It is about inclusion! Mining online reviews to understand the needs of adaptive clothing customers

Abstract

The adaptive clothing market, which focuses on the inclusive design of clothing and footwear for people with varying degrees of disability, has grown substantially in recent years. However, few scholars have sought to understand the perspectives of online adaptive clothing consumers. This study employed topic modelling, sentiment analysis and collocation analysis to discover common themes and insights emerging from online customer reviews, scraped from a third-party review platform and three retailing web sites. We utilized customer value and functional, expressive and aesthetic theories to group the results from topic modelling into key themes. Clothing function is the most frequently discussed theme in online customer reviews, followed by customer service and clothing aesthetics. Collocation analysis revealed the cause underlying each theme vis-à-vis customer satisfaction (e.g., fit and material quality) and dissatisfaction (e.g., sewing defects and lost shipment). The findings contribute to understanding the clothing needs and wants of people living with disabilities. It also provides practical guidelines on product offerings and online service optimization for adaptive clothing retailers.

Adaptive apparel for people with disabilities: A systematic literature review and future research agenda

“…Finally, the studies examined the variables pertaining to the consumer shopping experience through the constructs of the physical retail setting and online shopping (Li et al, 2023; Menzel Baker et al, 2007; Reich, 1980). This includes challenges in physical retail settings such as poorly organized store layouts, and concerns in online shopping such as accessibility issues (Annett‐Hitchcock & Xu, 2015; O'Bannon et al, 1988).…”

“…Therefore, it makes sense that with the emergence of adaptive apparel and the PWD apparel consumer in research, the social and psychological aspects of adaptive apparel dress for the PWD consumer would also emerge. Through this SLR, the researchers discovered that the social and psychological aspects of dress were presented in a variety of contexts including shopping and retail experiences, virtual environments, as well as in relation to apparel design and garment fit and performance (Annett‐Hitchcock & Xu, 2015; Li et al, 2023; Menzel Baker et al, 2007).…”

“…An area of research within the social and psychological impacts of dress on the PWD consumer relates to the use of social media and virtual environments for the PWD consumer to gather information about products as well as to engage with others regarding adaptive apparel. Li et al (2023) conducted an exploratory study examining online apparel reviews to better understand the needs of adaptive apparel consumers. Expanding this type of research in the context of adaptive apparel and the PWD consumer will help provide a deeper insight into the challenges the PWD consumer faces when shopping online as well as when attempting to gather information from trusted sources about how adaptive apparel works or does not work for specific disabilities.…”

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“…Finalmente, se ha identificado que un tema relevante para los clientes de ropa de moda es la experiencia en el sitio web (Boardman y Chrimes, 2023;Li et al, 2023). Esta se refiere a la evaluación que realizan los usuarios sobre los atributos de un sitio web que satisfacen sus necesidades y reflejan la excelencia general de este (Aladwani y Palvia, 2002).…”

“…Esta se refiere a la evaluación que realizan los usuarios sobre los atributos de un sitio web que satisfacen sus necesidades y reflejan la excelencia general de este (Aladwani y Palvia, 2002). Por ejemplo, Li et al (2023) analizaron la experiencia de compra de ropa adaptativa en línea a través de Amazon; encontraron que los aspectos funcionales asociados a la facilidad de navegación y el valor de la experiencia son componentes importantes para los clientes durante la compra en línea. Sin embargo, trabajos previos no han probado empíricamente la existencia de un efecto de la conciencia ambiental sobre la experiencia del sitio web en la compra de ropa, por lo que este trabajo explora la posibilidad de un efecto positivo.…”