Differences Between South Korean Male and Female Consumers in the Clothing Brand Loyalty Formation Process: Model Testing

Abstract

Although considerable research on brand loyalty has been conducted, few attempts have been made to integrate the results of previous studies. This study focuses on causal relationships among brand loyalty-related variables, such as consumer knowledge, product involvement, perceived risk, information search, and consumer satisfaction, in an effort to integrate results of previous studies. The purpose of this study was to propose a model of clothing brand loyalty formation considering the five brand loyalty-related variables simultaneously, and to examine gender differences in the process of clothing brand loyalty formation. Participants were 505 Korean consumers with college or graduate degrees; all were white-collar workers in their twenties and thirties living in Seoul, Korea. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires, and a proposed model was tested by LISREL. The results indicated that consumer knowledge, product involvement, and perceived risk indirectly influence brand loyalty through the mediating variables of information search and consumer satisfaction. Information search and consumer satisfaction directly influence brand loyalty. The major gender difference was that the most influential variable in information search was perceived risk for men, whereas product involvement was the most influential variable for women.

Integrating effect of consumer perception factors in predicting private brand purchase in a Korean discount store context

“…Korea is a culture of strong uncertainty avoidance and collectivism, and its consumers exhibit a high level of brand loyalty and quality consciousness (Jin and Koh, 1999). While this study found differing effects of consumer variables on PB attitude and intention by product categories, it may not an issue of the product categories investigated, but rather the combined effect of cultural dimensions on consumption.…”

Female Consumers' Attitudes and Purchase Intentions toward Intimate Apparel Brand

“…Numerous studies have confirmed that perceived risk affects consumers' attitudes (Featherman & Pavlou, 2003;Lee, Kim, & Fiore, 2010;Park & Kim, 2007;Verhagen, Meents, & Tan, 2006) and purchase intentions (Choi & Lee, 2003;Gaal & Burns, 2001;Han & Chung, 2014;Jin & Koh, 1999;Park, Lennon, & Stoel, 2005). For instance, two online shopping studies found that perceived risk negatively influenced attitudes toward online retailers (Lee et al 2010;Verhagen et al, 2006).…”

Face or Subjective Norm? Chinese College Students’ Purchase Behaviors Toward Foreign Brand Jeans

“…Dressing well or properly, especially in a public setting, is extremely important in keeping face in Confucian cultures (Jin & Koh, 1999). Face-saving was found to be still important among young Chinese consumers in forming attitude as well as in determining purchase intention.…”

“…However, face has much greater social significance among Chinese than do similar notions among Americans (Hu & Grove, 1999). In a Confucian culture, dressing properly, especially in a public setting, is important to keep one's face (Jin & Koh, 1999), which may be an important motivation to buy expensive foreign brand apparel. Therefore, individuals are always under strong pressure to act to meet the expectations of others so as to maintain face.…”