fashion industry. Implications and limitations This study was intended to analyze the efforts involved in the production of fast fashion and slow fashion brands in aspect of fiber materials, toward the overall goal of sustainable practices. This study may be useful to designers, manufacturers, and retailers who hope to better understand the trend of sustainable practices of both fast and slow fashion brands. Since ethical consumers presumably prefer sustainable products, this study may help designers, manufacturers, and retailers establish optimized strategies tailored to such trends. This study has a limitation due to selection of a small number of brands, which prevents the generalization of the results to all fast and slow fashion brands.

The main objective of this study is to compare the difference of consumers’ perception on brand context. The focal factors are brand equity, brand personality and perceived customer value. This would enhance the knowledge of cross-cultural brand equity and brand personality, especially in Fast-Fashion industry. In addition, the findings of this study show that, for a brand in different marketing context, how customers perceive the brand and contribute it to their value. The sample size of 800 consumers is applied (400 Japanese consumers and 400 Thai consumers. The focal brand is randomly selected by the researcher. The Structural Equation Modelling with multiple group analysis would be conducted for examining the differences of consumer perception on a Fast-Fashion brand. All major model fits indicator would be evaluated. Finally, the results of the study would be discussed.

Fast fashion refers to a strategy to respond to the latest fashion trends by short production and distribution lead times, limited supplies and rapid inventory turnover rates. Whilst research on fast fashion mostly investigates producers’ side, e.g. supply chain, scholarship exploring consumers’ side of fast fashion remains limited. In addition, research on fast fashion consumption tends to neglect similarities and differences of consumers (e.g. needs, wants, desires, and demographic characteristics) in different parts of the world, particularly developed and developing economies. The aim of this study is threefold: Firstly, by focusing on the emergent Turkish market and the established Finnish market, it analyses and compares fast fashion consumption of Turkish and Finnish consumers. Secondly, through qualitative and quantitative studies, it reveals the components of fast fashion consumption, which include appearance management, repeat visiting behavior, product use duration, interaction with social media, impulse buying, willingness to pay full price, hedonic consumption, and fashion involvement, and develops a scale for measuring fast fashion consumption. Thirdly, it evaluates the impact of each component and examines the influence of demographic variables on fast fashion consumption. The findings demonstrate both personal and national differences in the components of fast fashion and point to a need for an in-depth, cross-cultural study on ethical and environmental issues related to fast fashion consumption.

Introduction What is fast fashion? Does this term just define all the latest or the most popular or the most famous clothes? In reality, this social phenomenon goes beyond the conventional notion of industrialized fashion and carries more importance than is implied by this view. Fast fashion, defined as “the retail strategy of adapting merchandise assortments to current and emerging trends as quickly and effectively as possible” (Sull & Turconi, 2008, p. 5), has received a great amount of attention from fashion marketers and consumers since its inception during the 21st century (Tokatli, 2008; Jang et al., 2012). The purpose of this study was to deepen our understanding of fast fashion consumers. Based on the review of related literature, the key variables related to fast fashion consumers were categorized into three dimensions: consumer characteristics (i.e., fashion leadership, price consciousness), consumer awareness (i.e., awareness of sustainable practices of fast fashion retailers, perception of fashion democratization), and attitude toward fast fashion retailers. The three dimensions were examined in a sequential manner to assess the power of each set of antecedents in explaining college students’ repatronage intention of fast fashion retailers. Related Literature While fast fashion retailers have experienced a huge financial success mainly due to their affordable and accessible fashion products, they have also been harshly criticized by some members of the public because of their lack of corporate social responsibility. Indeed, fast fashion retailers’ low cost and efficient supply chain management systems have had negative effects on the environment, society, and people (Barnes & Lea-Greenwood, 2006; Bruce & Daly, 2006; Ro & Kim, 2009). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that about 14.3 million tons of textiles were generated in 2012, making up 5.2 percent of total municipal solid waste. Such massive textile waste has been attributed to fast fashion retailers because the cheap and trendy items they produce encourage consumers to make frequent purchases and to frequently dispose of unwanted clothing. Furthermore, several fast fashion retailers (e.g. Gap and Forever 21) have been criticized for the use of child labor and the sweatshop-like conditions of their factories (Ramishvili, 2012). Moreover, some fast fashion retailers have been involved in intellectual property lawsuits because they replicated the runway designs of prominent designers to produce knock-off products (Pous, 2013). In response, a few fashion experts claim that fast fashion retailers destroy fashion because the styles produced lack of aesthetic expression and creativity (Choufan, 2013). However, these issues are not solely a problem associated with fast fashion retailers. In fact, the entire fashion industry is responsible for adverse environmental and societal consequences to some extent. Traditional fashion retailers (e.g. Diesel, Levi’s, Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Hermès) also generate huge amounts of textile waste along with hazardous waste that results from the chemical materials used in production processes. Their products are also manufactured in developing countries to keep production costs low. They also may not pay attention to the labor environment. Therefore, traditional fashion retailers along with fast fashion retailers have responsibilities related to sustainability issues (Casey, 2014; Greenpeace, 2013). Nevertheless, fast fashion retailers have received the majority of the public’s criticism regarding these issues. Contrary to a popular belief, fast fashion retailers have taken some steps to apply the concept of sustainability into their business practices. For example, H&M collects unwanted garments for recycling, uses recycled or reused materials for producing new garments and uses organic cottons (Lanyon, 2013). Other fast fashion retailers like Zara, Topshop and Uniqlo as well as H&M also have launched eco-friendly collections (MacDonald, 2012). Moreover, H&M, Zara, Mango and Uniqlo have committed to eliminate the release of toxic chemicals by 2020 in response to Greenpeace’s Detox campaign and to public pressure (Greenpeace, 2012). Furthermore, fast fashion retailers are also paying attention to labor issues. For instance, after more than 1,100 people died from the Rana Plaza building collapse on April 24th in 2013 (Chua, 2013), major fast fashion retailers signed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. This accord indicates these retailers agree to be responsible for the working environment for employees in apparel factories in Bangladesh. Although their ultimate goal might be to increase their sales by recovering their brand images damaged by unfavorable media coverage, it is clear that movement toward sustainable practices will minimize the negative impact of their business practices on the environment and society and encourage other retailers to incorporate sustainable practices. In spite of the harsh criticism directed at fast fashion retailers, consumers still like wearing fast fashion products considering that fast fashion retailers have continuously expanded their businesses worldwide and have been successful. Prior researchers interested in fast fashion retailers have focused on supply chain management issues (Barnes & Lea-Greenwood, 2006; Mihm, 2010), the value of fast fashion (Cachon & Swinney, 2011), and indentifying business strategies of a particular fast fashion retailer (Ferdows, Lewis, & Machuca, 2005; Ghemawat, Nueno, & Dailey, 2003; Tokatli, 2008). However, few researchers have theoretically explained why consumers still like fast fashion products and visit fast fashion retailers. With that in mind, the present study identified various factors that positively influence consumer attitude and their patronage intention toward fast fashion retailers. Furthermore, although fast fashion retailers have positive motivations toward consumers (e.g. provide inexpensive fashionable items,participate in sustainable practices), consumer research has highlighted their negative effects on the environment and society (e.g., Morgan & Birtwistle, 2009). Methods An online self-administered survey methodology was employed with a purposive sample of U.S. college students who had shopped at fast fashion retailers. A total of 154 usable responses were used for data analysis. The click through rate was 79.79%. Exploratory factor analysis and hierarchical regression were used to examine the interrelationships among the three dimensions of antecedents (consumer characteristics, consumer awareness, consumer attitude) and repatronage intention. The measurement items employed were developed based on previous literature. All items were reviewed and modified to fit the context of this research: consumer attitude and patronage intention toward fast fashion retailers (Madden, Ellen, & Ajzen, 1992); perception of fashion democratization (PFD) (Dubois, Czellar, & Laurent, 2005); fashion opinion leadership (Flynn et al., 1996; Goldsmith & Hofacker, 1991); and price consciousness (Lichtenstein et al., 1993). The items for measuring awareness of sustainable practices of fast fashion retailers (ASP) were created based on news articles presenting sustainable practices fast fashion retailers actually engaged in. Participant Characteristics Among the participants, 48.1% were majoring in a fashion related area (e.g. fashion design, retail merchandising). The majority of the participants were female (85.1%). Most participants (92.2%) were between 18 and 25 years old. With respect to ethnicity, 63.0% were Caucasian. Approximately half of the participants (52.6%) reported that they earned less than $10,000 annually. Also, 26.0% of the participants shopped at fast fashion retailers once a month. Results A weighted least squares (WLS) hierarchical regression analysis was used for data analysis. Fast fashion shopping frequency was used as a weight variable as it is related to the variability in the dependent variable. The results revealed that: (a) fashion leadership positively influenced repatonage intention (Model 1); (b) after controlling consumer characteristics, PFD played a significant role in increasing variance explained in repatonage intention (Model 2) and (c) after controlling consumer characteristics and awareness, consumer attitude was found to be a significant predictor, partially mediating the linkages from fashion leadership and PFD to repatronage intention (Model 3). Implications and Conclusion Our findings suggest that fashion leadership plays an important role in the fast fashion market because it initiates the acceptance of new trends and leads to diffusion of new fashion. Prior research suggests that fashion leaders (versus followers) are willing to take risks in trying new items offered by fast fashion retailers, are interested in fashion information, tend to retain fashion items for socializing for a short period of time and need various and unique fashion items (Goldsmith, Freiden & Kilsheimer, 1993; Kang & Park-Poaps, 2010). Given that fast fashion retailers promote frequent purchases and decrease the financial burden by offering new products on a weekly basis and charging low prices, our finding is consistent with fashion leaders’ characteristics prior research identified. Another important finding is that the role of PDF in defining fast fashion consumers. Fast fashion products look similar to high-end products, but are comparatively inexpensive because the fast fashion retailers apply or copy high-end designs into their products and use cheap materials (Niinimäki, 2009; Reinach, 2005). Also, fast fashion retailers open tremendous stores across the world, which make fashion more accessible to consumers globally. As a result, fast fashion retailers accelerate the fashion democratization and it means that both concepts of fast fashion and fashion democratization are highly related. As Wang (2010) stated, “fast fashion’s soul is to make fashion democratized with its low price and speed” (p.10). Further research is needed to extend and corroborate the findings of this study.

It is recognized that the global apparel market of the twenty-first century is largely profit driven, and that the majority of producers and retailers have sourced products from the lowest cost locations. Purchase tickets of fashion goods available from ‘fast’ fashion retailers (at least within the UK) refrain from providing the consumer with details of the full circumstances of production. It seems that the majority of major retailers and producers are not willing to engage in levels of self-regulation which could ensure that the products offered to consumers are ethically produced and offer acceptable levels of sustainability. Meanwhile many fashion consumers have the desire to purchase sustainable products, produced ethically by workers paid fair wages in safe working environments. Consumer demand could be a powerful tool to adjust the behaviour of manufacturers and buyers. This paper proposes the introduction of international legislation demanding greater degrees of transparency than exist currently and that the full sourcing and production details of fashion products are stated clearly on the product’s purchase ticket within its retail setting. With the introduction of such legislation, consumers could thus be given the opportunity of purchasing goods which they feel accommodate their own views on ethical manufacture and sustainable products. In turn, consumer pressure could ensure indirectly that retail buyers consider all ethical and sustainable aspects of production when negotiating with garment producers/suppliers. Further to this, such a negotiating stance could ensure the improvement of the terms and conditions of employment of the numerous garment workers worldwide.

The purpose of this study is to identify the antecedents of repurchase intention toward fast fashion brands. Perceived quality, perceived price, deindividuation, and overly trendy styles, which are product characteristic variables, and fashion innovativeness, which is a consumer characteristic variable, were considered as antecedents. It was hypothesized that product and consumer characteristics influence repurchase intention toward fast fashion brands not only directly, but also indirectly through cognitive dissonance. Data were gathered by surveying university students in Seoul using convenience sampling. Three hundred and fifty-two questionnaires were used in the statistical analysis. SPSS was used for exploratory factor analysis, and AMOS was used for confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis. The factor analysis of product characteristics revealed four dimensions: “perceived quality”, “perceived price”, “deindividuation”, and “overly trendy styles”, and the factor analysis of consumer characteristics revealed one dimension. The factor analysis of cognitive dissonance revealed two dimensions, “regrets” and “perceived uncertainty.” The hypothesized path test proved that perceived quality, deindividuation, overly trendy styles, and fashion innovativeness influence repurchase intention directly. Perceived price and deindividuation influence repurchase intention indirectly through the factor of cognitive dissonance, which is the perceived uncertainty, indicating the importance of cognitive dissonance. The results indicate effective marketing strategies should be used to decrease consumers’ cognitive dissonance, and suggestions for future study are provided.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine factors affecting customers’ intention to buy apparels through mobile apps. The proposed model was evaluated using survey data collected from 304 mobile app users and assessed by structural equation modeling. Our study contributes to a theoretical understanding of mobile apps usage.