Clothing consumption in two recent EU Member States: a cross-cultural study

Millan, E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2421-2855, De Pelsmacker, P. and Wright, L. T. (2013) Clothing consumption in two recent EU Member States: a cross-cultural study. Journal of Business Research, 66 (8). pp. 975-982. ISSN 0148-2963 doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.12.020

Abstract/Summary

Marketing research efforts across Eastern European countries continue growing since the introduction of market reforms in this region. Nonetheless, questions remain unanswered as to cross-cultural differences in Eastern Europeans' consumer behavior. The present research addresses this knowledge gap by developing and testing hypotheses about cross-cultural variations in a number of clothing-related consumer behavior phenomena in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. Our findings indicate significant differences regarding consumer interest in clothing, preference for utilitarian, self-expressive and hedonic meanings of clothing artifacts, preference for well-known clothing brands, brand loyalty, and importance of clothing attributes. The study advances research in marketing by investigating clothing value-expressive symbolism and consumption in the tworecentEUMember States. The study provides valuable insights to marketers for developing effective marketing strategies.