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Research paper thumbnail of Relationship with the Unfamiliar: Extension of Social Exchange Theory as Applied to Unfamiliar Apparel Brands’ Pro-environmental Messages

Research paper thumbnail of Augmented and virtual reality effects on social responsibility in retail

International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Augmented and Virtual Reality and Its Effects on Social Responsibility and Fair Trade in the Apparel Industry

Pivoting for the Pandemic, 2020

Introduction and Literature Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) are projected to be more common... more Introduction and Literature Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) are projected to be more commonly found in retail environments in the next few years, making it a key point of observation between customers and researchers alike (Alexander, Salavati, & Watson, 2018). Overall literature and research surrounding the topic has shown a lack of education on AR/VR technology and how it could be used in the fashion retail industry (Bonetti, Warnaby, & Quinn, 2018). If both businesses and consumers could learn how to implement AR/VR in their daily shopping lives it would create a substantial impact and upgrade the shopping experience. Now more than ever retail stores are looking for different ways to set themselves apart from their competition (Grewal, Roggeveen, & Nordfält, 2017). Despite the fact that research has examined the impact of AR/VR on user engagement and the increased concern of ethical shopping habits, research into the motives of Fair Trade consumption is comparatively meager (Ladhari & Tchetgna, 2014). The purpose of the study is to reveal what underlying values must be focused on in order to increase Fair Trade and social responsibility consumption by Generation Z consumers in the apparel industry through possible implementation of AR/VR. The Garment Worker Diaries, a series of three reports from Bangladesh, Cambodia, and India, collected data from a total of 540 female garment workers, 180 workers in each city (Fashion Revolution, 2018). The reports found that many women within the Bangladesh study seemed caught up in debt cycles-taking on, paying it off and repeating the process again; which led to high levels of food insecurity and stress (Bangladesh Report, 2018). In the factories of Cambodia there are reports of discrimanation and violence against women in labor unions; as a result, 64% of the garment workers shadowed felt somewhat safe in factories and 11% did not feel safe at all (Cambodia Report, 2018). Garment workers in India have things comparably easier; but it was clear that the women in the report still struggled (India Report, 2018). The purpose of these reports is to expose how the fashion industry is treating its garment workers and provide consumers knowledge and a sense of social responsibility in order to call upon the industry for change. With the implementation of Fair Trade and VR in a fashion retail store, the stories of workers like the ones in Bangladesh, India, Cambodia and other third world countries can be both seen and heard. A perfect example of this is shown through the Mexican based retailer, Someone Somewhere, who implements VR in their traveling pop-up shop to allow consumers to experience the life of an indigenous garment worker in Mexico (Ejiofor, 2017). AR and VR have a future in retail as retail continues to evolve at a rapid pace due to the need for both technology and experience (Grewal et al., 2017). Understanding how Gen Z would affect this business is essential due to the fact that they are the most socially and environmentally 2020 Proceedings

Research paper thumbnail of Consumer relationship with pro-environmental apparel brands: effect of knowledge, skepticism and brand familiarity

Journal of Product & Brand Management, 2019

Purpose The apparel industry is often scrutinized for its lack of environmental stewardship, and ... more Purpose The apparel industry is often scrutinized for its lack of environmental stewardship, and thus pro-environmental initiatives have been of significant consideration among apparel brands in recent years. However, one personality trait of specific concern to brand marketers is consumer skepticism toward climate change, which has the potential to negatively impact the success of brands’ pro-environmental initiatives. In this light, research indicates that knowledge of the environmental impact of products can lead to lower skepticism (Tobler et al., 2012) and ultimately higher purchase intentions of such products. Thus, this study investigates the impact of consumers’ knowledge about environmental impact of apparel, climate change skepticism on their evaluation of brands’ pro-environmental initiatives (shared value and perceived benefit) and ultimately their relationship with the brand (perceived trust, commitment), leading to purchase intention for both familiar and unfamiliar br...

Research paper thumbnail of Relationship with the Unfamiliar: Extension of Social Exchange Theory as Applied to Unfamiliar Apparel Brands’ Pro-environmental Messages

Research paper thumbnail of Augmented and virtual reality effects on social responsibility in retail

International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Augmented and Virtual Reality and Its Effects on Social Responsibility and Fair Trade in the Apparel Industry

Pivoting for the Pandemic, 2020

Introduction and Literature Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) are projected to be more common... more Introduction and Literature Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) are projected to be more commonly found in retail environments in the next few years, making it a key point of observation between customers and researchers alike (Alexander, Salavati, & Watson, 2018). Overall literature and research surrounding the topic has shown a lack of education on AR/VR technology and how it could be used in the fashion retail industry (Bonetti, Warnaby, & Quinn, 2018). If both businesses and consumers could learn how to implement AR/VR in their daily shopping lives it would create a substantial impact and upgrade the shopping experience. Now more than ever retail stores are looking for different ways to set themselves apart from their competition (Grewal, Roggeveen, & Nordfält, 2017). Despite the fact that research has examined the impact of AR/VR on user engagement and the increased concern of ethical shopping habits, research into the motives of Fair Trade consumption is comparatively meager (Ladhari & Tchetgna, 2014). The purpose of the study is to reveal what underlying values must be focused on in order to increase Fair Trade and social responsibility consumption by Generation Z consumers in the apparel industry through possible implementation of AR/VR. The Garment Worker Diaries, a series of three reports from Bangladesh, Cambodia, and India, collected data from a total of 540 female garment workers, 180 workers in each city (Fashion Revolution, 2018). The reports found that many women within the Bangladesh study seemed caught up in debt cycles-taking on, paying it off and repeating the process again; which led to high levels of food insecurity and stress (Bangladesh Report, 2018). In the factories of Cambodia there are reports of discrimanation and violence against women in labor unions; as a result, 64% of the garment workers shadowed felt somewhat safe in factories and 11% did not feel safe at all (Cambodia Report, 2018). Garment workers in India have things comparably easier; but it was clear that the women in the report still struggled (India Report, 2018). The purpose of these reports is to expose how the fashion industry is treating its garment workers and provide consumers knowledge and a sense of social responsibility in order to call upon the industry for change. With the implementation of Fair Trade and VR in a fashion retail store, the stories of workers like the ones in Bangladesh, India, Cambodia and other third world countries can be both seen and heard. A perfect example of this is shown through the Mexican based retailer, Someone Somewhere, who implements VR in their traveling pop-up shop to allow consumers to experience the life of an indigenous garment worker in Mexico (Ejiofor, 2017). AR and VR have a future in retail as retail continues to evolve at a rapid pace due to the need for both technology and experience (Grewal et al., 2017). Understanding how Gen Z would affect this business is essential due to the fact that they are the most socially and environmentally 2020 Proceedings

Research paper thumbnail of Consumer relationship with pro-environmental apparel brands: effect of knowledge, skepticism and brand familiarity

Journal of Product & Brand Management, 2019

Purpose The apparel industry is often scrutinized for its lack of environmental stewardship, and ... more Purpose The apparel industry is often scrutinized for its lack of environmental stewardship, and thus pro-environmental initiatives have been of significant consideration among apparel brands in recent years. However, one personality trait of specific concern to brand marketers is consumer skepticism toward climate change, which has the potential to negatively impact the success of brands’ pro-environmental initiatives. In this light, research indicates that knowledge of the environmental impact of products can lead to lower skepticism (Tobler et al., 2012) and ultimately higher purchase intentions of such products. Thus, this study investigates the impact of consumers’ knowledge about environmental impact of apparel, climate change skepticism on their evaluation of brands’ pro-environmental initiatives (shared value and perceived benefit) and ultimately their relationship with the brand (perceived trust, commitment), leading to purchase intention for both familiar and unfamiliar br...