Apparel mass customization: perceptions of young Chinese consumers

108 Pages·2011·1.4 MB·English

OU, YINGJIE, M.S. Apparel Mass Customization: Perceptions of Young Chinese
Consumers. (2011)
Directed by Dr. Nancy Nelson-Hodges and Prof. Melanie Carrico. 98 pp.

The purpose of this study was to explore young Chinese consumers’ attitudes
towards mass customized apparel products and its applications, including both body
scanning and co-design. At approximately 200 million people, the young generation
of Chinese, aged 19-28, are a growing spending force. This group of consumers is
more into fashion compared other age groups (Kalish, 2005), and, having been
exposed to western values, their consumption patterns and values are also changing.
Using a qualitative methodology, in-depth interviews were conducted with
twenty-seven young Chinese consumers aged 18 to 25. Interviews lasted from one to
two hours, and were audio-taped with participant consent. Interviews were conducted
in Mandarin Chinese, and were then transcribed, translated, and interpreted
thematically. Three concepts related to customization emerged and were used to
structure the interpretation: Awareness, Perception, and Experience. Several themes
surfaced to provide depth information within each conceptual area.
Based on the interpretation, participants were divided into three different
profiles according to their fashion leadership and interest level: Fashion leader/high
interest in mass customization; non-fashion leader/high interest in mass customization;
non-fashion leader/low interest in mass customization. The majority of participants
was found to be non-fashion leader/high interest type, and would be interested in mass
customization of apparel if given the chance. Results of the study can help marketers
better understand young Chinese consumers’ perceptions of mass customization in
order to successfully market mass customization in China. Avenues of further research
are discussed in light of study limitations.
APPAREL MASS CUSTOMIZATION: PERCEPTIONS OF YOUNG
CHINESE CONSUMERS

by
Yingjie Ou

A Thesis Submitted to
The Faculty of the Graduate School at
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
in Partial Fulfillment
of Requirements for the Degree of
Master of Science

Greensboro
2011

Approved by

_________________________
Committee Co-chair

_________________________
Committee Co-chair
© 2011 YINGJIE OU
APPROVAL PAGE
This thesis has been approved by the following committee of the Faculty of the
Graduate School at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Committee Co-Chairs _____________________________________

______________________________________
Committee Members ______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________
Date of Acceptance by Committee
______________________________________
Date of Final Oral Examination
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special thanks to my thesis co-chairs, Dr. Nancy Nelson Hodges and Prof.
Melanie Carrico, for their continuous support and patient guidance throughout the
thesis process and my master program. I am especially grateful for the time and the
efforts they put in my writing and in offering helpful advice at all times.
I greatly appreciate my thesis committee members, Dr. Jennifer Yurchisin and
Dr. Merlyn Griffiths. Their instructions contributed quite a lot to this study and their
suggestions have improved the quality of this research.
I am thankful to my friends and colleagues for supporting me through my
graduate study and providing a stimulating learning environment.
Finally, and most importantly, I am most grateful to my parents, Mr. Yongquan
Ou and Ms. Guide Xu, in China. Their constant encouragement and loving support
provided me the perseverance to complete my studies, and to make everything
possible.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................ vi
LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................... vii
CHAPTER
I. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1
Statement of the Problem ............................................................................. 1
Research Purpose and Objectives ............................................................... 2
Background .................................................................................................... 2
Customization vs. Mass Customization ..................................... 3
Body Scanning Technology ....................................................... 4
Co-design ..................................................................................... 7
China’s Apparel Market ....................................................................... 10
Young Chinese Consumers ....................................................... 12
The Digital Chinese Consumer ................................................ 13
Conceptual Framework ...................................................................... 14
Innovation and Fashion Leadership ........................................... 15
Clothing Involvement .............................................................. 16
Significance of the Study .................................................................. 17
Definition of Key Terms .................................................................... 18
Summary ........................................................................................... 20

II. LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................... 21
Statement of Purpose ........................................................................... 21
China’s Apparel Market ....................................................................... 21
Apparel Consumers ................................................................... 22
Consumers’ Use of the Internet .................................................. 24
Mass Customized Apparel and the Consumer .................................... .25
Mass Customization and Clothing Involvement ................................. 34
Fashion Involvement and Fashion Leadership .......................... 38
Summary ............................................................................................. 41

III. METHODOLOGY .................................................................................... 42
Research Purpose ................................................................................ 42
Objectives ............................................................................................ 42
Research Design .................................................................................. 43
Sample Selection ................................................................................. 44
Data Analysis ...................................................................................... 44
Summary ............................................................................................. 45
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IV. INTERPRETATION .................................................................................. 46
Participant Demographics ................................................................... 46
Thematic Interpretation ....................................................................... 48
Awareness of Mass Customization .......................................... 48
Types and Degrees of Customization ............................... 49
Apparel-Specific Customization ..................................... 51
Perceptions of Mass Customization ......................................... 53
Risk ................................................................................. 54
Convenience ................................................................... 57
Uniqueness ...................................................................... 60
Experiences Related to Mass Customization ........................... 61
Positive vs. Negative Experiences .................................... 62
Hedonic vs. Utilitarian Motivations ................................. 63
Factors Affecting Decision-Making.................................. 64
Summary ............................................................................................. 66

V. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS ...................................................... 67
Research Purpose and Objectives ........................................................ 67
Discussion of Findings ........................................................................ 67
Attributes of Apparel Mass Customization.............................. 72
Involvement and Level of Interest in Mass Customized
Apparel .................................................................................. 74
Participant Profiles ................................................................... 75
Fashion Leader/High Interest ......................................... 77
Non-fashion Leader/High Interest .................................... 77
Non-fashion Leader/Low Interest ................................... 78
Limitations and Further Research ....................................................... 80
Summary ............................................................................................. 81

REFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 82

APPENDIX A. INTERVIEW SCHEDULE ................................................................ 92

APPENDIX B. CONSENT FORM ............................................................................. 95

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LIST OF TABLES
Page
Table 1. Participant demographics and customization experiences …………………47

Table 2. Participants’ profiles by fashion leadership and clothing mass
customization interest…………………………………………..…….......76

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LIST OF FIGURES
Page
Figure 1. 3D body scanner …………………………….………………………….......5
Figure 2. 3D body image ……………………………………………………………...6
Figure 3. Volunteer in UK being scanned …………………………………………….6
Figure 4. The president and founder of My Virtual Model, Louise Guay,
shows how the website works to create one’s own virtual model .………9
Figure 5. Apparel Retail Market Value in China (billion $) ………………………...11
Figure 6. Credit Card Usage in China (million)……………………………………...13
Figure 7. Comparison of Online Shopping Rates in the US and China (%)…...…….14
Figure 8. Five Stages of Mass Customization ………………………………...……26
Figure 9. Participant categories by fashion leadership and clothing interest ………..79

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