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Sustainable brand extensions of fast fashion retailers

Jessica Hill (The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA.)
Hyun-Hwa Lee (Department of Fashion Design & Textiles, College of Human Ecology, Inha University, Incheon, kOREA.)

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management

ISSN: 1361-2026

Article publication date: 11 May 2015

15578

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine consumer perceptions of a potential sustainable line extension introduced by a specific fast-fashion retailer. Following brand-extension theory, the study seeks to identify the influences of knowledge of and involvement with the cause of sustainability, as well as knowledge and affect toward brand, on the evaluation of a sustainable line extension.

Design/methodology/approach

Participation was limited to those with in-store browsing experience with either Zara or H&M in the past 12 months. A self-administered online survey was developed using the written scenario approach. After several screening processes, 598 completed surveys were deemed usable for statistical analysis.

Findings

Findings identified significant cause and brand effects on brand-cause fit and brand-extension fit. In turn, brand extension was significantly predicted by brand-cause fit and brand-extension fit. In addition, the results of the study indicated that consumers do view sustainable products as fitting with fast-fashion retailers, based on their previous knowledge and affect regarding the brand and the cause.

Originality/value

This study sought to identify consumers’ perceptions of sustainable brand extension introduced by a fast-fashion retailer. Implications for retailers included leveraging consumers’ past knowledge and affect regarding the brand through marketing of the sustainable product.

Keywords

Citation

Hill, J. and Lee, H.-H. (2015), "Sustainable brand extensions of fast fashion retailers", Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 205-222. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-09-2012-0056

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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