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What influences Chinese fashion retail? Shopping motivations, demographics and spending

Christopher J. Parker (School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK)
Lu Wenyu (School of Materials, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK)

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management

ISSN: 1361-2026

Article publication date: 7 June 2019

Issue publication date: 18 June 2019

2779

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to establish the influence of shopping motivations on Chinese fashion retail engagement relative to demographics, monthly spend on fashion items and high street/electronic commerce (e-commerce) preference. This is to determine how international fashion retailers should design more effective retails channels, expanding upon established theory in Hedonic and utilitarian motivations. While earlier research suggests shopping motivations associate with demographics while influencing retail channel preference and consumer spending, much of this exploration is Western focused, with all variables being influential. However, the degree to which these apply to China, and the unique fingerprint of influential motivations remains unknown. This paper answers these questions to allow international retailers to develop more efficient marketing strategies and design more effective retail channels.

Design/methodology/approach

In all, 403 Chinese consumers generalisable to the broader population were surveyed on their hedonic and utilitarian motivations to shop for fashion apparel in high street and e-commerce environments. Statistical analysis was commenced through direct logistic regression and MANOVA.

Findings

Demographics have limited association with shopping motivations, with gender and age only producing small effect sizes, while occupation, income and education has no significance. High street store preference is influenced by adventure and social shopping and e-commerce preference only by idea shopping. Spending over ¥1k per month on fashion apparel is influenced by gratification and idea shopping, and regular spending habits inspired by value shopping.

Originality/value

This empirical paper characterises the fingerprint of shopping motivations’ influence as singular to China while proving their limitation and need for a wider plethora of influential factors to be recognised.

Keywords

Citation

Parker, C.J. and Wenyu, L. (2019), "What influences Chinese fashion retail? Shopping motivations, demographics and spending", Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 23 No. 2, pp. 158-175. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-09-2017-0093

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited

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