No abstract

PurposeSouth Africa is the leading market for luxury goods in Africa – a fact evident from the statistics on luxury retail and the expanding footprint of international and local luxury brands. In a market that is dominated by prominent international brands, indigenous South African brands are seldom the subject of empirical research. This study addresses this gap by analysing the consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) of South African luxury fashion brands and its outcomes on the purchase/repurchase intention of consumers of South African luxury fashion brands.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted quantitative research methods and utilized survey questionnaires to acquire data from 130 respondents. Structural equation modelling was used in testing the proposed alternative hypotheses.FindingsThe study affirmed the relevance of Aaker's (1991) CBBE model for luxury goods in the emerging economy of South Africa. It established perceived quality and behavioural loyalty as significant predictors of brand equity while affirming the prevalence of hedonism and behavioural loyalty in South Africa's luxury fashion market.Research limitations/implicationsThe small sample size and the limited geographic scope of the study had a significant adverse impact on the broad application of the study's outcome. Furthermore, Aaker's (1991) CBBE model, while adequate, may have diminished the probability of a nuanced outcome.Originality/valueThis study advances the frontiers of interdisciplinary research by applying the marketing framework of CBBE to fashion studies in South Africa. The validated measurement scale, which emphasises the relevance of hedonism and behavioural loyalty in South Africa, may be useful for a similar study on luxury fashion brands in other emerging economies.

The South African sizing system was adapted from an outdated British sizing system. This contributes to the fit problems currently experienced by female apparel consumers in South Africa. To improve ready-to-wear apparel fit, body measurements and body shapes prevalent within a target population need to be identified and subsequently form a basis for a sizing system. The South African apparel industry bases apparel design and manufacturing on standard figures yet research shows that female consumer populations consist of women of different body shapes and body proportions. Diverse ethnic groups within populations further aggravate the variations. Differently shaped consumers experience different fit problems from standard apparel and size charts and therefore require differently shaped apparel. In an attempt to address ready-to-wear apparel fit problems among the ethnically diverse South African female population, this paper sought to compile customised size charts of body shape classes predominant among African and Caucasian women. This paper utilised scan data of 233 African (n1 = 109) and Caucasian (n 2 = 125) women aged 18-25 years that were selected using the purposive and snow-balling techniques. Body shape descriptors from literature guided body shape classification formulae that were computed from circumferential drop values of the samples and mean ± standard deviation. These were used to classify participants' bodies into different body shape categories. A print-out of virtual body images showing participants' front and side view images were subjected to visual analysis by a panel of experts to confirm body shapes assigned from measurements. The body shape defining parameters adopted in this study were. triangle: Mean to Maximum (in cm) i.e. 12.6 ≤ hip-bust ≤ 29.8, hourglass: Mean ≤ bust-waist ≤ Maximum i.e. 18 ≤ bust-waist ≤ 26.6 and rectangle: Mean (18 cm)-3 x SD (12.3 cm) < bust-waist < mean i.e. 5.6 < bust-waist < 18. Findings show that there were 64 African triangle, 42 Caucasian triangle, 30 African hourglass, 51 Caucasian hourglass, 14 African rectangle and 32 Caucasian rectangle. The significant differences between the Caucasian hourglass figure assumed to be similar to the Western hourglass used as a standard figure by ready-to-wear apparel manufacturing, confirmed need for customised size charts for the predominant body shapes among South African women. This paper resulted in the computation of customised size charts for the different predominant African and Caucasian body shapes. While there are a number of Western studies that classify body shape using drop values, there has not been such study in South Africa.