Non-conformance in apparels: exploring online fashion retail in India
Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management
ISSN: 1361-2026
Article publication date: 3 May 2019
Issue publication date: 18 June 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study, explore and rank the non-conforming factors in apparels purchased from e-shops.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected by visiting and interacting people in colleges and through the structured online questionnaires (n=222). The exploratory factor analysis was performed using “R” software. Identified factors were ranked using AHP methodology; 12 experts from various fashion institutes participated in identifying the factors.
Findings
Based upon the results of the exploratory study, non-conforming factors such as “visual variation”, “functional inconvenience”, “cloth attribute variation”, “haptic variation”, “aesthetic variation” and “fit variation” were identified. The priority ranking of factors and sub-factors was done.
Research limitations/implications
The sample primarily comprised of the young adult population (19–27 years) and most of them were females (71.6 per cent). There can be other demographic factors. Research is limited to online apparel retailers. Advanced methods of prioritisation can be used.
Practical implications
The paper can be useful to online apparel retailers, vendors and manufacturers to understand the factors that may be important for improving their business.
Originality/value
There is no study that identifies the non-conformance factors related to online apparel retailing.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all the faculty members who participated in this study. The brainstorming session for the pairwise comparison between factors was demanding. The authors extend their sincere respect to all those who have helped in developing knowledge database by giving their opinions and time for questionnaires. The authors are also very thankful to the reviewers of this journal for their invaluable insights and opinions that enabled the authors to think deeply and enhance the level of this study.
Citation
Kaushik, V. and Dhir, S. (2019), "Non-conformance in apparels: exploring online fashion retail in India", Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 23 No. 2, pp. 257-276. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-05-2018-0067
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited