Search

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of the "virtual try-on" technology (AR) and the "3D virtual store" (VR) incorporated in an apparel retail website on purchase intentions. This study highlights the mediating role of cognitive elaboration in the process through which these technologies influence purchase intentions, and examines the way consumers' shopping goals (searching vs. browsing) interact with the website technology and influence their responses. The two experiments demonstrated that, for browsers, the website with VR was more effective in increasing purchase intentions than were the website with AR or a regular website with no technology, while for searchers, both the website with AR and the website with VR were more effective than was a regular website. In addition, cognitive elaboration mediated the interaction between a technology and a shopping goal on purchase intentions for browsers, while such a mediating effect was not found in searchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a growing concern for the environment and social responsibility, the definition of apparel quality has changed radically over the last decade from the traditional product efficacy-based quality to the quality encompassing every process that is involved in the production and the consumption of a product, including social and environmental responsibility. To address this change in the apparel quality analysis (AQA) course, the author transformed the AQA course by (a) incorporating sustainability issues within the entire AQA course curriculum and (b) developing materials and resources for apparel quality learning exercises. This paper proposes a framework for teaching an AQA course that integrates sustainability and discusses how the 'mainstream' approach to integrate sustainability into the course curriculum can aid in better delivery of an AQA course. The pre- and post-course survey indicates the significant, positive changes in students' view of apparel quality as well as their attitudes and behavioural intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The apparel manufacturers that service apparel products, also known as fashion products, have been challenged by turbulent and volatile changes within the market over the past 30 years. Changes in the business environment in the U.S. apparel manufacturing industry and the reactions of associated firms have continued to affect the profile of this industry. In this research, we documented the historical changes in the U.S. apparel manufacturing industry, from 1973 to 2005, and examined the impact of the business environment on strategies during this time. A mixture of positivism and phenomenology techniques was used within the scope of the historical review to achieve the study's purposes. The conceptual framework developed from theories about environmental determinism or adaptation provided support for data collection and organization. The results present an in-depth exploration of three environmental factors (i.e., globalization, technology, consumer) for the U.S. apparel manufacturing industry, a listing of the implemented business strategies for U.S. apparel manufacturing firms, and the interrelation of the environmental factors to these resultant strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]